Is this CPU Enough?

[mrbenn]

Hi All,
I am looking at putting together a dedicated HTPC to run MP and be used for streaming x264 from my main pc over LAN. There will be NO tv card in the pc, so the tv scheduling/recording etc is not an issue at all for me

The Spec is
Asus M2A-VM AM2 motherboard
Geforce 6600GT
1gb DDR2
720p HDTV

My question is this. The CPU i was thinking of is an Athlon64 Single Core 3200+, is this enough with the rest to playback x264 mkv files without issue? I will be using Powerdvd with Purevideo acceleration as my codec in Mediaportal's movie player

Any advice v gratefully received

[deebo]

go for the cheapest am2 dualcore you can get and it will do nicely

i myself upgraded my htpc after a hardware failure and went for

asus m2a-vm
512MB x4 mem
8500gt (had this)
terratec diversity (had this)
4400+ x2 AM2

[FLY]

wouldn't "GIGABYTE GA-MA69GM-S2H Micro ATX AMD Motherboard" little better ?

it is only $79.99 and has HDMI, DVI, VGA, Optical out etc..... in a micro atx size and also great reviews.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128056

just found great deal for $165 (above mobo + amd athlon 64x2 dualcore processor)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128056

[writersblock]

@Mrbenn

It really depends on just how upgrade-friendly you want your system to be. It also depends on the resolution of your best .MKV file. The higher the resolution, the more CPU demand for decoding it. So if all you ever plan on playing are DVD rips which are re-encoded using 720 maximum width... you'd be fine with a 3200+ single core.

But I'd aim higher, and here's why.

1) Dual core processors are fairly cheap these days. You can get a 4200+ dual core AM2 for under $100 at Newegg.com. This is important if you consider upgrades later on. If you buy a 3200+ single core now... you have no place left to go other than buying an entirely new processor later. If you buy more processor than you actually need TODAY, you can focus on other upgrades later on such as a better video card, more RAM, ect.
2) The CPU is the "brains" of your system. This is the absolute last place you'd want to cut corners, since absolutely everything your computer does has to pass through the CPU. If you plan on running FFdshow for upscaling your video to 720p and tweaking sharpness settings, you definately want a CPU that won't cough and struggle. If you're also using FFdshow to decode AAC audio to 5.1 through an SPDIF, that's even MORE demand on your CPU. It's always best to buy more than you need to give yourself room for comfort.
3) Is your HTPC also connected to the Internet? If so, bets are good you've also got antivirus/anti spyware programs installed. Those things pick the damnedest times to run scans and updates. With a single-core processor that's already laboring with video tasks, this means either putting up with stuttering video or waiting around for the software to finish doing its thing. A dual core will allow the antivirus software a core for doing what it wants to do, while you go on using the other core for watching your videos, gleefully unaware of what the rest of your computer's doing. Multitasking is what a dual core is all about.

So I'd cast my vote for a dual core. I honestly think it's worth your piece of mind.

[diehard2]

It depends on your budget. I recently upgraded my main computer for the first time in 7 years, and splurged on the quad core intel chip. I run some home brewed calculation intensive scientific code on all four cores, and I can watch HDTV at the same time. Right now, the more cores the better. My system won't need a processor upgrade for quite awhile. Once more apps are written for multicore, it will be very important.

I would also consider the Intel chips. While they are more expensive, they are creaming AMD in almost every benchmark, especially when it comes to multimedia. The Intel SSE3/4 processor extensions are going to greatly improve encoding once programmers start implementing them.

[player-x]

CPU is not a issue any more even do a dual core would be prepared for faster response.

The thing whats more important is the GPU if i have to buy a video card now pure MP i would get a ATi 2600 Pro
It got hardware video acceleration and even a PIII 1GHz will still do the job for you.

[mrbenn]

thanks for the replies guys, ended up going for the AMD 4600 x2. As for the GPU, i have had nothing but problems with the ATi catalyst drivers and mediaportal with silly crashes (using 7.2, 7.9 or 7.10) so have stuck in an Nvidia 6600GT and MP is running like a sweetheart now