[mythtv-users] Recommended CPU speed

[David Rees]

Mitko Haralanov wrote:
> I am trying to decide what speed CPU to get for my future MythTV box. I
> have been reading the different guides an list archives but I am still
> kind of confused.
>
> I am planning on getting the CHAINTECH 7NIF2 motherboard (and using the
> hw mpeg decoder of the onboard GeForce4 MX). I am also planning on
> purchasing a Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-250 and a AVerMedia M179 (I want to be
> able to record two streams at the same time). I plan to use the PVR-250
> for recording and the remote interface.
>
> Since all the encoding and decoding of the streams will be done in
> hardware, I am not going to need that fast of a CPU. However, I am going
> to be encoding 2 streams and decoding 1, all at the same time.
>
> I am planning on getting an AMD Athlon XP 2100+ (1.73GHz) CPU. Do you
> think that this would be over- or underkill.

Overkill if you are using two hardware encoders.

I'm running a system with two PVR250s on a Duron 800.  The system sits
idle 99% of the time, even when recording 2 shows at the same time as all
the grunt work is handled by the hardware encoders.

Watching a show will use about 20-30% CPU, I'm using a GeForce FX 5200.

If this is going to be a frontend, I would worry more about picking a CPU
that is easy to cool so you can choose a quiet heatsink/fan combo.  Maybe
someone can point out the AMD cpu which pumps out the least heat.

-Dave