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[Mineshaft_Gap]

And so far I've had mixed feelings. Here are the specs of the build first off. Maybe you folks can tell me if I'm on the right track and perhaps offer some suggestions.

i7-4770K
GTX-760 2GB
8GB RAM
ASUS HERO VI MOBO

Using Unified Remote for Android.

My understanding is that these specs give me well above and beyond what can be achieved in the current generation. So, I put this PC together to set next to the TV and act as a central hub for all my living room media needs. For the record, I'm a cable cutter. I get all my media digitally. I'm only willing to give Comcast so much of my money. I had anticipated buying a PS4 but a number of things ended turning me off. XB1 was never an alternative either. Here are my key reasons.

1. Next few months is rather bleak in terms of games in interested in being released.
2. There are still a bunch of current gen games I haven't finished or played. I sold my X360 a while back with a pretty decent back lock, most of which are available in superior form on PC. Neither XB1 nor PS4 offer backward compatibility which is a feature that would really appeal to me this time around.
3. PS2, Wii, GCN emulation. Oh yeah, by the way. My backlog goes all the way back to these days. Forget about all the great PC games I never played because I've never owned a PC this nice up to this point.
4. Pay walls going up all over the place. Needing an XBL Gold subscription in order to watch YouTube on my Xbox was the last straw.

I've been a console gamer for my entire life with a few major exception. The level of importance I place on the ease of just being able to turning on a box, sit in my couch, and fire up a game with no hassle. I've been playing with Steam and I was very glad to notice the special steam console that opens up when you press a certain button on your controller (using an X360 controller. It's does a good job of sort of replicating the experience of the XBox dash that I'm used to. So, regarding the ease of mindlessly being able to fire up a game? I'm satisfied. Steam is very satisfying. As a living room gaming rig I think I'm going to be pleasantly surprised.

Now for the other stuff. Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, Amazon Prime Instant. All these (well, mostly Netflix and HBO) get a heavy workout. Additionally, all the digital content I actually own. Here in not quite as satisfied. I would love an experience similar to Roku where I can easily access these platforms in a full screen mode that doesn't require the arduous process of having them have to open in a browser. Here I have a number of issues.

1. Playback is often wonky in a browser window. Relying on Silver light and the like. It's not so bad on a normal PC monitor but on the TV it seems to just be... Odd...
2. Using mouse and keyboard in general is awkward when I'm on my couch. Also, items on screen often appear too small to read.
3. I'd love something like the Plex app on my phone/roku that organized all my video media in app rather than having to peruse the subfolders on my PC.

I do intend on using this system as a normal PC. I have a monitor, mouse and keyboard, and speakers hooked up to it in another room which are optional for when I want to get actual work done or doing PCish things in the good old fashioned PC kind of way. I guess I want the best of both worlds. I was hoping I could get some advice on how I should go about replicating the living room friendly design of game consoles / Roku.

 

[NinjaCatfish]

It's nice for games and stuff you can easily add to Steam Big Picture.
Use Plex for media and that will have an awesome UI as well,
Controlling shit on a couch with a mouse/keyboard is not so much fun though, even with a nice mouse/touchpad combo like the Logitech K400, it's a shitty experience controlling a tiny little cursor from the couch.

You'll also miss out on exclusives, which at the moment are thin but I expect things will pick up after E3.

[EDIT] Re-read and noticed you already use Plex on your phone, download Plex Home Theater, son!

 

[Finaika]

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

I will miss exclusives. That was a consideration but not a deciding factor. I think this way I'll be able to experience more games in a superior form in terms of controls and graphics.

The thing in going to miss and hopefully be able to replicate is the living room feel to the end experience overall. From listening to music to watching movies to playing games. I'm thinking my phone will play a big role. Unified Remote is helping although I'm still learning.

Hope I can get this figured out. If I can make it work I'll be a very happy camper.

Quick side question. How crazy will my electric bill be if I leave it on without ever turning it off. What with these specs...

 

[Canon]

It's tough to play DKC: Tropical Freeze on a PC though... But in actuality, my PC is already hooked up to my TV.

 

[darth_infamous]

Quick side question. How crazy will my electric bill be if I leave it on without ever turning it off. What with these specs...

You probably won't notice a difference.

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

It's tough to play DKC: Tropical Freeze on a PC though... But in actuality, my PC is already hooked up to my TV.

I sat out the Wii, I plan on doing the same for the Wii U. I used to be a die hard Nintendo gamer but I feel they've been abusive towards their fans. Their failure to adapt to new technology, and gimping whatever it is they do adapt (online play), in addition to what they've done with my favorite IPs (Metroid, Zelda) has turned me off. There were a few games on Wii that I was disappointed I couldn't play. Except now I WILL be able to play them. Not only that, but they won't look like dogshit on a modern display like every Wii game ever did when it was played with an actual Wii.

Nintendo no longer represents my values as a customer and as a modern gamer. They're stuck in 2005. At the other end you have MS who have as of this gen come to represent everything I hate about modern gaming, in particular the modern gaming industry. Inflated cost for inferior technology and a useless tacked on gimmick accessory that doesn't add anything to the experience except another $100. Although I guess I could just as easily be referring to the Wii U.

PS4 loses because of no games, no backward compatibility, and paywalls.

Oddly enough. If I do end up with a console it will probably be a Wii U. But only after a massive price drop and a ton more games. If it could hook up to an HDTV and not look like shit I would have gotten a Wii some time ago at $100-150. No need now though. My PC got dis.

 

[fabricated backlash]

I want to go that route as well. I just lost interest in consoles. I'll keep the WiiU around for my Zelda fix, but other than that, Steam has pretty much won me over in terms of value proposition. Especially since my GF mostly only plays NIntendo games and otherwise uses the TV to watch movies, so a unified media pc is a great investment.

 

[neoanarch]

Yor're already aware of Plex but haven't got the Client on the PC? Plex is great if your media is on another PC. But if its on the PC hooked up to the TV I'd use XBMC or Mediaportal.

XBMC is especially great for a Roku like experience. its pretty easy to setup so you can switch between Steam Big Picture mode and XBMC with nothing but a remote or PS4 or Xbox One controller.

 

[StevieP]

Get Windows Media Center and/or media apps like XBMC. Win 8 also has a nice metro app for Netflix in the store

 

[GHG]

So here's a question... Is there a way to turn the PC on using a remote of some sort or via a wireless mouse/keyboard/IOS App press rather than having to physically get up and turn the PC on?

This is my only slight frustration of my setup. Otherwise, OP you will enjoy it very much.

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

Yor're already aware of Plex but haven't got the Client on the PC? Plex is great if your media is on another PC. But if its on the PC hooked up to the TV I'd use XBMC or Mediaportal.

XBMC is especially great for a Roku like experience. its pretty easy to setup so you can switch between Steam Big Picture mode and XBMC with nothing but a remote or PS4 or Xbox One controller.

Can the next Gen console controllers be used with a PC? What do I need to make them work wirelessly? Don't have Bluetooth or Wifi on this PC.

 

[LCGeek]

So here's a question... Is there a way to turn the PC on using a remote of some sort or via a wireless mouse/keyboard/IOS App press rather than having to physically get up and turn the PC on?

This is my only slight frustration of my setup. Otherwise, OP you will enjoy it very much.

If your mobo, os and devices support you can always configure wake up options. The how is more dependent on what precisely you are using?

Mineshift you can make the dualschock for PS4 work on pc just search for the topic it's pretty easy to find.

 

[Kosma]

The worst thing about comfy couch gaming on pc is you will get whooped in mp games.

There is no setup that is as good as a stable desk for this unfortunately.

Also you will be sitting far from the telly which will put you at a huge disadvantge against gamers who are inches away from their 2.5k monitors.

Basicly this setup means you are no longer competitive in mp games.

 

[Soule]

Excellent, in the next year I plan on doing the same thing so will use this thread to get my bearings on how to do it.

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

Unified Remote has WOL and power options. It works on a home network but I can't get it to work on my mobile network.

Also, when I say leave it on all day I mean without going to sleep. Is it bad if I let it run all say without going to sleep? Will that fuck me over in terms of electricity costs?

I need to figure out how to get Wake On Lan to work over mobile if so. Can anyone help me with that?

 

[Yaoibot]

And so far I've had mixed feelings. Here are the specs of the build first off. Maybe you folks can tell me if I'm on the right track and perhaps offer some suggestions.

i7-4770K
GTX-760 2GB
8GB RAM
ASUS HERO VI MOBO

Using Unified Remote for Android.

My understanding is that these specs give me well above and beyond what can be achieved in the current generation. So, I put this PC together to set next to the TV and act as a central hub for all my living room media needs. For the record, I'm a cable cutter. I get all my media digitally. I'm only willing to give Comcast so much of my money. I had anticipated buying a PS4 but a number of things ended turning me off. XB1 was never an alternative either. Here are my key reasons.

1. Next few months is rather bleak in terms of games in interested in being released.
2. There are still a bunch of current gen games I haven't finished or played. I sold my X360 a while back with a pretty decent back lock, most of which are available in superior form on PC. Neither XB1 nor PS4 offer backward compatibility which is a feature that would really appeal to me this time around.
3. PS2, Wii, GCN emulation. Oh yeah, by the way. My backlog goes all the way back to these days. Forget about all the great PC games I never played because I've never owned a PC this nice up to this point.
4. Pay walls going up all over the place. Needing an XBL Gold subscription in order to watch YouTube on my Xbox was the last straw.

I've been a console gamer for my entire life with a few major exception. The level of importance I place on the ease of just being able to turning on a box, sit in my couch, and fire up a game with no hassle. I've been playing with Steam and I was very glad to notice the special steam console that opens up when you press a certain button on your controller (using an X360 controller. It's does a good job of sort of replicating the experience of the XBox dash that I'm used to. So, regarding the ease of mindlessly being able to fire up a game? I'm satisfied. Steam is very satisfying. As a living room gaming rig I think I'm going to be pleasantly surprised.

Now for the other stuff. Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, Amazon Prime Instant. All these (well, mostly Netflix and HBO) get a heavy workout. Additionally, all the digital content I actually own. Here in not quite as satisfied. I would love an experience similar to Roku where I can easily access these platforms in a full screen mode that doesn't require the arduous process of having them have to open in a browser. Here I have a number of issues.

1. Playback is often wonky in a browser window. Relying on Silver light and the like. It's not so bad on a normal PC monitor but on the TV it seems to just be... Odd...
2. Using mouse and keyboard in general is awkward when I'm on my couch. Also, items on screen often appear too small to read.
3. I'd love something like the Plex app on my phone/roku that organized all my video media in app rather than having to peruse the subfolders on my PC.

I do intend on using this system as a normal PC. I have a monitor, mouse and keyboard, and speakers hooked up to it in another room which are optional for when I want to get actual work done or doing PCish things in the good old fashioned PC kind of way. I guess I want the best of both worlds. I was hoping I could get some advice on how I should go about replicating the living room friendly design of game consoles / Roku.

I do all my work on a laptop/ HDMI with a wireless KB+360 PC cobtroller mapped to mouse functions (Pinnacle software has a default setting for this and its great) while sitting in an ergonomic recliner - not a twinge of RSI since I started tgis setup and I'm typing 8-10 hours a day (with breaks, obviously). I use the TV in my study for work, PC games and have two consoles hooked in. With multiple inputs on nearly every TV these days and even HDMI links to certain (Sony) consoles, you can have a half dozen sources hooked in and activativing the set automatically without much fuss. I guess I'm wondering about the exclusivity of your choice when a TV is just a giant monitor for whatever. Why limit yourself?

Oh and you need a 55" or bigger to make webpages and fonts display at an appropriate size. I was using a 46" before I redid the study and it wasn't adequate.

 

[d00d3n]

I would like to play more on my plasma, but some aspects are extremely annoying compared with sitting at your desk. Editing ini-files is a horrible experience, and setting stuff up in nvidia inspector is also awful. If the games are already installed and properly configured, it is a fantastic experience to use Steam big picture mode to play games.

 

[Yaoibot]

The worst thing about comfy couch gaming on pc is you will get whooped in mp games.

There is no setup that is as good as a stable desk for this unfortunately.

Also you will be sitting far from the telly which will put you at a huge disadvantge against gamers who are inches away from their 2.5k monitors.

Basicly this setup means you are no longer competitive in mp games.

Well either get good with a controller, or get a chair with a sidetable for mouse useage. I play all my PC MMORPGs with a remapped controller and get nothing but praise. I roll as tanks, healers - difficult roles - and do quite a bit of PVP too. The only genre I haven't cracked with a controller yet is point and click Diablo clones, the camera pan and lock tricks (hold right mouse button) don't work and those games don't map to wasd or arrow keys for movement. There are workarounds, but I don't care for them.

Oh and sitting 8-10 feet from a massive TV will give you the same, if not a greater, FOV for games as a monitor.

 

[AltogetherAndrews]

I like having a good PC and consoles hooked to the TV, but that's just me.

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

I like having a good PC and consoles hooked to the TV, but that's just me.

Do you eat caviar whist playing on your many consoles and sitting in your golden chair?

For me it's simple math. All games with only a few exceptions from last gen were also available on PC in a superior form. I was an Xbox 360 owner exclusively. If I could do it again though I'd have been a PS3 and PC gamer. PS3 for games like Demon's Souls and PC for games like Skyrim. Maybe at some point will buy a console but for right now this is an excellent alternative.

As it stands, I'm sure as shit not dropping $400-500 on a console with no games. I'll wait till halfway through the life cycle. By then I will have a good idea as to which consoles exclusives appeal to me most, the prices will have dropped, and there may be some hardware revision.

 

[catabarez]

I increased the size of everything displayed on my PC so I don't have to squint when I try to read things. I suggest doing that if you haven't.

 

[BlazeBreak]

i7-4770K
GTX-760 2GB
8GB RAM
ASUS HERO VI MOBO

My understanding is that these specs give me well above and beyond what can be achieved in the current generation.

Those specs should do you well for some time, yeah. They are indeed well beyond the new consoles and any current game will definitely look and run appreciably better on your PC than they do on a PS4/XBO. Do remember though, that just being more powerful than the consoles are doesn't mean you'll get through the generation desirably, since games are optimized as all hell for the console specs. As more games start coming out that use more than 2GB VRAM, you'll reach a point where you won't be able to run most games on max settings anymore. But you'll still be running everything better than the consoles can for a while.

So, if you're not already, just be aware that your current components won't have the same shelf life as a console (for instance, try seeing how well a 2013 multiplat game like Tomb Raider or Bioshock Infinite would run on a PC with specs a notch or two up from a 360 lol). But for the next few years you should be solid.

 

[Sylverstone14]

Always wanted to post this:

But seriously, I'm heavily opting to get my own rig soon, since my Steam library has been growing and my poor laptop can only do so much right now.

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

Those specs should do you well for some time, yeah. They are indeed well beyond the new consoles and any current game will definitely look and run appreciably better on your PC than they do on a PS4/XBO. Do remember though, that just being more powerful than the consoles are doesn't mean you'll get through the generation desirably, since games are optimized as all hell for the console specs. As more games start coming out that use more than 2GB VRAM, you'll reach a point where you won't be able to run most games on max settings anymore. But you'll still be running everything better than the consoles can for a while.

So, if you're not already, just be aware that your current components won't have the same shelf life as a console (for instance, try seeing how well a 2013 multiplat game like Tomb Raider or Bioshock Infinite would run on a PC with specs a notch or two up from a 360 lol). But for the next few years you should be solid.

Yeah, but then I think I've invested in good enough components otherwise to where I can just add a better GPU of run an additional GPU in SLI. Won't have need of a faster CPU or a better MOBO.

 

[Persona7]

I wish youtube.com/TV was not so buggy. It works sometimes but navigation and full screen always give me problems.

 

[iamaustrian]

is it somehow possible to hook up a Wii sensor bar with the PC and use the Wiimote as mouse alternative?
I already hate using the mouse while sitting on a desk. I can't imagine using that damn thing while sitting on my couch.

 

[SwiftDeath]

I would like pictures of your setup for uh scientific purposes....

 

[M3d10n]

is it somehow possible to hook up a Wii sensor bar with the PC and use the Wiimote as mouse alternative?
I already hate using the mouse while sitting on a desk. I can't imagine using that damn thing while sitting on my couch.

Two leds (or candles, lol) and you have a makeshift sensor bar. You can also buy "wireless" sensor bars: AFAIK those are just battery powered LEDs and don't require a Wii at all to work.

Oh and you need a 55" or bigger to make webpages and fonts display at an appropriate size. I was using a 46" before I redid the study and it wasn't adequate.

Increasing the system's font size in the DPI settings should make it usable most of the time. Also, if the OP has a cheap laptop lying around, he could use that to RDP into his desktop if he needs to do more gruntwork on it.

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

I would like pictures of your setup for uh scientific purposes....

I'll get on that when I get home tonight!

 

[Sylver]

This will change when Naughty Dog share its awesomes.

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

So, got some good advice for video media players I think. What about audio and streaming media? Is there a way to streamline that whole experience in a way that can be controlled using my phone as a remote. Especially HBO Go.

 

[Orayn]

So, got some good advice for video media players I think. What about audio and streaming media? Is there a way to streamline that whole experience in a way that can be controlled using my phone as a remote. Especially HBO Go.

Many people will recommend XBMC as an all-in-one media player solution with a ten foot interface, though I don't know if it has HBO Go support.

Steam's Big Picture Mode is supposed to start picking up more media features in the near future as well. They just recently added music.

is it somehow possible to hook up a Wii sensor bar with the PC and use the Wiimote as mouse alternative?
I already hate using the mouse while sitting on a desk. I can't imagine using that damn thing while sitting on my couch.

Yeah, you can pick up a cheap wireless sensor bar from Monoprice or Amazon and use something like Glovepie to control the mouse cursor. Pairing can be a bit of a pain, but a lot depends on your bluetooth interface and the other software you're using.

 

[John Rabbit]

i don't get all the work people put into this.

1. build a gaming PC
2. buy a 25' HDMI cable
3. buy a 360 controller
4. buy the Logitech K400 if you really need KB/M controls for stuff like streaming services (you can't game with it effectively)
5. enjoy.

 

[Orayn]

i don't get all the work people put into this.

1. build a gaming PC
2. buy a 25' HDMI cable
3. buy a 360 controller
4. buy the Logitech K400 if you really need KB/M controls for stuff like streaming services (you can't game with it effectively)
5. enjoy.

Did you just glance at the length of the OP and assume it was all unnecessary preparation? He was mostly just explaining his reasoning and asking questions about software.

 

[John Rabbit]

Did you just glance at the length of the OP and assume it was all unnecessary preparation? He was mostly just explaining his reasoning and asking questions about software.

do you read threads as though every post following the OP is a direct reply to the OP? it's more a general response to other people posting about their desire to do the same thing, except not knowing where to start. i was pointing out that there's no 'magic' to it. you just hook up your PC to a TV and go.

 

[PastorOfMuppets]

3. PS2, Wii, GCN emulation. Oh yeah, by the way. My backlog goes all the way back to these days. Forget about all the great PC games I never played because I've never owned a PC this nice up to this point.

I'm going to make a case for you to just dip your toes back into the olden days of PC gaming. Get yourself a trackball mouse (BTW, a trackball is a very viable alternative to a mouse for an FPS, a controller isn't, especially if you're playing an older PC FPS). You don't have to go knee deep into really hardcore games like Falcon 4.0 or IL2 but it's worth it to try some retro PC games like Fallout or Heroes of Might and Magic. They are approachable and not as demanding but very good.

The thing with old PC games is that a lot of those types of games no longer exist (at least until very recently with Steam and Kickstarter) because in the last generation, everyone decided that they would homogenize PC and console gaming. It has nothing to do with them being bad or having bad design. PC's can do console games fairly well but not the other way around so when we all decided that all multiplatform games would use the Xbox360 as the lead platform, we lost a lot of good PC design philosophies. To me, if you're only using your PC as a souped up HD console with lots of indie stuff and ignore PC exclusives, you're missing out on an entirely different philosophy of gaming.

 

[harSon]

If you want a true living room experience:

1. Get Windows 8 and an SSD harddrive for some amazing boot times.
2. Install XBMC (Xbox Media Center)
3. Install XBMC Launcher (http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=136798) so you can boot directly into XBMC, instead of the Windows Shell.
4. Install Advanced Launcher (http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=85724) so you can launch directly into any Windows application (batch files included) directly from XBMC. You can have it launch directly into Netflix, Hulu, Console Emulators, Steam Big Picture Mode, etc.
5. Purchase a XBMC compatible remote control, like this for example: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00224ZDFY/?tag=neogaf0e-20 and download EventGhost (http://www.eventghost.org) and then you can set any remote control input to output as a keyboard key. You make it so that a single remote button press will execute a batch file, which makes its possibilities basically endless. For example, maybe have a button that terminates XBMC and starts up Explorer.exe so you can use it as a computer once again. And on the flip side, a button that kills explorer.exe and starts up XBMC.exe.
6. Install Plex Media Server so you can use MyPlex to view your locally stored media from anywhere.

 

[Sothpaw]

Congrats on making the correct choice.

 

[Aces&Eights]

So here's a question... Is there a way to turn the PC on using a remote of some sort or via a wireless mouse/keyboard/IOS App press rather than having to physically get up and turn the PC on?

This is my only slight frustration of my setup. Otherwise, OP you will enjoy it very much.

This is the epitome of 1st world problems, mate. How many meters are you from your tower when sitting on the couch? 1? 2?

I'm not being a dick because I am just as lazy.

OT: I've been mulling this over as well. What would be the min sized tv to use? I have a Sammy 55 inch LED. Is that too small?

 

[Nafai1123]

I have a 3 year old PC and a PS4 hooked up to my TV. I'm happy.

 

[Wonko_C]

This will change when Naughty Dog share its awesomes.

What if he/she doesn't care about ND's awesomes?

Spoiler

joking

OP's got a very nice setup. I'm looking to upgrade to a similar rig later this year, but I'm thinking a GTX 780 instead of the 760. Or is the 760 enough for maxed out 1080/60 in most games? I want it to last at least 5 years.

 

[jdejose]

I recently did this, but it was just as much to cut my cable bill then to save money on a ps4/xbone. I got rid of my cable boxes and built a rig that accepts a cable card. Now i have a pc that runs windows media center as my dvr, can stream to any other computer on my network, and I can game.

I bought a cheap windows media center remote off amazon, plugged in the usb reciever to my computer and programmed my harmony remote, so I still only need to use one remote control. I also have a wireless keyboard/mouse hooked up to it if i need to use them. The computer also has no problem waking up from sleep mode using the wireless keyboard/ or remote.

I have it hooked up to a acer hd9500bd projector. Its the best thing i ever done.

 

[kikonawa]

This is the epitome of 1st world problems, mate. How many meters are you from your tower when sitting on the couch? 1? 2?

I'm not being a dick because I am just as lazy.

OT: I've been mulling this over as well. What would be the min sized tv to use? I have a Sammy 55 inch LED. Is that too small?

Simple wol on any smartphone can do this

Btw that i7 is overkill vs your gpu

 

[Kureransu]

This is an outdated pic of my set up but you get the picture (upgraded surround sound system and laptop).

I have my pic set to hibernate after 20 min of inactivity and my tv set to shut off after 15 min of no connection. I never turn it off, but i do restart it every couple days. I've had this set up for about 2.5 years now, since I moved to this condo. I've a wireless keyboard and mouse, and as you can see i just put a mouse pad on my armrest when i play. The TV is a 55" so the text shows up at a decent size at 1080p. I have no regrets at all. Also the 360 and Wii U is hooked up as well. Since all the controllers turn on the systems and my keyboard can wake the PC, I generally don't have to go far to turn anything on.

 

[nycgamer4ever]

I've gone the opposite. I already have a pretty beefy gaming laptop. Recently bought a Ps4 and was going to upgrade my laptop to a full on gaming rig. After playing the Ps4 I've decided to spend the extra money for a souped up 7.1 surround sound system and a nice ultrabook for work. My old gaming laptop and my Ps4 will do just fine.

 

[Mineshaft_Gap]

Simple wol on any smartphone can do this

Btw that i7 is overkill vs your gpu

I7 comment directed towards me? Is it worth the investment to put another $100 or so into the card? I can still return it if I want.

 

[Wray]

It's nice for games and stuff you can easily add to Steam Big Picture.
Use Plex for media and that will have an awesome UI as well,
Controlling shit on a couch with a mouse/keyboard is not so much fun though, even with a nice mouse/touchpad combo like the Logitech K400, it's a shitty experience controlling a tiny little cursor from the couch.

You'll also miss out on exclusives, which at the moment are thin but I expect things will pick up after E3.

[EDIT] Re-read and noticed you already use Plex on your phone, download Plex Home Theater, son!

Is there a way to use the Plex App on your phone as a remote control for the Plex on your HTPC?

 

[Finalizer]

I7 comment directed towards me? Is it worth the investment to put another $100 or so into the card? I can still return it if I want.

Not him, but I'd say regardless of what you do with the GPU, that CPU is almost certainly worth it if you really plan to get into emulation as you mentioned in the OP.

 

[lostsupper]

You did the right thing, OP.