XBMC Build Help - Intel/AMD, Windows/Linux?

Hi all,

The HTPC bug has bitten again and it seems like every time I am ready to jump in and start buying components, I run into something that makes me hesitate.

I want to build a PC for XBMC use. Mostly local content, DVD rips to ISO and MKV, very few if any HD rips, but would like to have something that can handle it down the road. Streaming content in the form of Hulu and other add-ons for XBMC.

I would prefer not to buy Windows 7 since it adds about $100 to the cost. This leaves me with XP SP3 (which I already have) or Linux. I know nothing about Linux and although I am aware of XBMCLive, I'm afraid it could get ugly if something needs tweaking. On the other hand, I read some forum posts saying XP may have issues with an IR remote driver.

And on the CPU front, I was leaning towards an i3 build but have read that there are some issues with DXVA/VC-1 - not even entirely sure what that means. It also sounds like an AMD-based system would be better for XBMCLive if I end up going that route. The tradeoff is (I think?) an AMD build would need a discrete graphics card as opposed to the iGPU in i3 and doesn't have support for bitstreaming. Don't think that last part is something I need.

So XBMC gurus, what would you recommend? i3/XP? AMD/Linux? AMD/XP? Wait for the new Intel and AMD CPUs that are coming out soon?

Thanks!

Anyone have any more thoughts?

Trying to determine what pros & cons are between these choices, would be interested in hearing if I am on the right track and/or missing anything. Ideally I would run XBMC Live, but may run XBMC Windows if I have trouble with Live.

Intel build: i3-540 with iGPU
Good: No discrete video card needed
Bad: 23.976 bug? DXVA problems? Not sure these even affect me since (at least in the short term) I won't be doing any Blu-Ray rips.

AMD build: AMD Athlon II X2 240 2.8GHz + GT430 video card
Good: No issues with either Linux or Win that I'm aware of.
Bad: CPU maybe less powerful than i3, but GPU makes up for it? More noise & heat than i3 alone

Cost ends up being about the same. I realize I can also add a GT430 to the i3 build but then the cost goes up even more than the comparable AMD.

What would you guys do?

Thanks for the input, guys.

I guess what I keep coming back to is, I could get the AMD build so much cheaper. I might even be able to skip the video card since the AMD mobo's come with ATI 42xx graphics built-in. And even if I do need to add a dedicated graphics card, it still comes out cheaper than an i3 build without a video card. So it's about $100 savings.

I want to like the i3 build better but my wallet keeps screaming AMD!

As for Win vs Linux, I've thought about this a bunch too, but in the end I think I will play it safe and go Win7 since I am comfortable with it. Plus it sounds like Linux is more picky than Windows as far as what video HW is supported in XBMC. Ex: ATI apparently doesn't work very well in Linux XBMC, but works fine in Windows. Nvidia apparently works equally well in Linux & Windows.

Certainly not trying to be argumentative (especially since your help in the various HTPC threads has been extremely valuable to me and plenty of others!) but that's just the problem.... I don't know for sure if I would be OK without a video card.

At least when it comes to XBMC which I plan to use as the media front end, it sounds like there are some issues with hardware acceleration on the i3. The AMD + Nvidia would, I think, avoid those issues at the expense of probably a little more noise/energy consumption/heat.

Oh and the AMD CPU is probably not as powerful as the i3 but I don't plan to do anything that would really tax either CPU.

Right now my needs for a HTPC are not too fancy - no BD rips, etc. I have no doubt I will want to upgrade video if/when I get into that. But I think (and I could be wrong) I will be needing upgrades for that kind of thing regardless if I go AMD or i3, so I am thinking I might as well save the money and go AMD.

If you want to see the crazy spreadsheet I've put together, it's here (yes, I am obsessive!)
https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?...en&output=html

Basically an i3 system with no discrete graphics costs $541. An AMD with no discrete graphics costs $443 (and this might be enough to get me by for now). An AMD with Nvidia 430GT discrete graphics card costs $503.

So what would you guys do? I understand the added power use, but I don't plan to leave this on 24/7, so that isn't a huge factor for me.