The reason I'm asking is that I have 2 Dell desktops ("production" and
"hot backup") that are pushing 5 or 6 years of age, and I need to
replace at least one. They simply can't keep up with HD video
streams...
* it could keep up with Youtube 480p videos fullscreen under ADSL 5
megabit service. The stream was the limit.
* after the speed was bumped up, it could keep up with Youtube 720p
videos fullscreen under ADSL 6 megabit service. The stream was
the limit. The download still couldn't keep up with 1080p videos.
* This week, I moved from "legacy 6 GAS" to "FTTN 7". Unlike GAS, FTTN
speeds are net, not gross. So my Speedtest.net results jumped from
approx 5.1-5.2 megabits to 7.1-7.2 megabits, and it can keep up with
1080p streams.
* The "newer", more powerful, machine can play 1080p Youtube videos
under Firefox in the "large player", but the load is pegged at between
2.5 and 3. For a 2-core machine, that's bad. The leaner Midori can
play the same video with a load between 1.7 and 2.1, which is pushing
it. Going to fullscreen, it stutters noticably under Firefox. Midori
can just barely keep up in fullscreen mode.
* The machine can play NHL GameCenter Live at the slowest stream
(400 kbits/sec). It doesn't even show the other options (800, 1600,
and 3000)
The 1080p video was http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US3Px2sePWk Note
that you have to manually select 1080p. The "fmt=" option doesn't seem
to work anymore.
The onboard Intel GPU is not the problem; it's the CPU trying to keep
up with Flash. And before anyone asks...
* I'm running Gentoo with full optimizations
* I'm running ICEWM with no "desktop environment"; see my sig
So I don't think there are any more optimizations to be had, other than
a new PC. Assuming there are no showstoppers, I'll be buying another
Dell. They seem to last for me.
--
Walter Dnes <waltd...@waltdnes.org>
I don't run "desktop environments"; I run useful applications
