[mythtv-users] Recommended CPU speed

Patrick Reynolds reynolds at cs.duke.edu
Wed Mar 24 15:02:06 EST 2004


On Wed, 24 Mar 2004 mmcconnell at uniserve.com wrote:

> I'd say take a pass on the AVerMedia, as it will require that your CPU do all
> the work.

Nope.  He mentioned an AVerMedia M179, which is a hardware encoder like
the PVR-250 but cheaper.  Reports are mixed regarding its quality (esp.
shielding), but it definitely does its own MPEG2 encoding.

> All in all, the faster the better, whatever the wallet permits! hehe

Until you try to cool it!  Buy whatever can be cooled with a CPU heatsink
and a slow case fan.  If your CPU needs its own fan, it doesn't belong in
a frontend.

The mid-range AMDs (2000-2400 or so) seem to offer a good mix of price,
performance, and power dissipation.  I have an Athlon 2400+ Barton with
heatsink only in a Shuttle SK41G, and the case fan never has to step up to
fast-and-noisy mode, even when doing MPEG4 encoding, playback, and
commercial flagging.

--Patrick


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