[mythtv-users] New to HD, which nvidia card

Brian Wood beww at beww.org
Sun Apr 9 22:10:20 UTC 2006


On Apr 9, 2006, at 10:25 AM, Brad wrote:

> I have a mythtv box running with SDTV and I like it a lot.  I want to
> upgrade my GeForce 4 MX 4000 and am looking to the near future when I
> get an HDTV.  After lots of research on the different nvidia cards out
> there I am more lost than ever.  I have been thinking about an FX 5200
> but am concerned I won't be able to run newer games very well.  I also
> want to make sure that whatever HDTV I get I can have the best  
> display.
> Should I step up to a 5500 or 5700 or even into the 6xxx series?
>
> I have a GA-K8U-939 board so no PCIe.  What would be a good AGP nvidia
> card to get assuming I am getting an HDTV in the next 6 months?  I  
> do a
> little bit of gaming, but right now it is mostly Q3A.  I would like to
> stay under $140 US.  It's a pretty noisy box right now, so I am not  
> sure
> that fanless is a big deal, though I would like to start working on
> getting it quieter.
>
> I know this is a common question, and yes I have searched the archives
> but still have no clear idea which way to go.


Just personal opinions, but:

For Myth something like a 5200 would be fine. When you say you want  
"gaming" that opens up a whole 'nother can of worms, what games? at  
what resolution? what framerate?

For the $140 you mentioned you could get a 6600 or even a 6800 series  
card if you shop around, more than enough for anything except what I  
would consider "nutcase" gamers. Dropping down you could get a 6200  
for $60 or less, and most of them are fanless.

IMHO the 5200 et al are the best for Myth, moving to the 6xxx cards  
you lose the Chroma-key in exchange for shaders and pay more money  
for no better performance on video.

But if you want better gaming performance than a 5200 can give you by  
all means go to a 6xxx card.

I hear they even make 7800s with AGP interfaces now, and the low-end  
ones are not *that* much more than your price point, in 6 months they  
will probably be available for $140 :-)

If you do go with a 6800 or even a 6600 watch your power supply  
rating and be careful of heat.


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