HTPC Recommendations - video card

[minendo]

This weekend I will be building a HTPC using the following components:

Shuttle XPC SK41G
AMD XP1500+
1gb PNY Verto PC3500 (2 x 512mb)
16x Samsung DVD Rom
20gb Maxtor (dual boot WinXP, some linux distro)
160gb Maxtor (data drive)

As of right now I plan on using the onboard video plus an older tv tuner that I have sitting around. However, I need suggestions on a good, but not overly expesive vivo card.

So what do you suggest?

 

[Todd33]

I used the 9600 non-pro which is passivly cooled and DX9. It has svideo and DVI. Below that maybe the 9200SE and on the higher end the FX5700U is recommended. I am assuming that you are not gaming, then you need to look into the standard gaming cards. Many say that Nvidia cards have better s-video and ATI has better DVI.

 

[ForceCalibur]

9600 NP are good.

 

[dennisjai215]

9600np are just a bit faster than the 9100 i thought.. the 9500 series > 9600 i think from seeing old benchmarks

 

[imported_intercollector]

I suggest an AIW Radeon (whatever flavour that you prefer), even though you already have an older tuner. The cards are really kickass for HTPCs.

 

[Todd33]

Anyone serious about DVR with a HTPC use a Hauppage WinTV 250 for capture. Hardware encoding.

 

[Dug]

If you'll ever be running any high definition like from ms, then you'll want a 128MB card like the 9600.

 

[SUOrangeman]

Folks at www.avsform.com swear by ATi. Although, the new Personal Cinema FX5700 card from evga raised my eyebrows. To date, I had seen Personal Cinemas cards no better than an FX5600, which never made any noise in the performance arena.

-SUO