Do you need a dedicated graphics card?

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Do you need a dedicated graphics card?

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek

#71184 6-Nov-2010 00:51

I am thinking of getting one of these for an old PC I have got. Hauppauge WinTV-NOVA-T-Stick TV Tuner, External, USB 2.0 http://ascent.co.nz/productspecification.aspx?ItemID=364048

The computer is a Pentium D 2.8GHz with 1GB of ram, but it has an integrated intel video chip, rather than a dedicated graphics card. Does anyone know if a dedicated card is essential, or should it be able to run fine on the integrated card. I am only wanting it for viewing Standard defination, as I will be using it on a small screen.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79308 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#401043 6-Nov-2010 07:43

That USB is for Freeview DVB-T, so the source will be HD. You will need a dedicated graphics card with H.264 decoding capabilities to get any good results.

Nety

2584 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#401076 6-Nov-2010 09:52

I would say that you would be better off using a DVB-S tuner into that PC. The CPU is very low end for DVB-T as generally dual core is minimum and the Pentium D's have famously bad performance. I would suspect that you might struggle even with a dedicated video card.
On the other hand even the current video card may be enough for DVB-S.

Media centre PC - Case Silverstone LC16M with 2 X 80mm AcoustiFan DustPROOF, MOBO Gigabyte MA785GT-UD3H, CPU AMD X2 240 under volted, RAM 4 Gig DDR3 1033, HDD 120Gig System/512Gig data, Tuners 2 X Hauppauge HVR-3000, 1 X HVR-2200, Video Palit GT 220, Sound Realtek 886A HD (onboard), Optical LiteOn DH-401S Blue-ray using TotalMedia Theatre Power Corsair VX Series, 450W ATX PSU OS Windows 7 x64

JonnyCam

643 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#401121 6-Nov-2010 12:55

I would suspect that you might struggle even with a dedicated video card.

With a PC like that, it might only be a AGP slot.

In that case, see if you can get an ATI HD2600. I've got one of those in a P4 2.4, and it does 1080i fine (client machine in bedroom) - I just upgraded to Win7, but was working on XP.

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek

#401260 6-Nov-2010 23:09

Nety: I would say that you would be better off using a DVB-S tuner into that PC. The CPU is very low end for DVB-T as generally dual core is minimum and the Pentium D's have famously bad performance. I would suspect that you might struggle even with a dedicated video card.

On the other hand even the current video card may be enough for DVB-S.

Thanks. I did think about DVB-S, but I don't have a dish, and just invested in a UHF aerial for another TV which is using a TIVO. It was just that I was given this older low profile Pentium D computer, so I though I could turn it into a media PC, and connect it to a small non freeview LCD TV. I actually though the pentium D was a dual core chip, as it shows two processors in the task manager and BIOS, and it does seem quite a snappy computer running XP. But perhaps you mean that it doesn't perform as well as the newer dual core ones. I may wait until I get a new computer and turn my current quad core computer into a media PC.

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek

#401263 6-Nov-2010 23:14

JonnyCam:
I would suspect that you might struggle even with a dedicated video card.

With a PC like that, it might only be a AGP slot.

In that case, see if you can get an ATI HD2600. I've got one of those in a P4 2.4, and it does 1080i fine (client machine in bedroom) - I just upgraded to Win7, but was working on XP.

It isn't too old, 2007 vintage. It is a Dell Optiplex GX520 with the Pentium D chip, with PCI and PCI Express slots. The only issue is that it is low profile case, so will only take the low profile graphics cards. I was really hoping to turn it into a media PC with freeview in the cheapest way possible, but I think it may end up costing too much to get it up to the required spec.

Nety

2584 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#401270 6-Nov-2010 23:49

Sorry you are right it is dual core. Forgetting my processor architecture there.

OK that being the case it should handle DVB-T however as mentioned already it would need a dedicated video card.

There are half hight cards available from both Nvidia and ATI that will perform the task.

robbyp

1199 posts

Uber Geek

#401275 7-Nov-2010 00:28

Nety: Sorry you are right it is dual core. Forgetting my processor architecture there.

OK that being the case it should handle DVB-T however as mentioned already it would need a dedicated video card.

There are half hight cards available from both Nvidia and ATI that will perform the task.

Thanks thats good to know. I might do a hunt around for a card for it, I have always used nvidia cards so I may as well stick to them.

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

Nety

2584 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#401303 7-Nov-2010 09:02

If Nvidia I have a GT220 which is relatively cheap. Supports the latest Purevideo hardware acceleration and is available half hight.

Niel

3267 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#401433 7-Nov-2010 18:41

HIS ATI HD5570
http://www.pcforce.co.nz/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=21_26&products_id=930
Supplied with low profile bracket. I'm not using it for HTPC, but should work just fine. If you buy from PC Force then buy on-line. They do not offer the same price at the shop (unless you ask really really nice). Settled on this one after lots of searching, had same criteria as you (cost, future Freeview, low profile).

You can never have enough Volvos!

mikebails

97 posts

Master Geek

#404408 14-Nov-2010 09:39

I had a P4D HTPC running HD DVB-T great using a Passively cooled Geforce 8200 which has PurevideoHD onboard.

Video performance on a card like that will be fine, but WMC speed will be impacted more by the other system specs. If you want a snappy WMC experience you should get a better spec PC.

Or - do what I did... Ditch the graphics card and run your WMC through an Xbox 360 running as an extender. Works great!

Mike.