Looking for a silent 2600XT that'll fit in a HTPC

[ParmMann]

Hi all, I'm building a new HTPC and I've got all the parts ordered except the graphics card. I'm after a silent Radeon 2600XT but I'm having trouble locating one. The only one I've found so far is the Gigabyte GV-RX26T256H.

I'm thinking of getting that one but the cooling sollution on the card looks quite big. I'll be using an Antec NSK2400 case (similar to the Antec Fusion) and I'm not sure if that card will fit.

Does anybody with the Antec case happen to know how much room you have for a graphics card and is the above Gigabyte likely to fit? If not, are there any other passively cooled 2600XTs?

Thanks in advance!

 

[lostbok]

ParmMann - did u find anything?

 

[willo]

I asked this question a couple of days ago but no reply. I'm after the 2400xt passive (also Gigabyte) and will be fitting it into a Silverstone LC126 case. The problem with this case is the DVD drive is smack bang in the middle where the card will go, I've got about 18cm to get it into. Ordered it anyway and should be fitting it on Saturday.

I did notice the 2600xt is longer than the 2400xt.

 

[ParmMann]

I kinda found something! I've finished my build and in the end went with a Gigabyte 2600 Pro, it fits perfectly into my Antec NSK2400 case.

This is the card I purchased: http://www.giga-byte.co.uk/Products/VGA/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2589
I got it from Scan.co.uk

I've not played any games with it yet so I can't comment on the gaming aspect but everything else so far has been spot on. It was pretty cheap and I'm very happy with my new build.

 

[stu8]

the SCS3 ones at the bottom look good you can get them from ebuyer

http://www.powercolor.com/eng/products_layer_3.asp?ModelID=394

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/sear...8&intSubcatUID=2206&bolShowAll=true&intPage=2

dont think i've seen a silent XT yet though

 

[lostbok]

Thanks guys!

I'm assuming that the 2400XT or 2600PRO/XT are the cards to go for?

How effective is the AC3 audio over HDMI?

Do ALL 2600XT's support this?

Do any/all of the 2600PRO / 2400 series cards support audio over HDMI?

I might be playing the odd game on the PC, so thought I'd err on the side of the 2600XT... only £10-£15 extra... and I'd rather have the heat venting out of the case too.

 

[lostbok]

Thanks guys!

I'm assuming that the 2400XT or 2600PRO/XT are the cards to go for in HTPC's?

How effective is the AC3 audio over HDMI?

Do ALL 2600XT's support this?

Do any/all of the 2600PRO / 2400 series cards support audio over HDMI? Not all seem to include the adapter, while the majority of the 2600XT cards do.

I might be playing the odd game on the PC, so thought I'd err on the side of the 2600XT... only £10-£15 extra... and like I said - includes the HDMI adapter.

This is what I was looking at: http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=633076, but just realised that it's "single slot cooling" and I'd rather have something with a fan that vents heat out the case (or possibly one of those external heat-pipe case, but less keen on those).

I'm at risk of cross-posting here - if you've got any significant tips / advice on setting up, specc'ing or configuring my HTPC, please post them here:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=624767

 

[psikey]

I'm now using the GDDR3 version of the 2600XT

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/128946

And its small than the regular 2600XT's (GDDR4 version)

I get picture & sound through an HDMI lead to my HDTV. Playing Bioshock at 1366x768 on my aging P4 3.4GHz system with 1GB RAM with high settings of around 25-30fps (lower at times). My new Shuttle build with C2D & 2GB RAM should get better performance.

Can't comment on noise level as my CPU fan is louder but thats an Arctic Cooler Pro.

It's actually physically smaller than the OEM NVidia 6600 it replaced.

It does come with the DVI-HDMI adapter and looks like the same one you linked to at Scan. Looks like the price has gone up as I only paid £60 for mine delivered 2 weeks ago. (~£65 now)

 

[lostbok]

do any of the GDDR3's vent externally - seems to be the GDDR4 version that does...

I don't mind about the size: the box and motherboard are a peculiar shape: although it's a desktop build, I think the case is has been designed to take a full length CAD graphics card, so length is certianly not an issue.

Although I'm not sure if I'd fit this in - need to check!

Sapphire HD 2600XT Ultimate (passive cooled 2600XT)

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/the-radeon-2600xt-remixed,review-29624-3.html

Very new though, so not sure if it's available in the UK yet... it's not even on the Sapphire website yet.... not sure if it's worth the hassle and expense - more for you chaps wanting to keep the noise near-to-zero.

 

[KelvinS1965]

I just got a 2600Pro (AGP) from Ebuyer, but it makes my HTPC a bit noisy now. I'm going to try fitting a Zalman fan & cooler or maybe a silent Zalman heatsink.

 

[stu8]

heres another silent pro card

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-082-HT&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=938

and overclockers have the silent XT saphire details up but no ETA

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-158-SP&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=938

 

[lostbok]

what about this one?

"256MB Gigabyte HD 2600 XT PCI-E (x16) 128 Bit GDDR3, CrossFire 2xDVI-I/HDTV, Retail" - it's also got one of those Gigabyte "silent heatpipes", so it's fanless...

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=661339

http://www.giga-byte.com/Products/VGA/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2586

NB - a potential major downside would be that the HDMI support is described as via the "optional" DVI-HDMI adapter.... if this is not included, you then have the headache of trying to get one of these.... I've submitted a Scan question to see if this is actually included (it seems like it is for most other manufacturers).

 

[lostbok]

I kinda found something! I've finished my build and in the end went with a Gigabyte 2600 Pro, it fits perfectly into my Antec NSK2400 case.

This is the card I purchased: http://www.giga-byte.co.uk/Products/VGA/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2589
I got it from Scan.co.uk

ParmMann - did your Gigabyte 2600PRO include the HDMI-DVI adapter?

I'm going to go with the 2600XT, preferably the Giga-byte, but I'm not sure about this adapter...

edit: I think I answered my own question.... http://www.pcinpact.com/a-281-4-2600XT_Gigabyte_Fanless.htm

For those who can't read French, the only bit u need is the red box on the bottom right hand corner: Negative points.... "Pas de dongle HDMI" = No HDMI dongle....

 

[RockySpieler]

ParmMann - did your Gigabyte 2600PRO include the HDMI-DVI adapter?

I'm going to go with the 2600XT, preferably the Giga-byte, but I'm not sure about this adapter...

edit: I think I answered my own question.... http://www.pcinpact.com/a-281-4-2600XT_Gigabyte_Fanless.htm

For those who can't read French, the only bit u need is the red box on the bottom right hand corner: Negative points.... "Pas de dongle HDMI" = No HDMI dongle....

Sorry I could not help but thinking about old pop songs when I read the french......ahh Musical Youth

"Pas de dongle" on the left-hand side

"Pas de dongle" on the left-hand side

As jokes are worse when you have to repeat or explain them, I will do both (courtesy of google):-

For all the dozens of people who come here looking for the meaning of "Pass The Duchie/Dutchie/Duchy 'pon the left hand side", here it is.

The 'dutchie' in question is a dutch pot, a large cooking vessel for stews and the like, shortened in West Indian slang to dutchie or any other spelling you care to mention. It's an oral culture so it doesn't matter.

The reason it gets into the song is because the weeny members of Musical Youth, a Birmingham-based pre-boyband boy band, used to play a cover of "Pass The Kouchie", a song originally recorded by the Mighty Diamonds about passing a cannabis pipe or 'kouchie' (pronounced 'koochie'). This topic was deemed unsuitable by the band's manager and their producer. So after some reflection the word 'dutchie' was substituted for 'kouchie' and magically the song was transformed from being about drugs to being about food. (I know this to be true not because I am an expert in Rastafari but because the group's manager told me.)

Big hit followed but not much happiness. The various guardians of the under-aged stars fell out over the money which slowly evaporated into the hands of lawyers and a legacy of bitterness and trauma was all that was left.

 

[stu8]

if you want to know what comes with any graphics card go to newegg.com its american so buyings out the window but they have multiple photos of all you get which i find handy

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125075

 

[lostbok]

Sorry I could not help but thinking about...
"Pas de dongle" on the left-hand side

"Pas de dongle" on the left-hand side

Dude.... you need help

 

[lostbok]

if you want to know what comes with any graphics card go to newegg.com its american so buyings out the window but they have multiple photos of all you get which i find handy

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125075

Spot on advice Stu8, thanks! I guess there's always the risk of slightly different EU / US bundles... but I think these look identical.

As suspected: they don't include the HDMI adapter.

It looks like there's a component (Pr-Pb-Y) line out and a S-vid line out... but nothing for the audio...

 

[ParmMann]

ParmMann - did your Gigabyte 2600PRO include the HDMI-DVI adapter?

I'm going to go with the 2600XT, preferably the Giga-byte, but I'm not sure about this adapter...

edit: I think I answered my own question.... http://www.pcinpact.com/a-281-4-2600XT_Gigabyte_Fanless.htm

For those who can't read French, the only bit u need is the red box on the bottom right hand corner: Negative points.... "Pas de dongle HDMI" = No HDMI dongle....

Hi mate, my 2600 Pro definately didn't come with the adapter. I'm using a DVI to HDMI cable on my screen, but remember you don't get sound over the HDMI using a DVI to HDMI cable. If you do want the card to output sound too, you'll need to find somewhere that sells the adapter.

It's a slight niggle but I didn't mind as I use standalone speakers as opposed to the TV speakers.

 

[lostbok]

ok - gonna HAVE to get teh proper thing... the PC has onboard sound, but ropey stuff... I want to use the surround sound on the 2600XT, so I need it to run the proper HDMI up tot he TV, which then has a co-axial lead back down to the AMP (that's how I run the PS3 and V+)....

 

[lostbok]

fyi - I went for the HIS ICEQ3 version of the 2600XT - 512Mb GDDR3 (not that it makes a bit of differnece compared to the 256MB)... it's not passivley cooled, it's the near-silent iceQ3 fan... which also vents the hot air out the case.

And it includes the HDMI adapter... edit OR NOT!!! (see above)

 

[lostbok]

I can NOT believe it... Overclockers.co.uk sell this card, but on the box, in the "this box contains" frame, there's a little bit of tape over the part that says "DVI-to-HDMI adapter", despite them (Overclockers) advertising it as an all-in-one audio and video HDMI solution!!

edit: I'll be contacting them first thing tomorrow to find out what they're playing at.

SODS:

 

[RockySpieler]

I have ordered one of these MSI heatpipe 2600XT Gddr3 512mb (processed - waiting for stock):-

http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4N4K

It may be too large for your case, I am going to use an Antec p180 which is fairly large tower, but has vertical hard drive orientation (lower chamber), so when I lay it on its side the hard drives (2x500gb Spinpoints) will be fine, as will the massive scythe ninja (revB) cooler. Hopefully I will be able to run the ninja fanless, using down clocked case fans for air flow.

 

[lostbok]

ta - I've calmed down a bit and not called OverClockers yet - got a fully wired DVI to HDMI adapter that I'm going to build my HTPC sometime in the next couple of days and I'll see if that works - the two 500Gb Spinpoints arrived yesterday - so that's my stripe-set

Case is a a "full" height desktop case:

I doubt size is going to be too much of a hinderance - I've got my HTPC well out of sight, so that's not a problem at all.

 

[gw420]

Another option is to get a 2600xt with a normal cooler (I got the normal Sapphire 2600xt which comes with HDMI dongle) and then get the Zalman VNF100 cooler and fit that.

The cooler is very compact and fits no problem in my Antec Fusion (It is tight against the ram slot but fits fine).

 

[lostbok]

my whole reason for going for the HIS version is because the cooler is uber quiet and most importantly, it vents the air out of the case - so more chance of running the other components on v low speed fans or no fans at all... the two CPU's have both got VERY large heat pipe towers (full height of the case) and a pair of temp-sensitive fans extracting heat across them - provided the case stays at a reasonable temp, those fans will stay at a pretty low speed and very quiet.