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Which silent video card for mid-range hackintosh?


mrogers
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I'd appreciate some advice on this potential hardware set for a hackintosh to replace my iMac (I hate the glossy screen, and I might want to do a 30" monitor with this too). I think I'm pretty set on everything but the video card and DVD drive. Here's what I've got:

 

Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L ($90)

2.2 GHz Core 2 Duo ($125)

4GB G.Skill DDR2-800 ($85)

250GB Seagate Barracuda SATA-II hard drive ($67)

 

For the video card I'm torn between:

MSI Radeon HD2600 Pro 256MB ($77)

Gigabyte Radeon HD2600 XT 256MB ($93)

Gigabyte GeForce 8600GT 512MB ($100)

 

My requirements are that it is fanless and has two DVI ports, and those are some of the least expensive cards I could find that meet those specs. I do not play games, so I don't care about game performance. I just am concerned about compatibility in a hackintosh, particularly if I want to run a 30" monitor off it one day (at the beginning I'll have a 24" and a 20"). I can't find a whole lot of definitive information about these cards in the wiki's HCL. Any input would be appreciated.

 

Also, does anyone know if I should get a SATA or PATA DVD-RW drive? Does it matter?

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Take a look at nvidia cards, I had a heck of a lot easier time getting my 8800gt working with QE/CI than I did with my HD2600pro. In fact I never did get it to work, so I returned it and canibalized my gaming rig for the 8800, which worked perfectly after one driver install.

 

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814125083

That's silent, and looks pretty decent.

 

And here's a link to some drivers that should work:

http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?sho...0&hl=8600gt

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Also, does anyone know if I should get a SATA or PATA DVD-RW drive? Does it matter?

Definitely SATA. The driver for the PATA causes issues with 4GB or more.

 

The HD 2600s are slightly cooler running the 8600GT.

 

Other alternatives :

X1050 $35

X1300 $36

2600 Pro $61

30" LCDs require dual-link DVI which rules out the X1050. The X1300 has one dual-link and one single-link.

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Thanks for the suggestions, I'll probably go with an Nvidia since they seem to cause less trouble for most people.

 

I guess I should also ask...I shouldn't have any trouble running dual monitors off of an 8600GT on my Hackintosh, should I?

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