Which video card is better for my HTPC

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Zefram0911

[H]ard|Gawd
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Apr 19, 2002
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I want the best possible combo for video and audio.

I'm waiting for the Auzentech Prelude HDMI to come out in sept and I'm trying to decide which video card to get?

A GTX260 or a 4000 series card? Which one and why? I just need something that can route both audio and video through HDMI.... like say hook up onboard or dedicated sound card through the port on the video card. Is that easy to do?
 
Are you gaming... at all? If not then either one of those cards is completely useless for you.

Either a 9600GT or a (soon to be released) 4650.
 
the 260 are expensive for a HTPC and hot and BIG, might not fit in a HTPC case....

i use a 9600gt and will go with a 4XXX series card next
 
CrimandEvil said:
Are you gaming... at all? If not then either one of those cards is completely useless for you.

Either a 9600GT or a (soon to be released) 4650.
Click to expand...

I guess maybe a little bit of gaming, but I'm looking for the best audio connection passed through HDMI.
 
Zefram0911 said:
I guess maybe a little bit of gaming, but I'm looking for the best audio connection passed through HDMI.
Click to expand...
I don't see why you jumped right to the highend like that then. As it comes to HTPC usage the best you need is something like a 9600GT/4650 at most, the rest is waste if not for gaming.

Either way, if the best audio through HDMI is what your looking for then forget the video card cause what they offer is regular old SPDIF out which is only going to get you DD5.1 or DTS audio. SPDIF doesn't have enough bandwidth for the HD audio tracks (or the lossless audio tracks) that are used on Blu Ray discs.
 
then how do I get the best audio from hddvd or bluray disks from a pc to my receiver?
 
4000 series have 7.1 LPCM audio and Auzentech Prelude HDMI supposedly does Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD MA without downsampling.
 
bfellow said:
4000 series have 7.1 LPCM audio and Auzentech Prelude HDMI supposedly does Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD MA without downsampling.
Click to expand...
But is there a video card or a sound card that will be able to passtrough both signals via HDMI(one of them connected on the other one and it blend them for the HDMI output)?
 
The 4850 would be best, its cheap, overclockable, uses only a single slot, and would do 1080i with no problem.
 
I've allocated $300 for the video card, so $200's a steal. I just want the best audio and video through one HDMI to my receiver.
 
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