HD3870 died - need new HTPC GPU

Raduque · 02-03-2013, 11:05 PM

My HTPC had an HD3870 1gb GPU with an Accelero S1 passive cooler. I was using it for x/h264 hardware decoding with HDMI video (but not audio) output.

My main requirements are equivalent hardware processing, HDMI out (no adapter), passive cooled and low power usage, and around $50 or less.

I'm considering this card. Does anybody have any other suggestions to add?

lucklessgorath · 02-03-2013, 11:55 PM

A 5450 will work. They will even bit-stream audio on HDMI. They won't do HDTV-3D if that is something you think you might need.

For a $2 less after rebate this one will get you an extra 512MB of video ram.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102882

hoorah · 02-04-2013, 10:26 AM

There is a GT 620 in neweggs email promo this morning for $15 after a rebate. Its not passively cooled, but I wonder if you could attach your old S1 passive cooler to it, making it passive?

Not sure how that compares performance wise to the 5450. Just saw it and thought I would throw it out there.

Durvelle27 · 02-04-2013, 11:47 AM

HD 6450 or HD 5450 as there cheaper than the Nvidia quivalent

OlafSicky · 02-04-2013, 12:35 PM

HD 6450 is a great card and AMD has better drivers than Nvidia

codyray10 · 02-04-2013, 02:11 PM

I second the HD 6450. Picked one up a few months back at my local microcenter, for $40-50. Havent had any issues with it at all.

Raduque · 02-04-2013, 06:06 PM

Do I really need 1gb VRAM in a non-gaming HTPC? The Powercolor I linked to earlier now has a $10 MIR making it 18 and some change.

bigystyle84 · 02-04-2013, 06:11 PM

512MB is fine for 1080p video and non gaming.

6450 is the best HTPC card IMO. It has some post processing capabilities the 5450 lacks but most won't see a difference

Edit: 5450 will work great, 512MB is fine

Durvelle27 · 02-04-2013, 07:44 PM

512MB is fine as i had a ASUS HD 5450 Silent 512MB in my HTPC playing 1080p Blu-rays with no problem and even 3D

Soundmanred · 02-04-2013, 07:46 PM

I gt this one, it's passive and works perfectly.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150655

Raduque · 02-05-2013, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soundmanred

I gt this one, it's passive and works perfectly.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150655

Only a dollar more and a better brand, thanks soundmanred.

SaurusX · 02-05-2013, 03:51 PM

I'd go with guy below IF you are looking to deinterlace 1080i material. Anand has stated that for 5-series Radeon cards the 5670 is the absolute minimum for HTPC 1080i use. For 6-series, the 6570.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125376

Durvelle27 · 02-05-2013, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaurusX

I'd go with guy below IF you are looking to deinterlace 1080i material. Anand has stated that for 5-series Radeon cards the 5670 is the absolute minimum for HTPC 1080i use. For 6-series, the 6570.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125376

are you serious

SaurusX · 02-05-2013, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Durvelle27

are you serious

Originally, Ryan Smith stated that the 5570 was insufficient for htpc duty and declared the 5670 the perfect HTPC card. He later revised the story after being contacted my AMD and getting new drivers by saying the 5570 was in fact the 5-series card to get. However, I was never able to find a 5570 with those same specs back in the day. It was some slight of hand by AMD to send out a higher speced review card. But I was correct about the 6570.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4380/d...us-shootout/16

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2935

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3601/t...deon-htpc-card

Durvelle27 · 02-06-2013, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaurusX

Originally, Ryan Smith stated that the 5570 was insufficient for htpc duty and declared the 5670 the perfect HTPC card. He later revised the story after being contacted my AMD and getting new drivers by saying the 5570 was in fact the 5-series card to get. However, I was never able to find a 5570 with those same specs back in the day. It was some slight of hand by AMD to send out a higher speced review card. But I was correct about the 6570.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4380/d...us-shootout/16

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2935

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3601/t...deon-htpc-card

Have you tested this yourself. I have and a HD 5450 is fine for 1080p

SaurusX · 02-06-2013, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Durvelle27

Have you tested this yourself. I have and a HD 5450 is fine for 1080p

That's why I said 1080i.

bigystyle84 · 02-07-2013, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaurusX

Originally, Ryan Smith stated that the 5570 was insufficient for htpc duty and declared the 5670 the perfect HTPC card. He later revised the story after being contacted my AMD and getting new drivers by saying the 5570 was in fact the 5-series card to get. However, I was never able to find a 5570 with those same specs back in the day. It was some slight of hand by AMD to send out a higher speced review card. But I was correct about the 6570.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4380/d...us-shootout/16

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2935

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3601/t...deon-htpc-card

This was for post processing capabilities. It (5450 512MB) plays 1080p movies perfectly fine, but just lacks some post image processing for sharpening that's almost impossible to see without getting a microscope out. (like they did in that anand review)

I still think that review and recommendation is completely useless for 95% of HTPC owners out there.

Hell, I used to have an old X2 5000+ with Radeon 3200 built in onboard that would play 1080p blu rays and MKV's just fine.

SaurusX · 02-07-2013, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigystyle84

I still think that review and recommendation is completely useless for 95% of HTPC owners out there.

Hell, I used to have an old X2 5000+ with Radeon 3200 built in onboard that would play 1080p blu rays and MKV's just fine.

It seems as if the first line of my original post was invisible. I said IF you are concerned with deinterlacing 1080i then go with a more powerful card. Yes, if you're only looking at 1080p source material then you can get by with much less. I'm just throwing out options, since the OP wanted a card with similar abilities as the 3870.

In fact, my HTPC doing DVR duty right now is an X2 5000+ with a 780G board. Given that I'm dealing with 1080i broadcast material I added in an HD4550 to handle vector adaptive deinterlacing, because the onboard 3200 is incapable of that.