Disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
A home theater PC fails in ways a desktop never does. It fails when the fan spins up during a quiet dialogue scene, when the TV remote can't wake it, when a 4K HDR remux stutters because the box quietly decided to convert it, and when the HDMI port you plugged into turns out to be a 4K60 path wearing an HDMI 2.1 label. That is why the best mini PC for HTPC duty is rarely the one with the highest benchmark score.
Reframing the question around the living room changes the shortlist far less than you would expect. For local playback, an Intel N100 or N150 already decodes 4K60 HEVC, VP9 and AV1 in hardware, and Intel Quick Sync makes it a genuinely useful Plex or Jellyfin transcoder. A conservative planning figure for that class is two to three simultaneous 4K HEVC hardware transcodes — not a silicon ceiling, but a number that holds up when bitrate, subtitles and tone mapping cooperate.
The machines that cost three to five times more win on completely different axes. Measured noise under load rather than idle. Native HDMI-CEC instead of a USB adapter zip-tied to the back. AV1 encoding for server-side conversion. A 48 Gbps HDMI output that actually drives a 4K120 panel. Dual 2.5GbE for a box that also feeds a NAS. Every one of those is a living-room problem, and almost none of them appear on a product comparison grid.
This guide covers eight mini PCs from the budget N100/N150 tier up to premium workstation-class homelab boxes, and it separates the three jobs people keep conflating: a client under the television, a server in another room, and one machine expected to do both. If you already know which of those three you are building, jump straight to the decision guide at the end.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. That never changes the selection criteria below — every recommendation here is made on measured noise, media-engine capability and the exact display path.
Quick Picks
| Pick | Best for | Decisive HTPC criterion |
|---|---|---|
| Beelink Mini S12 Pro | Cheapest box that still hardware-transcodes | N100 Quick Sync + AV1 decode |
| GMKtec NucBox G3 Plus | Budget HTPC that also fronts a NAS | 2.5GbE + second storage slot |
| MeLE Quieter4C N150 | Silent client under the TV | Fanless, 0 dBA |
| Beelink SER8 | Quiet all-round living-room PC | Mid-30s dBA under load with a 780M |
| GMKtec NucBox K8 Plus | HTPC and media server in one chassis | Dual 2.5GbE + VCN4 + OCuLink |
| MINISFORUM UM890 Pro | Very quiet 4K120 output | 48 Gbps HDMI, 4K120 / 8K60 |
| ASUS NUC 14 Pro | Remote-only living room + Plex | Native HDMI-CEC on both ports |
| MINISFORUM MS-01 | One box for Plex and the homelab | 2× 10GbE + 2× 2.5GbE + Quick Sync |
What Makes a Great HTPC Mini PC?
Local playback and server transcoding are different jobs
Direct Play sends the original file untouched and asks almost nothing of the machine. Transcoding decodes and re-encodes, and that is where CPUs and media engines earn their keep. Plex's own software-transcoding guidance puts one 1080p H.264 transcode at roughly 2,000 PassMark, one 4K SDR HEVC conversion at 12,000, and one 4K HDR 10-bit HEVC conversion at 17,000. An Intel N100 scores far below those figures and still transcodes 4K comfortably, because Quick Sync does the work instead of the CPU cores. Benchmark scores describe the fallback path, not the normal one.
The practical failure mode is almost never raw video decoding. It is subtitle burn-in on image-based PGS subtitles, HDR-to-SDR tone mapping, an audio format the client refuses, or a container mismatch — any of which can drop the job back onto general-purpose cores.
Noise is measured, not marketed
Acoustics are the single most under-reported HTPC specification. A box that idles at 26 dBA and hits the low 30s under load disappears into a living room; one that reaches 50 dBA does not. For scale, the ASUS NUC 14 Pro measures about 26 dBA idle and up to 47.8 dBA under sustained maximum load, while the Beelink SER8 and MINISFORUM UM890 Pro stay in the mid-30s under heavy work. A powerful Core Ultra machine like the GEEKOM GT1 Mega can measure around 50.9 dBA under load — excellent hardware that is a poor trade on a shelf beneath a television.
Treat every dBA figure as context-dependent. Without the measurement distance, ambient noise floor, workload and test method, two numbers are not comparable, and a desktop review measured at 50 cm is not the same measurement as one taken against a 34.5 dBA room floor.
HDMI 2.1 is not a bandwidth guarantee
HDMI 2.1 branding has stopped meaning what buyers assume it means. The ASUS NUC 14 Pro carries two HDMI 2.1 ports on a TMDS signaling path, which keeps them effectively 4K60-class. The MINISFORUM UM890 Pro specifies a 48 Gbps HDMI implementation rated for 4K120 or 8K60. Both are honestly labelled HDMI 2.1. Only one of them drives a 4K120 panel.
The MINISFORUM MS-01 is the clearest example of the gap in the other direction: its HDMI output is HDMI 2.0 at 4K60, and its 8K capability lives on the USB4 path, specified at 8K30. Before buying for frame rate, find the bandwidth number for the exact port you intend to use, not the version string.
CEC decides whether it works with a TV remote
HDMI-CEC lets a television's remote control power, wake and navigate the device on the other end of the cable. Most PC HDMI implementations do not provide it. Of the eight machines here, the ASUS NUC 14 Pro is the only one with documented native CEC on both HDMI ports, configurable in BIOS with an API for additional functions. The Beelink, GMKtec, MeLE and MINISFORUM specifications reviewed do not document native CEC.
For everything else, plan for a workaround: an external USB HDMI-CEC adapter, a Bluetooth or RF remote, a USB IR receiver, or Wake-on-LAN triggered from a phone. Note also that none of these boxes documents a conventional integrated IR receiver, so the old Windows Media Center style of remote does not apply here.
AV1 decode and AV1 encode are not the same feature
This distinction costs people real money. Intel's Alder Lake-N and Twin Lake N-series chips — N100, N150, N305 — decode AV1 in hardware but do not encode it. AV1 encoding arrives with Arc and Meteor Lake-class engines, and on the AMD side with the VCN4 media block in Ryzen 8000-series silicon such as the Radeon 780M.
For a local client, decode is what matters. For a server converting content for remote viewers, encode support changes what the machine can output. The same generation logic disqualifies some hardware that still gets recommended for HTPC duty: Jasper Lake chips such as the N5105 and N5095 have no AV1 acceleration at all, and hardware AV1 decoding on Ryzen APUs starts at the 6000 series, not the 5000-series Vega parts that dominate cheap listings.
HDR support is a chain, not a checkbox
A processor that handles HEVC Main10 and an HDMI port that advertises 8K do not together guarantee HDR passthrough. LibreELEC's current Generic x86 builds support HDR10 and HLG on recent Intel and AMD graphics, and the same documentation states plainly that dynamic HDR10+ and Dolby Vision are not supported in the normal proprietary sense on Kodi under Linux. Reaching those formats depends on the operating system, the player, the licensing path, the display and the full HDMI chain — not on the GPU alone.
The honest planning assumption for a Linux-based HTPC is static HDR10 and HLG. Anything beyond that needs verification on your exact combination of hardware and software.
Idle watts matter more than peak watts
An HTPC runs for thousands of hours a year in states where idle power, not peak power, defines the bill. Eight watts continuous is about 70 kWh a year; 20 W is about 175 kWh. This is where architecture differences become visible: an Intel N-series box idles in the single digits, the MINISFORUM MS-01 idles around 25–29 W, roughly three to five times more than a Core Ultra or Ryzen client box.
Five minutes on barebone listings
Barebone systems ship without RAM, storage, or an operating system — and sometimes without all three. Retail listings routinely place barebone and turnkey kits side by side under similar titles. Before buying, confirm three things: that RAM and an SSD are included, that a Windows license is included and activated, and that the model and revision match the specification you researched. Manufacturers also revise Ethernet controllers, memory types and storage configurations under the same model name, so the SKU matters more than the badge.
#1 Beelink Mini S12 Pro — The Cheapest Box That Still Hardware-Transcodes
The Mini S12 Pro is the reference point for budget HTPC builds, and it earns that position on the media engine rather than the CPU. Its Intel Processor N100 has four cores and four threads at up to 3.4 GHz, and Intel specifies a 6 W TDP — but Beelink runs a considerably higher platform power envelope, and independent stress testing shows package power settling in the 20 W class rather than behaving like a literal 6 W appliance.
The graphics side is what matters here: Intel UHD Graphics with 24 execution units at up to 750 MHz, a Gen12-family media engine with Quick Sync Video. That gives H.264 decode and encode, HEVC including 10-bit decode and encode, VP9 hardware acceleration, and AV1 hardware decode without AV1 encode.
Specifications
- CPU: Intel Processor N100, 4 cores / 4 threads, up to 3.4 GHz
- GPU: Intel UHD Graphics, 24 EUs, up to 750 MHz, Quick Sync Video
- Codecs: H.264 and HEVC 10-bit decode/encode, VP9 acceleration, AV1 decode only
- Video output: dual HDMI, up to 4K60
- Memory and storage: commonly 16 GB DDR4 with a 500 GB M.2 SSD
- Networking: Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth
- Measured power: approximately 8–9 W idle, ~20 W average load, peaks near 32 W
- Measured noise: approximately 26 dBA idle, low-to-mid 30s dBA under heavier load
Why it belongs on this list: a 2026 transcoding test places the N100 around two to three simultaneous 4K HEVC hardware transcodes as a conservative expectation, with higher counts reported under favorable bitrate, subtitle and tone-mapping conditions. This class of machine is positioned below every other box in this guide.
What to watch: there is no documented native CEC, so a remote-only setup needs an adapter or a Bluetooth remote. The Gigabit Ethernet port is a limitation if your media library lives on a NAS. And Windows licensing language on third-party listings has historically been inconsistent — verify the seller and the activation status rather than assuming.
Pros
- Quick Sync hardware transcoding at the lowest price point here
- AV1 hardware decode keeps it relevant for modern streaming codecs
- Measured idle power in the single digits
- Genuinely quiet at idle
Cons
- No documented HDMI-CEC
- Only Gigabit Ethernet
- Windows licensing needs verification at purchase
Verdict: the correct first purchase for anyone building a Plex or Jellyfin box who does not need 4K120, native CEC or 10GbE. It is an aging platform, and newer N150 boxes exist, so do not overpay for old stock.
Perfect for: the first-time HTPC builder, a bedroom or secondary-room client, and anyone whose library is already H.264/HEVC.
#2 GMKtec NucBox G3 Plus — The Budget Box That Also Fronts a NAS
The N150 in the G3 Plus is a refinement of the N100 rather than a transformative media upgrade — four cores and four threads at up to 3.6 GHz, Intel UHD Graphics with 24 EUs at a higher 1 GHz clock, and the same generation of media engine. AV1 hardware decode is present; AV1 hardware encode is not.
What actually separates the G3 Plus from other budget N-series machines is the I/O. It carries an Intel i226-V 2.5GbE controller and two storage slots rather than one: an M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 3.0 drive plus an additional M.2 2242 SATA slot. For a box whose media lives on network storage, that combination is worth more than the CPU uplift.
Specifications
- CPU: Intel Processor N150, 4 cores / 4 threads, up to 3.6 GHz, 6 W TDP
- GPU: Intel UHD Graphics, 24 EUs, up to 1 GHz
- Codecs: H.264, HEVC 10-bit and VP9 acceleration, AV1 decode only
- Video output: 2× HDMI at up to 4096×2160 / 60 Hz
- Memory: one DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM, 8 GB or 16 GB configurations, platform support up to 32 GB
- Storage: M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 3.0 plus M.2 2242 SATA
- Networking: Intel i226-V 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
- Power supply: 12 V / 3 A external adapter
A note on measurement: This revision should be expected to behave like N100-class hardware for transcoding, with slightly more general responsiveness from the higher iGPU clock. The defensible expectation is N100-class hardware transcode behavior with slightly more general responsiveness from the higher iGPU clock.
What to watch: the configured units officially list Windows 11 Pro, while the barebone variant ships with no RAM, SSD or operating system — confirm which one you are buying. GMKtec states a one-year limited warranty on this model. And there is no documented native CEC.
Pros
- 2.5GbE on a budget N-series box
- Two storage slots, one NVMe and one SATA
- Higher iGPU clock than the N100 at the same media generation
- Officially configured with Windows 11 Pro
Cons
- No measured multi-stream transcode benchmark for this revision
- One-year warranty
- No documented HDMI-CEC
- Barebone and configured listings are easy to confuse
Verdict: the better budget pick if the HTPC also has to pull media over the network at speed. If your library is local and your network is Gigabit, the Mini S12 Pro is the cheaper path to the same decoding capability.
Perfect for: a low-cost HTPC that doubles as a front end to a NAS, and anyone planning a second SATA drive for local media.
#3 MeLE Quieter4C N150 — The Only Genuinely Silent Option
There is no fan curve that beats a fan count of zero. The Quieter4C is a fully passive, fanless N150 machine, and it is the answer for the buyer whose stated priority is "I do not want to hear anything during a quiet movie scene." Measured independently, it draws approximately 6.1 W at idle and 12.8 W at full CPU load.
The trade is sustained compute headroom. The N150's Quick Sync block decodes media beautifully, but the fanless chassis moves all of its heat into the enclosure, which makes the Quieter4C a worse choice than an actively cooled box for prolonged multi-user transcoding. It is best positioned as a dedicated silent playback client, not a cheap Plex server.
Specifications
- CPU: Intel Processor N150, 4 cores / 4 threads, up to 3.6 GHz
- GPU: Intel UHD Graphics, 24 EUs, up to 1 GHz
- Codecs: H.264, HEVC and VP9 acceleration, AV1 hardware decode, no AV1 encode
- Video output: 2× HDMI 2.0 plus USB-C DisplayPort, triple-display support at up to the 4K60 class
- Cooling: fully passive, 0 dBA from the chassis
- Memory: 16 GB LPDDR5, soldered and not upgradeable
- Storage: 512 GB NVMe, one M.2 2280 PCIe slot
- Networking: Gigabit Ethernet
- Power and automation: Wake-on-LAN, PXE, auto power-on and RTC wake documented
Why it belongs on this list: 0 dBA is a categorically different acoustic result, not a marginal improvement. For a bedroom, a small apartment, or a media room with a low noise floor, that difference is the entire buying decision.
What to watch: the RAM is soldered, so there is no later memory upgrade — unlike the G3 Plus. Raising the power limits defeats the design and can push case temperatures toward throttling. There is no documented native CEC, and the reviewed unit carries Gigabit Ethernet only.
Pros
- Zero fan noise, permanently
- 6.1 W idle, 12.8 W at full CPU load
- Wake-on-LAN, PXE, auto power-on and RTC wake documented
- Triple-display output including USB-C DisplayPort
Cons
- Soldered, non-upgradeable 16 GB of RAM
- Limited sustained performance by design
- Gigabit Ethernet on the reviewed unit
- No documented HDMI-CEC
Verdict: buy it for silence and accept the thermal ceiling. If your build needs to serve several Plex streams at once, an actively cooled N100 or N150 box will hold up better.
Perfect for: a client under a television in a quiet room, digital signage, and always-on light services that must not be audible.
#4 Beelink SER8 — The Quiet All-Rounder
The SER8 is arguably the best quiet living-room PC on this list. It pairs an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS — eight cores and sixteen threads on Zen 4 — with Radeon 780M graphics, twelve RDNA3 compute units and AMD's VCN4 media block. That media engine handles H.264 decode and encode, HEVC 10-bit decode and encode, VP9 decode, and both AV1 decode and AV1 encode.
The acoustics are what earn it the slot. Measured figures put it around 28.8–30.5 dBA at idle and roughly 34.5–34.6 dBA under load, with idle wall consumption around 7.3 W and load figures near 68 W average with 84 W peaks. That is mid-30s dBA from an eight-core machine with a 780M — a combination that does not normally appear together.
Specifications
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, 8 cores / 16 threads, Zen 4, cTDP 35–54 W
- GPU: Radeon 780M, RDNA3, 12 CUs, VCN4 media engine
- Codecs: H.264 and HEVC 10-bit decode/encode, VP9 decode, AV1 decode and encode
- Video output: HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4 and USB4 with DP Alt Mode, triple-display
- Memory: two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots
- Storage: two M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots
- Networking: 2.5GbE
- Measured power: approximately 7.3 W idle, ~68 W average load, 84 W peak
- Measured noise: 28.8–30.5 dBA idle, 34.5–34.6 dBA load
The Plex caveat: do not assume AMD wins just because the GPU is faster. Jellyfin still rates Intel Quick Sync and NVIDIA more favorably for H.264 encoder quality and maturity, and users on 8845HS hardware report that SDR hardware transcoding works while some HDR tone-mapping paths fall back to software depending on the Plex build and the Linux driver packaging. For a Jellyfin or general-purpose living-room PC, the 780M is excellent. For unpredictable Plex transcoding, Intel remains lower-friction.
What to watch: no documented HDMI-CEC and no integrated IR receiver, so control integration needs an external solution — which is exactly the detail generic mini PC roundups skip. Beelink warranty wording also varies by seller and region, so verify the terms for the specific listing.
Pros
- Mid-30s dBA under load from an 8-core, 16-thread platform
- AV1 encode as well as decode
- Two M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots
- Low idle draw for the performance class
Cons
- No native CEC or integrated IR
- AMD HDR tone-mapping paths in Plex remain inconsistent
- Warranty terms vary by seller
Verdict: the pick for a living-room PC that is also a real computer — light gaming, emulation, Linux media front ends, occasional heavy work — without sacrificing acoustic comfort.
Perfect for: a dual-purpose living-room machine, emulation and light gaming under the TV, and Bazzite or Batocera builds where Radeon 780M drivers are well supported.
#5 GMKtec NucBox K8 Plus — The HTPC That Is Also a Media Server
The K8 Plus runs the same Ryzen 7 8845HS and Radeon 780M pairing as the SER8, so its codec coverage is identical: H.264 and H.265 encode and decode, VP9 decode, and AV1 decode plus encode. What changes is everything around the silicon. It adds HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1, two USB4 ports for up to four displays, an OCuLink expansion connector, two M.2 NVMe slots, and — critically for a server-hybrid role — dual Intel i226 2.5GbE ports.
Its noise profile is a step behind the SER8: roughly 31–32 dBA idle and 37–39 dBA under heavy load in one instrumented test at about 1 ft, with a separate review measuring 31.9 dBA idle and about 35.2 dBA under CPU load at 50 cm. Idle draw is around 10–11 W; full load reaches roughly 90–95 W. Heavy combined loads have been reported pushing package temperatures to about 90–93°C without immediate hard failure.
Specifications
- CPU and GPU: Ryzen 7 8845HS with Radeon 780M, 8 cores / 16 threads, RDNA3
- Codecs: H.264/H.265 hardware encode and decode, VP9 decode, AV1 decode and encode
- Video output: HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1 and 2× USB4, up to four displays, 8K-class output
- Memory: two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots
- Storage: two M.2 NVMe slots
- Expansion: OCuLink
- Networking: dual Intel i226 2.5GbE
- Measured power: ~10–11 W idle, ~90–95 W full load
The real-world evidence: an Ubuntu user reported eight simultaneous 80–100 Mbps 4K remux streams transcoded to 720p with tone mapping disabled, plus 16+ mixed streams in a less uniform test. That is not a claim about eight 4K HDR streams at 1080p with tone mapping on — the conditions were specific — but it does demonstrate that this platform is nowhere near a single-stream solution.
What to watch: GMKtec's firmware and support maturity lags ASUS or Intel-era NUC platforms. Community reports describe awkward BIOS update procedures and occasional fan or sensor oddities on certain firmware revisions, so budget time for that or buy through a retailer with straightforward returns. There is no documented CEC.
Pros
- Dual 2.5GbE, the clearest differentiator over the SER8
- OCuLink and two NVMe slots
- Documented multi-stream transcode evidence at high bitrate
- AV1 encode and decode
Cons
- Audibly louder than the SER8 under load
- Higher idle draw
- Firmware and BIOS update process is rougher
- No documented HDMI-CEC
Verdict: the right choice when the HTPC is genuinely a media server front end with fast network storage behind it. If it only has to feed one television from local disks, the SER8 is quieter for the same silicon.
Perfect for: a combined HTPC and Plex/Jellyfin server, homelab builds with a NAS upstream, and anyone who wants OCuLink expandability in the living room.
#6 MINISFORUM EliteMini UM890 Pro — Quiet Performance With a Real 4K120 Output
The UM890 Pro answers a narrow question unusually well: which mini PC can actually feed a 4K120 television and still stay quiet? Its Ryzen 9 8945HS runs eight cores and sixteen threads up to roughly 5.2 GHz with Radeon 780M graphics, on the same VCN4 media block as the 8845HS machines — H.264 and HEVC encode and decode, VP9 decode, AV1 encode and decode.
The display path is the differentiator. MINISFORUM specifies the HDMI output at 48 Gbps for up to 8K60 or 4K120, DisplayPort 1.4 for up to 4K240, and two USB4 ports with DisplayPort tunnelling up to 8K60 or 4K144, across up to four simultaneous displays. That is a materially more useful HDMI implementation than ports labelled HDMI 2.1 that are actually TMDS-based 4K60 links.
Specifications
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS, 8 cores / 16 threads, up to ~5.2 GHz
- GPU: Radeon 780M, up to 2.8 GHz, VCN4
- Codecs: H.264/HEVC encode and decode, VP9 decode, AV1 decode and encode
- Video output: HDMI 2.1 at 48 Gbps (up to 8K60 / 4K120), DisplayPort 1.4 (up to 4K240), 2× USB4
- Memory: two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots, up to 96 GB
- Storage: two M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 slots
- Networking: dual 2.5GbE
- Expansion: OCuLink PCIe 4.0 x4
- Measured power: approximately 9.8–13.6 W idle, ~67 W average load, ~96 W peak
- Measured noise: 27.2–27.3 dBA idle, 33.6–34.4 dBA under load
Why it belongs on this list: those noise figures are excellent for the performance class, and film playback sits far below the maximum-load scenario those numbers were recorded under. Independent testing found the cooling well balanced, with the factory power mode making more sense for an HTPC than forcing the 70 W performance mode.
What to watch: there is no documented native CEC or integrated IR. Listings may be barebone versions with no RAM, SSD or operating system, so confirm what the listing actually includes before buying.
Pros
- 48 Gbps HDMI genuinely rated for 4K120 / 8K60
- ~34.4 dBA under load at this performance level
- Dual 2.5GbE and OCuLink
- Up to 96 GB of DDR5 across two slots
Cons
- No native CEC or IR receiver
- Barebone listings are easy to buy by mistake
- AMD Plex tone-mapping paths remain less predictable than Intel's
Verdict: the best choice for a high-refresh 4K television where playback quality and quiet operation both matter. Treat it as a premium client or mixed-use machine rather than an automatic Plex transcoding champion.
Perfect for: a 4K120 living-room display, a quiet premium client, and mixed-use light gaming under the television.
#7 ASUS NUC 14 Pro — The Only One With Native HDMI-CEC
For a remote-only living-room build, this is the most strategically interesting machine here. Nearly every competitor expects you to tolerate the absence of CEC, add a USB-CEC adapter, or keep a separate Bluetooth remote on the coffee table. ASUS explicitly documents built-in HDMI-CEC on both HDMI ports, configurable in BIOS with an API for other CEC functions. It is the only machine in this guide with that capability.
The rest of the platform is equally well suited to media duty. The Core Ultra 5 125H runs 14 cores and 18 threads at a 40 W cTDP with Intel Arc integrated graphics — full Arc capability requires two SO-DIMMs installed. The Meteor Lake media engine brings H.264, HEVC and VP9 acceleration plus both AV1 hardware decode and encode, which is one of Intel's first mobile generations to offer AV1 encoding at all.
Specifications
- CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, 14 cores / 18 threads, 40 W cTDP
- GPU: Intel Arc integrated graphics (dual-channel memory required for full capability)
- Codecs: H.264, HEVC and VP9 acceleration, AV1 hardware decode and encode
- Video output: 2× HDMI 2.1 (TMDS, effectively 4K60-class), 2× Thunderbolt 4 with DisplayPort 1.4, up to four displays
- CEC: built-in HDMI-CEC on both HDMI ports, BIOS and API configurable
- Memory: two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots
- Storage: M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 plus M.2 2242 support
- Networking: Intel 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 6E
- Measured power: 5.1–14.7 W idle (about 6.4 W in a middle idle state), ~55.5 W average load, 103.3 W brief peak
- Measured noise: 26–26.2 dBA idle, 42.4 dBA average load, 47.8 dBA maximum
Real-world evidence worth noting: an owner running Ubuntu and Plex reported successfully transcoding a 4K Dolby Vision/HDR source down to 1080p SDR with HDR tone mapping active, drawing roughly 6–10 W during quieter portions and 18–20 W at peaks for that workload. That is one workload rather than a multi-stream benchmark, but it is precisely the scenario that trips AMD hardware in the same software.
What to watch: the acoustics under sustained CPU-heavy load are the weakest part of the package — nearly 48 dBA at maximum, well above the SER8 and UM890 Pro. Simple playback should stay near idle, but a living-room box that is also hammering through transcodes will be audible. ASUS has also been actively maintaining NUC 14 Pro documentation, and the platform generally carries a three-year NUC-class warranty, which is a genuine support advantage over the smaller vendors. HDMI 2.1 TMDS means this is not the machine to buy for 4K120.
Pros
- Native HDMI-CEC on both HDMI ports — unique in this roundup
- AV1 encode as well as decode
- Quick Sync maturity plus Intel's most predictable Linux support
- Three-year NUC-class warranty and actively maintained documentation
Cons
- Up to 47.8 dBA under maximum load
- HDMI ports are TMDS, effectively 4K60
- Full Arc graphics capability requires two SO-DIMMs
- Barebone kits ship without RAM, storage or OS
Verdict: the pick when the television remote has to be the only controller and the machine may also serve Plex. Buy it for the control integration and the software longevity, not for frame rate.
Perfect for: a remote-only living room, a Plex server that lives on the same shelf, and anyone who values long-term driver and firmware support over peak specification.
#8 MINISFORUM MS-01 — When the HTPC Is Really a Homelab
The MS-01 should not win a best-living-room-HTPC contest, and it does not try to. Its HDMI output is HDMI 2.0 at 4K60, it has no documented native CEC, it idles at roughly 25–29 W — three to five times the better client boxes here — and its fan is more audible, measured at 37–38 dBA against a 34.5 dBA room noise floor.
It belongs in this guide because it answers a different question: "I want one mini PC to run Plex or Jellyfin, virtual machines, storage and network services, and still connect to a television." Two 10GbE SFP+ ports, two 2.5GbE ports, three M.2 NVMe slots and a half-height PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (electrically x8) are vastly more useful to that buyer than 4K120 ever will be.
Specifications
- CPU: Intel Core i9-13900H, 14 cores / 20 threads, up to 5.4 GHz, 45 W nominal
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe with dual-channel memory (single-channel falls back to Intel UHD branding and functionality)
- Codecs: H.264/HEVC/VP9 hardware decode and encode, AV1 decode only
- Video output: 1× HDMI 2.0 at 4K60, 2× USB4 up to 8K30, three practical display outputs
- Memory: two DDR5-5200 SO-DIMM slots, specified up to 96 GB
- Storage: three M.2 NVMe slots
- Expansion: PCIe 4.0 x16 physical, x8 electrical
- Networking: 2× 10GbE SFP+ plus 2× 2.5GbE RJ45
- Measured power: ~25–29 W idle, initial ~115 W burst settling to 90–95 W sustained
- Measured noise: 37–38 dBA against a 34.5 dBA noise floor
Why Quick Sync matters here: the i9-13900H lacks AV1 encoding, but it carries Intel Quick Sync, which makes it a more predictable Plex transcoder than many AMD workstation mini PCs despite the older Iris Xe graphics. Combined with dual 10GbE, that makes it an unusually coherent Proxmox, TrueNAS or Jellyfin host.
What to watch: Configurations may be barebone or region-specific. It is also worth being explicit about placement: if the server lives in a rack or a cabinet and feeds a separate TV client over the network, the MS-01 makes far more sense than putting it under the television.
Pros
- Two 10GbE SFP+ and two 2.5GbE ports — the strongest networking here
- Three M.2 NVMe slots plus PCIe expansion
- Intel Quick Sync for predictable Plex transcoding
- Excellent Proxmox, TrueNAS and Linux homelab foundation
Cons
- Roughly 25–29 W idle, several times a client box
- 4K60 HDMI only, and no native CEC
- Measurably louder than the client-focused machines
- Wrong machine for a shelf under a television
Verdict: the right answer when the "HTPC" is actually a media and services server that happens to have a video output. Buy it for the network and expansion, not for the living room.
Perfect for: a rack or cabinet homelab that also serves Plex, one-box Proxmox or TrueNAS builds, and setups where the television is a separate client device.
Comparison Table
| Model | Tier | Best for | CPU | AV1 | HDMI path | Native CEC | Measured noise | Networking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beelink Mini S12 Pro | Budget | Cheapest reliable 4K transcoder | N100 | Decode | 2× HDMI, 4K60 | No | ~26 dBA idle, low-30s load | Gigabit |
| GMKtec NucBox G3 Plus | Budget | Budget HTPC fronting a NAS | N150 | Decode | 2× HDMI, 4K60 | No | Not rigorously measured | 2.5GbE |
| MeLE Quieter4C N150 | Budget / mid | Silent client under the TV | N150 | Decode | 2× HDMI 2.0 + USB-C DP, 4K60 | No | 0 dBA (fanless) | Gigabit |
| Beelink SER8 | Mid | Quiet all-round living-room PC | Ryzen 7 8845HS | Decode + encode | HDMI 2.1, DP 1.4, USB4 | No | ~28.8–30.5 dBA idle, ~34.5 dBA load | 2.5GbE |
| GMKtec NucBox K8 Plus | Mid | HTPC and media server in one | Ryzen 7 8845HS | Decode + encode | HDMI 2.1, DP 2.1, 2× USB4 | No | ~31–32 dBA idle, ~37–39 dBA load | Dual 2.5GbE |
| MINISFORUM UM890 Pro | Premium | 4K120 television, quiet | Ryzen 9 8945HS | Decode + encode | HDMI 2.1 at 48 Gbps, 4K120 | No | ~27.3 dBA idle, ~34.4 dBA load | Dual 2.5GbE |
| ASUS NUC 14 Pro | Premium | Remote-only room + Plex | Core Ultra 5 125H | Decode + encode | 2× HDMI 2.1 TMDS (4K60) + 2× TB4 | Yes, both HDMI | ~26 dBA idle, up to 47.8 dBA load | 2.5GbE |
| MINISFORUM MS-01 | Premium | Plex plus homelab in one box | Core i9-13900H | Decode | HDMI 2.0 4K60 + 2× USB4 | No | ~37–38 dBA | 2× 10GbE + 2× 2.5GbE |
Which Mini PC Should You Buy?
If you are building a client for a 4K60 television and nothing else. The MeLE Quieter4C if silence is absolute, or the Beelink Mini S12 Pro if you want to spend the least and do not mind a fan that stays quiet at idle.
If the HTPC also has to pull media off a NAS. The GMKtec G3 Plus brings 2.5GbE and a second storage slot at budget pricing, and the K8 Plus brings dual 2.5GbE plus OCuLink if you can move up a tier.
If the machine doubles as a real computer. The Beelink SER8 is the quietest way to get an eight-core Ryzen and a Radeon 780M in the living room, with light gaming and emulation as legitimate secondary uses.
If your television is 4K120. The MINISFORUM UM890 Pro is the only machine here with a specified 48 Gbps HDMI path rated for 4K120 or 8K60. A 4K120 panel connected to a TMDS-based HDMI 2.1 port will run at 4K60, and no firmware update changes that.
If the TV remote has to be the only controller. The ASUS NUC 14 Pro, without a close second. Native CEC on both HDMI ports is a capability no other box on this list documents, and a USB-CEC adapter is the workaround for everything else.
If you want Plex transcoding to just work. Intel Quick Sync remains the lower-friction recommendation. The ASUS NUC 14 Pro pairs it with AV1 encoding and the most actively maintained support stack here; the MS-01 pairs it with the networking and expansion a homelab needs.
If the server is going in a closet and the TV is a separate client. Skip the living-room criteria entirely and buy the MS-01. Its idle draw, noise floor and 4K60 HDMI output are all acceptable in a rack and all wrong under a television.
If you only take one thing from this guide: decide whether you are building a client, a server, or both before you look at a single specification. The eight machines here are all competent, and they are not interchangeable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is an Intel N100 fast enough for a 4K HDR home theater PC?
For local playback, yes — an N100 or N150 decodes 4K60 HEVC, VP9 and AV1 in hardware, and a 4K60 HDR10 remux asks very little of the media engine at all. For transcoding, a conservative expectation is two to three simultaneous 4K HEVC hardware streams through Quick Sync, with higher counts possible when bitrate, subtitles and tone mapping are favorable. The CPU benchmark score is largely irrelevant because Quick Sync does the work. It becomes the wrong choice when the workload is software-only, or when your display needs 4K120.
Q: Do any mini PCs support HDMI-CEC natively?
Yes, though it is rare. The ASUS NUC 14 Pro documents built-in HDMI-CEC on both HDMI ports, configurable in BIOS with an API for additional CEC functions. The Beelink, GMKtec, MeLE and MINISFORUM models covered here do not document native CEC, so a remote-only setup on those machines needs an external USB HDMI-CEC adapter, a Bluetooth or RF remote, or Wake-on-LAN triggered from a phone. None of the machines in this guide documents a conventional integrated IR receiver.
Q: Does HDMI 2.1 on a mini PC mean it can output 4K120?
No. HDMI 2.1 is a version label that covers both the older TMDS signaling path and the newer FRL path, and TMDS implementations can remain effectively 4K60-class. The ASUS NUC 14 Pro's HDMI ports are HDMI 2.1 TMDS and should be treated as 4K60 outputs. The MINISFORUM UM890 Pro specifies a 48 Gbps HDMI implementation rated for 4K120 or 8K60. Always find the bandwidth figure for the exact port you intend to use.
Q: Will a mini PC output Dolby Vision or HDR10+?
Treat dynamic HDR as a chain rather than a hardware feature. A modern GPU with sufficient HEVC or AV1 decoding capability and enough HDMI bandwidth is one link in that chain; the operating system, the player, the licensing path and the display are the others. LibreELEC documents HDR10 and HLG support on recent Intel and AMD graphics, and states that dynamic HDR10+ and Dolby Vision are not supported in the normal proprietary sense on Kodi under Linux. Static HDR10 and HLG are the realistic planning target for a Linux-based HTPC.
Q: Intel Quick Sync or AMD Radeon for a Plex server?
AMD's VCN4 hardware is extremely capable — a Ryzen 8845HS system has been shown transcoding eight simultaneous 80–100 Mbps 4K remux streams down to 720p with tone mapping disabled. But Jellyfin still rates AMD's H.264 encoder quality below Intel Quick Sync and NVIDIA, and users continue to hit AMD driver and tone-mapping edge cases that depend on the Plex build and container packaging. If Plex transcoding is the primary job, Intel is the safer recommendation. If you want a fast general-purpose living-room PC that also plays media, the Radeon 780M is excellent.
Q: Do I need to worry about AV1 support on an HTPC?
Only if you understand which half of AV1 you are getting. N100, N150 and N305 hardware decodes AV1 but does not encode it. Intel Arc and Meteor Lake-class graphics, and AMD's Ryzen 8000 / VCN4 media block, do both. Decoding matters for a local client playing modern streaming codecs; encoding matters for a server converting content for remote users. Also watch the generation floor: Jasper Lake chips such as the N5105 and N5095 have no AV1 acceleration at all, and hardware AV1 decoding on Ryzen APUs starts with the 6000 series, not the older Ryzen 5000 / Vega parts still sold cheaply.
Q: How much does noise actually vary between these machines?
Enough to decide the purchase. Idle figures cluster in a narrow band — roughly 26 to 32 dBA across most of this list — but load figures spread much wider, from the mid-30s on the Beelink SER8 and MINISFORUM UM890 Pro to 47.8 dBA on the ASUS NUC 14 Pro and 37–38 dBA on the MS-01. And every dBA number is only meaningful with its measurement distance, ambient noise floor and workload. A desktop measured at 50 cm is not comparable to one measured against a 34.5 dBA room floor.
Q: Should the HTPC and the media server be the same machine?
Only if the workload is light. A single box doing both works well on an N-series machine serving local Direct Play, or on a Ryzen 8845HS box handling a handful of streams while it sits under the television. It works badly when a NAS, download clients, virtual machines and Plex all compete for the same chassis — NAS performance becomes inconsistent during scans and transcodes, and a machine that is fine at idle becomes audible under sustained combined load. The common pattern that scales better is a quiet Intel or Ryzen mini PC as the compute node and a NAS for storage, with the television as a separate client.
Conclusion
The shortlist here is organized around one principle: a home theater PC is judged by how it behaves in a living room, not by how it scores in a benchmark. That is why the budget N100 machines still earn their place — Quick Sync handles 4K decoding and a couple of simultaneous hardware transcodes without the CPU ever being the bottleneck — and why the premium machines earn theirs on axes most spec sheets omit entirely.
The single most decision-changing detail in this guide is CEC. If the television remote has to control everything with no exceptions, the ASUS NUC 14 Pro is the only machine here that documents native support on both HDMI ports, and everything else needs an adapter or a second remote. The second is HDMI bandwidth: a 4K120 panel needs a 48 Gbps output, and the MINISFORUM UM890 Pro is the machine that specifies one. The third is noise, where the Beelink SER8 and MINISFORUM UM890 Pro hold the mid-30s under load while the NUC 14 Pro approaches 48 dBA.
Everything else follows from what you are actually building. A client under a television wants silence and a correct display path. A server in a closet wants network ports, storage slots and Quick Sync. A machine doing both wants enough chassis to absorb the combined load without becoming audible, which is precisely what the K8 Plus and the SER8 each solve in a slightly different direction.
If you want one recommendation to start from: the Beelink Mini S12 Pro is the least expensive way to build a fully functional 4K HTPC and Plex box, and the Beelink SER8 is the quietest way to get a living-room machine that is also a real computer.
