[nickr]

Every increase in processor power will give you more - someone will prove with a benchmark that the gui renders faster on an i7 than a i5 etc etc.

However for current use the 2955u (ie celeron) chromebox will do all people should want from a xbmc/kodi box. The boundaries will always challenge the current. The boundaries now centre around:

- bigger than 1080p ie 4K/8K

- h265/HEVC particularly in combination with 4K/8K.

But an i3 doesn't necessarily solve the boundary cases anyway.

You have to ask yourself too

- How much 4K material am I actually going to have access to in the next couple of years (probably damn all)

- Can I avoid having to decode HEVC until the chromebox/nuc of the day can do it in hardware? - (probably yes)

TL;DR get the 2955u model, it'll see you right for some considerable time, given the life cycle of computer hardware in general.

Sorry I know nothing about CB's wireless, and I don't do wireless for media.