5450 or 4650 I have no idea

[kellyctv]

I'm converting an old alienware workstation into a htpc and I'm trying to figure out which graphics card to buy. I've curently got a quadro fx 1700 that's from 2006, and when I stream tv or movies to my 42" lcd it's not always smooth. I was thinking about buying the Radeon hd 5450 or the 4650 but the more I look into them the more I realize I don’t know what to look for in a card. Any suggestions would be appreciated, also I'm interested in learning about graphics cards, but I'm having trouble finding a breakdown of what to look for in a card, anyone know of a good place to start?


Thanks.

 

[nforce4max]

For just HTPC then go for a 5450 and most are passive but they do get scolding hot when handled. For just streaming it is enough but be sure to have your codecs lined up along with right up to date drivers or the best one as the forums go for your card. For gaming the 4650 will be the better choice due to raw power unless you want to consider a 5550 instead. I know strange name for a card.

 

[Helltech]

What are your needs? Only for streaming movies?

 

[kellyctv]

Only for netflix and hulu or playing dvd's. I may put in a blue ray player eventually. No gaming.

 

[kellyctv]

If i go with the 5450, would i be better off with a 512 mb version or a 1 gb?

 

[linh6496]

512mb

 

[jaguarskx]

The HD 5450 is good enough for DVD and Blu-Ray. The HD 5570 offers a little better video quality, but costs a little more money.

512MB of RAM is enough. The much faster HD 5670 cannot even effectively use 1GB.

 

[kellyctv]

Best answer selected by kellyctv.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey