Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Computer Learning -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mike McFarland who wrote (75434)	6/4/2011 11:28:46 AM
From: Mike McFarland	Respond to of 110652

More on low power HTPC CPUs This chart shows that for H.264 playback and for the power used when idle, there is essentially no difference between the i3-2100, i5-2400, i5-2400s, i5-2400, and i3-2100t. silentpcreview.com Now you probably would not want to install a i5-2400 in a tight space with a lower power PSU and limited cooling--that particular CPU has a 'Thermal Design Power' of 95W, but it sort of looks like if you had the discipline not to run a lot of cpu intensive software, you could almost get away with it? Then you forget and play a game and overheat your little htpc. Something like a 65w i5-2405S might be the latest greatest and I am guessing it might come out very close to those other CPUs in terms of power usage for video and idle, although it comes with 'Intel HD Graphics 3000' instead of 2000. But that is a pricy CPU, newegg sells this for $216. Obviously for a HTPC you don't need that much power--note the cpumark for a 65w i5-2400s is really pretty impressive, coming in at 5137. That one happens to have graphics 2000, fwiw. Not sure 2000 vs 3000 makes any difference for streaming netflix, probably not. Maybe it would for playing bluray or something I haven't thought about. I have the i3-2100t, and in retrospect I ought to have got the 2100 and saved a few bucks, especially since I have a big case and did use the stock fan that came with the cpu, which is probably overkill. I may yet go with passive cooling, but that is something to fiddle with later.