Survey: What Graphics Chip is Working for You?

[alx9r]

For those in a hurry, please just answer the questions in bold below.

Hello all,
Anyone who has a working LinuxMCE Media Director, please take the time to answer this survey.  Based on what is in the forums and wiki, it is difficult to select a good linuxmce motherboard.  Narrowing down known-working graphics chips will help a lot in the selection of a motherboard.  At least one of the most recommended and most documented graphics chips (the GeForce 6150 used in the video) is now out-of-production.

Main Survey Questions:

1. What graphics chip is working for you? (if you don't know but know your motherboard model, just put that down)

2. What is the highest definition video that you are successfully playing with this chip?

3. Are you using UI2 with masking or UI2 with alpha blending?

4. What version of LinuxMCE are you using?


Optional Survey Questions:
5. Is your graphics chip on the motherboard or a separate graphics card?

6. What model of motherboard or graphics card are you using?

7. Did you have to perform any special installation steps to get your graphics chip working for you?

8. Is there anything else that you think others should know about your graphics chip?



Thanks for your input.  If I get enough feedback, I will compile this into a nice wiki topic.

Cheers,

Alex

[alx9r]

I guess I should include my experience in this survey:

1. Graphics Chip: nVidia GeForce 6150
2. Highest Def: 1080p playback works great!
3. Using UI2 with Masking
4. LinuxMCE Version: 0710RC1 (I used the AMD64 DVD to install)

5/6. Chip is onboard the ASUS M2NPV-VM motherboard.
7. Special installation step: In the bios, i set "Advanced->Chipset->frame buffer size" to 128MB RAM.
8. Chip is now out of production.  UI2 with alpha-blending causes tearing on video playback, use masking instead.

[totallymaxed]

I guess I should include my experience in this survey:

1. Graphics Chip: nVidia GeForce 6150
2. Highest Def: 1080p playback works great!
3. Using UI2 with Masking
4. LinuxMCE Version: 0710RC1 (I used the AMD64 DVD to install)

5/6. Chip is onboard the ASUS M2NPV-VM motherboard.
7. Special installation step: In the bios, i set "Advanced->Chipset->frame buffer size" to 128MB RAM.
8. Chip is now out of production.  UI2 with alpha-blending causes tearing on video playback, use masking instead.

Hmmm... well 'out of production' is probably a little over-stated. There are plenty of 6150 class MB's still available stand alone and there are still a number of packaged products too. So I think you will see this chipset around for a little while yet.

Andrew

[totallymaxed]

For those in a hurry, please just answer the questions in bold below.
Main Survey Questions:

1. What graphics chip is working for you? (if you don't know but know your motherboard model, just put that down)
On-board; 6100, 6150 (still available as far as I know), 7050, 8200 On card: 6200TC, 7300LE, 7600

2. What is the highest definition video that you are successfully playing with this chip?
6100 = 1080i (dvi) 6150 = 1080P (DVI/HDMI), 1080i (Component) 7050 = 1080P (HDMI), 1080i (Component), 6200TC, 7300LE, 7600 = 1080P (HDMI), 7600 = 1080P (Component)

3. Are you using UI2 with masking or UI2 with alpha blending?
UI2 + Masking

4. What version of LinuxMCE are you using?
LinuxMCE-0710 Release



Optional Survey Questions:
5. Is your graphics chip on the motherboard or a separate graphics card?
Both

6. What model of motherboard or graphics card are you using?
See above

7. Did you have to perform any special installation steps to get your graphics chip working for you?
Not usually

8. Is there anything else that you think others should know about your graphics chip?



Thanks for your input.  If I get enough feedback, I will compile this into a nice wiki topic.

Cheers,

Alex

[totallymaxed]

For those in a hurry, please just answer the questions in bold below.

Hello all,
Anyone who has a working LinuxMCE Media Director, please take the time to answer this survey.  Based on what is in the forums and wiki, it is difficult to select a good linuxmce motherboard.  Narrowing down known-working graphics chips will help a lot in the selection of a motherboard.  At least one of the most recommended and most documented graphics chips (the GeForce 6150 used in the video) is now out-of-production.

Main Survey Questions:

1. What graphics chip is working for you? (if you don't know but know your motherboard model, just put that down)

2. What is the highest definition video that you are successfully playing with this chip?

3. Are you using UI2 with masking or UI2 with alpha blending?

4. What version of LinuxMCE are you using?


Optional Survey Questions:
5. Is your graphics chip on the motherboard or a separate graphics card?

6. What model of motherboard or graphics card are you using?

7. Did you have to perform any special installation steps to get your graphics chip working for you?

8. Is there anything else that you think others should know about your graphics chip?



Thanks for your input.  If I get enough feedback, I will compile this into a nice wiki topic.

Cheers,

Alex

I filled in the survey... but really this info would be better captured on the Wiki ;-)

Andrew

[alx9r]

Hi Andrew,
Thanks for all of the info.  Did all of the cards you listed work without any special installation steps?  If so, that's great news.

Hmmm... well 'out of production' is probably a little over-stated. There are plenty of 6150 class MB's still available stand alone and there are still a number of packaged products too. So I think you will see this chipset around for a little while yet.

I'll admit that 'out of production' might be an overstatement for the 6150.  In Canada at least though, it's not that easy to get your hands on a suitable 6150 motherboard.  I just did a quick search of two of the most popular end-user suppliers in Canada (ncix and tigerdirect).  There is only one model of motherboard with the 6150 onboard in stock at those suppliers.  That is the BIOSTAR MCP6P-M2 which doesn't have DVI or HDMI out.  Newegg in the USA only has only that BIOSTAR and a server-class mobo also without DVI or HDMI. 

What 6150 motherboards are you still able to get easily in the UK?

I agree that there are still a lot of packaged PCs containing the 6150, but for me at least it doesn't make sense to buy a whole pc just so I can cannibalize the motherboard.

I filled in the survey... but really this info would be better captured on the Wiki ;-)

I'm a bit confused by this last post Andrew.  In my original post, I said I would create a wiki topic if I got enough responses to warrant one.  Are you suggesting that I should have conducted the survey on the wiki or are you just re-iterating that the results should eventually be posted there?

Thanks again for your sharing your experience -- it goes a long way to helping newbies like me select appropriate hardware.

Regards,

Alex

[totallymaxed]

Hi Andrew,
Thanks for all of the info.  Did all of the cards you listed work without any special installation steps?  If so, that's great news.

Hmmm... well 'out of production' is probably a little over-stated. There are plenty of 6150 class MB's still available stand alone and there are still a number of packaged products too. So I think you will see this chipset around for a little while yet.

I'll admit that 'out of production' might be an overstatement for the 6150.  In Canada at least though, it's not that easy to get your hands on a suitable 6150 motherboard.  I just did a quick search of two of the most popular end-user suppliers in Canada (ncix and tigerdirect).  There is only one model of motherboard with the 6150 onboard in stock at those suppliers.  That is the BIOSTAR MCP6P-M2 which doesn't have DVI or HDMI out.  Newegg in the USA only has only that BIOSTAR and a server-class mobo also without DVI or HDMI. 

What 6150 motherboards are you still able to get easily in the UK?

I agree that there are still a lot of packaged PCs containing the 6150, but for me at least it doesn't make sense to buy a whole pc just so I can cannibalize the motherboard.

I filled in the survey... but really this info would be better captured on the Wiki ;-)

I'm a bit confused by this last post Andrew.  In my original post, I said I would create a wiki topic if I got enough responses to warrant one.  Are you suggesting that I should have conducted the survey on the wiki or are you just re-iterating that the results should eventually be posted there?

Thanks again for your sharing your experience -- it goes a long way to helping newbies like me select appropriate hardware.

Regards,

Alex

Hi Alex,

Well here is just one UK supplier with 6150 motherboards in stock; http://www.dealtime.co.uk/xPP-motherboards--chipset_nvidia_geforce_6150

My point on the survey was that really we need to encourage forum users to add there own content to the Wiki. Point them at a Wiki page with a nice clean format and have them add there experiences there. The problem with the forum for this kind of thing is that this information will get 'lost' (ie not easy or obvious to find) here pretty quickly.

Anyway its a detail... at least your getting to conversation going and thats even more important!

All the best

Andrew

[Zaerc]

1. geforce 6200
2. 1024x768 (haven't really tried higher yet)
3. UI2 alpha blending
4. 0710 RC1

5. PCIe-16 add on card
6. ASUS EN6200TC512
7. No.
8. Haven't seen any tearing (at this resolution).

[colinjones]

1. nVidia 630a/7050PV chipset (Abit AN-M2HD)
2. 1080p
3. UI2 masking
4. 0710 Release

5. Integrated
6. Abit AN-M2HD
7. Sometimes some fine tuning in the xorg.conf file (UseEDID - true; UseEDIDDPI - false; etc) related to my TV
8. My video is quiet jerky on all sources and all resolutions/UIs - although this does not seem to be the typical experience with this mobo, probably some hardware issue with mine only.

[alx9r]

Andrew,
I think I buried my own question in my last post.  I really would like to know if all the cards you listed worked without any special installation steps.

Cheers,

Alex

[totallymaxed]

Andrew,
I think I buried my own question in my last post.  I really would like to know if all the cards you listed worked without any special installation steps.

Cheers,

Alex

yes they did

[LegoGT]

Main Survey Questions:

1. What graphics chip is working for you? (if you don't know but know your motherboard model, just put that down)
nVidia GeForce 8600GTS (Tried and returned 8500 and 8800 -- both working, somewhat)

2. What is the highest definition video that you are successfully playing with this chip?
1080p (VGA); 1080i (Component); can't get DVI->HDMI to generate anything other than 640x480

3. Are you using UI2 with masking or UI2 with alpha blending?
UI2 with masking. I get the same tearing problem with alpha blending -- even with a Quad Core OC'd to 3GHz.

4. What version of LinuxMCE are you using?
7.10 RC2


Optional Survey Questions:
5. Is your graphics chip on the motherboard or a separate graphics card?
Separate

6. What model of motherboard or graphics card are you using?
XFX nForce 680i LT

7. Did you have to perform any special installation steps to get your graphics chip working for you?
Just some minor tweaking of xorg.conf to work with my Westinghouse (TX-42F430S). Never worked above 1280x1024 "out of the box" until 7.10 RC1. For B4 and below I would have to choose a lower res then overwrite all the xorg* style files (via SSH) and reboot.

8. Is there anything else that you think others should know about your graphics chip?
I will be forever grateful to anyone who can figure out the nVidia tearing issue. I've spent many a caffeine fueled night trying to fix it... and still failing miserably!

[Friesian]

1. EVGA 7800GTX

2. 1080p

3. alpha blending

4. 7.10rc amd64

5. separate

6. Asus P6t deluxe,  Asus a8n32-sli-deluxe - both with 7800GTX's

7. No.

8. No alphablend tearing with core i7 920/asus p6t deluxe,  asus a8n-sli-deluxe does tear some but is still watchable.

[spic0m]

Not a new system but that's what i have.

1.  Nvidia 6600 (used also 7600 and working fine)
2. 1024x768 (not tried more)
3. UI2 with alpha blending
4.  7.10 rc2 DVD installation
5. separate
6. both Albatron
7. no

8. Don't know if we talk about the same problem but when first time watched livetv i had the picture cut in stripes, by lowering the recording contrast from 50% to 40% worked for me.

[ivanp]

1. What graphics chip is working for you? (if you don't know but know your motherboard model, just put that down)
nforce 6150 (Asus M2nPV-vm motherboard

2. What is the highest definition video that you are successfully playing with this chip?
720p, dint bother to try more

3. Are you using UI2 with masking or UI2 with alpha blending?
Tryied both but since there is tearing with alpha blending i am stick to masking

4. What version of LinuxMCE are you using?
710 RC2

Optional Survey Questions:
5. Is your graphics chip on the motherboard or a separate graphics card?
On motherboard

6. What model of motherboard or graphics card are you using?
Asus M2NPV-VM

7. Did you have to perform any special installation steps to get your graphics chip working for you?
Had to manually enter nvidia instead of vesa in xorg.conf file

8. Is there anything else that you think others should know about your graphics chip?
Nothing special it works better over DVI, fonts in KDE are much more readable.