Looking to buy a 6600/6600GT AGP card

[xbassman]

I have been looking @ a ton of video cards.

Curent system specs:
Barton 2500+/nf2 combo Matx w/evga GeForce 6200 256mb AGP.
All pci slots occupied. (so wide coolers are unnacceptable)

HD playback @ 720P is flawless, but suffers slightly @ 1080i. (motion is a little choppy)

Turns out I need to upgrade to @ least a 6600 to get fluid playback @ 1080i.

Gigabyte makes a passively cooled 6600 that might work, but I would have to cut a hole in the top of my case because the heatpipe goes over the top of the video card.

Gigabyte GV-N66256DP
(link for reference....currently out of stock)

Here is a 6600GT I am looking @ as well. It is fan cooled though.
eVGA 128-A8-N350

Last night I checked vc temps with my current setup and got 54c without app rendering and 73C running Sage 4 playing a 1080i recording windowed.

Just looking for a little input.
Can't really rely on NewEgg reviews.

 

[LW07]

Get the 6600GT.

 

[BassBomb]

get a 6600GT without a reference cooler (think leadtek or bfg )

 

[xbassman]

Originally posted by: BassBomb
get a 6600GT without a reference cooler (think leadtek or bfg )

Care to elaborate?
I see the card you have caries quite a price bump. (about $50)
Leadtech has a different cooler also. I am kinda worried it might be too wide.

 

[aigomorla]

my friend was using the 6600GT from XFX. It was a pretty decient and nice card. He however decided to upgrade his cards to my old 6800GT's. But if ur looking for a decient 6600GT, id say go with XFX. U cant go wrong with the lifetime warrenty also.

 

[xbassman]

Well, I am currently looking @ the Leadtek.

Looking at the pics here -> http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?cid=0&id=1309&pg=5

It looks like the cooler isn't much taller than the caps.
It would be nice if someody here had one of these so I could know if a card in the next slot would interfere though.

 

[BassBomb]

i mean using a cooler that isnt just the plain old NVIDIA desgin with a sticker

BFG, MSI, Leadtek are all single slot coolers so space isnt an issue (you should still keep the pci below unoccupied regardless)

 

[xbassman]

(you should still keep the pci below unoccupied regardless)

I don't currently have that option..... (3 pci slots -> sound and 2 TV tuners)

Thanks for the info though....
I think the leadtek is the one.

 

[KBTuning]

wow... i think your gonna end up cooking a 6600GT then. when i had my leadtek it still ran warm and its teh only card i had in my Antec P180 w/ a ASRock Dual939 SATA2

 

[xbassman]

Originally posted by: KBTuning
wow... i think your gonna end up cooking a 6600GT then. when i had my leadtek it still ran warm and its teh only card i had in my Antec P180 w/ a ASRock Dual939 SATA2

hehe... Yeah it is gonna get hot, but I have gotten pretty good @ cooling things down.
Nothing a little foamboard, a power drill, and a fan or 2 won't fix.

 

[Childs]

Out of curiosity what MPEG2 decoder are you using? My 5200 does 1080i with no dropped frames, CPU (A64 2800+) around 30%.

 

[xbassman]

Originally posted by: Childs
Out of curiosity what MPEG2 decoder are you using? My 5200 does 1080i with no dropped frames, CPU (A64 2800+) around 30%.

I am using the Nvidia PureVideo decoders.
CPU stays betwen 15-30%.

Really it looks pretty good until there is a lot of motion in the background.
Also I have to use overlay for it to be watchable. 720P using VRM9 is fantastic though!