Hybrid crossfire beneficial to 1080p content?

[migz]

Hello

My HTPC has been struggling on some 1080p content in an mkv container. It's bearable (every 30 or so min it skips and struggles) however I would rather the HTPC run as smooth as possible

I'm running a AMD 4850e which i've read is sufficient. I'm not too sure what contributes more to HD performance between the video card and CPU. So would purchasing a HD 3450 and toggling Hybrid crossfire with the 780G graphics (GA-MA78GPM-DS2H) eliminate the struggles and ensure 100% smooth playback?

Thanks

[ApoLakay]

Originally Posted by migz

Hello

My HTPC has been struggling on some 1080p content in an mkv container. It's bearable (every 30 or so min it skips and struggles) however I would rather the HTPC run as smooth as possible

I'm running a AMD 4850e which i've read is sufficient. I'm not too sure what contributes more to HD performance between the video card and CPU. So would purchasing a HD 3450 and toggling Hybrid crossfire with the 780G graphics (GA-MA78GPM-DS2H) eliminate the struggles and ensure 100% smooth playback?

Thanks

I don't think running crossfire will have any benefits for high def video playback, it's not necessary. In the hardcore gaming world, some claim that there is not much gain running a crossfire (perhaps around 10-20%). But if you have a good dedicated GPU, it should be more than sufficient. Most of the hard work for high def video playback are done by the video card. I thought your on-board video should easily do 1080p.

What sort of RAM have you got in your system?

[migz]

I'm running a single 2GB ram stick.

The onboard does a decent job for most parts. Its just that during 1080p playback in mkv it just stops as if its buffering, so i'm not sure if its due to my hardware or VMC compatability. I've been reading that mkv does not do to well in VMC, but i'm not sure if that has been fixed. I'm running the FFDShow codec.

[ApoLakay]

Originally Posted by migz

I'm running a single 2GB ram stick.

The onboard does a decent job for most parts. Its just that during 1080p playback in mkv it just stops as if its buffering, so i'm not sure if its due to my hardware or VMC compatability. I've been reading that mkv does not do to well in VMC, but i'm not sure if that has been fixed. I'm running the FFDShow codec.

Are you experiencing this problem just on this particular format?

Search in this site, there are a few guides for working ffdshow configuration. It might seem strange, but incorrect audio codec settings can also affect video playback, so make sure that video & audio settings are properly configured.

[migz]

It seems so, only 1080p however. 720p its a smooth constant playback.

I have the Vista codec package 4.7.2 installed. So i'm not sure if all the required codecs are in that package. I will try it again using an external player such as PowerDVD or MPC.

[Astrotoy7]

Originally Posted by ApoLakay

In the hardcore gaming world, some claim that there is not much gain running a crossfire (perhaps around 10-20%)....

This statement needs a couple of qualifiers.

1.Depends on what game, what rez:
In a gaming context, if you are running a high end game at 1900x1200 etc or above, a multi GPU setup will definitely help. Nvidia Tri-Sli setups have clocked impressive numbers in games like COD4/Crysis in 1600p, but for most people(mysel;f included!) these type of setups are far too expensive and not appealing from a power consumption perspective. The same goes for the 4870X2.

2. The 4850 seems to be having some driver issues (for some games)in multiple instance installs, but as this review indicates, when paired with a single 4870, can do some impressive things..

The 4850X2 2GB was definitely a waste of time, with reviewsindicated it performed essentially no better than a single 4850 512Mb on its own.

That all being said, gaming performance and video performance are a bit different. A single 4850 on its own should be having zero problems at 1080p.

@migz
1080p playback isnt an uncommon problem, do a search here - you will find alot of stuff that will point you in the right direction.

good luck

astro