Motherboard for Media Center PC

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kerberos_20 View Drop Down

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Topic: Motherboard for Media Center PC
Posted: 11 Jan 2018 at 6:06am

audio is available on hdmi
http://support.amd.com/en-us/search/faq/258

as for audio quality...since it is digital output, sound card isnt used at all

u will get PCM output, unless u will be playing dts/dolby content from dvd/blue ray, since its not soundcard (smt like soundblaster) u wont be able to encode pcm to dts/dolby on your own for more awesomness :)

Edited by kerberos_20 - 11 Jan 2018 at 6:14am

Xaltar

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Posted: 11 Jan 2018 at 5:38am

For a media center you aren't going to be looking at overclocking performance so much as size, stability and features so the Taichi (awesome as it is) will be overkill for sure, that and no display outs as Zlobster already noted.

I would steer clear of A320 boards, not because they are bad but because you get what you pay for and you will regret not spending a little more on an AB350 board later on. Personally I would look at the AB350M Pro4, small but not as expensive as an ITX board. It will also be better featured than the AB350M and AB350M-HDV. The price difference is not enough to sacrifice in favor of the cheaper options IMO.

https://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/AB350M%20Pro4/index.asp

Going MATX will also allow you to spend a little less on the case, M-ATX cases tend to be cheaper than both ATX and ITX cases because they are an odd size. The B350 chipset will also allow you to overclock and also upgrade to Raven Ridge APUs down the line with Vega powered graphics (assuming AMD doesn't pull an intel and change the socket). I would suggest you wait for raven ridge APUs to hit shelves but the current APUs are not super expensive and you could always sell it on later and upgrade when they do. If all you plan on doing with the PC is media then Raven Ridge would be overkill anyway. The new APUs (coming soon) will allow for respectable gaming performance without the need to buy a GPU, great for a TV bound system Wink

Edited by Xaltar - 11 Jan 2018 at 5:40am

zlobster

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Posted: 11 Jan 2018 at 4:28am

Well, I don't really know the boards based on AMD's lesser chipset but I know one thing for sure - X370 has one of the BEST sounding audio you can find on motherboard! I consider myself an audiophile and I have a few pairs of high-end cans. The Taichi is rocking them like there's no tomorrow! Yin Yang

On the negative side - Taichi has NO HDMI, it's big, bulky and expensive. EDIT: it has S/PDIF, though!

Edited by zlobster - 11 Jan 2018 at 4:29am

1700X ZP-B1 (stock); X370 Taichi (UEFI 3.10); 16GB F4-3200C14-8GFX XMP; 256GB 960 EVO; RX 580 NITRO+ 8GB

B25Mitch

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Posted: 11 Jan 2018 at 12:50am

I'm putting together a inexpensive media center PC, and I need a motherboard with 5.1 surround, preferably included in the HDMI out, to connect to my receiver. I'm looking at the A320M-HDV paired with an AMD A8, but I can't tell if it has audio in the HDMI. If it doesn't, any recommendations?

Thanks for your help!

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
kerberos_20 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Dec 2017 Location: czech republic Status: Offline Points: 3687	Post Options Post Reply Quote kerberos_20 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Motherboard for Media Center PC Posted: 11 Jan 2018 at 6:06am
	audio is available on hdmi http://support.amd.com/en-us/search/faq/258 as for audio quality...since it is digital output, sound card isnt used at all u will get PCM output, unless u will be playing dts/dolby content from dvd/blue ray, since its not soundcard (smt like soundblaster) u wont be able to encode pcm to dts/dolby on your own for more awesomness :) Edited by kerberos_20 - 11 Jan 2018 at 6:14am

Xaltar Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Joined: 16 May 2015 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 25118	Post Options Post Reply Quote Xaltar Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11 Jan 2018 at 5:38am
	For a media center you aren't going to be looking at overclocking performance so much as size, stability and features so the Taichi (awesome as it is) will be overkill for sure, that and no display outs as Zlobster already noted. I would steer clear of A320 boards, not because they are bad but because you get what you pay for and you will regret not spending a little more on an AB350 board later on. Personally I would look at the AB350M Pro4, small but not as expensive as an ITX board. It will also be better featured than the AB350M and AB350M-HDV. The price difference is not enough to sacrifice in favor of the cheaper options IMO. https://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/AB350M%20Pro4/index.asp Going MATX will also allow you to spend a little less on the case, M-ATX cases tend to be cheaper than both ATX and ITX cases because they are an odd size. The B350 chipset will also allow you to overclock and also upgrade to Raven Ridge APUs down the line with Vega powered graphics (assuming AMD doesn't pull an intel and change the socket). I would suggest you wait for raven ridge APUs to hit shelves but the current APUs are not super expensive and you could always sell it on later and upgrade when they do. If all you plan on doing with the PC is media then Raven Ridge would be overkill anyway. The new APUs (coming soon) will allow for respectable gaming performance without the need to buy a GPU, great for a TV bound system Edited by Xaltar - 11 Jan 2018 at 5:40am


zlobster Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 02 Sep 2017 Status: Offline Points: 403	Post Options Post Reply Quote zlobster Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11 Jan 2018 at 4:28am
	Well, I don't really know the boards based on AMD's lesser chipset but I know one thing for sure - X370 has one of the BEST sounding audio you can find on motherboard! I consider myself an audiophile and I have a few pairs of high-end cans. The Taichi is rocking them like there's no tomorrow! On the negative side - Taichi has NO HDMI, it's big, bulky and expensive. EDIT: it has S/PDIF, though! Edited by zlobster - 11 Jan 2018 at 4:29am
	1700X ZP-B1 (stock); X370 Taichi (UEFI 3.10); 16GB F4-3200C14-8GFX XMP; 256GB 960 EVO; RX 580 NITRO+ 8GB

B25Mitch Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 11 Jan 2018 Status: Offline Points: 3	Post Options Post Reply Quote B25Mitch Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11 Jan 2018 at 12:50am
	I'm putting together a inexpensive media center PC, and I need a motherboard with 5.1 surround, preferably included in the HDMI out, to connect to my receiver. I'm looking at the A320M-HDV paired with an AMD A8, but I can't tell if it has audio in the HDMI. If it doesn't, any recommendations? Thanks for your help!