Setting up new barebone with MCE, need help with video cards?

staffanf

I havent been updated in the latest and greatest within viedo for a while and now I am setting up a new barebone system and I am planning on installing MCE, either XP or Vista.

I am planning on going with a Pentium CPU, atleast 1 Gb of memory and I am connecting it solely to a 42" Plasma TV, probably from panasonic(unless someone can convince me to buy somethgin else).

My deepest concern is what videocards to buy? I assume I need two videocards, one for 3D and one for TV input. My inbound connection is cable(Swedish Comhem).

What TV card should I buy? What are the differences between the cards?

What 3D card should I buy? Are there any conflicts between certain cards? Which card is it that I connect to my TV? I assume I want to connect using HDMI, can the two videocards speak to eachother without any problems?
I havent chosen between ATI or Nvidia yet, do any of them have any high performance cards with low noiselevel? If I can get one that doesnt sound like a jetengine I would be happy.

If anyone has any inputs, I would be happy.

Thanks,

Staffan

staffanf · **Please help me, simplifying! -** 05-09-2006, 09:02 | posts: 8

I guess y question is too complicated?
All I really want is a reccomendation on TV tuner cards(which I know nothing about) and a good 3D card in the $3-500 range. No idea really what the different TV tuner cards cost.

I am planing on buysing asap...

littledragon · 05-09-2006, 20:41 | posts: 151 | Location: Vancouver

I built one not too long ago, for tuners, any of the Hauppauge PVR cards is the way you want to go. The PVR-500 has dual tuners so you can watch one show and record another or record two shows at once. I myself had a PVR-250 in my PC that I moved to the MCE machine and purchased a PVR-150 to go along side it. For video cards, unless you plan to game on the thing, you don't need anything too fancy, I'm just using an nVidia FX5200 and it's more than enough. If you go with a high performance card, you can always change out the heatsink to quiet it down.

staffanf · **what I bought -** 05-10-2006, 07:12 | posts: 8

Thanks Little dragon for you tips,
I ended up buying a Sapphire Radeon X1900XTX, which they claim has HDTV out(but it looks like simple DVI out???), plus a Hauppauge PVR 500, so I guess that will do then.

I plan on doing some gaming on this machine, so I figured I would go with a slightly more fancy 3D card.

How do I change the heatsink on a graphicscard? Where can I get new ones?

Tnx

SniperDaws · 05-10-2006, 09:45 | posts: 2,567 | Location: UK

You get HDTV through DVI or HDMI the only diffrence is HDMI carries an audio signal aswell as a pic signal, DVI is pic only so you can use RCA ( Red and white) leads for your audio.

The Heatsink on the 1900XTX is supposed to be really good why do you want to change it?

Anyway this is the best cooler around so far http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/...x=192&code=013

staffanf · 05-10-2006, 10:28 | posts: 8

I really dont know if I want to change it, all I know is I want a quiet machine... What have your read about the heatsink on the X1900XTX?