Recommended upgrade *guide*

Ok so I have done plenty of homework on gaming graphic cards, but now this friend wants to use his PC to watch HD TV. Suggestions or any feed back on what is a good, all in wounder card?
Thanks.
 
It is going to be on a A8N-SLI board. Would like to game, and do HDTV or at least TV. Have cable and T1. Should I do a all in wonder, or two seperate cards? PCI-E or AGP?
Thanks.
 
Since it is an a8n-sli as the name indicates sli it has to be pci-e.

I would go for 2 seperate cards.

What is it you would wish to spend? Post all this information in a thread in the video card forum and let the rest of the group give you feed back and post the url to that thread here :).

~Adam
 
I think I am going to go with this card - ATI Radeon All-In-Wonder RADEON X800 XT Video Card, 256MB GDDR3, 256-Bit, DVI/VIVO, 8X AGP, Model "100-714200" - with a Asus A8V Deluxe (v. 2.0) K8T800 motherboard.

I hope this will be good for gaming and watching TV.
 
Why would you buy an SLI motherboard and get an ATI card that doesn't support SLI? Maybe you should check out the 6800gt vivo it support SLI and does HD and gaming almost as well.

~Adam
 
Asus A8V Deluxe (v. 2.0) K8T800
Instead of the SLi board.
The Asus A8V Deluxe (v. 2.0) K8T800 runs an AGP card.
 
Oh oh I'm sorry I missed that detail.

Ok, sounds good to me, though I don't like VIA much :).

~Adam
 
I love the 6600 GT card. Is what I am using in my PC. But the friend wants a PC that will do HD TV also. So...X800. I had to go with Asus A8V Deluxe (v. 2.0) K8T800 board (cheaper) to get him the X800. Why are computers not free?
 
All vivo cards do HDtv, I finally found it.

So get him whatever VIVO card you want to get him. I suggest a 6600gt if he doesn't game much and if he doesn't game at all a 9600xt would do him fine. If he games alot either an x800 xt as you have or a 6800gt. But you know where to go from there so go for it :).

~Adam
 
Sorry for the last updates this month, spring break kinda killed it for you guys the last week.

Next week it'll be done, hopefully.

~Adam
 
First half updated, second half will be done tommorow or the next day, I am a busy busy student :D.

~Adam
 
CleanSlate, thanks, great post... I agree with the 9800 Pro comment, it's a great card for the price!
 
x800xls can go in the under $350 PCI-E category now, even from newegg: http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Prod...&Category=0&minPrice=&maxPrice=&Go.x=0&Go.y=0
Pick which one you like best, and add it too the list! x800xls crush 6600gts, 6800nus, and are slightly faster than x800pros and 6800gts, for under $300. You seriously need to update your list, and before you ask if Im an ATI !!!!!!, look at the card I have in my sig ;)
 
I'm looking at getting parts and building my own setup for high school graduation present, and I was wondering if anybody could tell me whether running two SLI 6600 gts or running a single SLI 6800 gt would give me better performance
 
6800gt would be the way to go regardless of performance and even in performance it is better or equal to the 6600gt's.

And
x800xls can go in the under $350 PCI-E category now, even from newegg: http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Prod...=&Go.x=0&Go.y=0
Pick which one you like best, and add it too the list! x800xls crush 6600gts, 6800nus, and are slightly faster than x800pros and 6800gts, for under $300. You seriously need to update your list, and before you ask if Im an ATI !!!!!!, look at the card I have in my sig ;)
Click to expand...

Dude I haven't updated anything other than the first post, the second post isn't updated yet, dont worry it'll get there.

~Adam
 
CleanSlate said:
All vivo cards do HDtv, I finally found it.

So get him whatever VIVO card you want to get him. I suggest a 6600gt if he doesn't game much and if he doesn't game at all a 9600xt would do him fine. If he games alot either an x800 xt as you have or a 6800gt. But you know where to go from there so go for it :).

~Adam
Click to expand...

CleanSlate, I have to disagree here, NO current video card does HDTV, because no video card is equipped with an ATSC tuner, which is required to receive an HDTV broadcast signal. A pci tuner card such as ATI's HDTV wonder is required for this, and needs to be used WITH a video card that supports ATSC High Definition resolutions, which ANY modern video card can do.

Additionaly, VIVO cannot capture HD material, those connections are analog. HD signals are digital.
 
Live and learn, please give me some links so I can learn more about this as obviously I need to. Thanks :)

Edit: also there are versions of 6600gts that have HDTV support, I think I've seen them on newegg.

~Adam
 
Sure,

A great place to start is the AVS forums. www.avsforum.com. They have a forum dedicated to HTPC (Home Theater PCs) with tons of information on the subject.

When they (nvidia, ati) refer to HDTV support, they mean that they include a component video (red,green, and blue) dongle allowing you to connect the pc to an hdtv's component video inputs which is the most common type of hi resolution input on HDTV's but that in itself is not an HDTV source. You still need a capable tuner to watch High Definition TV broadcasts.
 
I apologize for the delays (yes multiple delays), quite soon the update shall come.

~Adam
 
Awesome thread! Going to get the bundle at the AMD tour and need to figure out which PCI-E card I want to put in....thanks!!
 
I doubt I'll be able to update next month because of summer school but if someone would like to do so please message me about scheduling it.

~Adam
 
good duide men..I will be sure to use it :)

Edit: I don't see the 7800Gtx in the guide?
 
And it's just my luck that I bought the X800 Pro for $283 dollars and then the X800XL drops in price.

~ Novensu
 
Brucee said:
good duide men..I will be sure to use it :)

Edit: I don't see the 7800Gtx in the guide?
Click to expand...

Well, if they are going to put it on the front page of hardocp.com, I think I'll have to update lol. One update coming up.

~Adam
 
Thanks for this guide but I suggest posting links to mod guides for the 6200, x800pro vivo, 6800NU, 9800se's (etc). This will help show their value compared to higher priced cards once they are modded. I'm thinking, is there a way for you to show an improved, OC'ed, hacked card's value compared to a higher priced card? EG: move it up into a higher category in italics or will it confuse people?
 
No, I think that is too much, it would all be theoretical anyhow and I'd have a bunch of mad noobs running after me with pitch forks.

~Adam
 
CleanSlate said:
No, I think that is too much, it would all be theoretical anyhow and I'd have a bunch of mad noobs running after me with pitch forks.

~Adam
Click to expand...

Hahaha. Forked n00bs.
 
Maybe I missed something here... why have the 9600 pro as the best AGP card in the sub-$112.00 range, when I've been seeing 9800 pros for $99 on a regular basis now? Even some refurbs at Newegg for $88!
 
Yes , I think looking at the dates on those posts will tell you.Prices have dropped since he began the thread and IT may be time to update
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top