Author Topic: Best graphic card for 704?  (Read 5232 times)

soundsk

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 5
    • View Profile
Best graphic card for 704?
« on: January 01, 2008, 09:35:12 pm »
Hi

I currently have an ATI X300 PCI-X but am having some problems getting it connected to a standard CRT TV through RCA (composite).

So, i thought i'd make a small upgrade to the machine and give it a new graphics card... I've been looking around but still can't figure out which one to buy...

Would like your suggestions on a good graphics card to run LMCE with UI with alpha blending or at least overlay because currently with DVD install the only thing i can get working is the simple one, and even in the simplest mode it seems to have some problems...

It should be PCI-X.

Thank you for any suggestions!

Zaerc

  • Alumni
  • LinuxMCE God
  • *
  • Posts: 2256
  • Department of Redundancy Department.
    • View Profile
Re: Best graphic card for 704?
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2008, 03:47:37 am »
You can probably get UI2 (medium/masking/overlay) to work on that card if you upgrade the ATI drivers and configure them properly as described in the wiki (http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Display_Drivers).

Alternatively you could get a graphics card with for instance a nvidia 6200 chip on it.
"Change is inevitable. Progress is optional."
-- Anonymous


soundsk

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 5
    • View Profile
Re: Best graphic card for 704?
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2008, 10:45:45 am »
Hi,

Thanks for the link, i must say, the LMCE wiki is pretty big, i've been reading it for the past few days and still hadn't seen that particular page...

About the nvidia chipsets, i noticed the 6200 is listed as a working card, but can't i get a better one? Seeing as i'm spending the money, i'd like to actually make an improvement because the 6200, while cheap, is in the same range as the X300...

Would something along the line of a G8400GS or 8500GT work well? Or will this make things difficult with LMCE setup?

Thanks!

totallymaxed

  • LinuxMCE God
  • ****
  • Posts: 4660
  • Smart Home Consulting
    • View Profile
    • Dianemo - at home with technology
Re: Best graphic card for 704?
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2008, 11:37:42 am »
Hi,

Thanks for the link, i must say, the LMCE wiki is pretty big, i've been reading it for the past few days and still hadn't seen that particular page...

About the nvidia chipsets, i noticed the 6200 is listed as a working card, but can't i get a better one? Seeing as i'm spending the money, i'd like to actually make an improvement because the 6200, while cheap, is in the same range as the X300...

Would something along the line of a G8400GS or 8500GT work well? Or will this make things difficult with LMCE setup?

Thanks!

Hi there,

I would suggest not going for an apparently more powerful/higher spec card like the G8400GS or 8500GT. Those cards will not perform any better (in terms of LinuxMCE) than a 6100/6200 card and can cause problems with drivers (although that is less the case now). All of our products are based on onboard C51 (which is a 6150 class chip), on board 7050 or 6200 based PCIe cards. The key thing is to find a card that has the outputs you need - eg HDMI/DVI/Component etc
Andy Herron,
CHT Ltd

For Dianemo/LinuxMCE consulting advice;
@herron on Twitter, totallymaxed+inquiries@gmail.com via email or PM me here.

Get Dianemo-Rpi2 ARM Licenses http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=14026.0

Get RaspSqueeze-CEC or Raspbmc-CEC for Dianemo/LinuxMCE: http://wp.me/P4KgIc-5P

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dianemo-Home-Automation/226019387454465

http://www.dianemo.co.uk

cirion

  • Guru
  • ****
  • Posts: 353
    • View Profile
Re: Best graphic card for 704?
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2008, 12:38:13 pm »
I have one machine with a 6600GT card and one with a 8600GT.
The 6600GT card works straight from the DVD, no need for uppgrading drivers.
But the 8600GT card does not work well with the driver on the DVD.
Manually uppgrading the driver makes the 8600GT card work but I see no improvements when I compare it to the 6600GT card.

Linux does not support the Purevideo part of the 8600GT card so there is no less CPU usage. I hope that will change in the future...

soundsk

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 5
    • View Profile
Re: Best graphic card for 704?
« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2008, 01:31:10 pm »
Hi

Well, I've been looking around yesterday, but i can't find a 6200 PCIe anywhere, only AGP. Any other suggestions?

I guess i'll try the 8400... Will later post my experience with it...

Thanks!



totallymaxed

  • LinuxMCE God
  • ****
  • Posts: 4660
  • Smart Home Consulting
    • View Profile
    • Dianemo - at home with technology
Re: Best graphic card for 704?
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2008, 02:13:04 pm »
Hi

Well, I've been looking around yesterday, but i can't find a 6200 PCIe anywhere, only AGP. Any other suggestions?

I guess i'll try the 8400... Will later post my experience with it...

Thanks!




A 6200 AGP would be fine ;-)
Andy Herron,
CHT Ltd

For Dianemo/LinuxMCE consulting advice;
@herron on Twitter, totallymaxed+inquiries@gmail.com via email or PM me here.

Get Dianemo-Rpi2 ARM Licenses http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=14026.0

Get RaspSqueeze-CEC or Raspbmc-CEC for Dianemo/LinuxMCE: http://wp.me/P4KgIc-5P

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dianemo-Home-Automation/226019387454465

http://www.dianemo.co.uk

soundsk

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 5
    • View Profile
Re: Best graphic card for 704?
« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2008, 02:41:35 pm »
Hi,

Yes it would, but unfortunately my motherboard has no AGP slot, only PCIe...  :'(

epacheco

  • First post!
  • Posts: 1
    • View Profile
Re: Best graphic card for 704?
« Reply #8 on: January 15, 2008, 06:05:47 pm »
Hi I have been working on getting LMCE to install smothly with a 8400 GS card the dvd doesnt seem to have the proper drivers for it so it has to run in UI1. so what I'm trying to figure out is the install order to get the driver in before starting the setup GUI.  I think it should work once I get that straight.  I can get the driver installed via ENVY without a hitch, but how to have the setup GUI to see it is where I am at now.  Anyone else having luck with the 8400 GS card?

Greg

  • Regular Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 29
    • View Profile
Re: Best graphic card for 704?
« Reply #9 on: January 15, 2008, 06:19:11 pm »