NVIDIA and ATI HDCP Compatible Graphics Cards Roundup
by Josh Venning on November 16, 2006 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
MSI GeForce NX7600 GT
For this HDCP card roundup, MSI provided us with a total of four cards. The first is the MSI NX7600 GT which comes factory overclocked at 580/750MHz (core/mem). Interestingly, this card has a very large heat sink that covers the entire card and takes up a second slot on the case. The NX7600 GT has two DVI ports, as well as an S-Video out for connection to a TV.
MSI GeForce NX7600 GT Diamond Plus
The next card by MSI is a much newer and sleeker version of the NX7600 GT, the GeForce NX7600 GT Diamond Plus. This version of the 7600GT adds HDMI and component video outputs. It also adds an S/PDIF audio input for running audio through the HDMI connection. As the image below shows, the card is also much slimmer than the previous NX7600 GT, only requiring a single PCI slot on the motherboard. This fact, along with the HDMI port, might make this version more desirable. However, because the Diamond Plus is only clocked at reference speeds (560/700), those wanting more gaming performance might opt for the non-HDMI version of the two. Both of these cards (like most 7600 GT cards) draw their power through the board rather than using an external power connection.
MSI GeForce NX7900 GS
The third card we have from MSI is the GeForce NX7900 GS. The 7900 GS is a midrange card that provides decent performance for its price. This version of the card by MSI looks very similar to NVIDIA's reference design, with MSI's custom graphics on the heatsink. The card comes with two DVI connections, as well as an analog connection with component video support. Some versions of the MSI GeForce NX7900 GS also come with a factory overclock of 500MHz on the core and 700MHz on the memory, but the one we have is reference clocked at 450/660.
MSI GeForce NX7900 GT
The last card from MSI that we have is the MSI GeForce NX7900 GT. Unlike the NX7900 GS, our NX7900 GT did in fact come to us with a factory overclock of 500/765 over the standard 7900 GT clock of 450/660. Like the NX7900 GS, this card looks much like the reference design, with the standard HSF with the MSI logo on it. The card also has two DVI connectors and an analog video adapter (S-Video, Composite, and Component outputs) like the NX7900 GS.
For this HDCP card roundup, MSI provided us with a total of four cards. The first is the MSI NX7600 GT which comes factory overclocked at 580/750MHz (core/mem). Interestingly, this card has a very large heat sink that covers the entire card and takes up a second slot on the case. The NX7600 GT has two DVI ports, as well as an S-Video out for connection to a TV.
MSI GeForce NX7600 GT Diamond Plus
The next card by MSI is a much newer and sleeker version of the NX7600 GT, the GeForce NX7600 GT Diamond Plus. This version of the 7600GT adds HDMI and component video outputs. It also adds an S/PDIF audio input for running audio through the HDMI connection. As the image below shows, the card is also much slimmer than the previous NX7600 GT, only requiring a single PCI slot on the motherboard. This fact, along with the HDMI port, might make this version more desirable. However, because the Diamond Plus is only clocked at reference speeds (560/700), those wanting more gaming performance might opt for the non-HDMI version of the two. Both of these cards (like most 7600 GT cards) draw their power through the board rather than using an external power connection.
MSI GeForce NX7900 GS
The third card we have from MSI is the GeForce NX7900 GS. The 7900 GS is a midrange card that provides decent performance for its price. This version of the card by MSI looks very similar to NVIDIA's reference design, with MSI's custom graphics on the heatsink. The card comes with two DVI connections, as well as an analog connection with component video support. Some versions of the MSI GeForce NX7900 GS also come with a factory overclock of 500MHz on the core and 700MHz on the memory, but the one we have is reference clocked at 450/660.
MSI GeForce NX7900 GT
The last card from MSI that we have is the MSI GeForce NX7900 GT. Unlike the NX7900 GS, our NX7900 GT did in fact come to us with a factory overclock of 500/765 over the standard 7900 GT clock of 450/660. Like the NX7900 GS, this card looks much like the reference design, with the standard HSF with the MSI logo on it. The card also has two DVI connectors and an analog video adapter (S-Video, Composite, and Component outputs) like the NX7900 GS.
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DerekWilson - Thursday, November 16, 2006 - link
To be honest, this article was a very long time in production ... we got a hold of the drive almost two months ago iirc. It just took a whole lot of time and energy to get the tests done and the article written. We did go back and add the 8800 and 256mb 1900xt, but the x1950pro seemed to slip through the cracks.Sorry about that. We didn't exclude it on purpose, and we will try to include it in any future articles we write on HDCP protected content and high definition movies.
photoguy99 - Thursday, November 16, 2006 - link
If the article was done a while ago, does that mean it's now possible to playback h.264/vc1 Blu-Ray on a PC?It would be good to know what the missing link is to make sure we get it if we want to get playback on our own systems.
DerekWilson - Friday, November 17, 2006 - link
All BD movies are currently MPEG-2 -- and probably will be for a while.HD-DVD movies use VC1.
peternelson - Friday, November 17, 2006 - link
Wrong, the initial BR moves were mpeg-2 encoded content.
There now exist BR discs with content in the other two main formats.
Also discs with dual layers while original releases were single layer.
The wikipedia page for bluray contains titles, launch dates of the non-mpeg-2 discs.
DerekWilson - Saturday, November 18, 2006 - link
I stand corrected. Thanks for the info.balazs203 - Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - link
Thanks for the great review.At this link in the review of the new Panasonic BR player they mention a few non-MPEG2 BD titles they like quality wise:
http://www.ultimateavmag.com/hddiscplayers/1106pan...">http://www.ultimateavmag.com/hddiscplayers/1106pan...
I would be very much interested in an extension of your review with non-MPEG2 titles as obviously I would like to buy a computer which can play back all these titles and MPEG2 is the easisest type. Info about the other types is much more important for me when I consider what parts I want to buy.
JarredWalton - Thursday, November 16, 2006 - link
The article wasn't *done* a while ago - it was *started* two months ago. It took that long to get to this point, which says something about the state of the technology.lujack26 - Monday, October 31, 2011 - link
I was looking around the web for HDMI video cards after I read this article and came across this website E-bargainz.com. They seem to have great prices, a large selection, and reasonable shipping. Here is the direct link to their selection of HDMI video cards http://www.e-bargainz.com/index.php/cPath/143. I also found a coupon code "Thank You" for $5 off your first purchase. I'm going to try them out. Anything to keep from putting another dollar in Jeff Bezos pockets.