NVidia HDMI HDCP 0db 7XXX graphics card (or DVI HDMI adapter?) and combine HD Audio ?

[jazjon]

Q1) Has anyone seen a NVidia HDMI HDCP 0db passive cooled PCI Express 7XXX video card for sale yet?

Q2) If native 0db HDMI cards are not available, are the 7600GT 0DB DVI cards out today, HDCP capable? (via DVI to HDMI Adapter)
If no, how soon for Q1 to happen?
I want to be "ready" when I buy a HDDVD, Blu-Ray, or combo 5 1/4 drive for my new HTPC Media Center.

Now this last questoin isnt a requirement, but I might as well go for it.
Q3) Has anyone successfully Combined Audio over their HDMI Graphics card? I've seen some of the Fan cooled HDMI NVidia cards have SPIDIF inputs. From what I've seen it's best to use the analog out from top of the line Auzentech or XFi cards to get the 192 DVD AUDIO quality (that cant be done over old school low bandwidth TosLink or Coax) So how can you combine the "best" (TRUE HD?) audio into HDMI when the best output today require analog pass through to your AVR for DTS processing etc?

Am I asking for too much in 2006? Maybe we'll see more options in 2007

I'd also like to use what ever the best video/audio hardware match that works with NVidia Pure Video software as well. (Vista ready would be nice too, and NVidia is always on top of drivers)

Comments? Links?

[Thuppu]

[QUOTE=jazjon]Has anyone seen a NVidia HDMI HDCP 0db passive cooled PCI Express 7XXX video card for sale yet?
[/QUOTE]

Gigabyte GV-NX76G256HI-RH should be out next month. It's a nVidia 7600 GS with heatpipe cooling, HDMI and HDCP.

http://insanetek.com/images/stories/news/products/gigabytehdmi.png

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/News/VGA/News_List.aspx?NewsID=1285

http://insanetek.com/content/view/259/2/

[jazjon]

Sweet thanks! (right on time for my new build, I can wait for it) The more fanless pieces the better!!

[JKohn]

Too bad it's a GS, and not a GT since that means no 1080i IVTC or Bad Edit Correction.

http://www.nvidia.com/page/purevideo_support.html

[stanger89]

[QUOTE=jazjon]So how can you combine the "best" (TRUE HD?) audio into HDMI when the best output today require analog pass through to your AVR for DTS processing etc?[/QUOTE]

You can't yet. As such there's not much point to HDMI cards yet.

[dabl]

[QUOTE=JKohn]Too bad it's a GS, and not a GT since that means no 1080i IVTC or Bad Edit Correction.

http://www.nvidia.com/page/purevideo_support.html[/QUOTE]

Not knowing much, those features don't sound very important to me.

Can you mention any practical examples of how 1080i IVTC or Bad Edit Correction support would be useful?

[Stereodude]

[QUOTE=dabl]Not knowing much, those features don't sound very important to me.

Can you mention any practical examples of how 1080i IVTC or Bad Edit Correction support would be useful?[/QUOTE]
If you ever watch 1080i content it matters. Most HD TV shows are shot on film (like CSI, NCIS, Law & Order etc). So say you record it with a HDTV tuner card and want to play it back. If the video card supports IVTC for HD content you will get back 24fps progressive 1080 content out. If no IVTC support for HD content if will just deinterlace the 1080i content rather than reconstructing the original progressive frames with the IVTC. The IVTC will give you much better spacial resolution and a sharper picture.

[Stereodude]

[QUOTE=JKohn]Too bad it's a GS, and not a GT since that means no 1080i IVTC or Bad Edit Correction.

http://www.nvidia.com/page/purevideo_support.html[/QUOTE]
Exactly... Hasn't anyone figured out that the 7600GT is the card to target at HTPC / Media Center PC applications? It supports all of the Purevideo features, and it seems obvious. But, strangely enough, we've yet to see a Fanless 7600GT with HDCP. :confused:

[jazjon]

hmmmm yeah I better go with a GT or higher 7600 card. Any news on 8000 series cards being out soon?
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8763927#post8763927
http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/146742/ShowThread.aspx#146742

[umdivx]

also here's a ongoing list for all HDCP supported video cards: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1071342

- Josh

[jazjon]

[QUOTE=umdivx]also here's a ongoing list for all HDCP supported video cards: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1071342

- Josh[/QUOTE]

Thanks Josh, out of that whole list, do you know if any of those NVidia ones are 0db or rated the most quiet? I need my livingroom to be whisper quiet.

[gringocl]

I'm looking for the same kind of thing, I found this one today. Passive cooled
XFX GeForce 7950GT 512MB w/hdcp

They have it on sale this weekend on newegg

gcl

[jazjon]

thanks, looks great.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=XFX+GeForce+7950GT+512MB+hdcp

From what I read, the new 8800 cards will be out Nov 8th. I think I'll wait a couple weeks to get the best.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=Nvidia+8800

(Vista being so close etc)

[Gary Gleave]

I just downloaded new drivers for my 7900gt, and the Nvidia site stated the driver made the card HDCP compliant.
PureVideo HD Beta driver with support for the following features:

* Hardware acceleration of H.264, VC-1 and MPEG-2 HD movie formats.
* Video post-processing image enhancements.
* Built-in support for HDCP content protection protocol via DVI or HDMI connectors.
* Integration with movie player software.
* PureVideo HD features have been tested with the following GPUs:
o GeForce 7950 GX2
o GeForce 7950 GT
o GeForce 7900 GT
o GeForce 7900 GS
o GeForce 7600 GT


Gary

[jazjon]

[QUOTE=Gary Gleave]I just downloaded new drivers for my 7900gt, and the Nvidia site stated the driver made the card HDCP compliant.
PureVideo HD Beta driver with support for the following features:

* Hardware acceleration of H.264, VC-1 and MPEG-2 HD movie formats.
* Video post-processing image enhancements.
* Built-in support for HDCP content protection protocol via DVI or HDMI connectors.
* Integration with movie player software.
* PureVideo HD features have been tested with the following GPUs:
o GeForce 7950 GX2
o GeForce 7950 GT
o GeForce 7900 GT
o GeForce 7900 GS
o GeForce 7600 GT


Gary[/QUOTE]


Does this mean I dont need to install KLITE for my h.264 .mp4 files?
(I think it's CoreAVC)

I use NVidia Pure Video now, but it's not the new Beta. I'm going to check it out.
http://www.nzone.com/object/nzone_downloads_rel70betadriver.html

If I Already have KLITE / CoreAVC installed, will NVidia take over for h.264 files? Should I try to remove previous h.264 support first?
I assume I need to keep to rest of my codec pack installed for XviD DivX (unless they are a generic enough MPEG 4 for Pure Video to work with?

[jazjon]

So about the audio again.

Do you know if the Auzentech X-Meridian, or Creative X-Fi SPIDIF out is TrueHD quality? (or is it the same is regular old school Toslink/Coax (limited bandwidth)

Is it better to combine the output of your soundcard to mixed into the HDMI video card? (or is it better to use th 5.1 analog direct pure stuff with multiple minijack cables)

I wonder if NVIdia will come out with a Graphcis card that has a good sound card built in. Having one HDMI cable for video/sound would be perfect.

[Stereodude]

[QUOTE=gringocl]I'm looking for the same kind of thing, I found this one today. Passive cooled
XFX GeForce 7950GT 512MB w/hdcp

They have it on sale this weekend on newegg

gcl[/QUOTE]
There are some of reports of that card overheating in HTPC cases. It seem that a gamer who has a very well ventilated case (that makes a lot of noise) can get away with it. Someone with a HTPC with low ventilation (for noise purposes) can't.

[Stereodude]

[QUOTE=jazjon]Do you know if the Auzentech X-Meridian, or Creative X-Fi SPIDIF out is TrueHD quality? (or is it the same is regular old school Toslink/Coax (limited bandwidth)

Is it better to combine the output of your soundcard to mixed into the HDMI video card? (or is it better to use th 5.1 analog direct pure stuff with multiple minijack cables)

I wonder if NVIdia will come out with a Graphcis card that has a good sound card built in. Having one HDMI cable for video/sound would be perfect.[/QUOTE]
SPDIF is still SPDIF. You can't get multichannel "TrueHD" audio via it.

Analog multichannel to a receiver general eliminates your ability to bass manage, time align, or do any additional processing to the signals. That makes it undesireable also.

I would suspect someone will come out with video cards with HDMI that have the audio processing either on the card, or a way to get the full quality audio to the video card for output via HDMI.

[jimwhite]

"Analog multichannel to a receiver general eliminates your ability to bass manage, time align, or do any additional processing to the signals."

Huh ?????? :confused:

[Schlotkins]

To keep this on top, I would LOVE a 7600GT with 0db cooler and HDMI.

Also, since we're talking about HDMI, will any of these video cards output sound over the HDMI? For example, the Toshiba A2 HD-DVD will send out PCM over the HDMI 1.2 connection. Of course, we don't even know how the software is going to work for that stuff but...

Thanks,
Chris

[stanger89]

[QUOTE=jimwhite]"Analog multichannel to a receiver general eliminates your ability to bass manage, time align, or do any additional processing to the signals."

Huh ?????? :confused:[/QUOTE]

Most recievers/processors don't/can't do any processing (thus BM and time alignement) on the analog multichannel inputs.

[JKohn]

[QUOTE=stanger89]Most recievers/processors don't/can't do any processing (thus BM and time alignement) on the analog multichannel inputs.[/QUOTE]
Don't most sound cards offer bass management these days though? So you could do it there, although some of the other more advanced processing your pre/pro does may not be available (sounds like that will chane with Vista though).

[openwheelracing]

Unless the manufacturers somehow find a way to incorporate HDMI 1.3 onto their graphic cards, I find these HDMI cards useless.

The whole point of having HDCP is to be able to watch Blueray/HD-DVD contents. If I can't output Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD, then I'll just continue to wait.

[Gary Gleave]

[QUOTE=jazjon]So about the audio again.

Do you know if the Auzentech X-Meridian, or Creative X-Fi SPIDIF out is TrueHD quality? (or is it the same is regular old school Toslink/Coax (limited bandwidth)

Is it better to combine the output of your soundcard to mixed into the HDMI video card? (or is it better to use th 5.1 analog direct pure stuff with multiple minijack cables)
[/QUOTE]

Then which of these two cards would have better processing power, dac's, output level, via analogue?
I understand the Auzentech decodes dd and dts, does the x-fi?

Gary

[JKohn]

[QUOTE=openwheelracing]Unless the manufacturers somehow find a way to incorporate HDMI 1.3 onto their graphic cards, I find these HDMI cards useless.

The whole point of having HDCP is to be able to watch Blueray/HD-DVD contents. If I can't output Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD, then I'll just continue to wait.[/QUOTE]
I think it should be possible in the future to get soundcards that can pass the TrueHD/DTS-HD, there's no law that says audio and video have to be routed on a single cable (and in fact I don't really see what the big hoopla is about this, I'd rather have a cable to my pre/pro for audio and a cable to my display for video).

I haven't really checked, do any of the currend BR/HD releases even use the high-res audio formats.

[stanger89]

[QUOTE=JKohn]Don't most sound cards offer bass management these days though? So you could do it there, although some of the other more advanced processing your pre/pro does may not be available (sounds like that will chane with Vista though).[/QUOTE]

Not really, M-Audio and Creative are the only ones that come to mind, and neither do it terribly well. I'd much rather have my processor handle it.

[QUOTE=openwheelracing]The whole point of having HDCP is to be able to watch Blueray/HD-DVD contents. If I can't output Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD, then I'll just continue to wait.[/QUOTE]

You can output DTHD or DTS-HD MA, just not over the HDMI cable, you have to use analog connections.

[jimwhite]

"Not really, M-Audio and Creative are the only ones that come to mind, and neither do it terribly well. I'd much rather have my processor handle it"

one man's opinion....

mine differs with reference to the X-Fi...

:cool:

[jazjon]

I'm not having very good results using Analog 5.1 direct outputs for basic MP3 listening, XviD TV watching. The bass never sounds quite right. I'm going to use regular old TosLink digital out for now until a REAL hd audio out solution becomes available for HTPC users. (hopefully some hdmi+hd audio out graphics/sound combo card)

[Ange Rizzo]

Hi,

I'm using the Sapphire X1600 pro HDMI

http://www.sapphiretech.com/ca/products/products_overview.php?gpid=145&grp=3

This thing has an SPDIF in so I can route audio from the sound card to the video card and then have both video and audio out through HDMI to my AV receiver.

This card is also HDCP compliant so it works seamlessly with my HDMI switching receiver.

Angelo

[jazjon]

Ok, so now that the new GeForce 8800 cards are out, which one is fanless / 0db / silent for HTPC cases?

http://news.google.com/news?q=GeForce+8800&hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-46,GGLG:en&sa=X&oi=news&ct=title

[Gary McCoy]

[QUOTE=jazjon]Ok, so now that the new GeForce 8800 cards are out, which one is fanless / 0db / silent for HTPC cases?

http://news.google.com/news?q=GeForce+8800&hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-46,GGLG:en&sa=X&oi=news&ct=title[/QUOTE]

You're kidding, right? This thing has 90 million transisters, runs memory at 1800Mhz, and has 128 simultaneous stream processors each running at 1.35Ghz. It sucks 75w from the slot it's in, and another 150w from a power supply connector, for a record heat output of 225w and fan noise like a mini cyclone.

They are suggesting 450w minimum supply for one card and 700w for an SLI configuration. The fansink on this one covers the whole card and is two slots thick, and the card itself is a record 28cm in length and requires a pretty large case. If there ever was a good candidate for water cooling, this is it.

Gary

[Naylia]

[QUOTE=Stereodude]Exactly... Hasn't anyone figured out that the 7600GT is the card to target at HTPC / Media Center PC applications? It supports all of the Purevideo features, and it seems obvious. But, strangely enough, we've yet to see a Fanless 7600GT with HDCP. :confused:[/QUOTE]

Everyone who agrees with this should email Gigabyte and encourage them to release a 7600GT fanless with HDCP support. I did so last month and they promised more HDCP models in the future, but it can only encourage them if multiple people email them requesting this particular card...only takes about 2 mintues...

[etcarroll]

[QUOTE=Naylia]Everyone who agrees with this should email Gigabyte and encourage them to release a 7600GT fanless with HDCP support. I did so last month and they promised more HDCP models in the future, but it can only encourage them if multiple people email them requesting this particular card...only takes about 2 mintues...[/QUOTE]


I agree with this, just installed a 7600GT and the 1080i football games were vastly superior to my ATI 9600xt. Even my wife commented on the improvement, and she only recently admitted that the work I put into the HTPC was worth the gain of viewing HD over SD. :rolleyes:

Naylia - got a link for feedback?

[sotti]

[QUOTE=jazjon]Ok, so now that the new GeForce 8800 cards are out, which one is fanless / 0db / silent for HTPC cases?

http://news.google.com/news?q=GeForce+8800&hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-46,GGLG:en&sa=X&oi=news&ct=title[/QUOTE]


None of the 8800s are fanless yet, sometimes top of the line cards can never be made silent, your best bet on that would be water cooling.

[jazjon]

[QUOTE=Naylia]Everyone who agrees with this should email Gigabyte and encourage them to release a 7600GT fanless with HDCP support. I did so last month and they promised more HDCP models in the future, but it can only encourage them if multiple people email them requesting this particular card...only takes about 2 mintues...[/QUOTE]

Does it need to be Gigabyte? ASUS has a fanless GeForce 7600GT with HDCP support. (works with HDMI via adapter too)
http://usa.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=2&l2=6&l3=271&model=1097&modelmenu=1

[QUOTE=Gary McCoy]You're kidding, right? This thing has 90 million transisters, runs memory at 1800Mhz, and has 128 simultaneous stream processors each running at 1.35Ghz. It sucks 75w from the slot it's in, and another 150w from a power supply connector, for a record heat output of 225w and fan noise like a mini cyclone.

They are suggesting 450w minimum supply for one card and 700w for an SLI configuration. The fansink on this one covers the whole card and is two slots thick, and the card itself is a record 28cm in length and requires a pretty large case. If there ever was a good candidate for water cooling, this is it.

Gary[/QUOTE]

Ok, well it doesnt have to be completely fanless, but if it's below 20'ish db that would be great. Water Cooled / Heat Pipe with a slow big fan would work too. I dont mind two slots as long as it's QUIET. (I dont want anything sticking out in my livingroom for noise) I see a few 8800 reviews but none of them talk about noise levels

[Gary McCoy]

[QUOTE=jazjon]-snip-

Ok, well it doesnt have to be completely fanless, but if it's below 20'ish db that would be great. Water Cooled / Heat Pipe with a slow big fan would work too. I dont mind two slots as long as it's QUIET. (I dont want anything sticking out in my livingroom for noise) I see a few 8800 reviews but none of them talk about noise levels[/QUOTE]

Take a deep breath and hold it until you can buy one of those!

:) ;) :p :D

Gary

[jazjon]

Ok, I guess I'll stick with my quiet 7600GT (http://usa.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=2&l2=6&l3=271&model=1097&modelmenu=1) card for now. It's not like Vista is stable enough to use yet anyway. (tried dozens of times since June) That's a whole new topic though.

[Gary McCoy]

[QUOTE=jazjon]Ok, I guess I'll stick with my quiet 7600GT (http://usa.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=2&l2=6&l3=271&model=1097&modelmenu=1) card for now. It's not like Vista is stable enough to use yet anyway. (tried dozens of times since June) That's a whole new topic though.[/QUOTE]

That silent 7600GT is NOT an HDCP-compliant card. The HDCP-compliant cards from ASUS are the ones with fansinks:
http://www.asus.com.tw/products4.aspx?l1=2&l2=6&l3=271&model=1175&modelmenu=1

Gary

[jazjon]

[QUOTE=Gary McCoy]That silent 7600GT is NOT an HDCP-compliant card. The HDCP-compliant cards from ASUS are the ones with fansinks:
http://www.asus.com.tw/products4.aspx?l1=2&l2=6&l3=271&model=1175&modelmenu=1

Gary[/QUOTE]

Are you sure? Various stores selling it say it's HDMI HDCP complient
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=EN7600GT+silent+HDMI&hl=en&lr=&sa=X&oi=froogle&ct=title
Maybe ASUS didnt get around to updating the marketing info on their site?
(or maybe the venders in the above link are posting false specs?)

I'll be upgrading to a new 8800 card as soon as someone reviews the noise levels on which one is quiet enough for HTPC livingrooms

But about the silent 7600GT again.........
I would think that at the very least it is HDMI ready though since I had a 6600GT card working via DVI to HDMI adapter Also, HDCP flags wont be enforced on released HDDVD/BluRay movies until 2012 from what I read. The new Xbox HDDVD drive doesnt have HDMI or HDCP for example. (but will still play at full res) Do you know of any examples where I would regret not having HDCP in 2007? I want to upgrade to the 8800 anyway so I guess it's not worth spending too much thought on it. (except for those learning / reading this now)

[Gary McCoy]

I examined a silent EN7600GT at the store and didn't buy it for two reasons. Firstly it did not have a real HDMI interface, it had two DVI ports with adapters for HDMI. If you use a DVI adapter you get video signals only, with no digital audio, since audio is not present on the DVI connector. Secondly the Sil1930 encryption chip was not implemented on the silent board as it was on the HDMI/DVI fansink version.

This is a pretty good reference for HDCP boards, most of which are DVI:
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1071342

It is possible that the web page is obsolete and that the newer ASUS boards all have the encryption chip and I saw older stock hardware, but Caveat Emptor, let the buyer beware.

My own interest in HDMI is just that looking forward I might be owning an HDMI switching receiver and standalone HDMI-connected components, and getting an HDMI board saves purchasing a new one.

Gary

[jazjon]

[QUOTE=Gary McCoy]I examined a silent EN7600GT at the store and didn't buy it for two reasons. Firstly it did not have a real HDMI interface, it had two DVI ports with adapters for HDMI. If you use a DVI adapter you get video signals only, with no digital audio, since audio is not present on the DVI connector. Secondly the Sil1930 encryption chip was not implemented on the silent board as it was on the HDMI/DVI fansink version.

This is a pretty good reference for HDCP boards, most of which are DVI:
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1071342

It is possible that the web page is obsolete and that the newer ASUS boards all have the encryption chip and I saw older stock hardware, but Caveat Emptor, let the buyer beware.

My own interest in HDMI is just that looking forward I might be owning an HDMI switching receiver and standalone HDMI-connected components, and getting an HDMI board saves purchasing a new one.

Gary[/QUOTE]

I just sent a tech support email to ASUS asking to confirm.
http://vip.asus.com/eservice/techserv.aspx
__________________________________
Is the *silent* version of your EN7600GT have the Sil1930 encryption chip to make it HDCP/HDMI complient? Your web site only lists the non-slient fan based 7600GT as being HDCP/HDMI complient. A couple venders show it for sale as being HDCP/HDMI complient but your main web site does not say. A few people in the forums say it is not either. Can you confirm?

Your site:

Silent one with no mention of HDCP
http://usa.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=2&l2=6&l3=271&model=1097&modelmenu=1

Fan one With HDCP:
http://www.asus.com.tw/products4.aspx?l1=2&l2=6&l3=271&model=1175&modelmenu=1


Form talking about it:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8849365#post8849365

froogle results, some show HDCP/HDMI (but is it correct?)
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=EN7600GT+silent+HDMI&hl=en&lr=&sa=X&oi=froogle&ct=title

I'm building a HTPC so I want it to be quiet, and connected via HDMI with HDCP ready.
__________________________________

hopefuly they clear things up

I posted in the ASUS forum too
http://vip.asus.com/forum/view.aspx?id=20061109061123453&board_id=9&model=EN7600+Series&page=1&SLanguage=en-us

[JKohn]

Also, HDCP flags wont be enforced on released HDDVD/BluRay movies until 2012 from what I read. The new Xbox HDDVD drive doesnt have HDMI or HDCP for example. (but will still play at full res) Do you know of any examples where I would regret not having HDCP in 2007? Everything I've heard says that DVI/HDMI connections have to be HDCP enabled for BR/HD DVD playback. The XBox360 gets around this by having component video connection, ie analog. There are flags that content producers can use to prevent full-resolution analog output, either by down-rezzing the analog outputs or disabling them altogether. These are probably the flags you're referring to and it will indeed be several years before they're implemented because of the huge number of XBox360 owners who would be pissed if they were enforced, not to mention all those consumers with HDTV's that only have analog inputs.

[archibael]

Jeff is right: you might be able to get HD disk video out on your analog (i.e. VGA) connections, but the "flags" for HDCP are already on. You won't get unencrypted DVI or HDMI unless it's an unprotected disk you've burned yourself. Perhaps not even then, if the player software is extra-paranoid.

[Gary McCoy]

Archibael is correct. The ICT (Image Constraint Token) for analog interfaces and the HDCP encryption between the DVI/HDMI source and the DVI/HDCP display are switched on by the flags set in the AACS (Advanced Access Content System). That is the more advanced equivalent of the CSS (Content Scrambling System) used on standard DVDs.

HD media can exist in scrambled or unscrambled form, with the ICT flag on or off. If you record OTA HD programming onto HD media, it would be in the clear, not scrambled. Movies could be released in unscrambled form but this is determined by the media, not the playback system.

Gary

[jazjon]

Well, hopefully the media released is all unscrambled or non ICT crippled until 2012 then.

I still want to make sure my HTPC is HDCP complient as new things roll out in 2007 though. I dont mind upgrading to the 8800 as needed, but hopefully asus will confirm if the silent 7600gt is HDCP complient or not. (based on mixed findings above)

[archibael]

Don't count on it being unscrambled, but you're probably in luck on ICT as supposedly the studios have an agreement with the Blu-ray and HD DVD folks to leave it turned off until next decade.

[jazjon]

[QUOTE=archibael]Don't count on it being unscrambled, but you're probably in luck on ICT as supposedly the studios have an agreement with the Blu-ray and HD DVD folks to leave it turned off until next decade.[/QUOTE]

That good news. I'm sure we will all have new complient hardware by then.

It looks like we have two recent threads going on about HDMI cards.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8850488#post8850488

[jazjon]

hmmm this silent 7950GT (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814150189) sounds nice. (HDCP complient too)

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8851275#post8851275

[dabl]

[QUOTE=jazjon]hmmm this silent 7950GT (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814150189) sounds nice. (HDCP complient too)

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8851275#post8851275[/QUOTE]

I thought so too, but according to more than one post I've seen, apparently it's probably too tall for most HTPC cases, which for me would be a show stopper assuming a Silverstone LC20 case.

This question/issue was asked/raised in this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=741552) (where my post references other/related posts) with no conclusive followups.

Even if it did fit, using this card doesn't come without a price since it reportedly gets quite hot and will likely otherwise require some air movement near/around it.

FOLLOWUP: just noticed in this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8842043&&#post8842043) you've ordered this card for use with a Silverstone LC18 case. Cool, I'd love to hear that it works! Please followup when you find out.

[dabl]

[QUOTE=etcarroll]...Naylia - got a link for feedback?[/QUOTE]

I used this link (http://ggts.gigabyte.com.tw/nontech.asp)

I too hope lots of people email Gigabyte asking for a GT version...

[cgmoore]

link to vendor site (http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=326057&prodlist=pricegrabber)

Card is freaking long. Doubt it would fit in my case. But it apparently only takes one slot now.

Gerald

[jazjon]

[QUOTE=dabl]I thought so too, but according to more than one post I've seen, apparently it's probably too tall for most HTPC cases, which for me would be a show stopper assuming a Silverstone LC20 case.

This question/issue was asked/raised in this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=741552) (where my post references other/related posts) with no conclusive followups.

Even if it did fit, using this card doesn't come without a price since it reportedly gets quite hot and will likely otherwise require some air movement near/around it.

FOLLOWUP: just noticed in this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8842043&&#post8842043) you've ordered this card for use with a Silverstone LC18 case. Cool, I'd love to hear that it works! Please followup when you find out.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the heads up. I thought the LC20 (http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-lc18.htm) was a fairly large full ATX sized case. Are you sure it's still too tall even for that? (ouch) I have the silent 7950 on order and it's due to show up on Monday. Can someone post the exact dimensions so I can measure without opening up the 7950 box? My LC18 case is due to show up tomorrow. Based on the photo alone, It looks plenty tall enough though. This isnt a mini/microATX case which would be an isse for sure.

http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/lc18/back-view/LC18.jpg

[cgmoore]

[QUOTE=openwheelracing]Unless the manufacturers somehow find a way to incorporate HDMI 1.3 onto their graphic cards, I find these HDMI cards useless.

The whole point of having HDCP is to be able to watch Blueray/HD-DVD contents. If I can't output Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD, then I'll just continue to wait.[/QUOTE]

Can you clarify what you mean? What is it about the 1.3 standard that makes non-compliance such a show stopper? Do none of the cards discussed meet that standard?

Gerald

[jazjon]

[QUOTE=cgmoore]link to vendor site (http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=326057&prodlist=pricegrabber)

Card is freaking long. Doubt it would fit in my case. But it apparently only takes one slot now.

Gerald[/QUOTE]

Wow, that's what I'm talking about, nice. GeForce 8800 and Water Cooled !

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/images/product/326057.jpg

"Redefine your gaming reality with the BFG Tech® GeForce® 8800 GTX 768MB Water Cooled PCI Express graphics card featuring the world’s first DirectX® 10 GPU and 8800 series water block. With PC enthusiasts in mind, BFG and Danger Den co-designed this custom water block to feature exceptional thermal performance in a single slot design that frees up valuable space for other add-in cards. This replaces the standard double slot 8800 GTX fan for those who currently own or will purchase a PC water cooling system. Each card will be hand-built by a trained BFG technician with Arctic Silver thermal compound and includes the fittings of your choice (1/4”, 3/8” or 1/2”) custom tailoring it to your water cooling needs. BFG Tech is proud to offer their True Lifetime Warranty and 24/7 Technical Support with this graphics card. "

I dont think I'm ready to invest in the whole water cooled external pump system though. I've read where they fail quite often. Do you think investing in a water cooling system is worth it? I'd like to hear more about them. My local Central Computer store has them in stock. I didnt buy a Core Duo 2 fan yet either. Maybe I should go for it? The card itself is a bit pricey to begin with though. I wonder if I would ever "need" the features of the 8800 in my HTPC though. I got the 7950 for half that price. The BFG 8800 shows out of stock anyway. I would be happy with a SEMI-silent version as well. (as long as it's not the loudest item in my livingroom) I could always return my 7950 if I'm sold on going all out!

[Mr Pink57]

For a 8800 your are going to need a PSU that has at LEAST 30amps on the rail. Not some junker PSU so watch out you guys. My Enermax Liberty 500w can only power one card.

And to the OP about also getting audio thru the card, look at the Nvidia Quadro series cards for something like that as they do have audio on them.

And to the guy above me, W/C systems dont fail a lot. You need to leak test them before you install it in your system though to make sure the tubes are sealed properly. And yes you may be able to use it in the future. The point of the card is its the new G80 technology and is for the new DX10.

pink

[jazjon]

[QUOTE=Mr Pink57]For a 8800 your are going to need a PSU that has at LEAST 30amps on the rail. Not some junker PSU so watch out you guys. My Enermax Liberty 500w can only power one card.

And to the OP about also getting audio thru the card, look at the Nvidia Quadro series cards for something like that as they do have audio on them.

And to the guy above me, W/C systems dont fail a lot. You need to leak test them before you install it in your system though to make sure the tubes are sealed properly. And yes you may be able to use it in the future. The point of the card is its the new G80 technology and is for the new DX10.

pink[/QUOTE]

Thanks, my water cool knowlege was based on some home grown project I read a long time ago. It sounds like the actual products for sale out there are reliable then. (nice)

I got the high quality SeaSonic M12 600w (should be plenty for just one)

Which company makes the best water cool pump system? I'd also need a Intel Core 2 Duo cooling system as well.

DX10 would be nice for home theater gaming/visualization effects for sure.

[cgmoore]

The only watercooling stuff I have experience with is the Zalman Reserator kit. It was pricey, but pretty much Gerald-proof. Some stuff I read about online had folks complaining about the pump impellers rattling after a time. I've had this one a year and it is still dead silent.

I used to have a ATI 9800Pro, but replaced it with an nVidia 7800GS (agp). You just cant find a waterblock for one of those. Guess not a big enough market. It's not ridiculously loud, but you do hear it at times.

At some point (probably pretty soon as there is smoke coming out of my wallet) I am going to build an Intel Core2Duo kit and this latest h-bomb is looking pretty sweet, even for the price. I game a lot, so even if the HTPC benefit is slim, I'll be taking advantage of it.

Windows Vista went gold today, and supposedly HP is going to sell an HD-DVDROM drive. The stars are finally aligning for HD-DVD on the HTPC?

Gerald

[jazjon]

The Zalman Reserator 1 V2 (http://www.techgage.com/article/zalman_reserator_1_v2_amp_fan_kit) seems nice. (supports Intel socket 775 Core 2 Duo now too)
That along with the 8800 water cooled card (http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=326057&prodlist=pricegrabber), would be DEAD silent !

[new04quest]

Anyone knows what is the best NVIDIA video card for HP Z545 DEC? The case is very compact. I want to upgrade it w/ a better set of video and audio card this coming holiday. Thanks.

[TYBZ]

[QUOTE=jazjon]The Zalman Reserator 1 V2 (http://www.techgage.com/article/zalman_reserator_1_v2_amp_fan_kit) seems nice. (supports Intel socket 775 Core 2 Duo now too)
That along with the 8800 water cooled card (http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=326057&prodlist=pricegrabber), would be DEAD silent ![/QUOTE]
You know jazjon, this is drawing me back to watercooling world, this seems like the easiest way to build a silent gaming machine, and it's not too pricey (not talking about the card, heh). And this is elegant enough to be place in the living room...

[jazjon]

Which water cooling system is worth trying?

Zalman Reserator 1 V2 (http://www.sharkacomputers.com/zare1v2siwac.html)

or

Dangerden (http://www.dangerden.com/news.php)

I found Dangerden (http://www.dangerden.com/news.php) from the BFG web site that talks about the water cooled BFG 8800 (http://www.bfgtech.com/8800GTX_768_PCIe_wc.html)

or another brand?

[chappy16775]

Why do we need HDMI cards? DVI is the same as HDMI but without the sound.

"noob" you say?

[JKohn]

[QUOTE=chappy16775]Why do we need HDMI cards? DVI is the same as HDMI but without the sound.

"noob" you say?[/QUOTE]Once there's a solution for passing encoded Dolby/DTS HD audio formats it might be more of an issue since that's likely to be the only way you'll have of passing those audio signals from a PC. Even somebody wanting to pass the decoded audio in PCM format will need HDCP since it's way too much bandwidth for SPDIF.

On the other hand if you're using analog outputs for the sound it's completely irrelevent.

[Schlotkins]

Does anyone have these cards? Can you set them to 1920x1080 24hz?

[cgmoore]

[QUOTE=jazjon]The Zalman Reserator 1 V2 (http://www.techgage.com/article/zalman_reserator_1_v2_amp_fan_kit) seems nice. (supports Intel socket 775 Core 2 Duo now too)
That along with the 8800 water cooled card (http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=326057&prodlist=pricegrabber), would be DEAD silent ![/QUOTE]

Well, except for your PSU fan(s). You will need a pretty stout PSU to fire this thing. All of the passive-cooled PSU's I've seen are only in the 300w range. You may still want to have some case fans if you passively cool your mobo chipsets and hard drives and RAM.

Once you start quieting noisy things down you start noticing other things, like the hard disk drives chattering.

If you sit far enough away, it is pretty much silent, though.