For a budget basic computer/HTPC would you go with...

[bovinda]

I think I've got everything else just about figured out for a budget basic computer/HTPC build (my budget is about $450-500 without monitor, keyboard, and mouse).

This will be used for movie watching, emailing, and nothing more demanding than solitaire. My question is...which mobo to go with? Am deciding between:

Asus Board

Biostar board

I've worked with ASUS in the past and trust them, but the Biostar board is a little cheaper (though after shipping it will only be a $10 difference) and someone recommended it strongly. Which would you pick? Or would you suggest another?

Edit: They're both AM2 mobos. I'm not committed to AMD, it just seems a cheaper way to go. All suggestions are appreciated, though. Is there a big difference between the ATI Radeon HD 2100 on the Biostar and the ATI Radeon HD 3200 on the ASUS in terms of graphics output?

 

[IndieSnob]

Gah, sorry. My memory is crap, and therefore disregard this post please.

 

[bovinda]

Oops...well, thanks for trying. Anyone else?

 

[Geraldo8022]

Neither, go for this one at or near that price.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813138117

 

[bovinda]

Thanks for the suggestion Geraldo--why this one instead of the others? I'm not as up on mobos as I'd like to be these days. What advantages does it have?

Edit: After looking more closely at it, my main question (besides other advantages) would be about the NVidia IGP. Manufacturer's website lists it as an 8100 series IGP. Is that satisfactory for HTPC sort-of stuff?

 

[renethx]

The answer depends on what kind of media contents you play, BD, 720p/1080p mkv, HDTV or SD contents only, with 7.1 LPCM or just S/PDIF (or analog). The difference between Radeon HD 3200 and Radeon 2100 (no HD) is that HD 3200 has UVD (Universal Video Decoder) and supports hardware decode acceleration for H.264 and VC-1, while 2100 lacks it (hence no HD = "High Definition").

If you are going to play HD contents, you should choose ASUS M3A78-EM. You'd better choose Phenom for better post-processing. Further, if you are going to use a HDMI receiver with 5.1/7.1 speaker, you should choose GeForce 8200/8300 mb as it supports multichannel LPCM. For example, abit A-N78HD (with Phenom X3).

 

[coolpurplefan]

Originally posted by: renethx
The answer depends on what kind of media contents you play, BD, 720p/1080p mkv, HDTV or SD contents only, with 7.1 LPCM or just S/PDIF (or analog). The difference between Radeon HD 3200 and Radeon 2100 (no HD) is that HD 3200 has UVD (Universal Video Decoder) and supports hardware decode acceleration for H.264 and VC-1, while 2100 lacks it (hence no HD = "High Definition").

If you are going to play HD contents, you should choose ASUS M3A78-EM. You'd better choose Phenom for better post-processing. Further, if you are going to use a HDMI receiver with 5.1/7.1 speaker, you should choose GeForce 8200/8300 mb as it supports multichannel LPCM. For example, abit A-N78HD (with Phenom X3).

I have to say in all honesty that the Asus M3A78-EM did not have the best video with the on-board GPU. I have not tried the on-board video with the CAT 8.10 but I needed it with the HD4670 to solve the lag with 1080p videos. I read with Nvidia cards there's no issue.

 

[renethx]

Originally posted by: coolpurplefan
I have to say in all honesty that the Asus M3A78-EM did not have the best video with the on-board GPU. I have not tried the on-board video with the CAT 8.10 but I needed it with the HD4670 to solve the lag with 1080p videos. I read with Nvidia cards there's no issue.

I bet your problem will be fixed by using a Phenom. GeForce 8200/8300 with Athlon is also prone to problems in video playback, but perfectly smooth with a Phenom.

 

[nerp]

You might want to look at some of the 780G boards biostar has. I have one, got it very cheap and it's pretty darned good. The HD3200 of the 780G chipset is more than capable of decoding Bluray and 1080p with even the weakest CPU you can find.

 

[bovinda]

After reading up a bit and everyone's suggestions, I think that I may go with this Gigabyte board. It sounds like the HD 3200 would be more than enough, and I didn't find boards with the 9300 chipset out yet (though admittedly all I did was a quick search). Reviews on the Gigabyte board looked pretty good, so unless anyone here has any objections or other suggestions, I'll probably go with it. This person won't be using an HDMI receiver, so I think this will probably be fine. Thanks for the help guys.