[mythtv-users] Lowest power HD frontend?

[Mark Small]

On May 29, 2013 05:23:57 PM Joseph Fry wrote:
> >  Hmmm... hadn't thought of that.  So you are saying I could effectively
> >  
> >>> throttle my system power consumption by simply removing the fan from
> >>> my CPU heat sink?
> >> 
> >> Absolutely not.  I'm saying your CPU won't eat itself.  There's not
> >> going to be anything effective about your CPU operating in this manner,
> >> other than it will retain some minimum level of functionality to keep
> >> the system running.
> >> 
> >>  That would be fantastic -- silent and low power -- but I am skeptical
> >>  
> >>> about the longevity and reliability of a system like that.
> >> 
> >> Silent, low power, and absolutely awful performance.  This is not
> >> something that is a good idea.  This is merely a protection mechanism
> >> for the CPU should you fail to give it sufficient cooling.  Note that
> >> your CPU will be doing this to some degree anyway.  All removing the
> >> heatsink does is mean it cannot speed back up for normal operation once
> >> you load it up.  You're stuck down at that extremely low level of
> >> performance.
> > 
> > OK, but do you mean awful compared to an Atom 330?  I sure hope not!
> > 
> > If what you say is correct (that a modern i3 system takes less power than
> > an IONITX) then that fanless i3 system should be cooler and perform
> > better than a fanless IONITX.  Really that is all I am looking for since
> > I am satisfied with the performance of a dual core Atom 330 as a
> > mythfrontend.
> > 
> > BTW: I looked them up on cpumark and the i3-530 is just over 4X as fast
> > as the Atom 330.  I am not saying a four fold improvement is trivial but
> > really, 4X as fast as an Atom is hardly something to jump up and down
> > about -- especially when it comes with almost 10X the TDP!
> > 
> > Regardless, as long as it never ended up _slower_ than an Atom due to
> > throttling I really am not too concerned.
> 
> I don't think anyone is encouraging  you to run any cpu fanless; unless
> it's in a properly engineered fanless case, which probably wouldn't perform
> so well in a closed cabinet.
> 
> What he is saying, and I agree with, is that you could safely run a modern
> Intel CPU, in a standard configuration, in a closed cabinet.  Yes it will
> get hot in the cabinet... but no, it will not melt anything.
> 
> What will happen is that the CPU will throttle itself to reduce the heat
> generated such that it will adjust it's performance to it's environment.
>  Essentially, trying to spec a system to under 25W because that's what your
> cabinet can handle before it gets too hot is an unnecessary exercise.  Spec
> the system you want, and let the temperature throttling keep it running
> safely in your cabinet.
> 
> The advantage is that if it's idle most of the time (as it probably will
> be), when it does get utilized, you have plenty of power to do what needs
> doing, and it will do it quickly, before it idles again.  If it ever tries
> to run at peak power for too long, it will get throttled by temperature.


I once "fixed" a laptop where the cooling was set to passive when unplugged.  
It was unbelievably, unbearably slow.  I think the CPU got throttled down to a 
couple hundred MHz.  It was completely unusable, but it didn't fry the chip.  
I do not recommend trying this on purpose.  You will likely be very 
disappointed.

Mark