High-end video card

[korben_dallas]

Hi all,

I've been working my tail off recently puting in 50-60 hour weeks.

The upside is about an extra $500, which I would like to devote to buying a high-end video card. I'd like some suggestions, based on the following desired criteria

1. AGP
2. Quiet & dumps hot air out of the case
3. Component video

Ok so I know the ATI X850 XT PE is the only high-end card that fulfills all these requirements. It comes w/ a modded Arctic Cooling ATI Silencer, and many report success using the version 4 to make it even more cool & quiet.

But, I do play games (heavily into game modding especially), and so I'm worried about the lack of SM 3.0 in ATI hardware. The converse to that is no component video in the Nvidia 68xx hardware. Also, I've heard that the Nvidia cards are much harder to get the Arctic Cooling silencers to fit properly.

The upside to the Nvidia cards is SM 3.0 and per-pixel adaptive PureVideo. What I don't know is how its S-video out would compare with the X850's component out.

I'm outputing to a standard tv that has component inputs.

[something fishy]

No problems getting an arctic cooling cooler to fit on my (leadtek) 6800GT agp.

[Kanati]

the 7800GTX will probably come out in an AGP part... But I don't think they are planning on a component out. BUT you could always get a DVI->COMPONENT cable.....

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Kanati

BUT you could always get a DVI->COMPONENT cable.....

You can't do that without a transcoder.

[Crashless]

The BGF 7800GTX comes with a 'HDTV dongle':

http://hardocp.com/image.html?image=...8xNF9sLmpwZw==

BUT, it's not looking positive for an AGP part:

http://www.cooltechzone.com/index.ph...=1463&Itemid=0

[korben_dallas]

Originally Posted by something fishy

No problems getting an arctic cooling cooler to fit on my (leadtek) 6800GT agp.

Which one did you use? VGA Silencer or one of the specific Nvidia Silencer's?

[Kanati]

Here's a DVI to Component adapter stanger...

http://www.trianglecables.com/dvi-hdtv200.html

29 dollars too. Good price.

[something fishy]

It was specifically made for the 6800GT. The arctic cooling website indicates that its an NV Silencer 5.

Only problem was that I had to cut the power connector to fit the fan header on the VGA card. That works fine for me but I beleive that the preferred option is to run it off a zalman fanmate so you probably wouldn't have even to do that. I just got one for a Radeon 9700Pro which had a double connector for the fan, a small one that fits the radeon header perfectly and a normal sized one that will plug straight into a fanmate/mobo fan header.

[korben_dallas]

Originally Posted by something fishy

It was specifically made for the 6800GT. The arctic cooling website indicates that its an NV Silencer 5.

Only problem was that I had to cut the power connector to fit the fan header on the VGA card. That works fine for me but I beleive that the preferred option is to run it off a zalman fanmate so you probably wouldn't have even to do that. I just got one for a Radeon 9700Pro which had a double connector for the fan, a small one that fits the radeon header perfectly and a normal sized one that will plug straight into a fanmate/mobo fan header.

Are you familiar with the Zalman MFC1 fan controller?
http://www.zalmanusa.com/usa/product...idx=1&code=017

That's what I have controlling several fans & the CPU cooler. Would it work for the 6800GT fan header? Does the card needs to know the fan RPM's?

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by korben_dallas

Are you familiar with the Zalman MFC1 fan controller?
http://www.zalmanusa.com/usa/product...idx=1&code=017

Bah!

http://www.mcubed-tech.com/eng/

[Crashless]

Agreed! I spent about $40 on a similar controller to that Zalman, and have been VERY dissapointed. The mcubed is definitly the way to go if you want to spend ANY money on this kind of thing. Custom software graphs for fan speed are exactly what HTPCs need, none of that dial it up BS.

Mcubed gets it - get theirs.

[something fishy]

I don't think the nvidia card needs to know the fan rpms (which will be much much lower with the AC than with the little whizzer that preceded it) the fan connector is 2 pins only.

Eric