Best video card for HD playback...

[The_Dude78]

I'm looking to upgrade my onboard graphics to a video card with an hdmi port. I need a card that has an hdmi port that carries both sound/video through the one cable. It will be used to playback 720p/1080p .mkv/h.264 HD files and streaming 720p video. I want it to playback smooth, full quality with no stuttering. Could someone recommend the best card for this situation? I will also be upgrading the PSU, so power will not be an issue...I just want the best HD playback with no lag/stuttering/scanning issues. Also will use for light video editing.

Here's my mobo/system specs in case that helps:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00880850&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

 

[OvrClkr]

Is your PC stock or have you upgraded any hardware to it?

 

[obsidian86]

how bout a different approach to this a new motherboard with a good intergrated graphics with an hmdi port an leaves the option of multiple upgrades in future ? interested http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128395
just add faster ram an reuse your cpu an everything else but you gona upgrade your psu

 

[OvrClkr]

he has an HP, its just like a Dell... a new mobo is out of the question.... unless he is willing to do some mods to the mobo tray.....

but a new mobo would be a sweet idea...... [:jaydeejohn:5]

 

[obsidian86]

thought the 'mainstream' pc makers came to thier senses and started using standard hardware ,if not just get a 4670 should be plenty for your needs

 

[coozie7]

Any of the 'low end' cards with the correct outputs will do the job well, they all support hardware decode. I have been told the ATI cards have the edge in performance and quality.
Look to the HD4550 from ATI or 9400 from Nvidia. For a little more clout the HD4650 or 9500 is better. Do not bother with 1 Gb cards. Those with even more performance are really for gaming and more than you need.

 

[OvrClkr]

Naaaa, they would lose money if they used standard hardware.... that is the main reason why they have their own little wacky way of mobo placements... this way when it is time to upgrade you end up having to buy a whole new tower.... the DELL and HP's that have full standard hardware are the High-End systems....

 

[OvrClkr]

In order for the card to carry both sound and video, you need to make sure the card can connect to your spdif header/(or motherboard), meaning the card itself has to have an audio header that is connected to the mobo... if not you will only have Video and the sound will come from the PC speakers....

 

[obsidian86]

like the xps 725 wich costs $6000 round here

 

[OvrClkr]

daym..... that is ridiculous.....

Where are you located at?

 

[obsidian86]

south africa

 

[OvrClkr]

south africa

Nice.....

But that is no excuse for US companies to screw you guys like Dell is doing.... Where do you get your hardware from? Do you have like a local store or do you purchase from the net?

 

[obsidian86]

we got a few e tailers round and a few chian stores (matrix,incredible corruption*cough*meant connection) but i buy from an indoor market for extras they tend to get asian imports

 

[OvrClkr]

I use a GTX 260 with the HDMI adapter to carry the sound and video to my LCD TV.....

 

[The_Dude78]

Thanks for the suggestions, I originally thought about building a whole new machine, I don't think putting it together would be a problem, but I'm not really familiar with installing & setting up bios/drivers/other stuff to get it running. So, for now, I was just going to try an upgrade. I would like the card to be rather quiet and now that I think about it, sound through hdmi cable is not important.

Would one of these do the trick, which do you think is better? I probably wouldn't even have to upgrade my PSU, since both run around 300w.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102819
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121293

Any other suggestions are welcome!

 

[OvrClkr]

The 4550 looks like a good choice but make sure you have enough Ram to keep up with the 1080p playback......

Does the card HAVE to be low-profile or are you trying to save money?

 

[The_Dude78]

I guess it doesn't have to be. I just found a good media player last night, it plays back 720p content very smoothly and skips to parts without freezing the program. So, I guess if I can get away with the 4550 without having to upgrade my psu, it's worth it. All I really need is that HDMI connection.

Also, could you verify the 4550 would be compatible with my system, I'm not sure if the 64-bit GDDR3 on the card is compatible - or if that even matters?

 

[OvrClkr]

The 4550 is a low-pro card, meaning you do not have to upgrade your PSU....the power requirements for that card are very low compared to other cards in that price range.....

64-bit of DDR3 will work fine on your system, but it is on the low-end....

 

[amnotanoobie]

I guess it doesn't have to be. I just found a good media player last night, it plays back 720p content very smoothly and skips to parts without freezing the program. So, I guess if I can get away with the 4550 without having to upgrade my psu, it's worth it. All I really need is that HDMI connection.

Also, could you verify the 4550 would be compatible with my system, I'm not sure if the 64-bit GDDR3 on the card is compatible - or if that even matters?

Nope, the video ram doesn't matter. As long as you have a PCI-E x16 slot you're pretty much good to go.