Graphic card specs for full hd content?

[MJohn]

Hi, got a quick question:

I know, to watch Full HD content you need three things:

1. a Full HD 16:9 monitor
2. a graphic card that is powerful enough to handle full hd content
3. Full hd content

So, my question is about the graphic card: what specs does it need to have and what are recommended graphic cards?

 

[imrank66]

It should be HDCP compliant. i think all new cards are capable of handling HD contents. i dont know your budget but a few good ones are.

1) Nvidia GTX 260 or ATI HD4870
2) Nvidia GTX 275 or ATI HD4890

Regards

 

[Stumps]

any ati 2x00, 3xx0 or 4xx0 series or Nvidia 8x00, 9x00 or 2xx series cards will do.

 

[lopri]

Originally posted by: Stumps
any ati 2x00, 3xx0 or 4xx0 series or Nvidia 8x00, 9x00 or 2xx series cards will do.

Except the G80 variant 8800s.

There aren't really specifically recommended cards for 1080p playback these days. Almost all discrete cards from both AMD and NV are presumed to be capable of handling 1080p content (including Blu-Ray playback).

With a modest dual-core CPU, such as a low-power A64 X2 or a Pentium dual-core, GeForce 9400 GT or Radeon HD 4350 should handle all manners of HD materials. Most issues users experience arise from missing/conflicting codecs and buggy drivers/software.

Thankfully this confusion surrounding HD playback is coming close to an end. (well, at least until new codec comes along) M$, along with AMD and NV, did a remarkable job this time around and HD playback 'issue' is almost non-existent on Windows 7. Once you install Matroksa splitter, WMP 12 will play just about everything under the sun, most of them accelerated by the GPU.

 

[Binky]

Almost any modern (HDCP compliant) card from the last few years can do this with the right monitor (also HDCP compliant). The more important question is - do you plan to play any games on that machine? If not, your video card selection can cost as little as $20-$40 after rebate.

Edit: added HDCP compliant - which only matters if the material you are playing is protected (e.g. blu-ray).

 

[s44]

If you're playing Blu-Ray, you may want the full sound capability too. Get any 4xxx card for that.

 

[yh125d]

Originally posted by: s44
If you're playing Blu-Ray, you may want the full sound capability too. Get any 4xxx card for that.

Only needed when carrying the audio through HDMI to the speaker source, AKA HDMI to the TV when using TV speakers


OP mentioned monitor, so he's probably using DVI + audio out to his speakers, so 4xxx isn't required, although 4350/9400gt is still a good choice

 

[yacoub]

Originally posted by: yh125d

Originally posted by: s44
If you're playing Blu-Ray, you may want the full sound capability too. Get any 4xxx card for that.

Only needed when carrying the audio through HDMI to the speaker source, AKA HDMI to the TV when using TV speakers


OP mentioned monitor, so he's probably using DVI + audio out to his speakers, so 4xxx isn't required, although 4350/9400gt is still a good choice

So how do you get the audio from the Blu-Ray drive to your multichannel speaker system (say, a Logitech Z-680 or Z-5500 or equivalent system that has Toslink and S/PDIF inputs).

Does it pass from your SATA blu-ray drive through your motherboard to your audio (onboard or otherwise) outputs?