If you guys could give me some ideas. Maybe what would you do with this hardware or what parts would you buy that would be awesome.
I would like to build a desktop and upgrade an HTPC. I'm thinking I could do one now and one later (year+ w/CPU+GPU single chip) OR both now. So I'd like some opinions what's out now that would be good or if CPU/GPU stuff in the future would be good waiting for.
I currently do have a A64 3000+ (754)+mini ninja, 1GB single channel DDR 333 as an HTPC w/4350 card that has HDMI out. Antec fusion case. Gigiabit LAN.
Would like to add a blu-ray drive (PS3 idles @ 120w).
The PC does not play most 720p flash smoothly or any 1080p (hulu/abc/youtube). I've tried Flash beta w/GPU acceleration as well (currently installed).
55w idle
similar when playing video off the HDD
90w on boot
I also would like to just have a basic desktop PC that doesn't consume much power. I have a quad but I'd rather that it was not on all the time @ 140w idle (the wife seems to leave it on after she is done surfing the net). I do some gaming and encoding on the quad. I do have spare 17" monitors.
I have looked at a lot of h55 boards w/i3+IGP and seen people get to 30w idle power easily. With picoPSU, laptop hdd etc. Not as familiar on the AMD side of things.
Ideas
1)Could leave the A64 3000+ as the HTPC. Try blu-ray drive out and try to live without HD flash. (no cable tv) Put new system as desktop. If blu-ray drive doesn't work out I could go to option 2. Or I could go netflix and keep the A64 as the HTPC.
2)I could put the A64 3000+ as the desktop and buy an i3 or AMD for HTPC. In a year+ I could switch the HTPC parts to the desktop retiring the A64 and buy a CPU/GPU on 1 chip for HTPC.
3)I could buy 2 AMD systems now, 1 desktop, 1 HTPC. But which AMD boards support 5.1 or 7.1 LPCM output? Just use the 4350 card? My receiver can do LPCM but not TrueHD/DTS MA bit streaming. I know 880G is not much of a change in features from the 785G but does it use less power since it is only AM3/DDR3 interface? Have not really seen a review yet.
MicroATX preferred.
I would like to build a desktop and upgrade an HTPC. I'm thinking I could do one now and one later (year+ w/CPU+GPU single chip) OR both now. So I'd like some opinions what's out now that would be good or if CPU/GPU stuff in the future would be good waiting for.
I currently do have a A64 3000+ (754)+mini ninja, 1GB single channel DDR 333 as an HTPC w/4350 card that has HDMI out. Antec fusion case. Gigiabit LAN.
Would like to add a blu-ray drive (PS3 idles @ 120w).
The PC does not play most 720p flash smoothly or any 1080p (hulu/abc/youtube). I've tried Flash beta w/GPU acceleration as well (currently installed).
55w idle
similar when playing video off the HDD
90w on boot
I also would like to just have a basic desktop PC that doesn't consume much power. I have a quad but I'd rather that it was not on all the time @ 140w idle (the wife seems to leave it on after she is done surfing the net). I do some gaming and encoding on the quad. I do have spare 17" monitors.
I have looked at a lot of h55 boards w/i3+IGP and seen people get to 30w idle power easily. With picoPSU, laptop hdd etc. Not as familiar on the AMD side of things.
Ideas
1)Could leave the A64 3000+ as the HTPC. Try blu-ray drive out and try to live without HD flash. (no cable tv) Put new system as desktop. If blu-ray drive doesn't work out I could go to option 2. Or I could go netflix and keep the A64 as the HTPC.
2)I could put the A64 3000+ as the desktop and buy an i3 or AMD for HTPC. In a year+ I could switch the HTPC parts to the desktop retiring the A64 and buy a CPU/GPU on 1 chip for HTPC.
3)I could buy 2 AMD systems now, 1 desktop, 1 HTPC. But which AMD boards support 5.1 or 7.1 LPCM output? Just use the 4350 card? My receiver can do LPCM but not TrueHD/DTS MA bit streaming. I know 880G is not much of a change in features from the 785G but does it use less power since it is only AM3/DDR3 interface? Have not really seen a review yet.
MicroATX preferred.