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What CPU is better for a Multimedia PC

T

tweeve2002

Senior member
What would be better AMD XP 2000 or Celeron D 315 (2.26GHz). All the system is going to be used for is to watch Dvix and DVDs on our Big screen TV. The system is going to have 512 MB of PC2700 running XP pro. I can get the XP 2000 and the Cleron D for about the same price.
 
Both are more than fast enough, even 1 GHz is enough for divx, 500 MHz for DVD. You might go even slower with a Sempron, and use the money for an expensive but quiet heatsink/fan like a Zalman -alcu or Thermaltake silent boost.

If you want to record, get a Hauppage PVR-150 card, it has hardware MPEG2 encoding so it doesn't drop frames (software encoding is less reliable regardless of CPU speed) and uses close to 0 CPU power.
 
I kept telling my borhter that the XP 2000 was better than a Celeron D 2.26GHz.
But he didnt beleave me...now he will.
 
Another vote for the Athlon XP. A Sempron might be a better value right now, though. Where are you thinking about buying the Athlon XP 2000 from?

Edit: After reading the Xbit article linked below, I changed my mind. The Celeron is better overall. But check out the advantages and disadvantages of each before choosing a processor.
 
Originally posted by: Chang10is
Another vote for the Athlon XP. A Sempron might be a better value right now, though. Where are you thinking about buying the Athlon XP 2000 from?
Click to expand...

newegg...Im trying keep this system under $500 if possible.
 
Another vote for the Athlon XP. Plus, you could use a single PC2700 512MB DIMM, instead of a pair of 256s for dual-channel, and save a little money there too, I think. What the heck, a recent-model XP2000 will probably OC a bit too, although I think that they are also FSB-locked. My XP1800 isn't locked, but it's an old TBredA model.
 
Originally posted by: episodic

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articl...u/display/sempron.html

Check out the reviews. . .
Click to expand...

Wow, this is very interesting. I take it that a "Celeron 2.8" means the old celeron @2.8 GHz? If that's the case, the Celeron D is a vast improvement over its predecesor. The Celeron D 315 (2.26GHz) beats the Celeron 2.8 by around 10% in overall performance. Everyone should take a look at this review. Seems that the old advice regarding budget processors has shifted.

Well, I change my mind about the original question then. My vote is now for a Celeron D. Determining which processor is better for you depends on what tasks you'll be doing though. For office programs and MP3 coding, the Sempron is better. For video encoding, the Celeron beats Sempron by a long-shot. The Celeron D315 beat a Sempron 3000+!
 
If you're making a HTPC, I have no doubt you're somewhat concerned about noise, so I would stay away from anything Prescott (Like the Celeron-D) because they run so hot. (More heat means more/louder/faster fans, therefore, more noise.)

Performance-wise, I think the Celeron-D would be fine. It has 256K L2 cache (double the amount on the previous Celerons) and a 533 MHz FSB (up from 400 MHz), so I think it would not be as hideous a performer as the previous Celerons. I could see it being pretty competitive with a 533MHz Northwood P4 (which has 512K L2 cache) that's only one to three speed grades slower.

OTOH, I've never built an AMD system, so I'm probably not the best person to suggest an AMD alternative. (One thing I do know, however, is if I was building myself a new system today, from the ground up, it would have AMD inside.)

It's up to you, but if you opt for the Celeron-D, be sure to choose a case with good airflow (preferably, one that uses 120mm fans) and a good HSF. My current "no-brainer" recommendation for an effective but quiet HSF that's not too expensive is the Zalman 7000 Al/Cu. Stay far, far away from motherboards with northbridge fans, too, as they're completely unnecessary (especially at 533MHz FSB), and add a surprising volume of high-pitched noise to your computer.
 
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