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PROJECT: THE ULTIMATE HIGH-DEFINITION HOME THEATER SERVER
Selected Hardware Components
GRAPHICS CARD:
DVD playback quality is best measured by the
HQV
Benchmark. HQV scores have been going up
in the past 12-18 months, with ATI leading the pack
early on, then falling behind nVidia in the most
recent tests. Currently, the nVidia 8800
series of GPUs have the highest HQV scores - 128 out
of a possible 130. However, products based on
those GPUs are out of our budget. If they
weren't, it would be our top choice.
The next down the line are the 7xxx series of
nVidia GPUs. All nVidia GPUs below the 8xxx
series are supported by PureVideo, and have reported
to achieve HQV scores of 123. Some on the web
have also reported ATI hitting 123 with their
X1000-series GPUs. However,
nVidia GPUs have shown to be faster in h.264 video
(meaning using less CPU cycles) than ATI GPUs.
In the aforementioned link, the 7900GTX had the best
performance among the 7xxx series.
Unfortunately, it is still pricey. Thus, the
choice came down to which card provides the most
bang-for-the-buck: The MSI
NX7900GT-T2D256E.
  
Other Options:
The
MSI NX7800GTX was also an
alternative option to the 7900GT. It also
offered the same HQV scores, relatively fast h.264
rendering, and is quite affordable now as well.
The only problem with it is that its
older-generation 110nm process uses about 10-15W
more power than the 7900GT's 90nm process.
For those religiously in
the ATI school of thought, the Asus EAX1600XT-Silent
is a splendid choice. It features the X1600 GPU, and a completely passive heatpipe cooler.
HQV scores are also at 123 (reportedly - you can
Google it), but h.264 playback CPU utilization is
higher than both nVidia boards above.
  
Upgrade Path:
Upgrading in the future entails finding a card with
better performance. So, we are looking for a
card with a HQV higher than 123, better h.264
rendering power, and must also be watercool-able, or
passively cooled.
At this point, the options are the nVidia 7950GT,
7900GTX, and the 8800 series.
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