ASUS EN8500GT SILENT MAGIC/HTP/512M: Anybody Have It?

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1gkar

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Ultimate Geek

#20476 27-Mar-2008 21:51

Hi,

I'm looking to upgrade my HTPC in preparation for Freeview DVB-T. Does anyone have the titled card in their HTPC? Specifically, an MCE2005 machine?

Are there any issues with the card? Thanks.

Silverstone LC14 HTPC Case/Intel E4600 CPU/GA-EP35-DS3 MOBO/Asus EN9500GT graphics/2GB RAM/total 2TB HDD space/HVR-2200 & 2X 150MCE tuner cards/LG GGC-H20L BD Drive/MCE2005/Mediaportal/TVServer 1.1.0Final/LG 55"3D LED-TV/Denon AVR-1803 receiver/X1 projector

sbiddle

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#119216 27-Mar-2008 22:57

I've got one. They work great.

eXDee

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#119225 27-Mar-2008 23:23

at around $100 they look like the perfect card if they do hardware acceleration as well as you say they do. If only my mobo had PCI-E...
(anyone got a spare $350 for new cpu, gfx, ram and mobo? :P)

Also apparently the 8400 also has hardware acceleration? If that works okay $60 is even better if its for htpc only.

1gkar

722 posts

Ultimate Geek

#119379 28-Mar-2008 17:48

sbiddle:
I've got one. They work great.

Are you running XP (MCE2005)? Or Vista?

If MCE2005, what drivers are you using? The ones straight off disc, or updated from Asus? Thanks.

Vorbis

176 posts

Master Geek

#119386 28-Mar-2008 18:20

I have this card also, works great at a good price.
I always use the drivers from nvidia.com, rather than the card manufacturer.

1gkar

722 posts

Ultimate Geek

#119432 28-Mar-2008 21:46

Passing QMB today & purchased it. Instant buyers remorse: should I have got the en8600GT with the twin DVIs for when I upgrade to an LCD & 1080p projector

Oh well, will install tomorrow. Am downloading Forceware drivers from Guru3D at moment. Ver.171.23 beta_WinXP_32bit. Just a guess. Hope these ones work well.

Will be interesting to see if the've fixed the aspect ratio bug in clone mode: probably not. Not a biggie. Just set it up as a single display using ctrl+D hotkey.

sbiddle

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#119463 29-Mar-2008 01:30

I'm using the latest WHQL drivers off nvidia.com which from memory are from Dec 07

My PVR runs Vista Ultimate

Lenovo

Shop now for Lenovo laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

1gkar

722 posts

Ultimate Geek

#119637 30-Mar-2008 07:30

started to do upgrade & struck following: bugger!!!!

I went to upgrade my video card from an MSI NX6600Le to Asus EN8500GT Silent/* 512 today. Here was my procedure:

1) uninstalled video card Nvidia drivers
2) replaced card with new model
3) booted up but no video signal
4) reinstalled original card & booted up fine
5) reinstalled new card: same issue
6) refit original card again but now no video signal with this card

I then started getting constant reboots using case switch; had to turn off at PSU. All chassis, CPU, PSU fans working. HDD drives spinning up. Upon firat boot in (6) it booted up to full login as I heard my startup audio -no video. I tried clearing CMOS but then unable to boot up as probably booting into CMOS.

I removed the mobo from the case, setup on a cardboard platform, connected PSU & video card with connection to CRT TV composite, then VGA to projector. When I first turned on the PSU it began booting instantly without bridging the power terminals. Still no video.

What now! Thanks. Could the mobo somehow be shorted as I heard a slight crack (no worse than has happened on various boards I have worked in the past) when completing (5)? I believe the constant reboots were present before the crack; I think.

Here is my config:

AMD643000+ CPU (not O/Ced)
Zalman 7000B-ALCu CPU cooler
MSI K8N NEO4-F mobo 22/6/06 1D BIOS
MSINX6600LE video card
2X Hauppauge 150MCE tuner cards
Winfast TV2000XP Deluxe tuner card (no drivers installed)
1GB DDR400 Ram
1X SATA 500GB HDD-3X partitions incl. 16GB boot
1X SATA 110 HDD -single partition for TV records
1X SATA 160GB HDD -2X partitions
Silverstone SST-ST400 PSU (new)
Benq DW1640 DVD-RW
Asus E616 DVD Rom
Silverstone LC14 HTPC case
Win MCE2005

tonyhughes

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#119638 30-Mar-2008 07:34

Unfortunately, if your mobo is physically damaged, you should really be looking at that as the cause of your issues first.

1gkar

722 posts

Ultimate Geek

#119639 30-Mar-2008 07:38

tonyhughes: Unfortunately, if your mobo is physically damaged, you should really be looking at that as the cause of your issues first.

Tony, there is no physical damage. As stated, the crack was minimal as I had anticipated slightly more resistance in inserting the PCI-E vid card. If that has caused the no video signal issue, would the system fully boot -just minus any graphics?

rscole86

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#119700 30-Mar-2008 16:08

Sorry but a crack is a crack! It may have caused a hairline fracture, or it may be in where the PCI-E connector joins to the board, so you may not be able to see it.

Best thing you can do is see if you can test with someones else's motherboard. But by the sounds of it you will have to get a new board.

1gkar

722 posts

Ultimate Geek

#119722 30-Mar-2008 19:03

rscole86: Sorry but a crack is a crack! It may have caused a hairline fracture, or it may be in where the PCI-E connector joins to the board, so you may not be able to see it.

Best thing you can do is see if you can test with someones else's motherboard. But by the sounds of it you will have to get a new board.

Yep. That's my thinking. Any ideas for a good board for an ATX AMD X2 BE-2350 board? I prefer one that has three PCI2.2 slots & full resume from S3 hibernate mode. Cheers.