[mythmaster]

I'm buying the mobo for my 9850BE right now and a couple of drives (for my backend / app server). I was seriously considering getting the dual-core Revo to use as a front end because of the low power consumption and small size, but I watch Hulu frequently and I just don't think that it's ready for Flash yet. Also, I'd like to be able to play some games in Wine and Cedega, so I decided to get a new video card for my workstation and use it as the front end.


But which one??????


Of course, I'll go with Nvidia because of VDPAU, and I don't mind spending up to $200 for one if it's going to provide me with smooth Hulu playback and run some recent games.


So, I'm asking you guys for input on this one. What do you think?


EDIT: I'm using DVI to a 24" 1920x1200 monitor and optical SPDIF to my Z-5500, so I don't need HDMI. Also, it's a PCI Express 2.0 slot.

 

[tux99]

Since the GT240 seem to still have driver issues (in Linux), I'd go for a 220.

Also from our testing a while ago it appears that HD Flash issues are not related to the power of the graphics card or cpu but rather the Nvidia video driver with Flash (since I have no tearing or any other problems at all on an old Intel [email protected] PC when playing back HD flash streams).

 

[mythmaster]

But can the 220 handle recent games?


Also, I can understand why you would place the blame on the nvidia driver (which has a tendency to correct itself) for Flash playback, but I'm not going to buy an Intel GPU just to watch Hulu. It's clear to me that the amount of OpenGL support in the card and the way that is is handled is responsible for smooth Flash playback because Flash currently uses OpenGL. There are nvidia cards on the market right now that can handle it just fine with the current drivers, and I'm asking "Which ones?". I expect that the 220 can, but I need something that can play games, as well, and I'm not sure that the 220 can handle that.

 

[tux99]



Quote:
Originally Posted by mythmaster /forum/post/18173213


Also, I can understand why you would place the blame on the nvidia driver (which has a tendency to correct itself) for Flash playback,

Not blaming the nvidia driver, the fault might still be with Flash, but in any case it's something between them.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mythmaster /forum/post/18173213


but I'm not going to buy an Intel GPU just to watch Hulu.

I didn't expect that from you

(especially since then you need a Intel cpu too...)

Quote:
Originally Posted by mythmaster /forum/post/18173213


There are nvidia cards on the market right now that can handle it just fine with the current drivers, and I'm asking "Which ones?".

Really? I have never heard from anyone who gets PERFECT full screen HD Flash without even the slightest tearing (usually only noticeable when there is fast leftright movement in the video, like panning) on a Nvidia card, but if there is, I'd like to know too.

As I said I have perfect playback with a 945GC and a E5300, so it can't require that much CPU and GPU power since any Nvidia card of the last 5 years has better OpenGL performance than the 945GC.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mythmaster /forum/post/18173213


I expect that the 220 can, but I need something that can play games, as well, and I'm not sure that the 220 can handle that.

I'm no games expert at all (haven't played action computer games for 10 years, since the times of Doom and Descent...), but I would have thought that the limited choice of Linux games isn't that demanding not to work well on a 220.

If you are talking Windows games then I have really no idea.

 

[mythmaster]

I think that zim2dive has reported good Flash playback on his 9500GT, but I could be wrong. I'm wondering about the 2xx series. Surely, there's an nvidia card that can play Hulu smoothly.


The games I'm referring to are Windows games via Wine or Cedega. I can't remember the last time I spent much time with gaming, but I want to have the option. I do have a nephew and my cousins have kids that might stop by, so I'd like to provide them with the opportunity to blow up stuff and dismember random people.

 

[zim2dive]



Quote:
Originally Posted by mythmaster /forum/post/18173451


I think that zim2dive has reported good Flash playback on his 9500GT, but I could be wrong. I'm wondering about the 2xx series. Surely, there's an nvidia card that can play Hulu smoothly.


The games I'm referring to are Windows games via Wine or Cedega. I can't remember the last time I spent much time with gaming, but I want to have the option. I do have a nephew and my cousins have kids that might stop by, so I'd like to provide them with the opportunity to blow up stuff and dismember random people.

I have a 9500GT, but moved that into another machine, given that performance with my GT220 seemed at least on par (I was less sure of the GT220 for the other box, so I kept it with HTPC). Once the alsa patches are rolled in to a release I can run the 220 over HDMI with audio.


In the HTPC I currently have E6300 (2.8GHz) and GT220. Still not perfect full-screen 480p Hulu

but pretty decent on full/HD with medium quality.


I'm not much for Wine/PC games, but if you have a simple test/benchmark I could run, I'd be happy to do so... and/or on any linux games (I have nexuiz, yo frankie, etc) (I imagine I could get frame rates out of those one way or another)

 

[mythmaster]

Thanks, zim. There's a GL bench that I found from surfing nvnews, but I can't remember what it's called.


Anyway, it looks like I'm going to have to dual-boot to Windows to play Hulu and Netflix (which really sucks hard), so I might as well load up the games there, also. I'll PXE boot to Linux and put Windows on the HD.


I think I'll go with the GTX 260 -- my PSU can barely handle it.

 

[mythmaster]

OK, I went ahead and ordered the GTX 260. I'll find that bench and post results for Linux, plus I'll let you know how it does with Flash. Maybe I won't have to dual-boot at all (fingers crossed).

 

[mythmaster]



Quote:
Originally Posted by zim2dive /forum/post/18173728


...if you have a simple test/benchmark I could run...

Here it is: http://unigine.com/download/#tropics


And here are the results (3/8/09) from my 9300GS which has frequent tearing in flash video and can barely play low-end games:

 

[tux99]

Is that 180.37 the nvidia driver version?


If yes why are you still running such an old release?


Upgrade to 190.53, there have been so many improvements since 180.x that your tearing with flash might quit likely improve (although probably not go away completely) just with a newer driver.

 

[tux99]

Here is my humble Quadro NVS 290:

 

[mythmaster]



Quote:
Originally Posted by tux99 /forum/post/18191408


Is that 180.37 the nvidia driver version?


If yes why are you still running such an old release?


Upgrade to 190.53, there have been so many improvements since 180.x that your tearing with flash might quit likely improve (although probably not go away completely) just with a newer driver.

That test was run March of last year.

Thank you for posting your results. I'll test my GTX 260 when it gets here.

 

[zim2dive]



Quote:
Originally Posted by mythmaster /forum/post/18190235


Here it is: http://unigine.com/download/#tropics

How do I run it? I dl'd and sh'd the run file.. it unpacked and I get a tropics folder..... when I cd to bin and ./tropics I get

Quote:
Xml::load(): can't open "/home/zimmy/Desktop/tropics/bin/unigine.cfg" file

Config::load(): can't open "/home/zimmy/Desktop/tropics/bin/unigine.cfg" file

Engine::init(): clear video settings for "GeForce GT 220 PCI Express 195.30"

FileSystem::load_dir(): can't open "/home/zimmy/Desktop/tropics/bin/data/" directory


Unigine fatal error

Xml::load(): can't open "/home/zimmy/Desktop/tropics/bin/unigine.cfg" file

Config::load(): can't open "/home/zimmy/Desktop/tropics/bin/unigine.cfg" file

Engine::init(): clear video settings for "GeForce GT 220 PCI Express 195.30"

FileSystem::load_dir(): can't open "/home/zimmy/Desktop/tropics/bin/data/" directory

Engine::init(): can't initialize filesystem


Shutdown

 

[tux99]

I simply ran ./fullscreen_1280x1024.sh in the tropics folder (my monitor happens to be 1280x1024). I guess for other monitor sizes just adjust the valuse in the .sh script.


Once started click on the benchmark icon on the top bar.

 

[mythmaster]



Quote:
Originally Posted by zim2dive /forum/post/18193116


How do I run it? I dl'd and sh'd the run file.. it unpacked and I get a tropics folder..... when I cd to bin and ./tropics I get

Sounds like permissions, but not sure.


I'll run it again when my card gets here.

 

[zim2dive]

Ah, I was trying to run tropics.. not the fullscreen scripts.. ok

 

[mythmaster]

That's not too bad for 1920x1080, zim. Is flash watchable on that 220?

 

[zim2dive]



Quote:
Originally Posted by mythmaster /forum/post/18197255


That's not too bad for 1920x1080, zim. Is flash watchable on that 220?

1920x1080, Hulu HD(ie. 480p), I find watchable at "medium" flash quality setting. At high, there are too many "tears" for my taste. MANY fewer (but maybe not 0) at medium.

 

[mythmaster]

Thank you. I'll test the GTX 260 in XP first (because that's what I'm running right now for a number of reasons) when it gets here (looks like tomorrow). Then, I'll test it in Linux after I get my backend set up which is going to be very complicated, and I'm kinda lazy. So I can't give you an ETA on that. Maybe next week, but I have an all-essay mid-term to prepare for, and that will have to take priority. I'll have to get a C in that class in order to keep getting student loans which are paying for so many things: food, wine, hardware, etc.

 

[mythmaster]

OMG that's the biggest video card I've ever seen! I haven't plugged it in yet...still marveling at it. Can't wait to see the scores.


Great call on the mobo, too, tux. She's a real beauty.