G530 + Intel HD vs Athlon II X2 260 + 4250 IGP

[superjim]

Assume both setups are the same price for an HTPC build, no overclocking. From the limited searching I've done, the benches say these are pretty even setups across the board with the Intel setup using a lot less power. AT has done comparisons of the G530 and Athlon II X2 250 which is the closest I've seen. They traded blows CPU-wise but I'm more interested in graphics performance. The G530 uses the older Intel HD graphics running at 850mhz. Ideally I want to be able to brute-force decode 1080p 60fps raw m2ts files with no hiccups (and no assistance from a dedicated GPU).

 

[Ken g6]

That depends on what you mean by "older". From what I can tell, the G530 almost certainly uses Intel HD Graphics 2000, just with some goodies like Quick Sync disabled. The G620 does for sure.

While I can't say for sure which is better, the 4250 is really old. If you want better onboard graphics, llook into a Llano.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I'm using a 780G mobo and a BE-2400 CPU in my HTPC. That's HD3200, and a 2.3Ghz dual-core.

Plays MKV rips of HD-DVDs flawlessly in Win7 HP 64-bit, using MPC-HC, when I got the HW acceleration working.

Without HW acceleration, it had some issues, especially with audio/video sync, and lag.

 

[weez82]

I used an Athlon II X3 and HD4200 for about a year. Worked great in an HTPC roll, no issues with hd play back. Everything ran smooth. If your buying new you should look into Llano.

 

[nemesismk2]

I have a athlon ii x3 455 and hd 4850 1gb and it's been a great setup for me. i play new games, watch video, do work and this setup has never let me down.

 

[ShintaiDK]

For HTPC build the Intel one wins easily due to the power consumption.

 

[superjim]

All good points, thanks for the feedback. I would definitely go Llano for a new build but I just inherited the Intel from a friend and am debating on switching it out for my current Athlon II X2 setup (in sig). Power consumption is always nice but not a deal breaker for me. I don't use my HTPC near as much as I'd like with a 9 month old taking up all my free time. If the Intel had HD3000 graphics it would be a no-brainer but everything I've read says it has the older "Intel HD Graphics" with a faster clock (850mhz), not the HD 2000.