[mythtvnz] graphics card options

[Stephen Worthington]

On Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:35:13 +1300, you wrote:

><http://www.dragonpc.co.nz/p.aspx?214439>Hi, I am in the middle of 
>setting up a dedicated myth front end box that has onboard everything 
>including an HDMI port, and an empty PCI-e slot.  I'm recycling an ATX 
>motherboard/amd cpu, a couple of years old and modest specs for that 
>time (not sure which board/cpu off the top of my head but it is nvidia 
>video) in a full size box.  I'm yet to determine if the HDMI port "just 
>works" or can be made to work, being a simple but probably only interim 
>connection to an HD TV.  Thus far I have a functional myth installation 
>that displays fine on an LCD monitor.  Total expenditure so far is zero.
>
>I am weighing up the best course to follow.  The main feedback I am 
>interested in assumes the better choice is to have a dedicated card, 
>primarily since it hands off the processing from the CPU to the card and 
>that the onboard HDMI port + cpu isn't going to manage 1080i/p.  Seems 
>VDPAU, h.264, and the usual "more RAM is good" is where to pay 
>attention.  This wikipedia page seems to be a good summary of cards:
>
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nvidia_PureVideo
>
>suggesting feature set C and a GeForce 210, I believe is this from Dragon:
>
>http://www.dragonpc.co.nz/p.aspx?230501
>
>or the more modern feature set D and a GeForce 430:
>
>http://www.dragonpc.co.nz/p.aspx?214439
>
>Any feedback on these options or similar would be appreciated.  
>Hopefully I am correctly lining up the relevant specs.  Both cards are 
>low profile capable which offers some future proofing should I build 
>something in a smaller form factor.  Would there be much difference 
>noticeable between a C or D feature set capable card in a myth FE box?  
>Is there something else I should also be paying attention to?
>
>I see the 430 has 2 fans, just how quiet would they be?  Is the 
>passively cooled 210 a better option if noise is given weight or is this 
>not much of an issue in practice?
>
>Are there similar cards I should consider in that <$100 price range?  
>Other local (esp Chch) suppliers?
>
>Cheers,
>Roger

You need C or D feature set, but the reports on the GT 210 cards are
that they are just a little bit shy of the power needed to handle
H.264 HD video without any glitches.  Which is why I got a silent GT
220 at my last upgrade, and I have been very pleased with the result.

My last encounter with fans as on that GT 430 card was that they can
be very noisy, which is a real problem for a PC that is normally
parked in the living room next to the TV.  You really want a silent
video card, as the GPU fan(s) are now normally the loudest component
in a PC.

I am thinking that the best option now is the new GT 520 chip set.
There seem to be silent cards using this:

http://www.ascent.co.nz/productspecification.aspx?ItemID=396586

If you are not dead set on a local shop, I can recommend buying from
Ascent.  They have excellent customer service and no problems with
returns and replacements.  Their prices include shipping, so this one
from QuietPC is likely to actually be a little more expensive:

http://www.quietpc.com/nz-en-nzd/products/vga-cards/zo-gt520

But we really need to see a report from a MythTV user to be sure as
the 520 also seems a little light on shader hardware like the 210.  It
does have even better H.264 support, so that might not be a problem.