Graphics card for ultimate picture quality (1 Viewer)

[BestRip]

I now have a GeForce NX7300GS card but...

1. ...I wonder if I can improve the picture quality in any way by using a GF8600GTS card instead. Any improvement at all?

2. Also I wonder if any of you can say if the MSI-GF8600GTS silent pipe-card will fit into an Antec 2400 chassi. The chassi only has around 15 mm of free space above the 90 degree angle on the fastening bracket, where cards are screwed onto the chassis.

 

[trevor]

I now have a GeForce NX7300GS card but...

1. ...I wonder if I can improve the picture quality in any way by using a GF8600GTS card instead. Any improvement at all?

2. Also I wonder if any of you can say if the MSI-GF8600GTS silent pipe-card will fit into an Antec 2400 chassi. The chassi only has around 15 mm of free space above the 90 degree angle on the fastening bracket, where cards are screwed onto the chassis.

Just ordered the ASUS equivalent (EN8600GTS Silent, not sure if that will fit yet!) replacing a EN7600GT , so will able to give some idea on the picture quality in a couple of days, though this will be on Vista and hopefully using EVR.

 

[BestRip]

Just ordered the ASUS equivalent (EN8600GTS Silent, not sure if that will fit yet!) replacing a EN7600GT , so will able to give some idea on the picture quality in a couple of days, though this will be on Vista and hopefully using EVR.

Do I understand correctly? You have used a Asus EN 7600GT in a Antec 2400 chassi? In that case it looks likely that also the EN 8600GTS would fit judging from the product images on the net, and if so, great news...
Please let us know how it turned out. If the image quality is better is also very interesting to hear about...

 

[trevor]

Do I understand correctly? You have used a Asus EN 7600GT in a Antec 2400 chassi? In that case it looks likely that also the EN 8600GTS would fit judging from the product images on the net, and if so, great news...
Please let us know how it turned out. If the image quality is better is also very interesting to hear about...

Sorry, dont have a Antec case I have a Origen AE X11 Case, big old beast. I did look at the Antec but the lack of built in IR receiver stopped me at the time, but sure it takes full height cards would think it should be fine.

As far as image quality is concerned not sure just changing the card would make much differance. I have upgraded to allow me mainly for HD hardware accelatration with HD and to use EVR fully (though that works on the current card).

I have spnt the past couple of weeks on image quality, got a decent set of cables to replace the cheap stuff which had a marked effect and switching to Vista and using EVR (still a tad buggy) improved things again.

Only problem with this approach is things tend be a little unstable



Trevor

 

[BestRip]

I have spnt the past couple of weeks on image quality, got a decent set of cables to replace the cheap stuff which had a marked effect and switching to Vista and using EVR (still a tad buggy) improved things again.

Only problem with this approach is things tend be a little unstable

Unstable - I know the feeling... I started off in this quest building a Vista machine. I had the idea I could use it both as an "admin" computer and a MP entertainment machine... That machine now only runs surfing, e-mail and such stuff... just could not have all the crashes Vista and MP caused...

So after a while I built myself another machine (spec on the left: v). Here I decided not to run Vista for more stability (?)......... well anyway, I now have some channels accessible (through Swedish cable company: comhem)... but there are several points that I'm not getting to work as they should/or at least as I thought they could:
1. Can't get the EPG to work at all now... has at best only "grabbed" a few channels for a couple of hours ahead...
2. I'm not getting the FireDTV-C to work properly I think. In one forum thread it said that in order to have more than 1 channel active through one CAM card there was a setting in the CI program to activate multiple channels... I just cannot get to that menu in the CI... So singel channels are what I'm stuck with.
3. I have ordered a 5 HD channels-package from comhem, but the only thing that happens when trying to access any of them is that MP freezes up (with no sound and no image) and the only remaining course of action is a hardware reset... (causing defect files in MP?)
4. I think maybe my fireDTV-C could be defective, lately it sporadically activates the CI and reports: "No access" even when MP is not running... and when MP is running it doesn't appear to be affected??? Earlier a report often read: "Error getting MMI object" if I recall correctly...
5. The remote control for the FireDTV gave up working with MP a while ago, but still works fine with My Theatre...

I think I have been trying to get MP to work for about half a year soon but this is only as far as I've come...
(oh... this smiley just totally cracked me up... wonderful!!! )

Well anyway... I'm taking it step by step, and the hardware is kind of a prerequisite I guess... so therefore I'm very curious about the difference in the image quality between a 7300 and a 8600 card... any comments appreciated

 

[trevor]

Quick update on this.

Got the new EN8600GTS card, bit of a tight fit (read case lid sits on heatsink..whole case now a heatsink!) but the news is not good.

Picture quality is much the same, not a lot between the 7600 and 8600 when using std setup, EVR does make a differance when I can get it working.

Bigger problem is that I can no longer change channels on the TT S2-3200 card..the change takes place but picture freezes and have to toggle TVOn to get back the channel I just changed to! Going to raise that in the TV3 support fourms when back home and have access to the logs, seems it is fine changing channel and card.

Also need the very latest patch from cyberlink or you get no h/w acceleration on HD channels.

The good news is that with this patch watching HD the CPU is now sitting between 5-8%, down from 40-45%.

The bad news is that SD h/w acceleration is either not as good or most likley not functioning at all as the CPU is up at the 25% mark when watching SD channels from the previous 3-4%.

Have not had that much time to really investigate all the issues yet so will update again after the weekend.

Cheers


trevor