HTPC Chipset

Which is the better chipset for a HTPC?

On the AMD side ..
AMD 690G
NF430

or Intel
ATI
Intel i945G or I945GZ
Intel iG31

If you've still a choice, then i945 mobile with a Core Duo. Still quite expensive new, but they often pop up 2nd hand in good order. As they're a laptop chip and chipset they run really cool and low powered, so they can be made to run with next to no airflow. Stick something like a low-profile HD2400 Pro in and it'll do any high def decoding too. I just leave mine on 24/7 to download things and record any programs. :)

If you're stuck to the choices you've listed, then I'd stick to one of the Intel ones, but only if you're sticking a C2D/C2Q or one of the new 'Pentium DualCores' (a C2D with most of the cache stripped out).

my budget is quite tight, so my cpu will have to either be a Pentium Dual Core or a AMD 64x2

So long as it's not a Pentium 4 Dual Core then that'll be fine. Those 2140s and 2160s have quite a bit of poke about them.

I can't think of a worse combo than Pentium 4* and HTPC. :D

* OK, the Pentium 4 'C' series was good.

i'd probably go for the amd 690g and an energy efficent 3800 x2 or something like that.

It has the best features integrated onto the board so you dont really need a dedicated gfx card if you dont want to play games..they are also quite cheap.

well it would have to be either the AMD AM2 Athlon 64 4000+ or the Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2140.

yeah its not going to be for games, just recording stuff of the telly, and playing back stuff of the net, like lost season 3 when it gets here! :D . and the missus might want to do her family tree on it.

I have a htpc based round an Energy Efficient AM2 4200+. It is completely passively cooled and has been folding@home for the past three weeks without incident.

Pretty stable really :)

What sort of telly are you outputting to?

I have an old CRT telly with s-video, so had quite a wide choice.

You can get boards with HDMI+HDCP encryption now, Scan have this ABit Nvidia board on Today Only offer, and this ASUS 690G board.

The AMD chip seems more recent & powerful, but I stick with Nvidia so I can run Linux based PVR software, if that is a concern.