Video Card with HDMI for both HDTV and Gaming

DustRider

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Oct 10, 2006
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Hey all,
Ok, so I have an older computer that I'm pretty satisfied with. I don't game that much (but I would like to be able to play civ 5). My main reason for posting here is that I need a good but not too expensive video card that will allow me to connect my computer to my 55 inch rear projection sony sxrd tv. This is my main computer but it's also in the same room as my tv. I would like to be able to use my 20 inch monitor with my computer through a dvi connection when I'm using the computer, and I would to be able to switch it over to the hdmi output to watch hulu, mlb.tv, etc... through my tv.

I have read that some of the cards out there have some issues like temporary picture freezing, don't fill up the whole screen, or whose drivers have problems with Windows 7 64 bit. I'd prefer not to have to deal with that. I will be watching some shows that are in HD (mlb.tv for example shows the games in high def). I intend to purchase a ~25 foot hdmi cable to run from the computer to the tv. I would also like the ability to have support for more than one dvi output (I can get a dvi splitter) so that in the future I can hook up two monitors.

The HDMI connection must pass audio to the TV.

Finally, I'd prefer not to spend more then around $100-$150 for the card.

My specs are
Intel E6600 Core 2 Duo,
ASUS P5W DH motherboard,
4 gig memory,
Coolermaster RealPower 550W Power Supply model (RS-550-ACLY)
(http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=36)
Windows 7 64 bit.

Thanks!
 

opexx

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Jul 18, 2010
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Ok, the the most helpful thing I can tell you is that if you want a card that supports audio through hdmi, you're looking at an nvidia 4 series or higher. the cheapest one of those with hdmi is the gts 450 which is gonna cost about $130.
 

DustRider

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Thanks for the reply,
I was looking at the ATI 5770 or 58XX series. My understanding is they also pass audio. I don't have any real preference but I switched to ATI a while ago and I kind of like them :). But it doesn't really matter. I'm just want to make sure that I don't have any of the issues I noted above.

Thanks!
 

opexx

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close yes, but not for the high-end nvidia ones. they blow the 6970 away. i have 3 gtx 580's in sli, so until ATI makes cards that can match that, I'm not interested. That's all I was saying.
 

opexx

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scaling is just changing settings to make the resolution/image fit on the screen.

yes most 2.0 cards (not 2.1 as far as i know) are usable on 1.0. i ran a 2.0 card in a 1.0 slot for a couple years and it was fine. if 2.0 was, i suspect 2.1 would be.
 

we_san

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Nov 26, 2009
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@OP
Since you prefer hd5770 price range, then both GTS450 and HD5770 meet your requirements, choose whichever is cheaper. They trade blows in term of raw performance.

@apexx
I fail to see the relation between unmatched 3sli-ed 580s with OP's requirement. it just shows that you meet the term and condition of an Nvidiot (please differentiate nvidiots and nvidia users).
 

teaser

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why not get an hdmi splitter box and run one cable to the tv and then one to the pc,if your monitor only has dvi,then get a hdmi to dvi adapter end and use it on the hdmi cable going to the monitor,On my switch box I just push a button and it changes the source from one hdmi to the other hdmi...................after you get a new video card that is....this is how I switch from my 24 inch acer monitor to my 40 inch samsung tv......
 


Gonna drop my 2 cents here. The 5770 does have built in sound, but you have to make sure you make it the default audio device before running your programs for it to work. I would guess this would the same on all cards with built in audio. I never used the built in audio yet. And yes i do have a 5770(not too bad since it can game at mid settings for most games and is fairly quiet when not gaming) in my media center

As for the TRI SLI, yup(that has lots do do with this tread :) defending ones decisions online is funny.) unless you play metro 2033, the 3rd card does not scale all that well, you would have been better off with just the 2 for the most part(in both fps/watt and overall heat. but hey, you have it now, so more power to you).
 

chris2002rocklin

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Mar 20, 2011
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Then why answer threads that require knowledge you have no interest in? Your 3 cards and thousand dollars investment helps the OP how?


I look at all the specs when I buy. Brand loyalty is for stock purchase, not personal use choices.

 

chris2002rocklin

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You have to select the 5770 audio as default audio device if you want it to be the default audio device? What kind of crap is that? My OSX Tiger Lilly system reads minds!

Good thing I know how to set my default audio device...Triple SLI? Woohoo! Don't break your wrist! Typing with only 1 hand is danagerous!

 

chris2002rocklin

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"Not all TV scale 1920 x 1080"? Which ones? Is it maybe the ones that brag about 720P? Hmm.

What's different about that from any other LCD? Nothing. The only difference is that virtually all TVs are either 720 (and 1280 pixels wide) or 1080P (and 1920 pixels wide) Bcuz HDTV standards in the United States and many other regions are universally 16:9 so that listing the width is redundant. You simply infer width according to its expected.

If you want a 1920*1080 TV, all you have to do is choose --->>> 1080P


The only exceptions are, the rare TV ALSO sold as PC. For example, I just got a 1920 x 1200, which is advertised as 1080P BUT it also clearly states the PC resolution. It's 16:10. I want the extra room for the taskbar. The bottom line is taht unless it says explicitly to the contrary, you may reliably infer that a 720P HDTV is simply a 1280*720 LCD (or plasma, or hybrid LED/LCD) with the appropriate HD tuner, and a 1080P AKA "Full HD" is a 1920 * 1080 display with the HD tuner.


There is no explicit difference between flat panels used in computers versus HDTVs since the standards were issued. The past confusion came from the transition, and because computer displays using CRTs were once way higher quality than LCDs and HDTV. If CRTs were still around, what you would find is people crossbuying TV and Computer CRTs, because the TV would then have to be comparable to PC displays. Think of it this way...HDTV standards in the end (decades after they started trying to standardize) were taken from the common standards already achieved in computer displays. Just as before, you could always buy a 16:9 display for your PC, but it used to cost many thousands of dollars.

Ten years ago, every geek I ever met would salivate at the notion of a 20" widescreen LCD. Few could even consider it. Thanks to HDTV, manufacturers more than doubled the niche by unifying TVs and computers now easily borrowing technology from each other, allowed huge leaps forward in economy of scale. Rear projection and CRTs fell by the wayside as now virtually all displays are either 1080 compliant, or cheap. Soon 720 will be gone, but maybe not that soon. I think that by the time smaller TVs are gone (32" used to be considered large, now its practically the smallest you see that isn't compared to portables) and people start looking at 40' at a "decent" TV for the bedroom and 46 or larger for primary TV, those with good vision will appreciate the next bump up should be 1440P. Already the high-end Macintosh displays are darn close if not exactly 1440 (for computer display, I don't know about file standards as my highest as 1200 pixel high).


Don't taking it personally, I just am frustrated at the blind leading the blind. It's harmless to post your guesses, right? Maybe for a little while but when you start to aggregate all of the empty pontification, we have a real problem with finding correct answers on the web unless you already know them. EVERY topic that I master is flooded with wrong answers and guesses. This makes it easy for companies to charge for service because simply looking for yourself means that most of your search queries by question are going to return useless hits, reading all the other losers who don't know either.

It used to be that for every question published, you'd get some answers with it, but you have people answering with stupid answers, and this flood also makes it hard for others to avoid publishing their question all over again. It's exponential trouble.

At least some sites allow ranking the answer. I hope that catches on.







 

Its funny you flame on about misinformation, yet are your self saying that TVs all come at 1280(720p) wide yet almost ALL 720P/1080i TV's are 1366 wide(sure the video is 720x1280, but the tvs sure as hell are not). i guess you need to read up on your area of expertise(or mastering).

Time to call it off troll.