[DJ_Izumi]

For XBMC I built an A6-3500 based PC to run XBMC, SickBeard, CouchPotato, Sabnzbd and it also uses DriveBender to act as a 10TB storage server. Obviously it's not as pretty as many of the Llano builts posted here but it's functional. Reading that almost every CPU on the FM1 socket is being discontinued though, I'd like some opinions on what to do.

Firstly, the A6-3500 is obviously more than enough for XBMC as it is but the future brings funny things. I hoped to have this system last 3-5 years, telling myself worst case I'd just need to upgrade the CPU should HEVC prove to be much more demanding than h.264 (And HEVC enters final standardization in Jan, so it's coming to an HTPC near you in the next 12-24 months). Since the FM1 parts were only on sale for a little over 18 months, there's not exactly a tonne of them on the used market. So, with boxing day sales coming and an A8-3570K only $92.99 even if I just bought it today, should I considder upgrading in an attempt to keep the rest of the box from becoming obsolete before it's time? I have no hate for other parts or the Trinity FM2 CPUs replacing the Llanos, but I'm not keen on disassembling an entire box in a year or two just to swap out it's mobo and CPU when a new CPU alone now could keep it current for years to come.

Opinions?

On a side note, going from 2.4ghz x3 to 3.0ghz x 4 is appealing as I'm also getting into using Cinema 4D and the machine could find itself with parttime employment in a render farm to speed up rendering for Cinema 4D. And the slightly faster IGP would be nice cause I started playing with Steam Big Picture on this thing and I'm kinda loving it.

[Dougie Fresh]

Well, it's not like it stops working Jan. 1 . I would replace it at the time it becomes obsolete, not before. I don't think Trinity is that much of an upgrade over Llano anyway.

Now, having something you want to do now it can't do is different. I'd weight upgrading the CPU vs. getting a discrete video card if it's gaming you're after (unless there is no room in your case for one).

[DJ_Izumi]

Well, it's not like it stops working Jan. 1 . I would replace it at the time it becomes obsolete, not before.

But that's the thing, it could be very hard to replace the CPU alone once the CPUs go out of production. It's not like it's an AM2/AM3 CPU where they've made them for YEARS and even STILL make them. The FM1's didn't see much of a life so there won't be a lot on the used market a year or two from now when I'm thinking 'Man, I just need to beef up the CPU' and I could be forced into a whole new CPU and Mobo just to get it going. again. Meanwhile a purchase now, possibly with good Boxing Day discounts, could save money and effort in the long run. So it's something to considder more deeply than 'I could replace it once it's obsolete'.

[PobjoySpecial]

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[DJ_Izumi]

After seeing the A8-3870K on sale for $79.99 on boxing day I purchased it. My rationale was as follows:

1) A quad core would be best to have for CPU decoding of HEVC.
2) Since this is a ATX sized HTPC, it has room for a full 16x PCI-E Card, so I could add new graphics card down the line to meet future demands and the quad core would keep up with it. (Like say if XBMC somehow gets more graphically demanding or for hardware supported decoding of 4K or HEVC
3) I've gotten into using Steam Big Picture on this machine as wel and the A8-3870K has a more powerful GPU than the A6-3500
4) Also been doing Cinema 4D for my indie films, could always use a faster quad core machine to use in the renderfarm in a pinch.
5) It was only 80bux
6) This machine is now hopefully future proofed to ensure it lives a 4-6 year life with the only likely upgrade a new discrete graphics card somewhere down the line.

Considdering how the little Fusion E-350s, E-450s and E2-1800's are used for XBMC nicely right now, I think a much more powerful A8-3870K will be relevent in an HTPC machine for a while.

[Dougie Fresh]

I give it two years until you have the upgrade itch

Nice purchase!

[DJ_Izumi]

I give it two years until you have the upgrade itch

Nice purchase!

Well, HEVC is my biggest concern. We'll see HEVC on CPU before we see it on GPU and then that support needs to be included into XBMC so it's hard to say. I'm not opposed to upgrading but I certianly want to avoid replacing the entire machine.

[Beer40oz]

Well, it's not like it stops working Jan. 1 . I would replace it at the time it becomes obsolete, not before. I don't think Trinity is that much of an upgrade over Llano anyway.

Now, having something you want to do now it can't do is different. I'd weight upgrading the CPU vs. getting a discrete video card if it's gaming you're after (unless there is no room in your case for one).

Helped a friend build a Trinity... headaches with the new FM2 motherboard... now RMA'd and got the old good A6-3500 instead. He should be fine for the next 5 years. In that time we are going to have some crazy technology coming out...