CPU for AIO HTPC

[Guest SkyFall]

Hey guys,

 

Let us think about building a cheap HTPC for about 200-300$...

 

Would you rather choose an Intel Pentium/Celeron or an AMD APU like an A8/A10 5xxx/6xxx?

Or would you even consider the Athlon 5350?

 

 

Thanks for your opinions on this!

 

EDIT:

To give you some stats:
Case with PSU: 50$
4GB DDR3 RAM: 40$

Mainboard AM1,FM2(+),1150 :50$

1TB HDD: 50$

[Archangel1994]

The 5350 is perfect for HTPC's, you don't need an A8/A10 or something like that

[han_han08]

The 5350 is perfect for HTPC's, you don't need an A8/A10 or something like that

really? even if you'll add a discreet card?

[Archangel1994]

really? even if you'll add a discreet card?

WHy would you want a discreet card for a simple HTPC when the 5350 is an APU?

[Guest SkyFall]

The 5350 is perfect for HTPC's, you don't need an A8/A10 or something like that

 

And what if we say that we'd like to have some more juice under the hood for, say, steamOS?

[dragoon20005]

And what if we say that we'd like to have some more juice under the hood for, say, steamOS?

steamOS will run fine with the 5350

 

if you want to OC look for the Asus AM1 board as that support BLKCLK OC

[Guest SkyFall]

steamOS will run fine with the 5350

 

if you want to OC look for the Asus AM1 board as that support BLKCLK OC

 

That's true, but what do you think when we'd like to play some browsergames in windows? Would the 5350 still have enough juice?

That's my main point, since the A10-5800k has a pretty strong GPU...

[FruitBasketSilex]

That's true, but what do you think when we'd like to play some browsergames in windows? Would the 5350 still have enough juice?

That's my main point, since the A10-5800k has a pretty strong GPU...

It certainly would. The 5350 is the best choice for this use case.

[Opcode]

If you're building a complete machine it will be hard to get anything more than a AM1 platform for that price anyways. The Athlon 5350 would be the best route due to your limited budget. The APU only packs two compute units but it's still fairly acceptable for lower end gaming. If you can fit a A10-5800k into the budget it will be miles better.

[Guest SkyFall]

If you're building a complete machine it will be hard to get anything more than a AM1 platform for that price anyways. The Athlon 5350 would be the best route due to your limited budget. The APU only packs two compute units but it's still fairly acceptable for lower end gaming. If you can fit a A10-5800k into the budget it will be miles better.

 

define('miles better');

[Opcode]

Here's a quick take at it.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($88.75 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard: Asus A78M-A Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($54.95 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory  ($65.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.88 @ OutletPC) 

Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($29.99 @ Mwave) 

Power Supply: EVGA 400W ATX Power Supply  ($9.99 @ NCIX US) 

Total: $299.55

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-21 05:24 EST-0500

define('miles better');

Much stronger CPU cores and a much stronger iGPU.

[FruitBasketSilex]

Here's a quick take at it.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($88.75 @ OutletPC)

Motherboard: Asus A78M-A Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($54.95 @ SuperBiiz)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($65.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.88 @ OutletPC)

Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.99 @ Mwave)

Power Supply: EVGA 400W ATX Power Supply ($9.99 @ NCIX US)

Total: $299.55

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-21 05:24 EST-0500

Much stronger CPU cores and a much stronger iGPU.

A ten dollar PSU, I'm cheap, and even I would not take a swipe at that.

[Opcode]

A ten dollar PSU, I'm cheap, and even I would not take a swipe at that.

It's typically $34.99 but NCIX cut pricing down with a savings code on the product page to $24.99 plus the $15 mail in rebate drops you down to $9.99. If he wants to go over budget I would get the 600B tho the system doesn't need that much power. Meanwhile penny pinching is a must for such a low budget.

[Guest SkyFall]

 

Here's a quick take at it.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($88.75 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard: Asus A78M-A Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($54.95 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory  ($65.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.88 @ OutletPC) 

Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($29.99 @ Mwave) 

Power Supply: EVGA 400W ATX Power Supply  ($9.99 @ NCIX US) 

Total: $299.55

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-21 05:24 EST-0500

Much stronger CPU cores and a much stronger iGPU.

 

 

What I could get in my country:

 

 

ASUS AM1I-A

54.90

AMD Athlon 5350

54.90

Corsair ValueSelect 4 GB (1x, 4GB, DDR3-1333, DIMM 240)

38.80

LC-Power LC-1400mi with 200 Watt PSU

44.60

WD Caviar Blue (500GB, 3.5", Desktop)

50.80

 

Total

227.40

 

Or this build:

 

ASUS A78M-A

60

AMD A10-5800K

96.30

Corsair ValueSelect 4 GB (1x, 4GB, DDR3-1333, DIMM 240)

38.80

LC-Power LC-1400mi with 200 Watt PSU

44.60

WD Caviar Blue (500GB, 3.5", Desktop)

50.80

 

Total

290.5

[Guest SkyFall]

It's typically $34.99 but NCIX cut pricing down with a savings code on the product page to $24.99 plus the $15 mail in rebate drops you down to $9.99. If he wants to go over budget I would get the 600B tho the system doesn't need that much power. Meanwhile penny pinching is a must for such a low budget.

 

That's exactly why PcPartPicker is basically useless if you're not living in one of the supported countries...

Mail-in rebates just don't exist in europe....

[Opcode]

What I could get in my country:

 

 

ASUS AM1I-A

54.90

AMD Athlon 5350

54.90

Corsair ValueSelect 4 GB (1x, 4GB, DDR3-1333, DIMM 240)

38.80

LC-Power LC-1400mi with 200 Watt PSU

44.60

WD Caviar Blue (500GB, 3.5", Desktop)

50.80

 

Total

227.40

 

Or this build:

 

ASUS A78M-A

60

AMD A10-5800K

96.30

Corsair ValueSelect 4 GB (1x, 4GB, DDR3-1333, DIMM 240)

38.80

LC-Power LC-1400mi with 200 Watt PSU

44.60

WD Caviar Blue (500GB, 3.5", Desktop)

50.80

 

Total

290.5

Do they have 2 x 2 GB kits rated at 2400 MHz? If so how much do they run. Memory frequency is all that matters when it comes to APU's and a dual channel kit is essential for boosting memory bandwidth.

 

Other than that the only thing I wouldn't rely on is a 200w generic PSU being reliable for such a build. Do you have a website or something that you plan on ordering from?

[Syfes]

A ten dollar PSU, I'm cheap, and even I would not take a swipe at that.

 

Meh on a $300 system that wouldn't pull more than 150W-200W from the wall I'd risk it. At those loads even the most wonky PSU's will deliver acceptable voltages. Only thing you'd have to worry about is build quality, it's not really a power supply that'll last you for 10 years

 

Mail-in rebates just don't exist in europe....

 

They definitely do in Belgium although they're not as common as they are in the US.

[Guest SkyFall]

Do they have 2 x 2 GB kits rated at 2400 MHz? If so how much do they run. Memory frequency is all that matters when it comes to APU's and a dual channel kit is essential for boosting memory bandwidth.

 

Other than that the only thing I wouldn't rely on is a 200w generic PSU being reliable for such a build. Do you have a website or something that you plan on ordering from?

 

I didn't saw any....

Fastest i saw are G.Skill Ripjaws (2x, 4GB, DDR3-1866, for 70.60)

I would mainly buy at these swiss shops:

http://www.digitec.ch

http://www.brack.ch (Got a business account there, slightly better prices)

http://www.microspot.ch

http://www.steg-electronics.ch

 

Prices can be easily compared at http://www.toppreise.ch

 

 

Meh on a $300 system that wouldn't pull more than 150W-200W from the wall I'd risk it. At those loads even the most wonky PSU's will deliver acceptable voltages. Only thing you'd have to worry about is build quality, it's not really a power supply that'll last you for 10 years

 

 

They definitely do in Belgium although they're not as common as they are in the US.

 

Down here in Switzerland, Mail-in doesn't exist, AFAIK it's the same in Germany.

But since we disbound the CHF from the euro, prices are falling every day ;-)

[FruitBasketSilex]

I didn't saw any....

Fastest i saw are G.Skill Ripjaws (2x, 4GB, DDR3-1866, for 70.60)

I would mainly buy at these swiss shops:

http://www.digitec.ch

http://www.brack.ch (Got a business account there, slightly better prices)

http://www.microspot.ch

http://www.steg-electronics.ch

Prices can be easily compared at http://www.toppreise.ch

Down here in Switzerland, Mail-in doesn't exist, AFAIK it's the same in Germany.

But since we disbound the CHF from the euro, prices are falling every day ;-)

Hey, just remember, all us LTT members love you, no matter what CPU you choose, you're on of us. (One of us..., One of us....., one of us... *creeps forward eerily*)

[Guest SkyFall]

Hey, just remember, all us LTT members love you, no matter what CPU you choose, you're on of us. (One of us..., One of us....., one of us... *creeps forward eerily*)

 

Well, that's what my future father-in-law said when we first met...

But you guys are a part of my family too!

(Although you guys are creeps most of the time...)

[FruitBasketSilex]

Well, that's what my future father-in-law said when we first met...

But you guys are a part of my family too!

(Although you guys are creeps most of the time...)

Lol, we're creeps?

Nah, I totally see that.

[Opcode]

I didn't saw any....

Fastest i saw are G.Skill Ripjaws (2x, 4GB, DDR3-1866, for 70.60)

I would mainly buy at these swiss shops:

http://www.digitec.ch

http://www.brack.ch (Got a business account there, slightly better prices)

http://www.microspot.ch

http://www.steg-electronics.ch

 

Prices can be easily compared at http://www.toppreise.ch

 

 

 

Down here in Switzerland, Mail-in doesn't exist, AFAIK it's the same in Germany.

But since we disbound the CHF from the euro, prices are falling every day ;-)

Yea memory pricing is bad. This is the cheapest 8 GB dual channel 2400 MHz kit but pushes you outside of your budget. I would recommend at least getting this instead of the single 4 GB stick that you have chosen. Later on you can add another for dual channel and double the memory bandwidth. The extra $4 a stick is worth it if you wish to be using the machine for gaming on the APU.

[han_han08]

WHy would you want a discreet card for a simple HTPC when the 5350 is an APU?

oh, i never knew that athlon 5350 was an apu..

 

did i get that right, htpc can be used for gaming? i've read that it is best used with graphics card for some more beef, but what difference will it make to my desktop, right?

[Opcode]

What I could get in my country:

 

 

ASUS AM1I-A

54.90

AMD Athlon 5350

54.90

Corsair ValueSelect 4 GB (1x, 4GB, DDR3-1333, DIMM 240)

38.80

LC-Power LC-1400mi with 200 Watt PSU

44.60

WD Caviar Blue (500GB, 3.5", Desktop)

50.80

 

Total

227.40

 

Or this build:

 

ASUS A78M-A

60

AMD A10-5800K

96.30

Corsair ValueSelect 4 GB (1x, 4GB, DDR3-1333, DIMM 240)

38.80

LC-Power LC-1400mi with 200 Watt PSU

44.60

WD Caviar Blue (500GB, 3.5", Desktop)

50.80

 

Total

290.5

What it boils down to what you want to use the machine for. If all you're using it for is video playback and some very light gaming then the Athlon 5350 will do fine and save you a few bucks. The only thing I would do is step the memory up to a 4 GB 1600 MHz stick. On the other hand the A10-5800k provides a lot more CPU and GPU grunt for the added cost. I can play Tomb Raider on my A10-6800k at normal settings which is essentially a slightly improved A10-5800k. The Athlon 5350 will be easily twice as slow in both CPU and GPU based scenarios. Tho of course it's expected due to the cost.

[Guest SkyFall]

Yea memory pricing is bad. This is the cheapest 8 GB dual channel 2400 MHz kit but pushes you outside of your budget. I would recommend at least getting this instead of the single 4 GB stick that you have chosen. Later on you can add another for dual channel and double the memory bandwidth. The extra $4 a stick is worth it if you wish to be using the machine for gaming on the APU.

 

 

oh, i never knew that athlon 5350 was an apu..

 

did i get that right, htpc can be used for gaming? i've read that it is best used with graphics card for some more beef, but what difference will it make to my desktop, right?

 

 

What it boils down to what you want to use the machine for. If all you're using it for is video playback and some very light gaming then the Athlon 5350 will do fine and save you a few bucks. The only thing I would do is step the memory up to a 4 GB 1600 MHz stick. On the other hand the A10-5800k provides a lot more CPU and GPU grunt for the added cost. I can play Tomb Raider on my A10-6800k at normal settings which is essentially a slightly improved A10-5800k. The Athlon 5350 will be easily twice as slow in both CPU and GPU based scenarios. Tho of course it's expected due to the cost.

 

So, like everytime in IT, we can say: It depends.

It depends on what you want to do with your build.

If you want to playback videos or use it as a mediacenter, the cheapest option (Athlon 5350) will do fine.

If you want to play some games with it, go with an A10 APU (Favorable the 5800K, since it's 5~10% slower than 6800K but a lot cheaper).

If you really want to play games at high settings with the machine, go with either an i3 or i5 (budget option is 860K, awesome little chip!) and get a decent GPU like AMDs R9 series as well as the R7 260x and R7 265. Additionally, you'll need at least 8 gigs of RAM.

 

Thanks for your comments so far!