Quick Video Card question

[Matt Rushmore]

I'm on PT 9.0.1. My system info should be in my signature. The only thing my computer is going to be used for is Pro Tools. No internet, no anything else. At all.
Turned Aero off on Windows 7, etc.

Quick video card question. I had the EVGA GT220 1gb DDR3 video card (NVidia) but the thing is noisy. VERY noisy.

Switched today to the Asus en210 512mb Silent (fanless) video card.(NVidia) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121385

I am not too hip on video cards but I'm thinking the 512mb should be enough but I'm curious if others think differently.

Any opinions? Thanks in advance!

[cwsand]

Yeah, actually the less RAM on the card the better for Pro Tools - at least until a 64-bit version come out. The more RAM onboard the video card, the less is available for ProTools. There are some suggestions as far as what kind of video card is more compatible like ATI or nVidia - but if it works for you it should be fine.

[LightWing]

Judging by the size of that heatsink you mant want to check your system first to see if creates a conflict next to other cards.

Also check to see if its on the Win 7 Compatbility list....probably is but doesn't hurt. :)

Patrick

[tonepad]

Can you afford the extra slot space? That is one honkin GPU. I just run a low end Nvidia 8500 GT class card. I does have 512 mb but it's fanless and only takes up one slot. I'm sure with enough digging you can find one or the ATI equiv. basic entry level gamer card is a sweet spot. The fuel injected Hi end game cards are def overkill. In my ASUS essentio rig that was intended for that segment, I had one of those hotrod ASUS/Nvidia units and I pulled it in favor of the lowly GT that I had in the spares box. Same drivers for all that family of cards.

[Matt Rushmore]

Thanks so much for the replies! I put it in and it seems to work ok. (knock on wood)

80% of the sound from my rig was that 220's fan! I knew it was part of it, but holy cow! I highly recommend fanless cards now that I know they exist. My only bummer is that I paid $45 for it semi-locally but it's a 20 min drive each way to take it back and then get one off newegg. Not worth my time, but sooo glad I got rid of the old card!

I also noticed cwsands case description. I did a lot of research before buying my system but I guess not enough. haha Noiseless insulated case? That rocks!

Thanks again all! Now the loudest thing is my cpu fan.

Just an FYI for everyone who helped:
1) Yup, it takes up two slots. But I think I'm good to go. Pro Tools is all that will be on this system and I cant think of any other PCIe cards I'll need and its clear of my firewire card. Thanks for mentioning that though.
2) It is windows 7 compatible. Checked that before I bought it. Windows 7 loaded the drivers without a hitch.
3) I should have asked about video cards on here before buying my initial one. My mistake. Thanks to everyone for being cool about my ignorance.

[throttle]

Originally Posted by tonepad

I just run a low end Nvidia 8500 GT class card. I does have 512 mb but it's fanless and only takes up one slot. I'm sure with enough digging you can find one or the ATI equiv. basic entry level gamer card is a sweet spot. The fuel injected Hi end game cards are def overkill. In my ASUS essentio rig that was intended for that segment, I had one of those hotrod ASUS/Nvidia units and I pulled it in favor of the lowly GT that I had in the spares box. Same drivers for all that family of cards.

O.k. I am officially confused. Per the below thread tcstx had to upgrade his card to an Asus GTX 460 to stop the choppy video issue. It seems to be only with Waves version 8 plugs. H-Comp is very troublesome for example.

http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t...ght=video+card

I currently have an older Asus P5K-Deluxe board and need to upgrade my Radeon X700 to today’s standards.

Are you saying I should be happy with a Geforce 210 type card or should I bite the bullet and get the high end gamer card such as a GTX 460 series?

BTW my display is fine with PT9 until I open a waves plug. Then it’s chop city, so much for the “fresh new look” in version 8.

[albee1952]

I think the issue lies with the Waves bundle. They just released an update

[throttle]

Already tried the update. Issue is still there...

[tonepad]

Originally Posted by throttle

Already tried the update. Issue is still there...

Just did a win7 os rebuild last weekend and when running some plugs with the stock w7/nvidia drivers for instance I had issues with my Toontrack S2 plug. Just went to the NV site and got the latest and problem solved, so check that with your card.

To the other reply please notice that I stated that the 8500 gt is lowend, and prolly only $50 if you can find it, but there's bound to be a newer replacement model on the market. That is about the right price range for a gt/gtx or ATI/AMD equivalent, and enough for our audio GUI needs. SuperiorDrummer 2 for instance looks fairly dimensional so having those basic shaders etc. are helpful. Thank god things don't have to move around the screen alot.

[throttle]

Thanks for all the replies so far!

I hear what you are saying tonepad, but my point was per tcstx post, he had the 9800 series (considered a “gamer” card) and was having issues with Waves 8.x. Can anyone else confirm that I need a higher end card to handle Waves 8.x plugins? It seems he upgraded to the GTX 460 type (“extreme gamer”) and his problem went away. Here is a link to Nividia's cards for reference:

http://www.nvidia.com/object/graphic...s_buy_now.html

Notice that the card that Matt Rushmore got is the low end 210 series spec (“casual gamer”). Not sure if he is using Waves 8.x though...

Tonepad it sounds like you are not using waves 8.x either...

If someone can confirm that the lower end series is still having issues and I need at least a GTX460, then I'll just play it safe and spend $160 on an "extreme gamer" card.

Model numbers would be appreciated, not much of a geek when it comes to understanding video specs. Just going by the chart via the link that the lower end cards are on the bottom of the list...