What is this?? "Video Signal Noise Reduction Card"

[AmberClad]

I was looking over the 4850s at NewEgg, and I saw that the HIS model had a combo deal for a free one of these things. What the heck is this? It just looks like a PCB with 6 caps soldered to it . $80 to buy it separately.

*wonders if this is one of those Killer Nic or PhysX style niche (read: useless) products*

 

[IlllI]

did you read the product description?

 

[AmberClad]

Yes I did. So how does a card with a few caps on it help to eliminate noise (I assume there's more to it than that)?

And why is the MSRP $80? There doesn't seem to be a whole lot to it.

 

[SniperDaws]

Well personally i think its a scam, i wouldnt pay for that, if SNR was a big problem every gamer in the world would have one.

 

[spittledip]

haha they wasted a whole lot of pcb on that thing! It is mostly empty space

 

[chizow]

It looks like a tin foil hat for your video card. But actually, I did notice I don't have static from my speakers anymore in Mass Effect on loads or heavy streaming areas (elevators) now that I've upgraded to a GTX 280. There was a similar issue in LOTRO as well where quickly scrolling right/left with the mouse (right-click POV change) would result in a slight crackle. Not sure if this is simply a result of memory allocation/sound buffers sorting themselves out with the video card change or this video card noise.

 

[AmberClad]

Originally posted by: chizow
It looks like a tin foil hat for your video card.

:laugh:

I need to start compiling a list of this type of stuff, just for laughs. Monster Cables would be at the top of that list. Also, that $500 ethernet cable.

 

[Peter]

It's just a bunch of capacitors on the PCIE slot power supply lines.

In other words, if your mainboard and/or power supply have been the $1 too cheap to have a reasonable amount of filter/buffer caps on, for only $79.99 you can solve this problem.

Hooray.

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: AmberClad

Originally posted by: chizow
It looks like a tin foil hat for your video card.

:laugh:

I need to start compiling a list of this type of stuff, just for laughs. Monster Cables would be at the top of that list. Also, that $500 ethernet cable.

Wow $500 ethernet cable? I know about the Killer NIC too, the comments on those listings are always good for a laugh. People don't treat those folks that show interest too kindly.....

That's pretty interesting about the caps filtering PCI-E power, but does it actually do anything in cases of dirty power? I guess its one of those things where the problem is so rare that even if this is a fix, the people who need the fix won't know about it.

 

[DaveSimmons]

It reduces the signal-to-noise ratio so you get more noise in your signal.

... for those that liked the film grain in Mass Effect.

 

[kmmatney]

Notice it's in the "gifts" category at NewEgg.

 

[Quiksilver]

This Review sums it up quite nicely.

Basically it is useless unless your using cheaply made products.