[srv1973]

Hi all,

Are there any motherboards out there that have a mobile low-power Intel Core i3 CPU on it? Something with a Core i3-3227U for example? I'm really interested in the low TDP of 17W, as compared to a desktop low-power Core i3-3220T with 35W TDP for example. Seems to be a significant price difference between the mobile and desktop versions however.

Or alternatively, is there anything available from AMD which is in a similar performance range and TDP?

Finally, in reality, with the computer probably idling most of the time, is there really a noticable difference in power consumption and heat between the 35W desktop and 17W mobile low power versions?

Rgds

[PatrickVogeli]

The NUC would fit you.

Also there are quite a few motherboards which use the Intel Celeron 847 or 887.

[srv1973]

The NUC would fit you.

The NUC includes a case etc, which doesn't meet my requirements. Looking at the pure features it's great, but no USB3 (yet), tiny case which needs an mSATA SSD, external power supply, no Optical. I need a bigger case that can fit DVD, 2 3.5" drives, small SSD, USB3...

Also there are quite a few motherboards which use the Intel Celeron 847 or 887.

I imagine those are quite a bit slower than an i3? Are they using "HD Graphics 2500" as well? The wikipedia page isn't clear on that. If they use something else, is it supported for hardware video decode on Linux?

Rgds

[awp0]

You probably know this, but TDP doesn't necessarily mean lower power consumption. It just means lower max power consumption. Make sure to find some actual real world power consumption reports before you jump through hoops trying to find an exotic mobile processor and desktop board combo. Especially if your CPU will spend a lot of time at idle (like most HTPCs).

For example someone recently posted a fanless/ssd build that showed 18 watts consumption for the total system at idle, using an i3-3225 (measured at wall). Seems to me that's the best of both worlds because he still has the total performance of the 3225 available when he needs it, but otherwise runs at very low power. The standard desktop Intel processors have become quite good at scaling down when at idle.

[srv1973]

You probably know this, but TDP doesn't necessarily mean lower power consumption. It just means lower max power consumption. Make sure to find some actual real world power consumption reports before you jump through hoops trying to find an exotic mobile processor and desktop board combo. Especially if your CPU will spend a lot of time at idle (like most HTPCs).

For example someone recently posted a fanless/ssd build that showed 18 watts consumption for the total system at idle, using an i3-3225 (measured at wall). Seems to me that's the best of both worlds because he still has the total performance of the 3225 available when he needs it, but otherwise runs at very low power. The standard desktop Intel processors have become quite good at scaling down when at idle.

Hi, I totally agree with you, and if you read my original post, I actually question whether there is a noticeable difference in real-world power consumption and heat production between the low-power desktop and mobile versions. I find it hard to find any reports on that however, so I'm hoping the collective brain of the XBMC community has some links to share

Been looking at the AMD APUs as well, and on the desktop side those CPUs all have a TDP of 65W (or 100W). Again, I'm having a hard time deciding what that means in real life: do they really consume more power than an i3? What about heat?

Rgds

[awp0]

I was recently looking into the same questions. Most of the reports and feedback indicated that the current Intel processors are more power efficient than the current comparable AMD line. AMD has better integrated graphics, but it wouldn't represent any advantages for an HTPC.

[srv1973]

I was recently looking into the same questions. Most of the reports and feedback indicated that the current Intel processors are more power efficient than the current comparable AMD line. AMD has better integrated graphics, but it wouldn't represent any advantages for an HTPC.

And they're cheaper I think... quite a bit, possibly around $60 cheaper even... (A6-5400K Trinity goes for $75 on newegg).

[awp0]

I was recently looking into the same questions. Most of the reports and feedback indicated that the current Intel processors are more power efficient than the current comparable AMD line. AMD has better integrated graphics, but it wouldn't represent any advantages for an HTPC.

And they're cheaper I think... quite a bit, possibly around $60 cheaper even... (A6-5400K Trinity goes for $75 on newegg).

That's a good point, they are cheaper and that $60 delta would probably take years to make up in your energy bill. At the end of the day, you'll need to factor price, energy consumption, and performance. You might also find some good CPU/mobo combo deals that would sway you one way or the other.

[Dougie Fresh]

I have a mobile i3-3217U mini-ITX board with HD 4000 GPU. It uses much less power at all loads that a H77 + i3-3225. I would expect that since the processor is clocked lower and the chipset on the board is different. Interestingly, the cost (for me) of the i3-3217U board is pretty much the same as an H77 + i3-3225 (not counting the MicroCenter bundle deal).

This is the one: http://www.e-itx.com/mi-hm77t-i3.html. This board has great fan control and mSATA -- a SFF builder's dream come true,

[Se7en]

Something like this perhaps (i3-3217U processor):

Next Unit of Computing Board D33217GKE @Intel.com

[Dougie Fresh]

I imagine those are quite a bit slower than an i3? Are they using "HD Graphics 2500" as well? The wikipedia page isn't clear on that. If they use something else, is it supported for hardware video decode on Linux?

For lots of results/experience with the Celeron 847 mini-ITX boards: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=143433. It has Intel 2000 HD graphics (it's a Sandy Bridge CPU, not Ivy Bridge) and it runs very well with OpenELEC.

[awp0]

Looks like the NUC (which is an i3-3217U) uses 10W at idle for the full system. That's about 8W less than I think you would find with a comparable i3-3225 H77 system at idle. So it is indeed lower wattage at all loads, especially if you're considering it in terms of "percentages". However bear in mind that 8W would cost most people less than $10 per year. Additionally, the 3225 has a passmark score over 4200 whereas the 3217 is under 2300, which means the 3225 has significantly more power available to it. Hard to know if this speed difference would ever make a difference in XBMC. I can fly around the Aeon Nox menus as fast as I want with the 3225 and it stays running under 15% CPU utilization at 1.6GHz frequency, so it's probably overkill for XBMC. But then again, I got the Microcenter deal, so it was an easier decision

[srv1973]

This is the one: http://www.e-itx.com/mi-hm77t-i3.html. This board has great fan control and mSATA -- a SFF builder's dream come true,

Ouch, that's waaayyy over budget. OK, mobile versions out...

[Dougie Fresh]

This is the one: http://www.e-itx.com/mi-hm77t-i3.html. This board has great fan control and mSATA -- a SFF builder's dream come true,

Ouch, that's waaayyy over budget. OK, mobile versions out...

Yeah, there's about a $50 difference between the two builds. The mobile board is CPU, motherboard and DC-DC power supply all in one so comparing the two:

H77M-ITX $99.99 @ Amazon
i3-3225 $132.90 @ Amazon
picoPSU-90 $28.94 @ Amazon
Total: $261.83

Mobile board: $309.95

For the mobile motherboard, a 60W AC adapter is enough. For the i3-3225 a 84-90W AC adapter will do.

IMHO, if you need a case big enough to fit all that other stuff, you might as well go the desktop parts route. The mobile would be good for super small builds.