[ATI] NeedVideo Card advice??!?!? (2 Viewers)

[ctaylor80]

Hey Guys, looking at getting a video card for my HTPC would like to get one under $100 but am open to options, so with that..

what im after is a card that has the following;

need to cram into my Antec Fusion 430 htpc case (have 400w power supply)
HDMI output
Low profile if possible
min 1gb mem

I have seen the 5570, 5670 but im not sure if they are the goods. Basically want to play all my HD 1080 movies watch HD TV with no tearing and shuttering, some games (fsx), music etc

Now i dont mind forking out the extra dollar if i can stetch the budget but really after somthing under the $100

any thoughts???

 

[mm1352000]

Hi

I think the mid 6000 or 5000 series is definitely where its at for you. It is the conversion point for single slot, possibly half height, possibly passive video cards that can do a little moderate gaming and handle the requirements of an HTPC (good 1080i deinterlacing) without too much trouble. Any higher and you'll only find dual slot monsters (or else need watercooling). Any lower and your gaming ability starts to suffer. I guess to be fair the gaming depends on the resolution of your display, but still... I bought an HD4670, which is much more than I thought I would need. I'm *really* glad I didn't go any lower, although I wish it was a little quieter.

Can't speak for NVidia.

[Edit: sorry I haven't been more specific. Video card availability and deals vary quite a bit from country to country. I think you have pricespy over in Aus. The NZ equivalent is always where I go when I need to make hardware purchasing decisions...]

 

[hoborg]

SAPPHIRE HD 6450 512MB DDR3 - i have one in my HTPC, working just fine.
Just watch out for ASUS 32bit. - this one is exreamelly slow...

 

[Owlsroost]

On the nVidia side, the GT430 is a nice balance of performance & power for HTPC use, and the GT440 uses basically a higher clocked version of the same chip.

I run a Palit low-profile GT430 1GB card - fan-cooled but very quiet unless you are really pushing it. Just noticed they are now doing a GT440 version of it - Palit GT400 Series

Tony

 

[wonkyd]

On the nVidia side, the GT430 is a nice balance of performance & power for HTPC use, and the GT440 uses basically a higher clocked version of the same chip.

I run a Palit low-profile GT430 1GB card - fan-cooled but very quiet unless you are really pushing it. Just noticed they are now doing a GT440 version of it - Palit GT400 Series

Tony

The GT520 is also more than enough for full 1080i/p using one here. Be careful as most of the passive versions take up two slots.

 

[ctaylor80]

thanks for the info guys, really am pushing for room so a single slot is a must here will be goin into the pcie x16 slot i have free.

 

[Owlsroost]

thanks for the info guys, really am pushing for room so a single slot is a must here will be goin into the pcie x16 slot i have free.

That would rule out the Palit card I mentioned as well - it's a bit wider than one slot.

If the case is packed with cards etc, you're probably going to have to go for a slim, fan-cooled card to make sure it doesn't get too hot (the passive cards really need a bit of space around the heatsink for cooling).

Tony

 

[ctaylor80]

yeah good point!, can you suggest any cards that are slim and not heat intensive as the others u mentioned?

Cheers!

 

[hoborg]

Here is 6450 in my HTPC - no problem with heat even when playing Lego Indiana Jones

 

[ctaylor80]

Here is 6450 in my HTPC - no problem with heat even when playing Lego Indiana Jones

Thanks heaps for the pic, looks like the same setup as mine? haupp 2200 tv tuner?, will check that card out!

thanks again!