Graphics card that will send sound over hdmi.

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Graphics card that will send sound over hdmi.

deadman

40 posts

Geek

#87428 28-Jul-2011 18:36

Hi all
I want to upgrade my graphics card from the nvidia gforce8600 gt to a card that will not only carry HD video but also send sound through the HDMI cable, as i have a seperate sound card but only has spdif coax out but all my audio devices have either hdmi or optical. Now I know I can buy a coax to optical converter but that's just another device to plug into the mains and I'm sure there will be quality lost through it.
Could you please advise me to a good quality graphics card that will do this without being too difficult installing and wont break the bank

Cheers Deadman

michaelt

425 posts

Ultimate Geek

#499072 28-Jul-2011 19:01

You can probably use the 8600GT.

What you need to do is connect a 2-pin cable from your motherboard's (or sound card's) internal SPDIF output to the internal SPDIF input on the 8600GT.

If you then connect a generic DVI-HDMI adaptor or cable to the 8600GT then you should get audio over HDMI.

Not all 8600GT's have the 2-pin SPDIF header, but most do.

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deadman

40 posts

Geek

#499077 28-Jul-2011 19:07

Thanks michalt i will have a look i'm not sure if it has a 2pin header .

michaelt

425 posts

Ultimate Geek

#499090 28-Jul-2011 19:35

If you're looking to buy new, then you should be able to get a Geforce 210 or Radeon HD5450 with HDMI for under $60. They'll be useless for gaming, but just fine for video playback (albeit without some of the more advanced features).

If you want to buy second-hand, then look for a Radeon 2000-series or newer card with an HDMI connector, or an ATI DVI-HDMI adaptor included. The ATI DVI-HDMI adaptors aren't standard, so you can't just use a generic one if you want audio.

ChrisNZL

308 posts

Ultimate Geek

#499101 28-Jul-2011 20:05

I know my GTX460 outputs both HDMI video and sound. Costs roughly $300 I think.

What's your budget?

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deadman

40 posts

Geek

#499102 28-Jul-2011 20:06

just had a good look and there are no 2 pins for the joining cable so going to have to buy new. I can afford a little more than $60 i was meaning nothing over say $250. so any other good cards for that sort of money?

Rollux

362 posts

Ultimate Geek

#499110 28-Jul-2011 20:18

Any of the ATI 5XXX series is a good choice

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deadman

40 posts

Geek

#499114 28-Jul-2011 20:25

For got to say the card needs to be able to work with mythtv if that makes a difference.

michaelt

425 posts

Ultimate Geek

#499116 28-Jul-2011 20:28

If you're not planning to play games, or do other GPU-intensive work, then spending $250 on a graphics card makes no sense. It'll cost more, require a better PSU, use more power, generate more heat, take up more space, make more noise, be more likely to fail, etc. Something between the HD5450 and HD5670 would probably be your best bet. I'd even consider replacing your motherboard + CPU for something with decent integrated graphics (Sandy Bridge or Llano) instead.

If you are planning to play games, then you should find the best card for that. Most graphics cards from the last few years will handle your video playback just fine.

EDIT: Are you planning to use it with MythTV under Windows or Linux? Under Windows almost anything should be fine. I'm not sure about Linux, but I think Nvidia would be your best bet.

deadman

40 posts

Geek

#499120 28-Jul-2011 20:38

cheers for that, the motherboard is ok the machine was custom built for gaming when i bought it the motherboard is a msi v class.

deadman

40 posts

Geek

#499121 28-Jul-2011 20:40

I am using it with Linux dont like windows.
Yeah thought i would be better with nvidia.