None gamer: What kind of video card do I need?

Hi there.

I think that the title describes what I don't need.
What I would like to have:
1) Ability to watch HD movies on my 24" screen 1200x1920 resolution. (encoded with H.264) and other formats
2) To encode/decode movies to DVD using Nero software.

I'm in the process of putting a system together, what I have for now:
C2D 6750, CORSAIR CMPSU-450VX, G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) PC2 8000, GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L, COOLER MASTER RC-690.

I was wondering if 2400Pro will cut it or do I need 2600XT or 3850 (or the Nvidia equivalent cards .

Thanks in advance for any help and recommendation.

Yossi

 

The ATi cards you mentioned are ideal for multimedia applications, but not so much for gaming. For gaming, you really want to look for a card with a 256bit bus vs. the standard of 128bit. It makes a HUGE difference (IMHO) in game performance. As for an exact model number, the NVidia 7800 and 7900 series are good, as is the 8800 series. Look to spend at least $150 on a good gaming video card.

I have never had much luck using Nero to do ANYTHING other than burn discs. And it burns great! Better than just about any other program I've tried. But for video encoding/decoding/converting, use something else. There's plenty of free programs that will do anything you need to do with media files. Look here for starters: http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads32.html
Good luck!
and Welcome to MajorGeeks! :major

 

Thanks for the reply. I live in Marin and we had power outages all day.

Well I got me a HD2600Pro from BB for 99$. Any input if this card will be a good match for the CPU? Again I have no intention what so ever to play games on that machine.

 

that will handle your movies just fine