Is a Phenom CPU overkill for a HTPC?

M

Marcdaddy

2[H]4U
Joined
Feb 21, 2003
Messages
3,635
Here it is, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103244
I just mainly wanted to get it to screw around but it will be in a HTPC coupled with a Powercooler 4830 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131129
Silverstone case http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.148725.11-163-117
4 Gigs of memory http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122
Asus MOBO http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131340
4 Seagate 1TB drives http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148274
Just need to grab a Powersupply and then what to do about Blue-Ray, Do i get just a Reader or spend the extra $100 and get a burner?
 
the phenom and the 4830 are overkill for a htpc unless you will play PC games on it also

I do think that the Phenom does have the advantage of one additional type of post processing (for HD video) that is not available on the X2 (due to HT bandwidth restrictions). Maybe someone that knows more about this can elaborate.
 
If the price is right and the power consumption is low (keep the temps down) than nothing is overkill for a HTPC
 
Yes, an htpc should be for pc gaming and pc movie viewing.

Don't let people tell you otherwise !
 
depends how often the HTPC is on.... at 125w (for most x4) running 24/7 can cost a decent amount $20 a month
 
if you use the quad core box as a file server and/or download server (a box with which to TS into and download stuff so that it doesnt use main system resources) and a media center PC all at the same time, then it could be beneficial to you...
 
I would highly consider it because GPU acceleration is very picky and will cause serious problems for videos that do not accelerate if your CPU is not powerful enough. I have jumped through many hoops to make my 4850e play 1080p videos w/o HW acceleration and it is still being perfected. I would suggest it as I am likely to upgrade my CPU soon.
 
No gaming whatsoever its just for watching Movies here is my setup
SONY BDP-S550 BLUE_RAY Player just picked it up.
RECIEVER - SONY DA5300ES this thing is pretty much the SHIZNIT does everything, says in the instruction manuel it will even wash my car. http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665532067

PROJECTOR - PANASONIC PT-AE2000U I love this projector colors and clearity are amazing. http://www.panasonic.com/business/pr...2000/index.asp

SCREEN - CARADA 108 inch Brilliant White Matches up with my Panay very well, i was very excited to see the quality which Rivals my Sharp Aquos 52-92U LCD
http://www.carada.com/ProductInfo.as...N-SCREEN-H110C

SPEAKERS - NILES AUDIO HD-6 i used 7 of these and a Velodyne 12 Sub, I also bought the Metal IN_WALL speaker Enclousers to mount these speakers in, Very crisp clean sound.
http://www.nilesaudio.com/product.ph...rdcdID=FG00883

SEATING - I got 3 of these from Ashley Furniture in Black, it ran me about $1250
http://www.ashleyfurniture.com/Showr...atPageNumber=1





 
A quad core phenom is only needed if you are going to be using integrated graphics or doing a lot of transcoding on the box...and then only if your transcoding application is quad core aware.

The AMD Phenom 9150e uses less energy and is powerful enough. The phenom 9350e is also a low energy cpu.

Personally, I would shift to Intel for HTPC use. They seem to be better all around.
 
cybrsage said:
Personally, I would shift to Intel for HTPC use. They seem to be better all around.
Click to expand...

LOL :rolleyes: Intel or AMD doesn't really matter in an HTPC; what matters most is what mobo to use (which is why most setups use AMD, because they've had better boards for a long time now).

Anyways, the reason why a Phenom, a CPU that does Hypertransport 3.0 actually, is because when paired with the 780G it uses the extra bandwidth afforded to it to do much better deinterlacing of 1080i content. Pretty much only applies to OTA HDTV since Blu Rays tend to be 1080p now.

You don't need a Quad core for that either, the new dual core Phenoms will work just as awesomely for it and this is only when used with AMDs 780G; NV's 8000 series boards don't need it.

Lowend: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103255
Higher end: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103300

A Quad is only needed for certain situations: If you are using it more as a media server and need to have four or more clients/extenders connected to it; are using it for multiply HD tuners (HD-PVR or CableCard) or a combonation of clients/extenders with multi HD PVRs.
 
darkmatter08 said:
I would highly consider it because GPU acceleration is very picky and will cause serious problems for videos that do not accelerate if your CPU is not powerful enough. I have jumped through many hoops to make my 4850e play 1080p videos w/o HW acceleration and it is still being perfected. I would suggest it as I am likely to upgrade my CPU soon.
Click to expand...

Then you fail at computers.

I've gotten SMOOTH HD playback on a SINGLE CORE 3200+, Integrated 3800 Graphics (780G), and 1 Gig non-dual channel DDR2
 
Well here is what is coming from Newegg Im gonna grab a MOBO from TigerDirect tomorrow i think.
1 G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail
Item #: N82E16820231122
Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy $39.99
1 SILVERSTONE Black Aluminum / Steel LC13B-E ATX Media Center / HTPC Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811163117
Standard Return Policy $114.99
1 AMD Athlon 64 X2 5050e Brisbane 2.6GHz Socket AM2 45W Dual-Core Processor Model ADH5050DOBOX - Retail
Item #: N82E16819103298
Processors (CPUs) Return Policy $62.99
1 ADESSO WKB-4000US 2-Tone USB RF Wireless Mini Keyboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16823166047
Standard Return Policy $89.99
1 LITE-ON Black 4X Blu-ray DVD-ROM SATA Model DH-4O1S-66 - OEM
Item #: N82E16827106273
Limited 30-Day Return Policy $89.99
1 POWERCOLOR AX4830 512MD3-H Radeon HD 4830 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814131129
Standard Return Policy $124.99
1 SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822152102
Limited 30-Day Return Policy $99.99
Shipped from TN, USA
 
It does 7.1 Audio directly out of the HDMI port on the card, So im gonna stream both audio and video right to my reciever then to my Projector, I can also fire up a game or too. Which windows should i install, Vista 32 or 64 bit?
 
Marcdaddy said:
It does 7.1 Audio directly out of the HDMI port on the card, So im gonna stream both audio and video right to my reciever then to my Projector.
Click to expand...

And a 8000 series mobo does too without costing $100+ on top of needing a mobo.
 
osalcido said:
Then you fail at computers.

I've gotten SMOOTH HD playback on a SINGLE CORE 3200+, Integrated 3800 Graphics (780G), and 1 Gig non-dual channel DDR2
Click to expand...

WRONG!
What happens when the video you are trying to play will not accelerate through the GPU? Your single core might as well play a slide show. It has happened to me a few times - for some reason or another, the GPU won't take up the task of decoding the video for some encoding settings that are incompatible with ATI Avido/NVida purevideo. Also, I haven't gotten GPU acceleration to work in MPC with a Cyberlink H264 decoder, and the only reason seems to be because of the x64 OS, some files/dll's out of my control. So in that case, a phenom CPU would make perfect sense.

Additionally, the HTPC may run linux, in which GPU acceleration is nearly impossible. A quad would work well.

OP: Even if you are buying a video card for the 7.1 LPCM out, why would you buy a 4830? That is quite overpowered just to deal with audio tasks and almost 0 video load. A 4350 or a 4550 would have been fine.

-darkmatter08
 
I went with the 4830 just cuz i read and heard so many good things about the performance and the HDMI port not just a adapter. All in all i cant complain i spent around $550 and its less then i thought, Im using a old power supply that i had laying around to save a little money, Hell my wife hasnt said anything yet about what i have bought. If she only knew what everything in the movie theater costs she wouldnnt be happy, but she also got a brand new laptop and car this year.
 
wife /w New Laptop + Car = Lots new toys for you, and hopefully other enjoyable things =)
 
Oh ya, im in control of all the finances. She doesnt know what we pay for anything which is why she sleeps good at night and thoughts of numbers dance in my head.
 
CrimandEvil said:
LOL :rolleyes: Intel or AMD doesn't really matter in an HTPC; what matters most is what mobo to use (which is why most setups use AMD, because they've had better boards for a long time now).
Click to expand...

I would have to agree with the poster that said to go with Intel. They are using less power for more 'computing power'.

Zellio2009 said:
Yes, an htpc should be for pc gaming and pc movie viewing.

Don't let people tell you otherwise !
Click to expand...

For the most part, I agree as an HTPC is supposed to be VERY versitile. Both of my HTPC's can game very well. However, there are some folks that don't care for gaming. This can also be a plus because building just an HD machine is cheap.
 
Marcdaddy said:
Oh ya, im in control of all the finances. She doesnt know what we pay for anything which is why she sleeps good at night and thoughts of numbers dance in my head.
Click to expand...

HA at least you CAN buy something without the nasty looks, 'debates', and an evil eye from your wife! For me at least, it's not a matter of money, but a matter of 'is it worth it?'

-darkmatter08
 
Quad core isn't necessary for an HTPC, but given how cheap quad cores are, why not?
 
Dan_D said:
Quad core isn't necessary for an HTPC, but given how cheap quad cores are, why not?
Click to expand...

Correct, it's not needed.

My HTPC has a 2.2ghz Core 2 Duo and I am doing all HD processing through the CPU without a stutter, in fact I don't even come close to maxing it. If you are software decoding HD material you use the CoreAVC codec.
I only have 2gb of ram and am running Vista 32bit. I record 2 HD shows at once and can watch a HD movie with no issues.
Buildling an HTPC is not like building a gaming computer. And the toughest part, the part that most people screw up, is configuring all the software.

If you want an ATI card for processing video get the 4550. You aren't getting anything more by getting a 4830(if you aren't gaming). Though the ATI cards have issues with some receivers so i'd check with other users at avsforum.com to make sure it will work.

But it's better to just get a board that can do HW acceleration without the need for a discret card, it saves money, electricity and produces less heat. Personally I use a Intel G45 board. It has HDMI out, goes to my reciever and then my projector.
Though i'd have no issue getting an Nvidia 9300 board.
 
I've got an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 in my HTPC because I happen to have one laying around and for no other reason. When I switched to my dual QX9775 setup, it was simply left over.
 
Dan_D said:
Quad core isn't necessary for an HTPC, but given how cheap quad cores are, why not?
Click to expand...

heat power consumption? Got my x2 under clocked and q-fan turned on and my heatsink fan runs at ~643 rpm and keeps it under 38*c and is completely inaudible
 
Aku12 said:
heat power consumption? Got my x2 under clocked and q-fan turned on and my heatsink fan runs at ~643 rpm and keeps it under 38*c and is completely inaudible
Click to expand...

I'm running the Q6600 at stock speeds. I also left all the power saving stuff on for the most part. My HTPC makes no sound either and it stays cool enough. Truthfully it probably doesn't use a whole lot more power than your X2 does most of the time. Granted my system will use more power than yours most likely under load. The 8800GTS 320MB video card sees to that. As does the Intel motherboard. It will likely use more power than yours does. The processor, not so much most of the time. There is no need to underclock it as it stays clocked really low most of the time.

When it comes down to it the power consumption is almost a non-issue. When you actually do the math the difference between a dual core and a quad core means NOTHING on your electric bill.
 
its not nothing, my x4 that is 125w and my BE-2400 that is 45w running 24/7 is a difference of around $10 per month or $120 /year
 
Adidas4275 said:
its not nothing, my x4 that is 125w and my BE-2400 that is 45w running 24/7 is a difference of around $10 per month or $120 /year
Click to expand...

Ok, next to nothing. I'm pretty sure mine doesn't use that much power. At least not the processor. The entire system idle probably doesn't use much more than that.
 
even if the difference were a quarter of that, $30 a year plus more money up front, why get a quad core unless you think you will make use of the extra cores?
 
OK im up and running, im using Vista 64 bit and have incorporated My Movies2, Daemon Tools, PowerDVD 8 Ultra and Any DVD-HD with WMC and everything is great, So far 7 out of 8 movies play fine when Mounted from the hard Drive, Transformers plays great off of my Blue-Ray disc but Stutters from the Hard Drive im betting its something to do with Powerdvd.
 
Marcdaddy said:
OK im up and running, im using Vista 64 bit and have incorporated My Movies2, Daemon Tools, PowerDVD 8 Ultra and Any DVD-HD with WMC and everything is great, So far 7 out of 8 movies play fine when Mounted from the hard Drive, Transformers plays great off of my Blue-Ray disc but Stutters from the Hard Drive im betting its something to do with Powerdvd.
Click to expand...

I am also running x64. Good choice, although others will say otherwise ;) Try playing the Transformers blu ray in MPC by opening the ~40GB M2TS file and see if it plays there correctly. I am having trouble playing my Transformers blu ray rip as well.
 
Believe it or not i Tried Vista 32 bit and it was flakey, had a problem with my video card drivers was getting a messed up screen. I switched to Vista 64 and have Zero problems.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top