Which CPU for an HTPC?

[CorrND]

I'm thinking about making an HTPC from some parts I've got sitting around here:

MSI nForce2 IGP motherboard (forget model #)
2x256MB PC2700 RAM
80GB Western Digital HD

I'm going to add a TV tuner, most likely the Hauppauge PVR-150. The usage will be watching/recording analog cable, playing Rhapsody, and playback of DivX movies. My only real question is which of my socket A CPUs to use. I've got an Athlon XP 1700+ (Thoroughbred, 1467MHz, 256kB cache) and a Duron 1800MHz (Applebred, 64kB cache). Clearly, the only taxing thing this computer will be asked to do is record cable.

Will the Duron win out, with more raw horsepower? Or does the 1700+ win, with the benefit of 4 times the cache? I'm not sure which feature is more favorable for high-quality recording.

Also, does anybody know about the heat output of these processors? I'm going to buy a fan control so I can turn down the CPU fan and reduce noise, so if one of these dissipates significantly less heat, that could also be a deciding factor.

 

[Firsttime]

I believe Durons are much cooler then Thoroughbreds and for that reason I would use the Duron.

 

[BobDaMenkey]

Originally posted by: Firsttime
I believe Durons are much cooler then Thoroughbreds and for that reason I would use the Duron.

QFT.

Athlon XPs always ran a bit hot. I'd take the duron over the 1700+ too, simply for that reason. It might chug a bit more, but thermal output is pretty important to me, so that's why I'd snag it.

 

[CorrND]

Thanks for the heat-related replies. I'm assuming the 2 CPUs aren't going to perform TOO much different, so if the Duron is going to cooler, I'll probably go with that.

Heat aside, does anybody know which of these two CPUs would be best for HTPC TV recording? I'm guessing the horsepower of the Duron is going to win, but maybe somebody is more knowledgeable.

 

[cubby1223]

You don't need cpu power when you're planning on using a hardware based encoding card. I've got a PVR-150 in an htpc that's running on an epia motherboard, equivalent of about a 600MHz Celeron.