What Processor for HTPC?

[tRaptor]

Well, its that time, time to upgrade my HTPC. My current Duron 800 is just hardly pulling its weight.

At the recomendation of a friend and my own research, i took the plunge and ordered a Asus Pundit.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=56-110-026&depa=0

I wont know if i can use the "Celeron D" untill I get the system and check the mobo revision. But for the sake of discussion I will assume that I can use the celeron D's.

As far as my requirements, i really dont plan on doing much as far as encoding and such, but i will be watching dvds, recording tv, ect.

I'm trying to find the best price/perfoemence ratio. So my initial thought it just to pick up a Celeron, or celeron D. Note: I dont need a HSF, barebones sytem comes with it.

I can get a Celeron D "320" 2.40 GHz, 533MHz FSB, 256K L2 Cache from newegg for $73. They also have cheaper ones, but I think this is the best one as far a as price/performence.

Here is where the problem comes, would I be better off buying something like a 1.8 Ghz or even a 1.5 Ghz P4? If i do get a P4 It would almost be required to be used becasue of the cost.

Any Ideas?

 

[bookman]

Go to www.htpcnews.com - they have several guides posted there that will help you decide.

 

[Sentential]

Well the most optimial CPU for an HTTPC rig would be Dothan (ie Pentium-M). Asus has an adapter in the works to allow this. I would go ahead and give them a call and see if it is compatable with it.

Dothan chews up very little power and it is comparable to high end A64s in terms of its peformance.

However if going cheap is the primary objective I would look at an E0 Celeron. They come with powerstrip which throttles the vcore down significantly at stock thus reducing heat load. While E0s are primiarly LGA775 chips they also exist on 478

This:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-112-188&depa=1

CPU is an E0. If you take note of the CPU voltage you will see that it has 2 levels. One is the normal operating volts the other is the throttled volts. Thats what seperates E0s from D or C0s

 

[trickytraka]

I would go for a AMD64 2800

nice price but still powerfull