17. Conclusions And Recommendations

As impressed as we were with the performance of both the Intel and AMD based systems we put together for testing, we were also depressed by their costs. They are high enough at present that only those with at least some cash to burn and a strong desire to DIY rather than purchase a ready-made HDMI system should probably tread this road. With companies such as HP and Sony offering nicely-equipped complete PCs with HDMI at or under these prices, this will truly be a labor of love (or at least, of serious interest) for those who decide to proceed. To this elect crew, we'd recommend checking into the new generation of HDMI-equipped Nvidia 8600 cards currently on their way to market, and looking for passively cooled versions or similarly silent versions of HDMI-equipped 7600s already available from vendors such as eVGA and Gigabyte. Then, too, the AMD/ATI R600 cards with integrated sound and picture might offer compelling capabilities as well.

As far as taking the Intel or AMD side of the road, to some extent you can decide to go whichever way makes you most comfortable. Based on overall results, we'd be inclined to give AMD a slight edge in terms of price/performance. On the other hand, the Intel Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processors run cooler than equivalent AMD offerings - always a plus in a media PC - but you'll pay more for that privilege, as often happens. We found a lot to like in all the systems we put together for this story, though, and would happily ensconce any of them in our home entertainment centers. For those who decide to walk this road themselves, we can only hope you feel the same way when your project is complete!