Whats the best way to hide a htpc?

[Rev. Night]

I live in a split level home and we are trying to improve the downstairs. Currently, we have the entertainment system that I had since being a bachelor and thats what holds everything. The HTPC (fractal design C case) looks quite svelt compared to this unit. We want to get rid of the entertainment center, pack up the receiver and extremely impressive 1980s Yahama speakers, and mount the tv above the fireplace.

The only question is now is how to hide the htpc? We don't want it on the ground with cables going up and around the fireplace. We (my wife) doesn't want me to do an open air pc case right above the tv. We have the alcove to the right where maybe I can mount the pc on the inner wall (24" deep).

How can we keep the pc but still make it out of sight? The beer fridge is staying where it is. They don't make wireless hdmi do they? Thats the only cable I am concerned about between pc and tv

 

[Nobu]

If you aren't using the visa mount holes on the TV, you can get cases (and pedestals/adapters) which use those holes for mounting a case.

 

[Rev. Night]

What adaptors are you referring to?

 

[Nobu]

What adaptors are you referring to?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MSWPMF7
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0971PTQ63
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ML8NF2G

Search "vesa shelf mount" or "vesa computer case" (if you want a small computer case with built in vesa mounting holes/brackets).

 

[Rev. Night]

hmmm I just did a stud finder on the main wall (chimney) and 2 walls in that alcove to the right. The chimney wall has 2 studs left and right center, so thats fine. But neither of those 2 side walls have a stud.

Just to be very clear, it is stupid to get a wall mounted open pc that is only in the drywall right? I don't care if those drywall anchors say each can support 75lbs. Studs are studs for a reason.

If that is the case, where can this pc go? All I need is to connect an hdmi (or future, displayport) cable to the tv.

 

[Nobu]

hmmm I just did a stud finder on the main wall (chimney) and 2 walls in that alcove to the right. The chimney wall has 2 studs left and right center, so thats fine. But neither of those 2 side walls have a stud.

Just to be very clear, it is stupid to get a wall mounted open pc that is only in the drywall right? I don't care if those drywall anchors say each can support 75lbs. Studs are studs for a reason.

If that is the case, where can this pc go? All I need is to connect an hdmi (or future, displayport) cable to the tv.

Could there be brick or centermatch behind that drywall? That's what I got (centermatch), and stud-finders seem to get quite confused by it.

 

[Rev. Night]

I googled center match, its still wood just not very deep. So drilling into it, you must stop shorter than you would a 2x4 stud right? Also it could hold less weight?

 

[Nobu]

I googled center match, its still wood just not very deep. So drilling into it, you must stop shorter than you would a 2x4 stud right? Also it could hold less weight?

Depends on the quality of the wood you're drilling into (even good wood can have soft spots), but generally yeah. If weight is a concern, you can put a board on the wall with a few screws to spread the weight, then attach to that. If it's just drywall though, that wont help much if at all.

 

[drutman]

I live in a split level home and we are trying to improve the downstairs. Currently, we have the entertainment system that I had since being a bachelor and thats what holds everything. The HTPC (fractal design C case) looks quite svelt compared to this unit. We want to get rid of the entertainment center, pack up the receiver and extremely impressive 1980s Yahama speakers, and mount the tv above the fireplace.

The only question is now is how to hide the htpc? We don't want it on the ground with cables going up and around the fireplace. We (my wife) doesn't want me to do an open air pc case right above the tv. We have the alcove to the right where maybe I can mount the pc on the inner wall (24" deep).

How can we keep the pc but still make it out of sight? The beer fridge is staying where it is. They don't make wireless hdmi do they? Thats the only cable I am concerned about between pc and tv

Yes on wireless HDMI.

 

[Rev. Night]

I read that wireless HDMI sucked for gaming. 1080@60 or 4k@30

 

[Fritzz]

Do you know if the area above the fireplace is hollow?

Might take a little doing but you could make a small hole in there to investigate. If it's open in there, then I would put the PC on the beer fridge or you could even extend the existing shelf to hold more liquor or have a nice little spot to make drinks. Then I would use some passthroughs to run the needed cable over to the TV. Something like This. Mount a power strip on the underside of the new shelf and drill a hole through the shelf for access.

 

[Rev. Night]

I have no idea if the area above the fireplace is hollow. I would need to move the entertainment system out, look inside the chimney, and hope nothing is living there

really loving the thermaltake build here. May do something very close to this on that inner alcove wall. And like you said, use a wiring conduit to put the power and hdmi cable behind the tv, and pay an electrician to move a box there

https://hardforum.com/threads/thermaltake-core-p3.2021579/

 

[Fritzz]

Is it an actual wood burning fireplace or gas or maybe a gas insert(aka converted an older wood burning fireplace)? Guess it all depends on what's underneath that sheetrock.

That Themaltake would look nice right above the beer fridge, centerpiece for that open area, and you could see it from the rest of the room. But I get the limitation(wife) and why you would want it a little more hidden and on the return wall of the fireplace. I think you could work the centerpiece above the beer fridge angle a bit. You're going to be able to see it no matter what, why not make it a focal point rather than something that's sorta hidden.

 

[Rev. Night]

Its wood burning but we dont use it. We plan on converting it to electric and then seeing what TV precautions we have to make (fake mantel, heat guard etc..)

hahah on the wifey being a limitation (true). But I love things hidden away. Putting it on the alcove center wall would be too much even for me. It also would get in the way of where I want the liquor/wine/ glass shelfing to be. I want it off the ridge to the right and on the wall. I also may hang something up there too, so center wall is kinda a no-go.

 

[gvx64]

I used to live in a single bdrm apartment and I had hooked my PC up to my TV and used it as a multipurpose PC/HTPC since I didn't have room for an office. I did this for many years. I used a Shuttle PC for this purpose because it fit really nicely on the upper shelf of the wooden IKEA TV stand that I was using. All you saw was the front of the shuttle and it didn't really look like a PC at all as the front blended really well with the black TV stand. I dremeled a few air-holes on the backboard of the TV stand for airflow and honestly it worked really well. Most people who came over didn't even know that it was a PC until I told them.