Passive Graphics Card recomendation

[synic]

This thread posted over in Overclockers.com.au (http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?t=597758) however this forum appears to deal with exactly what I am looking for.

I am after some advice on a passive graphics card for a media PC I'm putting together.

My rig consists of a 185 Opteron, A8N32-SLI (without the SLI) 2 x 1 gig Team 3200 2-3-2-5 memory. Basically I need a card that wont hold any of it back, and will drive 'any' LCD monitor or TV I care to plug into it. I'm currently using an XFX 7600GS 500mhz card, which is a passively cooled 'heat sink' graphics card, but I am getting artifacts and stuttering when I have 'eye candy' and high resolution (pretty fancy) screen savers running so think I need to upgrade to a higher end card.

A significant problem is that it needs to be passive, ie. SILENT, as I have a bee in my bonnet about noise as much as gamers have about FPS and Direct X 10.

There is another catch which may work in my favour. I want it to run a Linux Media PC box, Fedora 7 to be exact, so I dont care about and of that MS WindowZz stuff like Vista or Direct X 10. Also I dont game too much, although I would like to, time dosn't permit the indulgence - but I want to take this option into account.

I was thinking of the XFX 7950GT 512m 256 bit @ 610mhz (http://www.xfxforce.com/web/product/listConfigurationDetails.jspa?series=GeForce%26tra de%3B+7900&productConfigurationId=879071) as its got a few (http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=7089) decent reviews around the place and I would think, will do me for a few years considering its specs. I can pick one up for $370 bucks.

Its well within my budget as I dont mind blowing up to $400 bucks on something that will give me good SILENT performance. But, with the prices of 8000 series cards coming down all the time I am having second thoughts.

I have seen the MSI 8600GTS (http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=NX8600GTS-T2D256EZ-HD&class=vga) in a 512meg version at Gamedude (http://www.gamedude.com.au/) in Brisbane for $295 bucks with higher core and memory clocks; but I dont know if it has a 256 bus which I think might limit things in the future.

Also there is the ASUS EN8600GTSLN (http://www.asus.com.tw/products.aspx?l1=2&l2=6&l3=514&l4=0&model=1642&modelmenu=1) which comes in a Heat Pipe passive cooling version, but it is only 256 meg and 128 bit bus. I can pick that up at Umart in Brisbane (http://www.umart.com.au/newindex2.phtml?bid=2) for $210 bucks. I would like the 512 meg version but am not sure about the cost / performance tradeoff.

Most 8000 Nvidia cards apear to be 128 bit bus's where as the XFX 7950 is a 256 bit bus. Is a 256 bit bus speed even neccessary or will a 128 bit bus speed do? Bus speed is important to me as I would think that a high end card wont be able to make proper use of 512 meg of memory without it, or can it?

I would love to try an ATI card but unfortunatly they dont play very nicely with Linux distro's as ATI-AMD dont like releaseing the code for their drivers very often. Not that Nvidia is much better but they do distribute drivers regularly for Linux distro's which keeps bugs to a minimum and gives better performance. So, unfortunatly, ATI are out.

Suggestions please would be appreciated.

[Mike]

The xfx 7950 GT 610M is still the fastest passive video card around unless you want to mod something. I actually personally own that exact card...I'm a big silence fan these days.

First of all, what kind of a case are you going to try to put this card in? It has a pretty hefty heatsink on the back and might not fit some smaller media center oriented cases.

Also, I dunno if dropping $370 on that card is the best idea, it's really not worth that much anymore. If I were you I would try to find something for sale second hand, maybe for around $250, but not much more than that.

I paid $370 or so for mine about 8 or 9 months ago, and it's definitely an awesome card, but these days there are much faster cards for the same money.

If you're dead set on the card though, drop me a line, I'd consider selling you mine.

Whatever you do, don't buy an ATi card, they suck in linux.

[synic]

The xfx 7950 GT 610M is still the fastest passive video card around unless you want to mod something. I actually personally own that exact card...I'm a big silence fan these days.

First of all, what kind of a case are you going to try to put this card in? It has a pretty hefty heatsink on the back and might not fit some smaller media center oriented cases.

Also, I dunno if dropping $370 on that card is the best idea, it's really not worth that much anymore. If I were you I would try to find something for sale second hand, maybe for around $250, but not much more than that.

I paid $370 or so for mine about 8 or 9 months ago, and it's definitely an awesome card, but these days there are much faster cards for the same money.

If you're dead set on the card though, drop me a line, I'd consider selling you mine.

Whatever you do, don't buy an ATi card, they suck in linux.

I love my silentce. It's an obsesion actually. But hearing the tick tock of the seconds hand on the clock in the hall being louder than my WindowZz XP case running an 4600X2, 4 X Samsung Spinpint SP2504C drives and 2 XFX 7600GS-passive cards is a great thing. I really like my silence. Which is one of the reasons I am interested in the XFX 7950GT 512m 256bit 610ghz card. Your right, I cannot find anything with equivalant performance in a passivly cooled card. Its driving me crazy. If I opt for an 8800GTS bargin basement for 400 450 bucks Australian then I still have to shell out for a cooler. There are some good ones, but they are going to place another 70-80 bucks on top of the price of the card which then blows my purchase out to more than 500 bucks Au.

The XFX 7950GT I can pick up for 370 bucks Au.

And, no... ATI is out of the question which is unfortunate as the 2900 looks great; but he problem with drivers in linux is a MAJOR hurdle.

I am looking for a kick ass card to go into a SilverStone LC17 for a MythTV Media PC setup, but dont want the basics. I want heaps of 'graphic performance headroom' so I can have fun with it too.

Suggestions

[Mike]

How about a passively cooled 8600 gts? I've seen them around...it'd be a little slower, but better for a media center pc...

[synic]

How about a passively cooled 8600 gts? I've seen them around...it'd be a little slower, but better for a media center pc...

Was actually thinking of getting 8800GTS with a HR-03 plus (http://www.coolpc.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1407) but was wanting to try it out on my 7600GS which the website seems to think it wont fit. Bummer. What to do, what to do?