[banesto]

Hello!

I'm planning on purchasing a HTPC and i ran into a confusion - Intel Core i5-3550 CPU has a graphics processor and m/b i'm planning to get has a graphics processor - how does that work together? Only one of them will be used and so there's no sense to buy components that override each other? Or am I missing something here? Which graphics processor potentially is better - the one in CPU or the one on m/b?

[Malosar]

They're probably one and the same. The motherboard has support for GPU as long as you have the right CPU. Can you link the motherboard you're referring to?

[banesto]

That's what I'm starting to think. My consultant said that mb has the graphics card, but from what i see, in specs, it's the other way around. If i'm not mistaken this is the right m/b - http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?model=h61m-itx

[Dougie Fresh]

Previous to the Clarkdale CPUs, the GPU was on the motherboard northbridge. However, since then the GPU has moved on to the CPU. The GPU for the i5-3550 is integrated into the CPU and the motherboard only has the video output ports.

The issue you might run into with an H61 motherboard and the i5-3550 is that the BIOS might not support it without upgrade. That means you'll need to install a previous generation CPU, upgrade the BIOS and then install your new CPU. If you can find an H77 motherboard (e.g. ASRock H77M-ITX) or confirm the BIOS rev. on that motherboard will support the i5-3550 then you'll be good to go.

See here: http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?ca...l=H61M-ITX. Unless the H61M-ITX comes preloaded with BIOS 1.70 or later, you cannot use it with the i5-3550.

[banesto]

Thanks for pointing this out! See my other thread for additional questions.