[mythtv-users] Thoughts on a hardware lineup..

[Conor Klecker]

Kind of odd that today on deals.woot GT220 on sale for $45

http://deals.woot.com/feature/82681933-60ed-45d4-8baf-27743b76dc7e/asus-engt220-di-1gd2lp-geforce-gt-220-1gb-128-bit-ddr2-pci-express-2-0-x16-hdcp

On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 10:39 PM, Justin The Cynical
<cynical at penguinness.org> wrote:
> Eric Ladner wrote:
>>
>> Thanks for all the input.   I revised the list (diff motherboard,
>> graphics card, etc.).  Better?
>>
>>  * Intel Core i3 Processor i3-540 3.06GHz 4MB LGA1156 CPU
>
> For the absolute budget buyer, you might take a look at a Intel Pentium
> G6950.  Same core design as the i3, less features and money.  CPU power
> isn't nearly as important as it once was since VDPAU.  And the core line is
> powerful enough that you might not even need the nvidia card.
>
> IIRC, 1080P needed about 3 Ghz to be able to decode and display 1080i with
> deinterlacing.  I was able to watch 1080i, 720p and the 1080P bunny without
> issue, no hardware acceleration needed.
>
> I've got a 8400 in my FE/BE and just added a GT220.  The biggest CPU hog
> that I've thrown at it so far is the 1080P Big Buck Bunny, and that only hit
> a single core for around 40% IIRC.
>
>>  * ZOTAC nVidia GeForce GT 220 1 GB DDR3 DVI/HDMI PCI-Express Video
>> Card ZT-20201-10L (not fanless, but several reviews said it was pretty
>> quiet)
>
> I picked up an EVGA and once the driver loads and the system starts X, I
> can't hear the fan.  Besides, it's not like there are not 3rd party passive
> heatsink solutions out there.
>
>>  * SiliconDust HDHomeRun HDHR-US Dual Networked High Definition
>> Digital Television (White) - SiliconDust USA, Inc
>
> You will love this and want more.  :-)
>
>> I understand that cooling is an issue and the case it's going in now
>> is adequately ventilated.  I have an existing power supply, but I
>> don't know if the Core i[357] CPUs need a different power supply or
>> not.  Thoughts?
>
> Depends on the board.  I've seen boards that used a standard ATX with the
> extra 4 pin connector, and I've seen some that had a 6 pin EPS. Just about
> any good quality ATX supply (my current favourite is Corsair) will have
> both.
>
> Another thing to consider is that, at least on the box my GT220 came in, the
> power supply has to be at least 300 watts and needs to supply at least 18
> amps on the 12 volt rail.  But what ever you do get, don't skimp on it, get
> a good one.
>
> Memory wise, I was using a 32-bit install and never needed more than 2 gigs.
>  I just installed a 64-bit version of mythbuntu, and I'm using about 55 megs
> of swap now (expected, 64-bit does use a bit more RAM). Corsair, Crucial and
> Kingston all have good warranties on their memory.
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