GTX/GTS 460 For BD

[seeker]

newparad1gm,

Hmm, I think I fallen back into my old character flaw...thinking about too many possibilities at once. I like the 9600GT for just one reason, it appears to be low profile, taking only one slot space, but I'm not sure about everything else. Would it actually be a step up from my BFG7800GT OC?

[DSC]

I'd suggest you wait for the GT 430. It won't be a gaming powerhouse like the GTX 460, but it will have all the HTPC capabilities, like the VP4 hardware decoder that offloads all H.264, VC-1 and MPEG-2 decoding to the GPU, HD audio processor that supports full HD Audio bitstreaming and HDCP compliant outputs.

Anandtech reviewed a HTPC SFF system with the GT 425M(same GF108 GPU as the GT 430 except lower clocked) and wrote briefly about the GF108 GPU so you can get an idea of what it can do.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3954/a...tpc-reviewed/6

[seeker]

You may be right, but waiting is not one of my virtues...at least not after I get in the mood. I have run into a wall finding the 450 super clock with a lifetime warranty. Even though EVGA says that it is available, all that I've found have part # ending with TR, rather than AR, which is the lifetime version. The MSRP is ~ the same as the lowest prices on the TRs, so there is no point in settling for less.

Still, from a quick glance at your link, I didn't see anything to indicate what kind of wait would be involved with the GT 430?

[DSC]

It will be released in 1-2 weeks time, most review sites should be getting their review samples soon I believe. And the GT 430 is clocked much much higher, 700+Mhz core compared to the GT 425M so the gaming performance is higher since it's not TDP constrainted like the GT 425M.

But if you need 1080P res gaming then you'll need a higher end GPU like the GTX 460 or GTS 450.

[seeker]

I'm probably going to wait for the GTS 450 Super Clock, because when I rechecked on the EVGA website, I found that it was backordered for the AR version. They didn't say when it would be available, but I submitted a notification request.

[newparad1gm]

Originally Posted by seeker

newparad1gm,

Hmm, I think I fallen back into my old character flaw...thinking about too many possibilities at once. I like the 9600GT for just one reason, it appears to be low profile, taking only one slot space, but I'm not sure about everything else. Would it actually be a step up from my BFG7800GT OC?

The 9600 GT definitely will be a step up from your 7800 GT. Its also low power consumption, while still retaining enough oomph to play most modern games, but at lower resolutions and detail levels. But as another member here said, if you can wait, the 430 shouldn't be a bad choice either. It just seems that a GTS 450 would be overkill if all you are doing is Blu-Ray playback. Even my Geforce 9300 equipped HTPC does 1080p Blu-Ray playback flawlessly.

[john19055]

If you plan on playing games too and a CPU upgrade in the future then go with a GTX 460 even the 768mb model is going to be faster then a overclock GTS 450.

[nekrosoft13]

Originally Posted by seeker

I installed the trial for AnyDVD a bit ago, and I was somewhat confused, because it seemed to only work as a backend for WinDVD, rather than it's own player. I also tried using PowerDVD again, but it still displays the same error window as before.

I doubt that I will buy AnyDVD, because it's pretty expensive in itself and has to be relicensed periodically. I would prefer to only pay once by upgrading the video card instead.

The only other alternative would be if there is some other software that would accomplish what AnyDVD did, only at a cheaper price?

1) AnyDVD is for DVD only, AnyDVD HD is for DVD, BD and HD-DVD.

2) Its not a player, what it does it removes all forms of DRM from the disc on the fly in the background. don't have to worry about HDCP, BD+ etc... it also can rip disc to HDD, remove trailers, disable java on BD, remove region protection etc...

3) because BD keeps changing and SONY and BD group keeps adding new versions of DRM, AnyDVD HD has to be updated often, there is a new beta every few days.

4) update is about 6MB and quick and painless

5) this is completly false "and has to be relicensed periodically." there is lifetime license option, you pay once and your good.

6) the only similar program is DVDFab HD, but it lacks one major feature. It DOES NOT REMOVE DRM ON THE FLY, with DVDFab HD you have to rip the disc to HDD or reburn them without DRM.

[ryoohki]

Anydvd is great for Regionless universal player. That what i use it for. Some use it to ISO turn movies but it's too long to do (i have over 150 movies without TV series) and eat too much space, so i keep them on disc (i bought BD for PQ and AQ so i'am not going to scrap that with AVI).

Anyway there's a one time fee, it's not cheap, but it provide update as long as the company lives..

[seeker]

Curious! I received a response from EVGA about my notification request for the AR lifetime warranty version of the GTS 450 Super Clock, and it said that it is now available, but the link in the email took me to a page that still displayed a notification request button, instead of a buy button. Figuring that they just hadn't updated their website yet, I went back again, a bit earlier, and that model no longer was listed at all. So I sent another email to EVGA for clarification, and just got another saying that it is not available, nor ever will be. I love it when businesses are so on the ball.

Now, I doubt that I will go for the GTS 450 at all, but will need to consider which that I will get.

[wheeljack12]

here is the o/c version by zotac. I know that zotac offers lifetime warranties on all their cards. Not that I don't like evga more, I do. just that their gts 450's have 2 year warranties instead.

http://www.zotacusa.com/amp-geforce-...40502-10l.html

[seeker]

Originally Posted by wheeljack12

here is the o/c version by zotac. I know that zotac offers lifetime warranties on all their cards. Not that I don't like evga more, I do. just that their gts 450's have 2 year warranties instead.

http://www.zotacusa.com/amp-geforce-...40502-10l.html

Hmm, that's interesting, thanks. I don't know anything about Zotac, but with a lifetime warranty, it should be okay. I noticed that in addition to the connectors that EVGA's card has, this one also has a DP connector, but I have no idea of what that is?

I have yet to find a price for it. I did find a similar card on eBay, but it wasn't the AMP version, and had some differences in specs and connectors.