passive card, not sure what i need

They make noise, too.

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g5604
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2005 2:45 am

passive card, not sure what i need

Post by g5604 » Sun Sep 13, 2009 2:25 am

Hi,

I am looking for a new fanless graphics card. I currently have a 6600GT 128MB which I'm happy with, but its AGP and I am doing a new system build...

I don`t play games, but I do run two monitors at 1920x1200. So basically what's the cheapest passively cooled card, I can get away with?

many thanks,
Gareth

boost
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Post by boost » Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:28 am

If you don't need much power for 3D apps, a Radeon 4670 with a passive cooler would be a good pick. The one from HIS has 2 DVI ports, Sparkle has one with one DVI and one HDMI port. If your second monitor has DVI port you need a HDMI to DVI cable. These cards are ~80€, don't need a lot of power and can be cooled passively no problem. If you want to save 30 bucks you can get a passively cooled Radeon 4650 for ~50€. Cheaper cards don't always have two digital outputs.
There are passively cooled cards with Nvidia chips that have two digital outputs, but they are either based on old chips or run too hot, I wouldn't recommend them.

Shivansps2
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Post by Shivansps2 » Sun Sep 13, 2009 5:22 am

If you dont play games you could even pick up an HD4350... there is no need for more.

BTW, you need two digital outs?

Something like this will do.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814102828

g5604
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Post by g5604 » Sun Sep 13, 2009 5:58 am

thanks guys! much cheaper than i thought!

One monitor is dvi, the other hdmi/dvi

g5604
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Post by g5604 » Sun Sep 13, 2009 6:47 am

think i am going to go for this: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/161559

audiojar
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Post by audiojar » Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:27 am

If you don't play games just get a MB with onboard video. Most have dual DVI or DVI and HDMI. Any modern MB can handle any 2D graphics just fine.

I'm not sure what it is, misconceptions about modern integrated graphics or marketing that tries to get everyone to buy an expensive card, but a lot people go way overboard in this area. I've even seen people that have a fancy card but are unknowingly using their onboard video and they talk about how awesome their card is, ha.

g5604
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Post by g5604 » Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:38 am

really? wow, even for play HD movies?

I'm struggling to work out which mobo i need so maybe an extra £35 will help.

Shivansps2
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Post by Shivansps2 » Sun Sep 13, 2009 8:38 am

not you cant...

Well it depends of witch platform you are going... while any modern onboard video (GMA X4500HD, 780G, 785G, 8200, 8300, 9300, 9400) can play HD movies just fine(all of these support Hardware decode for HD stuff), there is no a IGP that can support two digital outs at the same time... so we have a MB with VGA, HDMI and DVI outs... but you cant use DVI and HDMI at the same time... just VGA and DVI or HDMI.

This is why you WILL need to buy a cheaper card for having two digital outs.

ive see some MBs with only HDMI and DVI outs... but i have no idea if those can support using both at the same time.

audiojar
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Post by audiojar » Sun Sep 13, 2009 11:36 am

I swear I've seen MBs with dual DVI, I'll have to do some research.

incorrect
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Post by incorrect » Sun Sep 13, 2009 12:07 pm

well i'll be, here's a dual-dvi motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813121357

says it's dvi-i and dvi-d, so both output digital. i'd check the manual first to make sure, but it seems to be able to do the job. and it supports hd acceleration thanks to the g45-level graphics.

Shivansps2
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Post by Shivansps2 » Sun Sep 13, 2009 11:16 pm

incorrect wrote:well i'll be, here's a dual-dvi motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813121357

says it's dvi-i and dvi-d, so both output digital. i'd check the manual first to make sure, but it seems to be able to do the job. and it supports hd acceleration thanks to the g45-level graphics.
Sure, if it has dual DVI it must support dual digital out, thats for sure.

My doub was if it has DVI+HDMI ONLY. I suppose it can too.

BTW, that MB does not do HD decode, it has a GMA X4500, the one that do HD decode is the GMA X4500HD.

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