Motherboard/CPU options for HTPC

R.C.Anderson · 25 Sep 2012 at 22:08

So... I've been thinking of building an HTPC/NAS PC, and I've been trying to decide the best option for the mobo/cpu, so, which would be better out of:

AMD Hudson integrated CPU
Intel 1155 pentium/celeron with an H61 board
AMD FM1 cpu & mobo

I'm after a very lower power option, as it will be on almost 24/7.
I will be using it as a NAS, play HD movies (mainly in mkv format), and include a TV tuner for watching/recording freeview.

Judging from reviews, all of the above would be sufficiently powerful for my needs (with the integrated graphics), which makes it seem like the obvious choice is the one that uses the least power, but it actually costs a little less (& has more customising options) to choose the 1155/FM1 options.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation to me? How did you make your decision? Is there anything else I need to think about?

MeatLoaf · 25 Sep 2012 at 22:17

I went for the H61/G530 route. I didnt use the onboard VGA and went for a dedicated Geforce 210 as the board i got didnt have HDMI and i had heard that there was a glitch playing back bluray with the Intel GFX intergrated into sandybridge chips.

andy_mk3 · 25 Sep 2012 at 22:19

I'm on the same boat and swaying towards an AMD FM1 setup, mainly because it doesn't require any kind of GPU, which is good for power and heat, my fanless HD 6450 and get up to 70°C+ which really doesn't help case temps, despite reasonable airflow for a HTPC case.

R.C.Anderson · 25 Sep 2012 at 23:27

Whichever method I go for, I'll be going for a board with an onboard HDMI interface so that I don't need to use a dedicated graphics card (even if it was passive) as it's extra cost, power & heat when it's not really needed.

Did either of you two consider the integrated CPU route? Was there anything in particular that caused you to decide not to get it?

andy_mk3 · 26 Sep 2012 at 18:41

I've not really looked at the integrated CPU options, although I always thought they were a bit under powered, I want it to be snappy and quick to use.

MeatLoaf · 26 Sep 2012 at 21:25

andy_mk3 said:
I've not really looked at the integrated CPU options, although I always thought they were a bit under powered, I want it to be snappy and quick to use.

Same here really, plus going down the 1155 route gives me a chance to test parts from my main rig or vice versa should i have any issues

R.C.Anderson · 26 Sep 2012 at 22:15

I was a little concerned about the power of the integrated CPU, but at the end of the day, all it'll be doing is playing HD movies, or serving files up over the network. It's unlikely it'll even be used for web surfing, let alone any games etc, but it might be nice to have a little headroom either way.

As for a test point for any issues, that's actually a really good idea actually, having an 1155 sandy build for my main PC, it's a good idea.

Seems likes it's time to have a better look at the 1155 options then.

IC3 · 26 Sep 2012 at 22:17

I would go with 1155 Sandy if it was me.

andy_mk3 · 28 Sep 2012 at 00:37

IC3 said:
I would go with 1155 Sandy if it was me.

What's your reasons for this choice?

Personally I think AMD is the way to go for minimal power and heat, I'm very tempted by it. SB will have more CPU power but requires a graphics card which alone will generate heat and use more power.