Maximum PC

My current HT/gen purpose PC is "getting old", and I'd like to update it some. Mostly the cpu/mobo/ram/gfx. It's currently sporting an Intel C2E, an average mobo (can't recall brand/model), 4 GB DDR2, and a Radeon 4850 (no native HDMI support). I'm considering going with an AMD apu, but not sure if it's worth the wait for the new Trinity procs or not. I just read an article on them @Tom's Hardware, and the new flagship sounds promising. My biggest want/need out of the upgrade is being able to output 720/1080p movies from my comp to 46" 1080p hdtv. I don't really game all that much, which is why I'm leaning towards AMD vs Intel plus discrete gfx. A concern is that if I go with an FM1 proc now, I'm dead in the water when the new Trinity hits the market (FM2).

Any thoughts or suggestions here from the masses? Thanks all!

As an aside, my wife and son got me a $50 giftcard for Newegg for Father's day, which is just enough money to do absolutely nothing with...

If you're not concerned about gaming, just replace the GPU with something that does have HDMI.

If you want to build an entirely new system for HTPC purposes, then heck, I believe even an Intel by itself would be enough since playing 1080p video is almost trivial for modern parts.

My own personal rule of thumb is one that I read a long time ago in a magazine.

The time to upgrade is when your present computer can't do what you want it to do, when it starts feeling like a dog.

Which sometimes unfortunately can be things you don't expect.

For instance, I can imagine a Core 2 Extreme (if not Core 2 Duo) being a bad HTPC machine, due to its cooling requirement. It'd make a lot of noise.

The Zalman cooler I have for it isn't TOO loud (it is the Core 2 Extreme, not duo)....that being said, I can always turn the surround sound up louder .

Can anyone recommend (personal use) an ATI card w/hdmi that they've hooked up to a receiver for surround sound? I think the gfx update may be the easiest upgrade as suggested for the time being, and I can revisit the rest once the Trinity procs hit the market.

You know an Intel i3 like the 2105 is a better processor and the HD3000 is superior to the 4850 add on card you have currently? It's hard not to start a flame/zealot war with this reply...but for $400 you can build an iTX that's smaller than a shoebox in comparison and beat your current box. You seem stuck on AMD/ATI when they're giving up and haven't shown real need for their CPU/APU. The best APU/iGPU out there is still marginal compared to GPU's.

It's a bit deep to discuss here in one post, but APU's are a witness of their direction. I've ran them and still found $40 dedicated cards perform better. When you buy a CPU, focus on it's processing ability and not the graphics; That's missing the entire point! If you need a CPU, buy the CPU that fits you. If you need a GPU, same thing...buy that GPU and dedicate it. And you're asking for dedication in the end, yet still have hope that Trinity catches up to abilities had since 2010 in low end Intel devices.

Sapphire HD6670 is what I use currently on the Home Theater. I can't find fault with it and looking forward to the HD4000 i3, if it gets released at all. Point being, you don't need Trinity w/ a dedicated GPU planed to be included. You still want a CPU to compute cleanly. AMD isn't doing well in that...

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gam ... 107-7.html

If that chart is anything to go by, the HD3000 isn't any better than a Radeon X800.