Magic Carpet
Diamond Member
- Oct 2, 2011
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For HTPC uses, GT 520 is perfect. You can also play games on it, but of course, it's not as powerful as GT 430/440 but wins in power consumption, especially idle and light usage.The Fifth Generation PureVideo HD
The fifth generation of PureVideo HD, introduced with the Geforce GT 520 and also included in the Nvidia GeForce 600(Kepler) series GPUs has significantly improved performance when decoding H.264, VC-1 and MPEG-2 codecs [8] (and, probably, other too). It is also capable of decoding 4K resolution videos at 3840 x 2160 pixels, (doubling the 1080p high-definition television standard in both the vertical and horizontal dimensions), also known as Quad Full High Definition (QFHD). Also MVC (Multiview Video Coding) H.264 decoding support for Blu-ray 3D and other Full HD 3D at 1080p.[9]
The fifth generation PureVideo HD is sometimes called "PureVideo HD 5" or VP5, although this is not an official Nvidia designation. This generation of PureVideo HD corresponds to Nvidia VDPAU Feature set D.
Maybe because the 520 hasn't moved up to PCIE 2.1? I am not sure why the Gigabyte branded 520 wouldn't work....heck - I'm not even sure what version my PCIE 1.x is! I know it's Gen 1, but which one??? the newer one - 1.1 or the older one 1.0?? Damn Intel....not being "specific" enough....I had a Zotac Geforce 520 working in a very old (P4) computer that had only PCI-E 1.0a support. I chose Zotac because the similar card from Gigabyte refused to post on that same board. Real-world experience
This should work as well.
Hm, yes but from researching...I heard that the GT520 failed to "de-interlace" videos or something similar, that the GT430/440 can do perfectly fine with....is this a big issue?For HTPC uses, GT 520 is perfect. You can also play games on it, but of course, it's not as powerful as GT 430/440 but wins in power consumption, especially idle and light usage.
So GT430 or GT440?I'd get the 430/440. The 520 is essentially worthless for any gaming, and really shouldn't sell for more than $20. I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't have enough power for full HD decoding, something the 5450 actually also suffered from.
So GT430 or GT440?
Really now? - the GT520 and HD5450 can't play Blu-ray quality movies "smoothly"?
PS - I don't plan to game with the HTPC, only pure watching movies on it or organizing things around the HDD or even recording TV shows/programs/movies/series - once I get my TV tuner of course ....but it would seem that my *only* dedicated movie drive went out of service.....
Performance per dollar isn't great, but there are other things to note as well, like its simplicity, compatibility and low power use. I certainly enjoy using it in my rig. Plays Crysis 2 just nicely @ 1366x768 on High.I'd get the 430/440. The 520 is essentially worthless for any gaming, and really shouldn't sell for more than $20.
I've had no issues, whatsoever.I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't have enough power for full HD decoding, something the 5450 actually also suffered from.
GT520 has no issues playing back video formats in Blu-ray quality, whilst consuming very little power.Really now? - the GT520 and HD5450 can't play Blu-ray quality movies "smoothly"?
GT520 in a passive form fits the bill. You won't regret it.PS - I don't plan to game with the HTPC, only pure watching movies on it or organizing things around the HDD or even recording TV shows/programs/movies/series - once I get my TV tuner of course ....but it would seem that my *only* dedicated movie drive went out of service.....
Wow....and probably getting less than 30fps...Performance per dollar isn't great, but there are other things to note as well, like its simplicity, compatibility and low power use. I certainly enjoy using it in my rig. Plays Crysis 2 just nicely @ 1366x768 on High.
Well, isn't that a plus?I've had no issues, whatsoever.
Eh, 8 watts is pretty good - I have a 400 Watt "Generic"(I think - brand and model is: Macron MPT-400) PSU...I don't even think my entire system will break the 150 Watt usage mark... So it would appear I got an extra 250 Watts to spare.
Hm, that will be $28 more to pay, after I return the HD5450....Either the 430 or 440 is fine - the 440 is more of a legitimate gaming card, but you don't need that ability, so just go with the 430.
Interesting....But all this would still matter if I play movies in Cyberlink PowerDVD 8 (either Blu-ray/HD DVD) or Media Player Classic Homecinema [version 1.6.3.5140](For some of my custom made movie files I got and created) after installing K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 8.9.5? I can just,or maybe not, understand what the articles are trying to say... :\ I'm not a HTPC enthusiast, but I do want the best image quality and smooth playback...Here's an analysis of the HD5450's weaknesses when it comes to video: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3601/the-final-word-on-the-best-radeon-htpc-card
Here's a review of the 430: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3973/nvidias-geforce-gt-430/4
By AT's review, the 520 wasn't a great card for HTPC.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4380/discrete-htpc-gpus-shootout/1
I agree to go for a 430 and skip over the 520 altogether. Power consumption and gaming are moot points for this discussion. My suggestion is go for refurbished or open box. My GT 220 is a refurb that I got for $30, and my last two performance cards (5770 and 6870) were open box. All have served me well. I know the egg has some Zotac GT 430 cards in stock as I'm posting this.
The results are presented in a bar chart above (A line chart would have made much more sense, but the outer values get placed only for bar charts in our graphing engine). For 1080p24 streams, we find that the GT 430 is unable to keep up with the real time decode frame rate requirements at 110 Mbps. For 1080p60 streams, the limit gets further reduced to somewhere between 65 and 70 Mbps. The GT 520 has no such issues.
The above testing is only of academic interest, since there is no real 1080p24 content at 110 Mbps. Even 3D Blu-rays max out around 60 Mbps (and that includes the audio stream!), so users shouldn't really be concerned about this bitrate limitation of the GT 430.
The GT 520's scores above are more interesting. Even the high end GPUs such as the 460 and 560 are unable to achieve that frame rate. The answer was buried in the README for the latest Linux drivers. The GT 520 is the first (and only GPU as of now) to support the VDPAU Feature Set D.
Coming to the business end of the review, it must be quite clear by now that we can't recommend the GT 520 or the AMD 6450 with full confidence. They are probably doing well in the OEM market by getting incorporated into generic systems (not geared towards HTPC use). A discerning buyer building a HTPC system, having perused the various sections in this piece, would do well to avoid these two products.
Personal experience > reviews.That all depends what you choose to read, of course.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4380/discrete-htpc-gpus-shootout/16
Do the older nVidia cards bitstream lossless audio? For some reason, I can't help but recall something about them not being capable, which is one of the reasons why I went with a 5450 back then. I can't remember for sure though.
Complete bitstreaming for both H.264 and VC1 should be handled with anything ION and GeForce 200 and up. Newer 8400GS cards should also be capable but it's a royally painful guessing game.
Both of those are video codecs. What I'm wondering is if they'll output the DTS-HD Master or Dolby TrueHD over HDMI for my receiver to work with. The OP talked about Blu-Ray/HD-DVD, so I assume he'd want lossless audio.
I read both reviews two times or three times(parts of it) over, ....all of it as well! It took time, but hammered through into my head(eventually).Did you understand at least half of the technicality in the review? (I don't)
If not, I would suggest you focus on page 3~7 of the review. Look at the screenshots and decide which ones you like better. There is no right/wrong answer, the author calls many of them "subjective"
But yes 5450 isn't adequate for a pleasant movie viewing experience.