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    video card and HD video question

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by orca3000, Nov 26, 2006.

  1. orca3000

    orca3000 Notebook Evangelist

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    I've heard rumors about x1600 level video cards are necessary to play HD video decently. Is there any truth in it? :confused:
     
    orca3000, Nov 26, 2006
    #1
  2. dragonrage

    dragonrage Notebook Consultant

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    No, not true. You need a good CPU.
     
    dragonrage, Nov 26, 2006
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  3. lbjazz

    lbjazz Notebook Consultant

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    Even the gma 950 plays hd video well. Need proof? Just look at Apple's Macbook and Mac Mini. People have been known to build home media/theater systems around the mac mini.
     
    lbjazz, Nov 26, 2006
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  4. rockharder

    rockharder Notebook Evangelist

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    Yes and No.

    You will still run 80% of your CPU power if you don't have right driver to decode the HD video even with x1600. But it is really hard to tell which CPU is really at good CPU level when it appear to combine with x1600 GPU. Most x1600 equipped mobo really has "good" CPU.

    I don't know much about ATI, but AFIK Nvidia 6150+MK-36+PureVideo driver play HD video in really decent. I can handle 1080i under 800MHz, and 1080p under 1.6GHz. So what is good CPU for?
     
    rockharder, Nov 26, 2006
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  5. Gophn

    Gophn NBR Resident Assistant

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    it is recommended to have a mid-range video card to play True HD (1920x1080p).

    Mid-Range cards:
    nVidia 6600, 7600, 7700
    ATI x700, x1600, x1700

    If you are talking about desktop systems, thats a whole different story... mainly with having an HDCP compatible videocard and HCDP compatible videocard.
     
    Gophn, Nov 26, 2006
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  6. usapatriot

    usapatriot Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    I checked my CPU usage during HD video playback and it was hovering at around 30%. So I think its mainly the CPU.
     
    usapatriot, Nov 27, 2006
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  7. shinji257

    shinji257 Notebook Deity

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    Having a good cpu is important but if the video card is capable of HD video acceleration then that will lighten the load on the cpu. That is just an fyi here. Otherwise the cpu would become the more important factor.
     
    shinji257, Nov 27, 2006
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  8. rockharder

    rockharder Notebook Evangelist

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    You must be in full scale clock while 30% of load is possible.

    In my case, I have 80~90% load at 800MHz, 45~56% load at 1.8GHz, and below 30% load at 2.0GHz.
    When I tried 1080i clip running on HD, balance mode is used in 6150 display. 800MHz CPU with 90% load gives me 105 mins with 3% battery remain. The clip that I tested is about 15 MBps.
     
    rockharder, Nov 27, 2006
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