Difference between AMD Mobile & Norm for HTPC

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
W

wacki

Senior member
Oct 30, 2001
881
0
76
I am building a HTPC. I have a spare ASUS A7N8X deluxe laying around so I'm thinking of buying a:

AMD Mobile Athlon XP 2000+, 266FSB, 256K Cache - OEM

from newegg for only $60. I'm buying a Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-250 that requires only a Pentium® II processor 733MHz, so I think I will be good on the speed area.

I'm curious though, what is the difference between the Mobile and the regular Athlon XP? The micron size of the Athlon XP 2000+ and the Mobile Athlon XP 2000+ are the same, so the voltage can't be that much lower. Right? How much of a performance difference will I notice from the regular XP 2000+, and how much of a heat decrease can I expect?

The goal of my project is to create the quietest HTPC possible for the most reasonable amount of money. I understand the Pentium-M is the better choice, but I didn't have a Pentium 4 mobo laying around. I wondering, is the mobile solution worth it, or will I need to use teh regular XP 2000+?


I couldn't find any articles at anandtech, and google returned this info:
http://www.tomshardware.com/mobile/20030507/lifebook-01.html
http://www.hexus.net/content/reviews/review.php?dXJsX3Jldmlld19JRD0xOTAmdXJsX2hpc3Rvcnk9LTI=
 
I

InlineFive

Diamond Member
Sep 20, 2003
9,599
2
0
The major difference is that the Mobile processors have a 1.45v VCore and run on a 266Mhz bus. The lower VCore is very desirable for HTPCs since they have less heat output. And if you have major cooling they also make excellent overclockers. Typically you can get up to 2.5GHz although some crazy people (on Prometia and 2.2VCore :p) hit 3Ghz! If I were you also I would get the Mobile Barton 2500+ instead because of it's additional L2 cache which helps on encoding.

-Por
 
myocardia

myocardia

Diamond Member
Jun 21, 2003
9,291
30
91
No, get the mobile 2400. It's got the same amount of cache, more than enough power for an HTPC, and costs less.
 
W

wacki

Senior member
Oct 30, 2001
881
0
76
Do these stats make sense? They are all 0.13 Micron.

AMD Mobile Athlon XP 2500+, 266 FSB, 512K Cache - OEM
Voltage: 1.25V

AMD Mobile Athlon XP 2400+, 266FSB, 512K Cache - OEM
Voltage: 1.45V

AMD Mobile Athlon XP 2200+, 266MHz FSB, 256K L2 Cache Processor - OEM
Voltage: 1.45V

AMD Mobile Athlon XP 2000+, 266FSB, 256K Cache - OEM
Voltage: 1.45V

Why does the fastest chip have the lowest voltage? Also, would there a spec sheet showing the wattage of these chips? I'm wondering if the 2500+ has a lower wattage than the rest of the chips since it's voltage is lower. Reducing the heat is my primary concern since my Hauppauge will do all the encoding work. Low heat equals low noise!!!
 
C

Coquito

Diamond Member
Nov 30, 2003
8,559
1
0
It's a typo from what I've read on the rest of the forums. They are all 1.45.
 
myocardia

myocardia

Diamond Member
Jun 21, 2003
9,291
30
91
That's just a misprint on the newegg page. The 2500 has the same stock vcore as all of the other mobile chips. AMD actually makes lower voltage, lower wattage chips, but they don't use the same pin layout like the 1.45v chips do, so they can't be used in a desktop system.:(
 
W

wacki

Senior member
Oct 30, 2001
881
0
76
Is there a document that shows the wattage, or atleast amperage, of all these processors? I would find it hard to believe that all these processors use the same amount of current. Still, I'm wondering what the differences are.
 
W

wacki

Senior member
Oct 30, 2001
881
0
76
IMHO, if something is worth doing, do it right. That mobo you have is ok for a starter package, but why not spend a few bucks more and get an ASUS, Gigabyte, or some other high end board. The quality control will be better, and if something does go bad, the customer service will be much better. Try getting an Advanced RMA or even an e-mail address out of PNY, or any other generic company. Better sound, better reliability, better service..... worth every penny. Besides a comparable board from a better company is only a few dollars more.



Also, just so my previous question doesn't get looked over. Is there a document that shows the wattage, or atleast amperage, of the mobile processors?
 
W

wacki

Senior member
Oct 30, 2001
881
0
76
If you want to pinch penny's
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProdu...-131-468&catalog=22&manufactory=BROWSE&depa=1

will do. As for brand names, Abit is considered as a Tier 1 motherboard maker. Asus has been the number one choice for AMD enthusiasts for years. Gigabyte and DFI are well known names that generally get good reviews. As for the rest, don't ask me.

Also, the board you looked at is a Nforce 1, not an Nforce2. It has 220 after the Nforce which stands for something else. If you get a Asus, make sure the model number has A7N8X in it. Any version of the A7N8X will do. Read the reviews on newegg, and decide. I have two different versions of the A7N8X, I have two of the first deluxe model, and one which is the newest version of the A7N8X. All three mobos have such good audio that I still haven't plugged in my audigy, and I don't plan to.

If you have problems with the board, it is most likely one of three things.

1) driver problem
2) bad board
3) setup incorrectly

I've ran into all three problems with just about every board on the market, (It seemed like I built everyone a computer in college) so if somethings not working right, it's not because of the way the board was designed. And most importatntly, if a board does go bad, their customer service rocks. Good luck!!!!!!!
 
Todd33

Todd33

Diamond Member
Oct 16, 2003
7,842
2
81
I'm looking for microATX. I also noticed that Asus I linked is USB 1.1, baaad. So I found this, no Asus really match the criteria. The reviews were good, but the brand is unknown to me.

BIOSTAR nForce2 IGP Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket A CPU, Model "M7NCG 400" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU: Socket A AMD Athlon/Athlon XP/Duron Processors
Chipset: NVIDIA nForce2 IGP + MCP
FSB: 200/266/333/400MHz
RAM: 3x DIMM support Dual Channel DDR333/266/200 Max 3GB
IDE: 2x UltraDMA 133 up to 4 Devices
Slots: 1x AGP 8X, 3x PCI, 1x CNR
Ports: 2xPS2,1xLPT,1xCOM,1xVGA,6xUSB2.0(Rear 2),1xLAN,1xGAME,Audio Ports
Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC650 6-Channel AC97 CODEC
Onboard Video: GeForce4 MX
Onboard LAN: Realtek 8201BL 10/100Mbps
Form Factor: Micro ATX more info->
 
R

Rukkian

Member
Jan 16, 2004
135
0
0
The shuttle is very well liked and said to be very stable also, that should be a good choice. I havent personnally owned a shuttle since my first mb change which was to a 350 amd k6-2 and shuttle board. The board is still running today with no problems.
 
Todd33

Todd33

Diamond Member
Oct 16, 2003
7,842
2
81
I decided on the Abit NF7-S for the onboard sound and the optical out (which I need for my reciever). Check my thread out in the motherboard area since you have first hand knowledge, thanks.
 
B

Buickbeast

Platinum Member
Feb 9, 2003
2,459
0
0
just remember if your wanting to watch HD streams on your htpc you will want an AMD capable 2.2ghz. That was the minimum speed that the coral reef 1080p would play without skiping on my thoroughbred. You could get away with a couple hundred mhz slower if you use a barton core.

G/L
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom