[mythtv-users] CPU power (was Possible small HD frontend)

[Raphael]

Michael T. Dean wrote:

> 
> I'm pretty sure I've seen other comparisons where mobo's/chipsets were 
> tested revealing some pretty astounding differences, though I don't feel 
> like digging them up (and don't remember the details well enough to give 
> the results).  :)
> 
> Mike
> _______________________________________________

Essentially on the desktop side, the Northbridges in Intel motherboards 
pull considerably more power than an AMD motherboard does. Nvidia 
chipsets are a particularly bad example. I've seen numbers upwards of 
50W in some reviews. A typical number I saw thrown around a bit was 20W 
for an Intel brand chipset. The typical northbridge on a motherboard 
made for an AMD processor uses somewhere below 10W (I can't remember for 
sure either, but I vaguely recall seeing even sub 2W numbers -makes 
sense: they don't actually need a northbridge). So basically when people 
say "I have a 45W proc and yours is 65W, nyah nyah," make sure to tell 
them to add the power for the memory controller in the northbridge if 
it's an Intel.