Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphic & Displays > Graphics Cards > Advice on low profile PCI 1080HD graphics card

Advice on low profile PCI 1080HD graphics card

Forum Graphic & Displays : Graphics Cards - Advice on low profile PCI 1080HD graphics card

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!

Ask the community Add a reply

Bottom Search this thread

Folks,
Im trying to get a PC to play 1080 HD.

The spec is a P4 3.4, 2x500gb drives (mirrored raid), 4GB DDR2 memory (details here: http://www.ciao.co.uk/Fujitsu_Siem [...] 0__6559338 )

Currently it plays 720 fine but 1080 stuggles because it only has onboard graphics. I therefore guess the best solution is to get a graphics card that can do onboard HD decoding (almost all the new ones can now as I understand it).

However....

The PC can only take a low profile card, only has standard PCI (not agp and the PCI express cant be used for graphics) and only has a 250w power supply.

So...given the above criteria is there anything out there that could help me? Do they still do PCI graphics cards?

Cheers,
Jez.

Add a reply

You are going to have issues finder a card that is PCI,low pro, and doesn't require more than 250w. If you do they will be VERY overpriced. I'm guessing $100 as the cost maybe. I know there are some HD2400 cards like this one, but it requires a 270w PSU or more.
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspe [...] ia=4742161
There is an x1550 card as well
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814161074

------------------------------ Big Brother Rules with an Iron Fist
Reply to jay2tall

PCI, 1920x1080 resolution. You'll have to sacrifice a LOT of quality settings to play at that res, even with the most powerful PCI card out there (X1550, which is almost identical to the X1300Pro).

------------------------------ Lian-Li PC-7B | XClio Greatpower 550W | P4 3.2 Prescott SL7E5 | Scythe Ninja
2GB DDR400 Corsair VS (4*512) | eVGA nVidia GF 7600GS AGP vmod 1.46/1.91 OCd 759/907
WD 160GB & 640GB SATA
WinXP MCE 2004
Reply to KyleSTL

Actually I'd say the HD240 would be fine, it consumes less power than a GF6600 and likely that X1550 consumes more power too, which wouldn't require more than a 'GOOD' 250W power supply.

It's a Fujitsu and they are AWESOME *cough* no bias *COUGH*, but really it's likely a solid PSU like those that DELL and HP use that are slightly underrated and the 250W is not like some cheap $10 one at the computer depot.

I'd say it'll handle the HD2400, now whether or not that will impact you 1080 playback performance is another question. you have 2 problems, A) the HD2400, and X1600 and GF7600 and GF8400 sometimes can't playback 1080P even on a PCIe interface, whether or not the HD2400 PCI has the same restriction on acceleration as the other HDs over the AGP bus, you may receive no acceleration, and so it would be OK for gaming but little boost to stressful titles.

It will be better than onboard, but I wouldn't want to make any guarantees that it'll give you truly smooth playback for heavy bit-rates.

------------------------------ You need a license to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp (or internet account) - RED GREEN. GA to SK
HD Freedom: 45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
Reply to TheGreatGrapeApe

Is this also a low profile card?

I just bought today for my HP SlimLine

Reply to maverickek

Wow, I totally mis-read this before. I thought he was talking about GAMING at 1080, oops. Anyway ...

maverick, if you were intending to provide a link, you must have forgotten it. Otherwise, I don't understand the question. On a sidenote, nVidia partner Albatron is releasing a few Geforce 8000-series cards on the PCI interface with low-profile compatability (8400GS, 8500GT, 8600GT).

http://www.albatron.com.tw/English [...] ews_id=268

To adjust my advice (albeit months late) the HD 2400 is the best PCI card available on the market right now. As soon as the Albatrons come out they will supplant it, but I'd imagine the value won't be there as they're likely to be rediculously overpriced (especially considering the HD 2400 PCI can be had for $45 after MIR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814131082 )

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by KyleSTL on 07-10-2008 at 08:10:19 PM

Your HP slimline is probably a PCIe 16X equipped model like those I've seen.

With that you have alot more options.

Depending on what you're doing will determine what you want.

The most powerful option on NewEgg this HD2600XT;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814129105

IMO it would do a good job of tackling both games and HD content, more so than the HD2400 , GF8500/8400 and lesser options;

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] rchInDesc=

KyleSTL wrote :

To adjust my advice (albeit months late) the HD 2400 is the best PCI card available on the market right now. As soon as the Albatrons come out they will supplant it,

Yeah, I wouldn't say they all would, but the GF8600 will definitely do it, the GF8500GT will be better in some and weaker in others, and the 8400GS will usually be weaker all around.

But that 8600 will be a nice add on to some HTPCs that want a little more Oomph.

Message edited by TheGreatGrapeApe on 07-10-2008 at 08:15:46 PM

Ask the community Add a reply

Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphic & Displays > Graphics Cards > Advice on low profile PCI 1080HD graphics card

Go to:

Help |
Forum rules

There are 924 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Page generated in 0.497 seconds

Please mind

You are about to answer a thread that has been inactive for more than 6 months.
If you still wish to proceed, please ensure that your posting is original and does not duplicate or overlap any prior responses to this thread.

Add a reply Cancel

Focus On

Advice on low profile PCI 1080HD graphics card

Forum Graphic & Displays : Graphics Cards - Advice on low profile PCI 1080HD graphics card

Please mind