HTPC Chipset

[Karl The Gimp]

Which is the better chipset for a HTPC?

On the AMD side ..
AMD 690G
NF430

or Intel
ATI
Intel i945G or I945GZ
Intel iG31

[this_is_gav]

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).

[Karl The Gimp]

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

[this_is_gav]

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.

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

[staffsMike]

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.

[Karl The Gimp]

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

[Karl The Gimp]

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! . and the missus might want to do her family tree on it.

[Funkstar]

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

[DanceswithUnix]

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.