Alright here's the deal. I'm building my first HTPC. I've built many computers before, but have always just used onboard video. I've never needed a separate video card or anything like that, because I've never watched movies or played games on my PC. However, now that I decided to build an HTPC, I am going to need a decent video card. I'm thinking my current motherboard would be alright, but it only has PCI and AGP slots. I'm a little confused here and have some questions;1. Can I use PCI express in a standard PCI slot?2. Is PCI express better than AGP or standard PCI?3. Will the HDMI take the video and sound from my computer to my receiver?4. Do I even need HDMI out, or can I use something else for the video to be just as good? I know about DVI, but that doesn't carry audio. It may not matter though if the HDMI on the card doesn't. I got a blu ray drive so I need to have good quality out. 5. If the card uses DDR2, but my computer only uses DDR, is that okay? Will the card be compatible with the motherboard?
There's probably more questions that I didn't even think of yet. I figured a lot of gamers also know a good bit about PC's so any help would be much appreciated, and sorry for making you guys read all that stuff. Thanks!
dustin25ship:1. Can I use PCI express in a standard PCI slot?
No.
2. Is PCI express better than AGP or standard PCI?
If you can even find a PCI or AGP card, they're pretty outdated now.
5. If the card uses DDR2, but my computer only uses DDR, is that okay? Will the card be compatible with the motherboard?
A card with DDR2 memory will work on a board with DDR. As long as the motherboard has the right type of slot for the card type you want, it'll work.
Not sure about the other questions, so someone else can take those.
Thanks for the info. My motherboard only has AGP and PCI slots. Which one of those is better? I'm guessing AGP. Would that be good enough to watch blu rays on? TIA
dustin25ship:3. Will the HDMI take the video and sound from my computer to my receiver?
It will only take the video to your reciever.
dustin25ship:4. Do I even need HDMI out, or can I use something else for the video to be just as good? I know about DVI, but that doesn't carry audio. It may not matter though if the HDMI on the card doesn't. I got a blu ray drive so I need to have good quality out.
Well your reciever is going to have to have DVI if that is the method you choose to use.
I have never used a blu-ray player from PC to TV before so I am not sure how the quality will be. The quality should be as good as on your monitor since all you are really doing is projecting the image onto a larger monitor (your tv). There should be many video cards out there that have HDMI and are fairly cheap that should be able to handle Blu-ray no problem. Also you probably are going to want to invest in a sound card to get the best audio.
If you have a 360, I'd look into the Media Center Extender function; it's pretty slick and is now included in all versions of Windows.
If your mobo is old enough not to have a PCI express slot, it may not support a CPU fast enough to handle blu ray. There's a free download to test your machine's capability at http://www.cyberlink.com/stat/bd-support/enu/index.jsp
Sorry for being a debbie downer, but it may be time to upgrade this holiday...
Thanks killmak. If the HDMI isn't going to carry audio, I think I'll just go with a card that has DVI. They seem to cheaper than cards with HDMI, and I can get a DVI-HDMI cable cheap. I'm guessing I'll invest in a sound card with optical out too.
Thanks Mike. I'm trying to do all I can not to have to upgrade everything. My mobo is about 3 years old. The cpu I'm running is an AMD Athlon 3400+ 64 bit. I'm only running a 32 bit os though. I've been looking at a Radeon 3650 video card. You think this could work?
oh and I do have a 360. What's the media center extender function?
What are you trying to run as a media center? Blue Ray? HD Movies or just DIVX stuff or what? HDMI carry's audio and sound but good question about if it comes out the video card like that. Not sure.
AGP is better then PCI but PCI-E is the new stuff. Is your AMD a dual core? Your system is kinda weak for anything but streaming and divx I'd say
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Do not buy a new AGP card over $20. When your motherboard dies you will have a heck of a time finding a new motherboard.
Sounds like most people got you started, so I'll just reiterate and add my personal experience to the mix.
No, won't even fit.
dustin25ship:2. Is PCI express better than AGP or standard PCI?
Extremely better. You've pretty much listed them in order of power: PCI-E, AGP, PCI. DO NOT BOTHER WITH PCI VIDEO.
Honestly I don't have much experience with this yet, but I believe if you're video card offers HDMI, many of them from there also offer sound support to allow both facets to travel over the single cable.
HDMI is best if you must carry the audio, otherwise DVI should work fine. You should be able to get one or the other on a card easily.
dustin25ship:5. If the card uses DDR2, but my computer only uses DDR, is that okay? Will the card be compatible with the motherboard?
Certainly.
My own HTPC sounds like something similar to yours, minus the blue ray (though I intend on rebuilding it soon). I use an AGP video card with VGA out and while it's not ideal, it has worked well for being available in a pinch. I mostly use it to watch seasons of TV shows that I converted from my DVD collection to digital, as well as some movies. It sounds like you're well on your way to having your own set up as well.
If you're not upgrading the PC as a whole anytime soon, don't hesitate on purchasing a nice AGP card, which should fall under $50 new. Some relatively current video cards are still made in the AGP format, though it's increasingly rare. If in the rare chance you have one of those technology 'crossover' boards with multiple styles of slots (AGP, PCI-E), then definitely opt for PCI-E, but those kinds of board are rare as hell so it's probably not an option.
A side note is that some older PCs can stutter when delivering HD content, so you'll want to make your PC as 'buff' as possible with extra memory if spots are available.
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Kenny007: dustin25ship:3. Will the HDMI take the video and sound from my computer to my receiver? Honestly I don't have much experience with this yet, but I believe if you're video card offers HDMI, many of them from there also offer sound support to allow both facets to travel over the single cable.
My laptop doesn't work like that at all. HDMI carries only video. It's a two or three year old laptop so I'm not sure if things have changed. Best bet would to look into some of the HDMI video cards to see if they actually carry both video and audio then make your decision.
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I could be wrong but I believe the distinction between the current AMD/ATI HDMI and Nvidia's was that AMD/ATI offer sound over HDMI which was why they fell behind in the 2k and 3k generations
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cheeznrice: Kenny007: dustin25ship:3. Will the HDMI take the video and sound from my computer to my receiver? Honestly I don't have much experience with this yet, but I believe if you're video card offers HDMI, many of them from there also offer sound support to allow both facets to travel over the single cable. My laptop doesn't work like that at all. HDMI carries only video. It's a two or three year old laptop so I'm not sure if things have changed. Best bet would to look into some of the HDMI video cards to see if they actually carry both video and audio then make your decision.
I'm not surprised a notebook wouldn't offer it; many notebooks have subpar video capabilities as it stands.
Many of the Nvidia DX 10 cards appear to offer this capability. I saw mention of a 9800GTX and the 200 series cards in a quick search.
Alright everyone, thanks for all your help. I'm thinking I'm going to get either a Radeon HD3650 or HD3850. Anyone have any experience with either of these? They don't have HDMI, but DVI will do the same for video, and I can get a sound card for 10 bucks with optical out.