Actually, both the i3-2100 and A6-3650 should use around the same power during video playback. The difference will be at CPU+GPU load (e.g. stress test, gaming) where the A6-3650 can consume more than twice the power of a 2nd gen i3 build (of course, while delivering much higher frame rates, higher resolution or better quality - sometimes even all three). The i3-2100 has some issues with 24p content and doesn't play nice with open-source/freeware decoders/players (both are likely related to drivers), but otherwise, there are no performance issues.
Quote:
Worth pondering:
Intel iGPU Build- LGA-1155 MB, $70
- Intel Pentium G620, $70
- TOTAL: $140
Pro's: - better performance in applications not optimized for more than two cores
- existing upgrade path (can go at least as high as i7-2600K currently)
- lower power consumption and heat output
Con's: - worst 3D/gaming performance
- 23.976 bug
- bad open-source/freeware decoder support
Intel dGPU Build- LGA-1155 MB, $70
- Intel Pentium G620, $70
- NVIDIA GT 430, $60 or AMD HD 5670, $60
- TOTAL: $200
Pro's: - better performance in applications not optimized for more than two cores
- CUDA support with NVIDIA GPU
- LAVCUVID support with NVIDIA GPU
- Linux VDPAU support with NVIDIA GPU
- best 3D/gaming performance
- existing upgrade path (can go at least as high as i7-2600K currently)
- good open-source/freeware decoder support
Con's: - bigger case required (with room for discrete GPU)
- higher power consumption and heat output
AMD iGPU Build (no A4 or E2 yet)- FM1 MB, $70
- AMD A6-3600, $100 (?) or AMD A8-3800, $120 (?)
- TOTAL: $170~190
Pro's: - better performance in applications optimized for more than two cores
- good 3D/gaming performance
- lower power consumption and heat output compared to Intel dGPU
- good open-source/freeware decoder support
Con's: - practically no upgrade path until Trinity is released (currently maxed at A8-3850)
|
If you don't plan on using Linux and you don't ever see yourself needing more performance than Llano can offer, then a video playback/light gaming HTPC based on the A6-3650 would give you an excellent balance of CPU and GPU performance. It also features better support for open-source/freeware decoders/players (e.g. ffdshow, VLC, MPC-HC) compared to Intel IGP and has less issues with 24p (23.976) content.
