Great card for MCE 2005 and Photoshop?

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be23

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Feb 14, 2006
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I'm not a gamer (yet at least), but looking for a fast card for my dual monitor (26" HD LCD/TV and 19" LCD) that will deliever the best image quality for DVD playback and help speed up (if possible) photoshop (as I'm a photographer I do a lot of work in PS). Any help or suggestions are much appreciated. I would like to keep bill under $200. I've been looking at the X1600xt, but reading a lot about the 6800GT.

-BE
 
Afaik ATI cards are known to have better image quality, with that in mind, i guess the choice depends on how much you want to spend.
 
Thanks for the heads up. I've looked over there, but wasn't able to find much talk about the comparison between the 6800 or x1600xt.
 
nvidia 6x or 7x card, nvidia purevideo decoder, ffdshow and theatertek will give you outstanding dvd playback. for under 200 the 6600(gt) is a great quick card, any card for around 200 is more than sufficient for photoshop.
 
ffdshow is a post processor, it will upscale the video and make it higher quality (exceeding the quality of a progressive scan dvd player). Theatertek is a higher end dvd software for your pc, like windvd.. but much better. http://www.theatertek.com
 
doox00 said:
nvidia 6x or 7x card, nvidia purevideo decoder, ffdshow and theatertek will give you outstanding dvd playback. for under 200 the 6600(gt) is a great quick card, any card for around 200 is more than sufficient for photoshop.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind the newer Theatertek's include the nvidia Purevideo decoder, so no need to purchase it separately. be23, can you give some specs on your machine? Real-time post processing (ffdshow) can be done but needs a bit of a beefy machine. Not top of the line, but solid. And the results are great. In essense, all you need is Theatertek (which includes the decoder) and ffdshow. So it's just one extra program, that processes the video after it leaves the dvd player on it's way to the TV. Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots:

http://htpcnews.com/main.php?id=ffdshowdvd_1

You can skip the zoomplayer installation part (not too many people are fond of zoomplayer now anyways) and go to the Theatertek installation part. Right now the before and after pics are not working for me, they were a couple of days ago. but the results are pretty significant. Follow the link to the forum at the end, there is an example there too.
 
Excellent information! Thanks very much everyone.

My machine is a Pentium Dual core (2.8ghz), 1GB DDR2 ram, and 500GB harddrives, with ATI 128mb X300 (which i'm looking to replace).
 
For what I'm looking for a video card to do (no games - cleanest video and TV possible, to to assist with Photoshop if possible) what is the best card? It appears there is much debate over the X1600 or 6800gs. Are these cards too much for what I'm looking to do? Should I get the 256mb or 512mb versions.

(the cards will be PCIe)
 
For just Photoshop that is all overkill. I just built my family a new comp using the MSI Geforce 6150 (NF 430) board w/ onboard DVI and component video out (http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=241193 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130529). It would be absolutely perfect for what you are doing (this is if you are going to be building a whole new PC). The component out has to be plugged into the mobo and connected to one of the external PCI slots (not on the mobo, on the case), and would be perfect for hooking up your HDTV. You'd then also have the DVI connector for your LCD. It has a built-in hardware PureVideo decoder (HD WMV looks GREAT on the 2005FPW its hooked up to - right up there w/ our 26" Samsung LCD and 42" Pioneer Plasma HDTVs).

This is how it is setup:
MSI K8NGM2-FID
2 GB DDR400 (128 allocated for onboard video)
Athlon 64 X2 3800+
Dell 2005FPW 20" WS LCD

If you ever decided to upgrade the video (the onboard GF6150 is clocked at 475 Mhz and is DX 9.0c compliant so its ready for Vista), there is an onboard PCIe slot so that would be very easy. I don't know of many (any?) video cards right now that have component and DVI out, though, so definitely consider it.
 
Thanks for that information, but i already have the machine made up. I just want to update the video card (as it's only single vga out at the moment) as I want at least one DVI and VGA out for dual monitors.
 
for what you need, the 6600 (vanilla or GT) would be more than sufficient, the GT (fastest of the 6600's) is about 130 dollars at newegg, about 100 for the vanilla 6600. You will get great tv output and will be great in photoshop. Plus if you were to play a game the 6600 does well at that also.
 
Yes, if you want to save some money, the minimum I would get would be a 6600GT. However, if you are willing to spend the money, go for the 6800GS. I think it's a great card, it'll be pretty damn fast. Video is getting more and more complex all the time, you might want to get into HiDef stuff, I would, if you can afford it, go for the solution that gives you more overhead above what you need to do. HTPC users over at avsforum love nvidia cards with the nvidia decoder in Theatertek.

I have this exact card:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130267

Lifetime warranty even if you overclock or change the heatsink.

But the 6600GT will do fine for your indicated usage.
 
Thanks to everyone who's contributed to my questions!

After I have chosen a card, what manufactorer(s) are the best/reliable/reputable as it appears there are many!? I'm starting to lean away from the X1600 and towards the 6800GS...

Thanks again!
 
Their all pretty good...eVGA are made in the US compared to most which are made overseas (Asia), so I dunno if you are into that kind of thing (supporting US companies). Anything should be fine though as long as you check the user reviews on Newegg to make sure most others who bought them like them.

One more thing: you may want to consider dual DVI (rather than one VGA and one DVI which is pretty standard).
 
I can't see any reason not to go with eVGA, but I hear XFX also has a great warranty (double lifetime, which means you get a lifetime warranty and if you sell it, it is transferrable once, a great selling point if trying to sell). Again, eVGA allows changing the heatsink and overclocking, as long as there is no physical damage.
 
Will I get greater picture quality on the second DVI on a regular LCD monitor (19") over a vga connection?

-Brandon
 
Thanks deeznuts.

In looking at different cards and attempting to decipher all the information each manu lists. Is there a big difference between the 6600 and 6800 cards (same amount RAM, PCIe)? (again, I'm only interested in dvd/tv image quality and i'm a non-gamer). Thanks in advance.

-Brandon
 
Will I get greater picture quality on the second DVI on a regular LCD monitor (19") over a vga connection?
Click to expand...

Yes. I'd also like to note that Photoshop is essentially entirely dependent on CPU speed (and other factors like SSE support), number of CPU threads and the amount of physical memory. For DVD/video playback, nVidia is very strong (especially at the low end), but for editing high-resolution photos in Photoshop, RAM is what you want.
 
be23 said:
Will I get greater picture quality on the second DVI on a regular LCD monitor (19") over a vga connection?

-Brandon
Click to expand...

It depends more on the monitor then the card I think. At 17" I couldn't tell the difference on an A/B comparison, with both nvidia and ATI. I think VGA is fine over short cable runs as long as the cable is quality. Also how clean the monitor displays it all.

Back to the card, I say you can go for the 6600GT for now, if that is all you are using it for. It's a fast and great card, no doubt, and can be had for cheap. Save the extra money now, and in 2-3 years if for some reason DVD playback requires greater power for some unforeseen reason, you can probably buy a $100 card that will kick some major ass on the current $200 cards.
 
Good point!

Where's the best/cheapest place to purchase? I've noticed a lot of people are using newegg.com.

Also, what is the difference between OEM and retail?
 
newegg and monarchcomputer seem to have the best deals on video cards. Just check out the cards at either one, keeping in mind paying tax if you live in california for newegg, and georgia for monarch. I've ordered from both many times, usually using monarch for big ticket items i don't need right away since I live in California.

Here is newegg list of 6600GT evga (can you see i prefer evga lol, but any other brand is cool).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&description=&srchInDesc=&minPrice=&maxPrice=

nvidia cards at monarch
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merc...Store_Code=M&Category_Code=VC-PCIE_Cat#nvidia

Have fun dude, HTPC machines are fun to play with.
 
Thanks again for your help! I'll be having it sent to Seattle, so I'll check out both of them. Is there a big difference between the GS and XTreme versions of the 6600?
 
I'm not seeing any Xtreme or GS on the 6600GT cards. But usually those just mean they are factory overclocked, i.e. they come with speeds higher than the nvidia reference. Just stick with any of the GT flavors, and you'll be good!

Oh I forgot to answer your question about oem vs. retail. Retail just comes with a pretty box, maybe some games. OEM comes in a plain box or even just bubble wrapped. But the cards will be identical.

EDIT: I think GS refers to the higher level cards, such as 6800GS, 7300GS.
 
Excellent! thanks for your insight!

I have an off topic question that i don't know if i can answer here. So if i can't just tell me where to post it.

I just looking at the 6800 GS, and it requires minimum 350w power supply. My computer only has a 300w. What's a good power supply? What do i look for in a power supply, it appears there are lots out there.

-Brandon
 
Keep in mind that the PCIe versions of the 6800GS most likely take the 6pin PCIe connector as opposed to a normal 4pin male molex connector. So you may need a new PSU for that (I read that many cards are shipping without 4->6 converters) on top of just getting a decent PSU. For your purpose, I would expect almost any decent brand 400w power supply would suffice. I will leave brand reccomendations to some more seasoned users, but I have had great experiences with Antec and Silverstone (also I am currently using an Aerocool which has been great).
 
thanks for your helpful advice. what makes a PSU good or bad? Heard anything about "Ultra" psu's?

Also, i have a front panel with audio, video, s-video, firewire and USB inputs (HP m7250n) - will these still be functional with the 6800GS? (currently have a x300se card)

-Brandon
 
Just read on the site under requirements: (evga)


"An available 6 pin PCI-E power connector (hard drive power dongle to PCI-E 6 pin adapter included with card) "

Not sure what it means though.

-Brandon
 
That is claiming that it provides a 4pin (they call it a hard drive connector) to 6pin (PCIe) conversion dongle, just a simple cord.

Your front panel will work if they are plugged in correctly. Is the front video an S-video connection or VGA? It might take some tricky work to get that setup correctly.

I imagine something simple in the power supply area would do fine for you. Something such as:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103927
Is a very simple power supply, but I have grown very attached to Modular power supply setups. You only add the cables you want to use.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817194002
I have a friend who has this power supply, he is very satisfied with it and also uses it with a 6800gs.

Just about any power supply you find will work for your purpose, those are just two examples. It's your own personal preference if you want to go for modular wiring or not. I would say that you should be sure to get one with the 6pin connectors included, as to not have to use the provided dongle to convert the 4pin to 6pin.
 
be23 said:
thanks for your helpful advice. what makes a PSU good or bad? Heard anything about "Ultra" psu's?

Also, i have a front panel with audio, video, s-video, firewire and USB inputs (HP m7250n) - will these still be functional with the 6800GS? (currently have a x300se card)

-Brandon
Click to expand...

you can get a decent antec 500watt psu for around $60. stay away from the ultra. your vid card should have no bearing on your front panel stuff, unless, of course, you knock the cables off while installing your vid card. i have a machine to do pretty much what you are doing and am using a 6600gt (evga), nvidia purevid codec, ffdshow and zoomplayer for dvd. its around the same as theatretek, but does not have on board decoder, is much more customizable and is a little trickier to set up. also its free. but anyway, the card looks great. if you look around, you can get one for around $100 after rebate. stay away from low end cards with tons of memory. this is just marketing crap, in no way can the card use the memory.
make sure that your pc does not use a proprietary psu, ie one that was made specifically for your pc. you will not be able to replace this.
 
thanks for the heads up on an Ultra and the front panel functions.

How would I know what is a proprietary power supply is/looks like?


-Brandon
 
What are Saga 400W PSU's like? I have someone offering me a brand new one at what seems to be a good rate ($38).


-Brandon
 
It's vitally important that you don't buy any bottom-dollar PSU. Stick with quality power supply manufacturers, including Antec, Enermax and (to some extent) OCZ. Any units from these manufacturers will be capable of doing the job.

One of the best deals in the PSU segment at the moment seems to be the SLi certified Enermax 535W. These come in at about $80-90 and are suffecient for just about anything you could find to hook up to it.

EDIT: Not to be rude, but you're asking many questions that could easily be answered through your own endeavors. There are many (like myself) that don't mind answering these sorts of questions, but if you can find an avenue of finding out the information yourself, you save everyone a little time.
 
Thanks Phide for your help.

I don't mean to ask stupid questions so I apologize. I have done research but it's hard to decipher manufacturers propganda from truth. Hence, posting questions here I hope to get first hand knowledge/insight of an area (PSU's, video cards, etc) which I know nothing about.

What I'm trying to avoid is over buying for my needs but at the same time not cheaping out and jeopardizing the system.

Thanks again for your advice, anything offered is much appreciated.

-Brandon
 
be23, don't worry about it man, go ahead and post your questions. If someone doesn't want to help just move on. Me, if I can help I'm going to. Why waste your time searching through threads with keywords but irrelevant info, if all you have to do is post a quick question. I don't mind, and if I did, I'd just ignore it. Now, it is better to search first then ask, but it isn't that big of a deal. Anyways,

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10854

That is a list for recommended psu's for DFI boards. DFI is known to be very very finicky about power supplies, so these are usually pretty good. Just look for the cheapest one. These are recommended:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=Suggested&Description=17-189

But you could probably just use this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104952
 
Thanks for your encouragement and advice. I've been trying to figure everything out about PSU's and their ratings, but I thought I should check and make sure I can change my PSU. I have a HP m7250n machine with a 300W PSU (+12v 19A, 5v 25A, 3.3v 18A), how can I check and see if I can swap out the PSU and what requirements I need for my new one?

-Brandon
 
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