HTPC: Benefits of Integrated?

I've looked for the review you mention and can't find it. Please post the link.

I can't see how you can buy a motherboard and a GPU for the same $80 my 785 board costs.

A Gigabyte GA-MA78LM series board goes for $65 - a cheap 4650 about $50. Sounds like $35 more to me.

Since the 760 chipset seems to include integrated graphics anyway, why do you need the GPU?

How much less heat?? No idea. You can use a power calculator to figure out the difference in a system without and with a video card.
http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/avivo-purevideo-cle...

"HD Benchmark Totals (100 possible points)

Integrated Radeon HD 3200 80
Integrated Radeon HD 4200 80
Integrated GeForce 8200 80
Integrated GeForce 9400 100
Integrated Intel G45 90"

In another review the 4550/4650 got 100

OK, so we're back again, the 760g plus the 4650 runs no less than $115 and will compete evenly with the 785 without an added card for only $80.

I'm not able to get the specs for the 760g chipset from AMD's site, not working right. But I'm not sure that all 760g motherboards support Crossfire.

Regardless, add the same 4650 card to the 785 chipset and I'm pretty sure you'll get graphics that'll blow the 760g combo out of the water. And for only $15 more.

So... 785 - $80
760 + 4650 - $115
785 + 4650 - $130

It's your call I reckon.

http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/chipsets/7-serie...

Hmm but wouldn't this be a better deal?

4650 $40
http://www.ncixus.com/products/42873/AX4650%20512MD2-H/...

+

Cheap Board $50
http://www.ncixus.com/products/37166/M2N68-AM-SE2/ASUS/
or
760g $58
http://www.ncixus.com/products/44631/GA-MA78LM-S2/Gigab...

I don't think the 4650 would offer better graphics when combined with the 785g



This is very confusing, maybe I'll wait for the 785g/D65 successor, it seems like the next verison will offer perfect IGP scores (since we're so close now)

The addition of a CrossfireX GPU to the 785 would definitely offer better graphics performance, that's why people do it.

to mongox,
when you say "crossfirex gpu to the 785", are you talking about a "hybrid" crossfirex
capable card, and if so the "people" that you refer to that do it, can they be reached for questioning because i have both thr "785" and the "4670" and the 785 does not hybrid crossfirex interact with anything except the 2400pro, the 3450, and the 3470
contrary to what some diagrams on this site, other tech sites and more than one mobo. man.'s site says. hell, amd themselfs state that the 785 chipset does not support hybrid crossfirex "at this time." this is in email response to tech support questions, not in advertisements (which is just the opposite). if you could put me in touch with these people so i can gain the advantages you speak of, i could use the added graphics capability. if you were just blowing smoke up some guys usb hole because you like to see your words in type, then please disregard this reply.

thank you for your support
michael