[mythtv-users] Comments sought on combined FE/BE box spec

[James Crow]

Kevin Ross wrote:
>> CPU:		AMD Athlon II X4 605e Energy Efficient Quad Core, S AM3,
>>     
> 2.3GHz, 2MB Cache, 45W
>
> Have you been able to find this CPU in stock anywhere?  Quad core, 45W, very
> nice.  I have a Phenom X4 2.3GHz, but it's 95W TDP, and makes my system run
> hotter than I would like.  I wouldn't mind replacing it with the 605e, but
> right now that CPU is expensive, if you can find anyone that even has it.
>
>   
I don't know about the 605e chip, but I have a Phenom II x4 (95W 3.0 
GHz) that barely hits 39C (stock heatsink and fan) with all 4 cores 
loaded to the max. My BE is in a full tower that has much more room than 
the case you are considering. It is way more than I currently need for 
my Myth setup. I have two FE machines and 4 QAM recorders and two frame 
grabber software encoders. When I upgrade to a HD-PVR I may start to 
need more of the power of the quad core, but for now it is way overkill. 
The only way I have been able to push it is with a CPU burn in program. 
Commflagging a MEPG2 HD show takes from 60-80% of one core. Software 
encoding (currently set as MPEG4 with high quality options, bitrate 
3200) takes about 30% of one core.

I currently am recording on MPEG2 HD show and one show on a frame 
grabber. Both are being commflagged while recording and i have one core 
at ~80%, one core at ~50%, one core at ~20%, and one core at ~10%.


Cheers,
James