YouTube video music

I use a PC with Intel Audio and Intel Video on the Motherboard to avoid the need for a separate video card and it’s heat which activates fan noise.

You simply do not know it is on.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c05737506

Integrated audio

• Audio Codec: ALC3863-CG
• High Definition (Azalia) 5.1 channel audio support

  NOTE: The motherboard supports 5.1 surround sound. If the computer does not have the required audio jacks for a 5.1 configuration, additional hardware is required to use 5.1 surround sound.

• Audio jack presence detection

  NOTE: An internal speaker is not included with integrated audio. External speakers or headphones are required to hear sound.

  NOTE: Integrated audio is not available if a sound card is installed.

You can use it horizontal as I do, smaller than a AVR. HDMI out to AVR ’game’ input.

I use a wireless mini keypad/touchpad/mouse buttons to control the pc from the sofa. Mine is batteries, this one is rechargeable. Size of a small thin remote.

https://www.amazon.com/Rii-Wireless-Keyboard-Lightweight-Controller/dp/B00I5SW8MC/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=...

I do keep a full size wired keyboard and wired mouse on top of the PC in it’s horizontal position, for the few times I might need them.

I have the identical PC for my office, also quiet, and it’s hard drive is extremely quiet, very important when sitting right next to it.

Permanent Full Size Keyboard and Trackball in the office. I just overhauled my office for much improved audio, especially imaging, chair and monitor dead on the center of the speakers. Speakers and Monitor and seated Ear Height all perfectly aligned horizontally.

Headphone jack to RCA to Chase Remote Line Controller (remote switch/volume/balance), to Carver Amp to B&W bookshelf pair and Velodyne Sub. TT, R2R, perfect listening triangle, so I am in a great position to hear the benefit of Firefox better YouTube audio over Google Chrome’s audio which is pretty enjoyable itself.

I installed Firefox downstairs in the small HT, it also seems better than Google Chrome audio.

Downstairs, Smart TV, I haven’t been using the PC like I needed in the past, but now I will compare Firefox sound to Smart TV’s sound, always thru my AVR to 5.1 system.

Thanks for that link to the mini keypad/touchbad!  I've forwarded that on to a friend of mine who uses a Mac Mini to do youtube and streaming in his audio room.  It would be a great replacement for the normal mac keyboard/mouse.

There's another idea you can explore that may improve your audio/video from your HP slimline.  I have found that the upper end Nvidia video cards actually have a significantly better video quality.  I found this out when I upgraded my cheap little stock video card to a Palit Kalmx 1050 Ti video card (this won't work in your situation because of the size of the card and heatsink).

The best video card you can get in your HP Slimline is the Nvidia 1030 in a low profile card.  EVGA is an excellent video card company and offers a good solution which has a passive heat sink (no fans!):

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Passive-Graphics-02G-P4-6332-KR/dp/B073VPKV26

It also comes with a low profile "short" bracket that's easy to replace (just unscrew the two bolts on the DVI port to replace the bracket).  These cards really don't get hot at all when doing 2D graphics (i.e. youtube videos, DVD/Bluray/etc.).  It's only when you do 3D gaming that the GPU heats up. 

These higher end video cards are better because in addition to the GPU, they have a number of capacitors along side the GPU to give stronger/smoother power current.  Also, I think they have much better HDMI transmitter chips and power supply.  This is likely to improve the audio quality as well (for digital audio over HDMI line).  For $100 investment, it could be a big game changer.

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Second idea is have you every thought about switching out the hard drive for an SSD?  This would lower the power supply requirements and also remove that slight "whine" from the hard drive motor.  It would also be cooler inside the case and a LOT faster than the standard hard drive (which is a higher speed 7200 rpm).  The SSDs have gotten really cheap nowadays.  You can get a 1TB SSD for about $100, or a 500GB SSD for $50 (depending on your storage needs).

auxinput

just to clarify, that link was just to illustrate the type/size, mine is a different one. mine has two sets of mouse buttons which I find handy, don't really use the trackpad much, slightly bigger buttons would be better.
 

auxinput

last night, hopping about YouTube, favorite/familiar music videos, Google Chrome browser beat Firefox slightly, the reverse of the prior night’s slight advantage to Firefox.

Any clues?

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SSD.

Streaming, is the Hard Drive involved? This slimtop is so quiet I am simply not aware of the HD when working/streaming.

In my office, I have an external 2TB SSD, it is my primary HD, internal HD very quiet spinning drive is only programs, system, downloads, screenshots ... I have identical backup SSD in trunk of my car, parked in the street in case the house burns down.

Unplug the SSD, take it with me when I travel, hook to laptop, everything is there. Hook to friends PC, everything is there.

Initially, after rejecting a dedicated streamer (years ago, crap) I tried an earlier HP slimtop in HT first, wondering about processor speed, fanless motherboard AV performance, and HD noise. It impressed me so much I got a duplicate for my office, and gave my high end gaming tower to a friend. I am retired, but I designed office space, demanding CAD software. That little slimtop with 8GB memory performed as well, the spinning HD’s and fans in the tower with dedicated cards were hot and noisy.

One died, so I got this newer identical pair of HP slimtops, newer processor, also motherboard AV, and 12GB memory.

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Video Card, low profile. Nice pick, thanks. Certainly affordable. I’m good at modifying PC innards, I just want to know more before I bother.

Originally I expected to be disappointed by motherboard AV and expected to need to add low profile card. Surprisingly, first unit in HT gave acceptable results.

2nd unit, for office, doing CAD work and heavy photo editing, I thought that one would surely need dedicated video card. Nope. Earlier, CAD, Photo Editing, we would wait for the computer, since several years, the computer waits for me, especially if enough memory.
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Streaming Sources: (all HDMI to Sony AVR).

Where/What processor(s) involved?

1. Fios to Router to Cable Box for primary source
2. HDMI Cable Box to Smart TV, then use
Built in links to YouTube; Netflix; Amazon Prime; VIKI. HDMI to Sony AVR
3. HP Slimtop PC, (from Fios Router) Chrome or Firefox Browser, , HDMI to Sony AVR

Now, results essentially equal, the determining factor TV/PC is whether I will be searching much, if so, the PC and mini keyboard is easier/faster/less aggravating than the variety of on-screen toggle u/d/l/r methods
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Digital Music? (I know nothing)

My friend got into digital streaming, minimal compression, high end DAC. He uses a Macintosh Laptop to view his library, send to DAC.

Isn’t the AV on the Macintosh Motherboard involved?

If so, then no matter what streamer/lack of compression/___? isn’t the quality already set/converted/limited by the motherboard before a separate DAC?

Anything saved on HD is a certain digital quality. Any streaming service software is a certain quality. Still, going thru motherboard’s AV in/out?

I know it’s a big subject, but it seems to me, a laptop’s motherboard might not be best.

Lots of confusion herein. 
 Simply stated, sound quality from youtube music vids  is quite impressive when streamed thru Apple TV.  Very comparable to streaming thru a nucleus using qobuz with both being hooked into a high end hifi system.

speaks to value of a quality signal coming thru any system.

thankful to youtube efforts.