[mythtv-users] Performance from a different perspective

[Brian Wood]

On Jan 22, 2006, at 5:11 PM, Gary Manning wrote:

> I currently have an XP2600 and 6200 video card that seems to have  
> enough
> processing power for HD in Windows, but requires xvmc in Linux.   
> Due to the
> stability and usability issues with xvmc, I would like to get my  
> system to
> the point where I will not need to use it.
>
> Most of what has been written about performance requirements  
> centers around
> raw cpu speed, with a P4 2.4 being the common minumum.  But I  
> wonder how
> much other factors such as cache size, memory bus speed, memory  
> size, etc.
> might impact overall performance?
>
> With that in mind, I would be interested in hearing other's  
> thoughts on how
> those factors (and any others that should be included) relate to video
> display?
>
> When comparing one cpu to another, what is the list of important  
> items, and
> in what priority?  For example, P4 vs. Celeron.  Celerons are  
> cheaper, even
> at faster clock speeds.  If cpu speed was the only factor, then the  
> choice
> seems clear.  But somehow I don't think that is the case, because  
> there are
> differences between them that generally make a P4 faster.  But do  
> those
> differences matter for a HTPC system?  Things get even muddier when  
> you toss
> AMD chips into the mix.
>
Then there's my theory, in 3 easy steps:

Examine Checkbook Balance (CB)

Place finger on CPU List in Catalog

Move finger over prices, get as close to (CB) above as you can  
without going over

But seriously, there are *so* factors involved, including what it is  
you want to do with your machine, that it's virtually impossible to  
reduce this sort of thing down to a formula.

"What you want to do" is perhaps the hardest thing to figure out, but  
I can guarantee one thing: It will be quite different from what you  
thought in the first place.

Nobody ever complained about having too much CPU, or RAM, I'd go for  
the best I could afford.