APU vs GPU Questions etc.
#1
Can anyone provide benchmarks of say a Llano APU vs the actual GPU it's said to have (AMD Radeon HD 6550D etc) ?

What would the price difference be if going with say, an decent i3 + a comparable GFX card?

APUs are nice and awesome since they are CPU and GPU in one, but how much more would it really cost for a comparable Intel (or AMD) CPU and buying a GPU on top of that?

I know though that the point of a HTPC is normally to just do all it needs to do (3D BluRay maximum) with the cheapest parts you can. I just want to get an idea of how things compare.
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#2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...pk=a6-3500


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...=i3%202100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6814150581
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#3
I don't think you need to compare the A6-3500 with the i3. From pure processing power I have seen benchmarks that say even the Celeron G530 has equal or even better performance than the A6-3500 in situations that don't make use of the 3rd core (which are most htpc-relevant situations).

When you change the i3 (125$) with the G530 (52$) you are nearly at the same price for CPU + GPU as the A6-3500.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6819116409

For the A8-3850 you could maybe do the same with a Pentium G630/860 and a comparable GPU.


(This info is just what I have read in the last weeks while searching parts myself. I am not a hardware expert. I finally decided to go the Celeron G530 + Nvidia GT520 route and I am very happy with it).
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#4
I have a G620 and a HD5450 in my rig and it runs without a hiccup. I suspect that just about any llano APU would give me the same real world performance - I'm sure on paper there will be differences but in the real world in a HTPC environment I suspect I'd never notice them. I think the real trade here is flexibility becaue you have options on both sides with equivalent cost, performance, and power consumption. With the CPU + GPU route you can upgrage them independently but in exchange for that flexibility you are increasing overall size. The APU route is an all-in-one soultion so if in the future you need more CPU or GPU power you have to upgrade the whole APU not just one component but in exchange for that restriction you get a very small form factor. If you want a mITX form factor then I think the APU is your best bet (I'm sure some will disagree). If you are going with a mATX case then maybe the CPU + GPU route is the best.
HTPC: Win 7 Home 64-bit | MB | CPU | GPU | RAM | Case | PSU | Tuner | HDDs: OS, Media | DVD Burner | Remote
Media server: unraid 4.7 | CPU | MB | RAM | Case | PSU | HDDs: Parity-2TB, Data-2x2TB
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#5
@yohojo-

Here are discussions and comparison on it- Great Gift (AMD A8-3850)
>Alienware X51- do it all HTPC
>Simplify XBMC configurations
>HOW-TO Bitstreaming using XBMC
I refused to watch movie without bitstreaming HD audio!
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APU vs GPU Questions etc.0