[mythtv-users] Intel Atom backend?

[Marlon Buchanan]

I run 4 older atoms (using a couple different versions of Zotac Zboxes) as frontends. One is a combined frontend/backend with an HD-PVR. I don't do any transcoding, but I do commercial flagging without any problems. Although I rarely watch any programs same day, so I never pay attention to how long flagging takes on the atom. I imagine it would be slow, but everything else I do on them is fine. I agree with your decision to look for a low power i3 or i5. But if you had an atom it would be worth a shot.
 
      From: Andrew Stadt <acstadt at stadt.ca>
 To: mythtv-users at mythtv.org 
 Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 8:01 AM
 Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Intel Atom backend?
   


On 16/09/15 07:42 AM, Rich Freeman wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 16, 2015 at 7:12 AM, Christopher Sean Hilton
> <chris at vindaloo.com> wrote:
>> Thanks for all the help folks! I think I'm going to search for a new i3
>> or an i5 on the basis of your advice. Based on what you've said the
>> Atom won't be up to the job of commflagging HD recordings done with my
>> HD-PVR.
>>
> Unless something has changed you might want to look at the TCO of the
> AMD chips as well.  From what I've seen the Intel chips are very
> pricey for their performance if you're just looking to spend $100.
> However, they will probably draw less power so you'll have to do the
> math on the long-term.  At least for purchase price the Intel chips
> seem to shine mostly if you're looking to spend $200+ on a CPU.
>
> The only reason to buy something other than an Atom is if you do
> CPU-intensive processing, especially transcoding, but perhaps
> commercial flagging as well.  I've not done either on an Atom, but I
> happily run Gentoo on an Atom for my front-end and it handles HD just
> fine (with hardware support).
>
> --
> Rich
I've never run one as a backend, but used a Zotac 1.6 Ghz dual 
core/nvidia as a frontend for several years, first with it's own disk, 
then diskless, then with an SSD. While it worked as a frontend, and is 
reasonably responsive with a really stripped down theme, I always found 
it just "lacked" something in the overall "MythTV experience". Your 
mileage can and will vary, depending what you want/expect/desire/etc.

I eventually replaced it with an i3-2120T, with a discrete GT430 
(fanless). Yes, at peak demand it can, and does draw more power then the 
old Atom, but looking at the cumulative consumption (ran a kill-a-watt 
meter on both for a week - don't have the numbers in front of me, but 
can probably dig them up - it was almost a dead heat. In fairness the 
Atom required me to run an external powered usb hub to make my CommandIR 
work properly (some weird chipset thing) and had the SSD while to i3 was 
diskless.

Andrew


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