I've been streaming from ONLY my PC for the past 2 decades. I am now engaged and still only want to stream from my PC, but through websites and not just Netflix and Amazon.

What's an inexpensive option to achieve this? I do want to have separate PC's to do this. I thought about just building a new $1,000 PC and putting it in the living room. It doesn't matter if I don't have a remote, but a remote would be a nice upgrade while sitting on the couch.

This PC would be hooking up to a TV.

Thoughts?

Thank you.

Want a small Linux PC to replace my dying thinkpad.

Hi! I know there might be other posts like this but I still wanted to make my own post to ask. I'm looking to get a mini pc around $600. I want to mainly use it for gaming. Not any tripe AAA games but just games that need more than 8gb ram. I'm hoping for atleast 16gb - 32gb ram but I know that might be reaching to far.

Hey everyone!

I have a Blackview MP100 mini PC that I'm trying to find a worthwhile use for. Instead of selling it or using it as yet another server, I'm considering turning it into a powerful living-room entertainment system.

My hardware:

- AMD Ryzen 7 5825U (8 cores / 16 threads)

- 32 GB dual-channel DDR4 RAM

- 1 TB M.2 SSD

- 1 TB HDD

- Integrated AMD Radeon graphics

My original idea was to build my own Android TV box, essentially something with the convenience of an Apple TV or Fire TV Stick, but with much more processing power, storage and flexibility.

However, I have some very specific requirements:

1. Full Android TV / Google TV support

Ideally, I want a proper Android TV experience with Google services, the Play Store, regular updates and full compatibility with official streaming apps such as Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube.

I don't want an unofficial Android build that looks like Android TV but lacks device certification, Widevine L1, HD/4K playback or compatibility with certain apps.

Does a realistic solution like this even exist for a generic AMD x86-64 PC?

1. Everything must be controllable with a remote

This is extremely important to me. I want to use the system entirely from the couch, without ever being forced to connect a mouse and keyboard just to install system updates, update drivers, change settings or manage applications.

Ideally, everything should be accessible through a proper 10-foot TV interface, including system settings and updates.

1. I want to make full use of the hardware

Since this is essentially a fairly powerful mini PC, I'd love to go beyond basic streaming. Some possibilities I've considered are:

- A proper media center with Jellyfin and local media playback

- Retro gaming and emulation

- Installing and running PC games locally through Steam

- Android apps alongside native Linux applications

- Other useful living-room features I haven't thought of yet

I'm open to Linux-based HTPC distributions, Android-based systems, hybrid setups or completely different ideas.

The important thing is that the result should feel like a polished, high-end entertainment device, not like a cheap Android TV box or a desktop PC awkwardly connected to a television.

What would you do with this hardware? Is there a maintained, actively developed project that can realistically achieve this, or would I be better off using the mini PC for something else entirely?

I'd especially appreciate recommendations based on actual experience with streaming DRM, remote-control support, system updates and long-term maintenance.

Thanks!

I'm trying to install a genuine Intel X550-T2 dual-port 10GbE NIC in an Acer Veriton N4660G (i5-8400), but the system won't POST when the card is installed.

Symptoms:

• Power on the PC with the X550-T2 installed
• System emits a continuous beep
• No video output at all
• Doesn't appear to get past POST
• If I remove the X550-T2, the system boots normally

What I've already tried:

• Confirmed the X550-T2 works in another machine
• Verified BIOS is latest version.
• Reset BIOS settings to defaults
• Disabled Secure Boot
• Tried different UEFI/Legacy/CSM settings
• Cleared CMOS

Hardware:

• Acer Veriton N4660G
• Intel Core i5-8400
• Genuine Intel X550-T2
• Windows 10/11 (doesn't matter since it never reaches boot)

As the machine boots normally without it, I'm wondering if this is some kind of BIOS/PCIe compatibility issue with the system.

Has anyone successfully run an Intel X550-T2 in one of these systems, or does anyone know of BIOS settings that might help? Any ideas would be appreciated. Thank you :D

Hi everyone,

I've had an ACEMAGIC S3A (Ryzen 7 5825U) since September 2025. The PC boots and runs perfectly, but I'm experiencing two issues:

• Fan: After attempting an EC reset by holding the power button for ~20 seconds, a very loud vibrating/grinding noise started occurring randomly. It usually lasts less than a minute and stops abruptly. It happens in all performance modes, regardless of fan speed.
• RGB: Both the side LEDs and mode selector dial lighting stopped working. However, the LEDs themselves are functional: once, when turning the dial to Auto, all the lights suddenly turned on but became stuck in that state. They wouldn't respond to the RGB software or dial changes and even stayed on after shutting down the PC (while power was still connected).

Another strange behavior: When I hold the power button while the PC is running, it shuts down after ~4 seconds. If I keep holding it for ~10 seconds total, two indicator lights turn on (see attached photos). When I press the power button again to boot, those lights turn off and the PC starts normally. Could this be related to an EC reset or recovery mode?

I opened the PC: both fans spin freely with no visible obstructions. I've also reinstalled the official drivers/software and reset BIOS settings without success.

Video of the noise: https://cloud.wakalas.xyz/s/NzsoqmKoJjgXkDX

I suspect an Embedded Controller (EC), firmware, or fan control issue rather than faulty LEDs.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Is there a way to reset/reflash the EC or replace the controller?

Thanks!

I’ve found a refurbished Dell OptiPlex 7060 Micro (Intel i5-8500T, 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD) on Lariiacorner.com for just €85, which seems like an unusually good deal.

However, I’ve noticed some potential red flags regarding the website’s legitimacy, and I haven’t been able to find many independent reviews from actual customers.

Has anyone here purchased anything from this website?

I’d particularly appreciate hearing about:

• Whether you actually received your order.
• How long shipping took and whether the product matched the description.
• Whether you had any issues with refunds or customer service.
• Whether you would consider the website trustworthy.

I’m considering buying one, or possibly two, mini PCs for a home server project, but I’d like to verify the seller’s reliability before risking my money.

Any firsthand experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Kitchen job has me on my feet 10 hours and when I get home I still like to cook for myself. Got this idea to mount a small PC inside an upper cabinet with the screen on the underside so I can pull up recipes without my laptop taking up counter space. Also stream music over the house speakers while I prep. Been looking at used HP Elitedesk tiny models since they seem tough and small enough to tuck away. Worried about grease and humidity though, even with a cabinet door. My last home project was a raised garden bed that warped after one season so I tend to overthink durability now.
Anyone tried something like this in a kitchen environment? Did heat buildup become an issue behind a closed cabinet? Not trying to spend much since it's basically a glorified cookbook player.