Duron / Sempron / Athlon Heat Output

[flid]

Hi,

I have an HTPC running with a duron 1.3 cpu (morgan core i think). Cooling it is not an issue, but cooling it quietly in a cabinet is. Currently I have a artic cooler 13db cpu fan, 2x18db+1x13db 60mm silenx case fans and a 19db hiper PSU. The machine is stable, with a cpu core temp of 65-70 degrees. I'm not interested in overclocking or the fact that I might be damaging my CPU, the motherboard will shutdown the machine if it gets over 75.

I'm thinking however of replacing my duron with something that outputs a bit less heat, so i can run my fans a bit slower. My budget for a cpu is about 40 quid max (preferably more like about 25). It runs linux (mythtv) so processor power is really not an issue - pausing live dvb tv takes up about 200mhz! Buying something over 2ghz would just be a waste (especially if it draws more electricity).

I don't want to have to replace other components like the motherboard (partly because they are fairly new and partly because I bought them for certain features that I've now spent a lot of time getting working under linux, such as spdif on the motherboard), so it needs to be socket a.

I've had difficulty finding online any meaningful information (ie not people saying to spend silly money on m versions or whinging because their cooling is inadequate) about how much heat cpus put out, but does anyone happen to know is the current semprons put out less heat than durons do? If i can get a CPU that I can run 10 degrees under it's max temp quieter than my duron 10 degrees under it's max temp that'd be grand

Cheers :)

[jellybeard999]

irrelevant to the heat thing (u wont really find a cooler processor except a xp-m underclocked)

what did u use for mythtv ?

i want to use it as my HTPC OS

http://www.mythtv.org/modules.php?name=Web_Links&l_op=visit&lid=14

did you use that ? the Knoppix-based MythTV distribution ? whats it like ?

[six5tring]

i'd say try and get a 2nd hand xp-m chip. - six

[[M]uuhh]

i would say XP-Mobile too.

[BUFF]

Don't know that a VA-11 will support an XP-M so he might be stuck with a ~6 multi unless he pin mods.

[brumster]

My Athlon XP 2600 (running at 1.8GHz) rarely gets above 60 deg C, and that's with a Zalman flower with *no* fan blowing over it.... so, find yourself an Athlon, and just underclock it if it runs too hot at the stock speeds.

Think of it as buying a Chevrolet 454 big block, but only revving it to 1200 rpm ;) - it'll still do all you need but won't need a big radiator to cool it!

[Sub]

or you could clock the duron down since you don't need it to do alot?