Wanna Tell Me about your video card?

[blackbelt_jones]

For the past two years, I've been installing Linux on other people's castoff computers, and now, suddenly, I've come into just a little bit of money, and I get to build my own system.

My brother has been helping me. He knows a lot about hardware, but sadly, he's about as hard-core Windows as they come. (I'm convinced that, if he and I ever had to live together, it would make a great sitcom for the Tech Channel) There are some things he just can't help me with.

I feel particularly clueless regarding what video card to choose. I actually hope to be doing some video editing with this machine. So I want something that works well with Linux, that allows me to play DVDs and manage tv output, for between 100-200 dollars. Right now, I'm thinking my main distro will be either SuSE or Fedora.

I'd really love some help. You can tell me what you think I should get if you like-- I won't mind-- or maybe you can tell me what you're running, and why you like it, or why you don't like it. I really need a starting point, a frame of reference! Looking at long lists of video cards on linux websites just doesn't help as much as I'd hoped it would.

[fatTrav]

I have an older Nvidia Gforce 3. It gets the job done, it has tv out and does decent on games. Can't complain here. I'd love a newer/better card, but I don't play games much (have an xbox for that) and my nvidia card works just fine for me.

I'd recommend sticking with Nvidia b/c it's just easier to get their stuff to work in linux than with ATI.

[Sgood1971]

I have a Geforce FX 5200 w/tv out on SuSE 9.1 and it works flawlessly. And SuSE makes getting the Nvidia drivers really pain free. Only 128MB on the card but I am really pleased with it.

[Daedrus]

I agree. Stick with nVidia if you want good linux support. Ati falters a little when it comes to linux.

[blackbelt_jones]

That seems pretty conclusive, and affirms something I saw on a website... thanks!

[Rinias]

I've got the nVidia GeForce 4 Ti 4200. It's not as good ( see: "$$") as the FX (probably less than $80 or $90 now), but it's got 64MB and if you have 8x on your AGP slot (you NEED to know this), then it will [i]burn[/]. Works like a charm...

Check it out- it's pretty recent, but not so much so that you can't buy a little something else to go with it... :D

Oh, and it has TV /S-video out.

BTW- it's the PNY version (cause there's lots of different versions..)

[blackbelt_jones]

The idea is that once I choose a video cared that works good with Linux, my brother will help me to build the rest of the system around that.

What do you think of this?

GIGABYTE NX53128D 128MB GF5300 NVIDIA PCI EXPRESS VGA W/TV&DVI

Technical Information:

# Chipset: nVIDIA Geforce PCX 5300
# Memory: 128 MB
# Mem Bus: 64 bit
# BUS: PCIE x 16
# Mem Type: DDR 16Mx16
# D-SUB: Y
# TV-OUT: Y
# DVI Port: Y
# MultiView: Y
# H/W Monitor: N
# Tools: V-Tuner II
# GAME: 1
# Software: Power DVD 5.0
# Remark: Game include: Arx Fatalis

[Richard Craneum]

Red Hat HCL (http://hardware.redhat.com/hcl/?pagename=hcl&view=certified#form)

Mandrake HCL (http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/hardware.php3)

The little I know, I will share... I hope that helps.

[MorphiusFaydal]

Originally posted by blackbelt_jones
The idea is that once I choose a video cared that works good with Linux, my brother will help me to build the rest of the system around that.

What do you think of this?

GIGABYTE NX53128D 128MB GF5300 NVIDIA PCI EXPRESS VGA W/TV&DVI

Technical Information:

# Chipset: nVIDIA Geforce PCX 5300
# Memory: 128 MB
# Mem Bus: 64 bit
# BUS: PCIE x 16
# Mem Type: DDR 16Mx16
# D-SUB: Y
# TV-OUT: Y
# DVI Port: Y
# MultiView: Y
# H/W Monitor: N
# Tools: V-Tuner II
# GAME: 1
# Software: Power DVD 5.0
# Remark: Game include: Arx Fatalis

you have a PCI-Express capable motherboard?

and thats an okay card.... wouldnt buy it myself (i'd get something higher end, for gaming), but if you wont do much gaming, and can get a PCI-Express MoBo, go for it!

[blackbelt_jones]

Well, the mo-board has not been picked out yet, so I don't see a problem with that. I am interested in editing and viewing digital video, but not at all into gaming. I'm under the impression that conventional video production application don't really need the kind of high-end hardware that gaming requires-- am I correct? I'm prepared to pay a little more if I have to.

[Richard Craneum]

I used ECS K7S5A MoBo and all worked right away. I used Mandrake 8.0 thru 9.0 on it. Builded another PC with a Hauppauge Win TV tuner and I watch TV on my PC, the IR remote does not work and I do not know of a Linux application that will play the radio on the card. I picked up a NVidia GeForce MX 440 64MB and worked supperb with Tux Racer and Chromium. No config need it. The NIC worked inmediatly, USBs and Audio, I have it with a OptiRite CD Burner and a Sony DVD player, with 2 HDD the master drive is removable and one has W2K and the other has Mandrake 9.1 Pro Suite Edition, the slave drive is on FAT32 so I can swap files easily with any OS that I throw at it. I have also a M$ Optical Wheel Mouse that works like a champ.... But if I use my video capture card for my web cam, it has the same Chip Set as the TV tuner, neither M$ with drivers and all, or Mandrake makes it work.

[Sgood1971]

If you are not interested in gaming, concentrate on RAM for your system more than your card. The more the merrier in both cases, but it will be more important to have system ram than video ram in editing/compiling video, etc. Use the money you save on not buying the top of the line card to increase your system memory.

[blackbelt_jones]

I've always heard that for upgrading, installing RAM was "the most bang for the buck". I'm going to get a gig.

Well, I think that settles it, unless somebody think I'm making a terrible decision with GIGABYTE NX53128D 128MB GF5300 NVIDIA PCI EXPRESS VGA W/TV&DVI.

Thanks for the help, everybody.

So I'll be going from a 266 processor with 150 MB RAM to a 2.8 Ghz Pentium IV with a gig of RAM! Do ya think I'lll be able to tell the difference?:cool:

Now to pick a sound card...:(

[Sgood1971]

Originally posted by blackbelt_jones
Do ya think I'lll be able to tell the difference?:cool:

Only with the power turned on.:D

[blackbelt_jones]

Oh, and I'll be getting a broadband connection, too. :cool:

I tell ya, I deserve this! You should see some of the crap I've been working with-- the 266 mentioned above is my "good" computer-- and I've been having a great time with it. (That's why I deserve it ... not because I've been working with crappy hardware t but because I've been having such a great time working with crappy hardware, know what I mean?)

This is just another reason why I love LINUX!

I took an old Gateway with a Pentium 1 and 40 MB RAM, with the mouse port malfunctioning, and installed Debian without X, so I could chat with people on IRC from the command line, while I was working on the main box. To a real geek, this is hardly an amazing accomplishment, but for me, it was SO cool. I defy anyone to have this much fun with a "PC of s**t" box like that and Windows XP!

[blackbelt_jones]

Originally posted by Sgood1971
I have a Geforce FX 5200 w/tv out on SuSE 9.1 and it works flawlessly. And SuSE makes getting the Nvidia drivers really pain free. Only 128MB on the card but I am really pleased with it.

My brother thinks I should get what appears to be the same video card that you have. He sent me this link:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=529306&Tab=1&NoMapp=0

My question is: does the remote control work in Linux? Anything else I should know about?

Thanks again for the guidance.

BTW I'm really looking forward to trying SuSE on a computer with a little juice. About 8 months ago, I bought a set of SuSE Pro 9.0 disks through EBay, where you can buy SuSE and Red Hat Enterprise at CheapBytes prices-- and, for all I know, it may even be legal. One this computer, SuSE moves slower than a Twin Peaks Marathon (Don't get me wrong; I'm a huge fan!) . Does 9.1 use the 2.6.x kernel?

[Crashcourse]

Everything goes just fine as long as your videocard is Nvidia or Matrox and your mobo's chipset is not SIS.

[Richard Craneum]

SiS... I builded many PCs with SiS chipsets and I never had problems. The one with MoBo problems is the one that overclocks them... I never do.

[Fryguy8]

nvidia is definetely the way to go.

as for pci-express, ehh.. pretty useless waste of money, and limits you to intel-only systems (amd hasn't released pci-e capable chipsets yet).

Also, not sure if you realize this or not, but the video card means nothing when it comes to video editing. Ram and hard disk space/speed are the 2 important factors for video editing. I'd rather see you have a gig of low-latency ddr ram and a raptor drive (or scsi) with a geforce3.

[Sgood1971]

Originally posted by blackbelt_jones
My brother thinks I should get what appears to be the same video card that you have. He sent me this link:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=529306&Tab=1&NoMapp=0

My question is: does the remote control work in Linux? Anything else I should know about?

Thanks again for the guidance.

BTW I'm really looking forward to trying SuSE on a computer with a little juice. About 8 months ago, I bought a set of SuSE Pro 9.0 disks through EBay, where you can buy SuSE and Red Hat Enterprise at CheapBytes prices-- and, for all I know, it may even be legal. One this computer, SuSE moves slower than a Twin Peaks Marathon (Don't get me wrong; I'm a huge fan!) . Does 9.1 use the 2.6.x kernel?

First, my card does not have a remote as it is not the cinema, sorry I can not help you there. But yes, 9.1 Pro uses the 2.6.x kernel and runs pretty fast on my system. (Used to do nice on my laptop too until it died.)

[goon12]

Right now I have a GeForce Fx Ultra 5700. I'm happy with it ( but I cant wait for the 6800s ). I've always used nvidia cards and have had no problems with drivers/linux at all. Nvidia has always been good with drivers.

I'd say go nvidia if you can. You might want to hold off until the 6800 cards come out though.

[blackbelt_jones]

No way am I holding off. Looks like I'm getting a card that is a lot better than I need. So what I'm looking at with the cinema is the same card, but with some extra hardware? It seems to me that all these extra input and output jacks may be real useful for video editing.

Here's a question: would I be able to use this hardware to convert my old VHS tapes into digital video? That would be beyond awesome! I've got a closetful of old mystery science theater videocassettes that I could turn into DVD's, freeing up my closet for clothes....:)

[Tjoh311]

I'm not sure about the hardware you mentioned but heres a little article I found about the VHS to DVD/VCD conversion. You prolly already saw this.
Looks like fun!:D

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article.php?sid=5817

[blackbelt_jones]

So now to pick a motherboard. that supports the Geforce FX 5200 w/tv out-- Iwe're looking at the

Soyo P4I875P Dragon 2 V1.0 Black Label Edition Intel Socket 478 ATX Motherboard,

which got a good review from linuxhardware.org:

http://www.linuxhardware.org/features/04/02/06/2010235.shtml

I'm downlaoding the manual at this moment, and I'm going to see how it stacks up against some of the concerns already mentioned in here. It seems to have sound support, so I wouldn't need a soundcard.

This is from my brother's email, suggesting the board:

"so run that by the linux gang, (He means you) and mention
it has hyperthreading, dual channel DDR, on board sound 5.1 channel.
does hyperthreading mean anything to linux users?"

Shopping for computer components is alternates between being unbearably exciting and rather like studying for a chemistry final... oh, but its gonna be so worth it!

[blackbelt_jones]

Originally posted by Tjoh311
I'm not sure about the hardware you mentioned but heres a little article I found about the VHS to DVD/VCD conversion. You prolly already saw this.
Looks like fun!:D

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article.php?sid=5817

No, I hadn't seen it, and wow, this is great! Many thnks!:)

[Sgood1971]

Originally posted by blackbelt_jones
Shopping for computer components is alternates between being unbearably exciting and rather like studying for a chemistry final... oh, but its gonna be so worth it!

If you find chemistry unbearably exciting, it's all good.:D

Seriously though good luck and congrats. I don't have any hardware that supports hyper-threading, so I haven't really looked into it. I think I may have read that HT is supported now, but I don't know when or where or even if this is a correct memory.

[blackbelt_jones]

Thanks... by the way, I just noticed... are you running a winmodem with SuSE? Nice trick if you are. Is it you, or SuSE that deserves the credit?

[Sgood1971]

It is SuSE that deserves the credit, I posted the howto here (http://justlinux.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=132557) , sadly my laptop died just 2 days later, a replacement is on the way, I will have to hope that the modems are the same chipset. It actually works (worked :( ) better than it did in Windows on the same box.

[blackbelt_jones]

(Observing a moment of respectful silence in honor of Sgood's laptop.)

[ZAmodeo]

The 5200 personal cinema is $15 cheaper at zipzoomfly: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=322662-OP
I buy all of my parts from them or Newegg, both of them usually have better prices than Tiger Direct.

Just a tip! ;)

[blackbelt_jones]

Thanks! The link came from my brother. He told me that Tiger Direct isn't the best place to buy, but a great place to get information. He favors Mwave... gonna be sure to check out zipzoomfly!

[Crashcourse]

Originally posted by Richard Craneum
SiS... I builded many PCs with SiS chipsets and I never had problems. The one with MoBo problems is the one that overclocks them... I never do.

Hmm... that's strange. I've had two Asrock mobos with SIS chipset (k7s8x & k7s8xe r3.0) running at normal speed and I had pretty rough times with Linux. Nothing really worked - not even with retail version of MDK 10. So I changed to Asus and everything works perfectly.

[ZAmodeo]

Wow, I never knew about Mwave, seems like a nice site with good prices though. Thanks for mentioning it!

[Richard Craneum]

Crashcourse...

I used like I said before ECS Elite Group K7S5A and they worked pretty decent with Linux. So far ECS has been good to me.

[Crashcourse]

Yes, the mystery deepens... anyway I'm absolutely sure they were the mobos that caused me the trouble.