Is this an upgrade for an HTPC?

[thinger62]

Currently I'm using an Athlon XP 3700+, XP, 1gb ram, with an ATI X800 video card. The tuner is a Dvico Fusion5 pci card. All I use the pc for is recording off the air shows in hd and playback. It gets used for nothing else. It works fine, and have had no problems, other than I can crash it if I go from fast forward to play too fast. That doesn't bother me. I'm building a new pc though for resale, but it occurred to me that I could keep the new one and sell the old one. The new one will have a dual-core e2160, probably Vista, 2 or 3gb and the same card or an 8400gs. It is outputted to a 42" lcd through component.

I know since the old one worked fine I should just keep it, but is the dual-core an upgrade for this application and would the 8400gs be a step up or step down? The new mobo has some features (like hdmi out and digital audio out, amongst others) that I don't use on that pc, and may never use. Or I may use, who knows? Thanks for any advice on the cpu and video card...

[budz]

Is your ATI X800 is it a AGP or PCI-EXPRESS video card? The 8400GS would be a step up since it's a HDCP enabled. I'd suggest getting a 8400 video card since you'll be viewing HD playback. I have a INTEL E2160 cpu that's overclocked to 2.60 ghz. The E2160 should be enough for recording over the air HD and to playback.

[thinger62]

They're both pci-express. I have the 8400 sitting in my closet already. Or, I could take the x800 out of the old one when I sell it (I will anyway, it has integrated video too). Is HDCP important for off the air recording and playback, or just for playing disks? All the pc is used for is recording and playback.

[budz]

Is HDCP important for off the air recording and playback, or just for playing disks? All the pc is used for is recording and playback.

It wouldn't be that important for type of recording and playback that you're doing. It would be if you were gonna play blu-ray discs.