2011-08-28, 22:08
1: Yes, build 1 will be much more powerful than necessary, and will be hotter (therefore louder) than the Atom system. However, you will save a considerable amount of money by already owning the CPU. You could also underclock the CPU, reducing the voltage it requires, to reduce heat and noise. Also, 8GB of RAM for a HTPC is double what you'll actually need. 4GB is plenty for a Windows system doing not very much.
2:
The Atom systems are perfectly capable as HTPCs. You may not be able to run the heaviest of skins, as these can be CPU intensive, however the GPU can handle full HD playback without issue. I have the non-deluxe version of the AT5IONT board (they didn't sell it in the UK when I bought my system) running XBMC and a media sharing server, and have no complaints. If you do decide to go for it, bear in mind that it takes laptop RAM.
3:
This is down to you. Both systems will provide you with what you need. You need to decide which properties you consider most important. If you go for the Atom system, you will have a small, quiet box that you can use to watch TV, browse some webs, and distribute media to the rest of the house, but not much else. If you go for the more powerful system, you'll have all the capability of the Atom system, but with headroom for some more demanding uses, especially if you get an additional graphics card. However, this increased performance will be offset by the need for more active cooling, so more noise.
2:
The Atom systems are perfectly capable as HTPCs. You may not be able to run the heaviest of skins, as these can be CPU intensive, however the GPU can handle full HD playback without issue. I have the non-deluxe version of the AT5IONT board (they didn't sell it in the UK when I bought my system) running XBMC and a media sharing server, and have no complaints. If you do decide to go for it, bear in mind that it takes laptop RAM.
3:
This is down to you. Both systems will provide you with what you need. You need to decide which properties you consider most important. If you go for the Atom system, you will have a small, quiet box that you can use to watch TV, browse some webs, and distribute media to the rest of the house, but not much else. If you go for the more powerful system, you'll have all the capability of the Atom system, but with headroom for some more demanding uses, especially if you get an additional graphics card. However, this increased performance will be offset by the need for more active cooling, so more noise.
