cooldudie3
Boom Boom Boom
Which is the cheapest video card for Windows Vista Home Prenium? I only need it to upgrade and use as a everyday kind of thing, nothing 3D or big. But i need it to also support PCI if possible.
Cheapest video card that can handle Vista
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OP
cooldudie3
Boom Boom Boom
Does the 8400GS work well with Vista Home Prenium? Are there any cheaper choices? they don't need to be from ATI or Nvidia.
manohar387
Broken In
The nVidia 8400gs 128mb is the cheapest card available for vista .it costs around <2000.
it also supports a lot of games.
it also supports a lot of games.
in 2K you will easily get 512 MB DDR2 gfx cards. And if you just wanna keep for movies n all u can go for it. check Zotac/XFX/POV any of them.
XFX n Zotac are directX 10 gfx cards
And if I am not wrong 7xxx series gfx cards can also run them.
and if you wanna long running gfx card which can do almost everything for you then comes 8600GT 256 MB DDR3 (not 512 MB DDR2), MSI are sub 3.5K, Palit n some others are around 3.5K, I like the Palit one supports dual monitors.
XFX n Zotac are directX 10 gfx cards
And if I am not wrong 7xxx series gfx cards can also run them.
and if you wanna long running gfx card which can do almost everything for you then comes 8600GT 256 MB DDR3 (not 512 MB DDR2), MSI are sub 3.5K, Palit n some others are around 3.5K, I like the Palit one supports dual monitors.
IronManForever
IronMan; Ready to Roll...
Get a minimum of 8400 GS. It will handle all movie; decoding; non-gaming purposes pretty well for less than 2K. For your purpose no need to go for higher end. It will also allow you to play recent games @ low resolution.
But for value for money graphics card; I'd recommend Mercury 8600GT DDR3 for just 3K. Best bang for buck if you also want to game a bit.
But for value for money graphics card; I'd recommend Mercury 8600GT DDR3 for just 3K. Best bang for buck if you also want to game a bit.
OP
cooldudie3
Boom Boom Boom
I think the 8400GS might be for me. I will not watch Blue Ray or play some big games on it. But about Media Center performance. Will it run well enough to be smooth?
How about the 8500GT? Will it be better than the 8400GS?
How about the 8500GT? Will it be better than the 8400GS?
IronManForever
IronMan; Ready to Roll...
As I have said, any 8400GS will be enough for HD videos or for light gaming. Media Center performance; man even a cheap onboard can handle it. My Geforce 5200FX can handle Vista Aero and Media Center pretty well. 
But if you want more, look nowhere else; go fo Mercury 8600GT. Trust me, for 3k, there isnt any other hardware that justifies "Value for Money" tag!!!
But if you want more, look nowhere else; go fo Mercury 8600GT. Trust me, for 3k, there isnt any other hardware that justifies "Value for Money" tag!!!
amrawtanshx
Lets Do It!
I dont think so.
Play any HD video on 845 set.It wont.(Personal Experience
)But if GPU is present it does.
8400GS is fine but if u want some performace too ... Go for Mercury 8600GT.
MetalheadGautham
AFK
7100GS costs 1100 in the market. PCIe. Really cheap and performs somewhat better than GMA X3100 
amrawtanshx
Lets Do It!
Ya...It was not coupled with good enough CPU.
Intel Core 2 processors with Viiv offer high-definition experience and the newer lot.
So getting a cheap GPU with an average mobo. should suffice ... Rather than a high end processor.
goobimama
Macboy
Do you even know how HD videos are decoded? CoreAVC and FFDshow (and VLC if you want to count that in) all do not support GPU decoding. The only one that does, is the Cyberlink PowerDVD decoder via DxVGA. But let me tell you, the 7900GT in the system did nothing much even using the Cyberlink codec. CoreAVC and FFDshow performed far better.
As for Nvidia PureVideo, that's a PureJoke. Mpeg2 decoding is again far better using FFDshow, with much better control over the output.
So during HD playback, GPU was NOT used AT ALL. The guys at CoreCodec promised GPU decoding in upcoming versions, but that never happened. Now they claim that the CPUs are fast enough so GPU decoding is not required. Note, that it takes just a Intel Core Duo 1.8Ghz+ to decode 720p and a Core 2 Duo 2Ghz+ to decode 1080p comfortably.
Maybe in future Windows7 will bring about GPGPU (gx keeps mentioning that) which will enhance the experience out of the box, but for now, GPU is only used for Aero effects and Gaming.
As for Nvidia PureVideo, that's a PureJoke. Mpeg2 decoding is again far better using FFDshow, with much better control over the output.
So during HD playback, GPU was NOT used AT ALL. The guys at CoreCodec promised GPU decoding in upcoming versions, but that never happened. Now they claim that the CPUs are fast enough so GPU decoding is not required. Note, that it takes just a Intel Core Duo 1.8Ghz+ to decode 720p and a Core 2 Duo 2Ghz+ to decode 1080p comfortably.
Maybe in future Windows7 will bring about GPGPU (gx keeps mentioning that) which will enhance the experience out of the box, but for now, GPU is only used for Aero effects and Gaming.
amrawtanshx
Lets Do It!
@goobimama
I know that CoreAVC and FFDshow do not support GPU decoding.
GPU is useful in HD decoding if the CPU is not that powerful.
Just want to quote nVidia on 7300 series.
GeForce 7300 GPUs also bring stunning, high definition video and superb picture clarity with minimal CPU usage with NVIDIA® PureVideo™ technology. For the performance and features you need to play the latest games and enjoy home-theater quality video, make sure your PC is equipped with a GeForce 7300 GPU.
At 3GHz, Intel's Core 2 Duo E6850 is powerful enough to decode an HD DVD or HD 1080i signal without assistance from the video card, but a low-speed CPU combined with an underpowered video card may not be capable of the same feat.
Source :*arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071230-measuring-cpu-usage-during-hd-playback-ati-vs-nvidia.html
I know that CoreAVC and FFDshow do not support GPU decoding.
GPU is useful in HD decoding if the CPU is not that powerful.
Just want to quote nVidia on 7300 series.
GeForce 7300 GPUs also bring stunning, high definition video and superb picture clarity with minimal CPU usage with NVIDIA® PureVideo™ technology. For the performance and features you need to play the latest games and enjoy home-theater quality video, make sure your PC is equipped with a GeForce 7300 GPU.
At 3GHz, Intel's Core 2 Duo E6850 is powerful enough to decode an HD DVD or HD 1080i signal without assistance from the video card, but a low-speed CPU combined with an underpowered video card may not be capable of the same feat.
Source :*arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071230-measuring-cpu-usage-during-hd-playback-ati-vs-nvidia.html
OP
cooldudie3
Boom Boom Boom
I have a old Celeron CPU. I am 100% sure it will NOT support HD. So any recommendations for upgrades in CPU? I think Nvidia 8400GS should do well enough.
Psychosocial
Violent serenity.
Get a Intel E2180 for 3k + NVIDIA 8400GS (Gigabyte, Palit, MSI, XFX, any) for <2.5k.
This would suffice for just running VIsta with Aero. Some HD video playback will also be done comfortably. Light gaming will not be a problem but newer games would choke. But as you aren't into gaming, this config would suffice. If you need a motherboard then get a XFX 630i and then you need RAM, get 2x1GB DDR2 667MHz RAM.
) for <2.5k.This would suffice for just running VIsta with Aero. Some HD video playback will also be done comfortably. Light gaming will not be a problem but newer games would choke. But as you aren't into gaming, this config would suffice. If you need a motherboard then get a XFX 630i and then you need RAM, get 2x1GB DDR2 667MHz RAM.
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