satukoro Posted December 13 Share Posted December 13 Hi, I have an old dell optiplex from 2013 i use as a home theatre pc running xfce and OpenSUSE Tumbleweed. It acts as a plex server but i also use it to watch youtube, twitch, crunchyroll, etc. At the moment i have the resolution dropped down to 1080p to avoid stuttering. Current specs: 12gb ram, hd 4600 graphics, core i5 It can't quite run 4k video smoothly and I was wondering if anyone had some experience with 4k video and a gpu in the <$300 range. My coworker is going to bring in an old radeon hd 7950 he has kicking around to see if that is powerful enough, but i wanted to get an idea of whether or not something like a 3060 or 6600 would do the job with a little breathing room if the hd7950 wasnt enough. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellowalkman Reporter Posted December 13 Reporter Share Posted December 13 On 13/12/2024 at 19:11, satukoro said: It can't quite run 4k video smoothly and I was wondering if anyone had some experience with 4k video and a gpu in the <$300 range. $300 is honestly way above what's actually needed if all you care about is 4K video hardware decoding. It'd say the best bet in terms of value is the RTX 3050 6GB for around $150. Jim K, Steven P., BritBronco and 2 others 5 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598952929 Share on other sites More sharing options...
satukoro Posted December 13 Author Share Posted December 13 On 13/12/2024 at 10:04, hellowalkman said: $300 is honestly way above what's actually needed if all you care about is 4K video hardware decoding. It'd say the best bet in terms of value is the RTX 3050 6GB for around $150. Thanks for that input, if the hd 7950 stutters at all i'll look into finding a 3050. I'm seeing them in the $170 on newegg and amazon. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598952945 Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellowalkman Reporter Posted December 13 Reporter Share Posted December 13 On 13/12/2024 at 21:12, satukoro said: I'm seeing them in the $170 on newegg and amazon it does drop during sales. new gen GPUs are coming out soon so you should definitely wait (if you can) for the price drop. Jose_49 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598952980 Share on other sites More sharing options...
goretsky Supervisor Posted December 14 Supervisor Share Posted December 14 Hello, One thing I would suggest is to avoid any of the Intel Alchemist or Battlemage cards, as they require Resizeable Base Address Register (aka ReBAR) support to perform well, and this system is likely old enough that it does not support that functionality in its BIOS (UEFI) firmware. On the other hand, if there is a BIOS update that adds support for ReBar, one of those cards might be an option. Regards, Aryeh Goretsky satukoro, Mindovermaster, Good Bot, Bad Bot and 2 others 5 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598953071 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsupersonic Posted December 14 Share Posted December 14 (edited) That PC might be so old and limited in terms of hardware upgrades for current CPU. You could always upgrade to an SSD if you don't already have one, but you may just want to upgrade the components altogether that's more power efficient and can playback 4k on an iGPU. I'd definitely accept the 7950 for free or cheap, but definitely not pair any modern RTX 2/3/4 series Nvidia or RX 6/7 series, unless you get it for cheap. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598953075 Share on other sites More sharing options...
satukoro Posted December 14 Author Share Posted December 14 On 13/12/2024 at 21:32, tsupersonic said: That PC might be so old and limited in terms of hardware upgrades for current CPU. You could always upgrade to an SSD if you don't already have one, but you may just want to upgrade the components altogether that's more power efficient and can playback 4k on an iGPU. I'd definitely accept the 7950 for free or cheap, but definitely not pair any modern RTX 2/3/4 series Nvidia or RX 6/7 series, unless you get it for cheap. OS is on a 120gb ssd with another 5tb of spinning platter storage. I agree that it's not worth dropping a whole bunch of money on considering i got it for fee as it was being tossed. I'd be willing to drop maybe up to $200 on a cheap gpu as id keep it and throw it in with a newer cheap mobo/cpu when this thing finally gives out. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598953107 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixion Posted December 14 Share Posted December 14 On 14/12/2024 at 02:32, tsupersonic said: That PC might be so old and limited in terms of hardware upgrades for current CPU. You could always upgrade to an SSD if you don't already have one, but you may just want to upgrade the components altogether that's more power efficient and can playback 4k on an iGPU. I'd definitely accept the 7950 for free or cheap, but definitely not pair any modern RTX 2/3/4 series Nvidia or RX 6/7 series, unless you get it for cheap. 4 K playback on an iGPU is a bit hit and miss in my experience. I tried it on my current rig, albeit with a very weak iGPU (Ryzen 7 9800X3d), and there were stutters until I put my old dGPU into the system. Something with a proper APU should be able to handle it just fine though. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598953118 Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherITguy Posted December 15 Share Posted December 15 Thanks for the info, I am going to use this for my MEDIA CENTER PC project, I just got to catch a GEFORCE RTX 3050 on sale. Mindovermaster and satukoro 2 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598953182 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsupersonic Posted December 15 Share Posted December 15 On 14/12/2024 at 10:31, Ixion said: 4 K playback on an iGPU is a bit hit and miss in my experience. I tried it on my current rig, albeit with a very weak iGPU (Ryzen 7 9800X3d), and there were stutters until I put my old dGPU into the system. Something with a proper APU should be able to handle it just fine though. I mean you do have one of the most powerful desktop gaming CPU's available now...and it is intended for gaming and to be paired with a dGPU. I'm watching 4k videos on YouTube and local media without any frames being dropped, on a Intel Ci5-1345u (thin/light laptop). Most modern iGPU (APU/Iris) should be ok Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598953212 Share on other sites More sharing options...
satukoro Posted December 16 Author Share Posted December 16 On 15/12/2024 at 08:47, tsupersonic said: I mean you do have one of the most powerful desktop gaming CPU's available now...and it is intended for gaming and to be paired with a dGPU. I'm watching 4k videos on YouTube and local media without any frames being dropped, on a Intel Ci5-1345u (thin/light laptop). Most modern iGPU (APU/Iris) should be ok An upgraded igpu would not be practical for my build as id have to upgrade the mobo, cpu, and likely ram as part of that. I think i could get an upgraded dgpu for cheaper in the long run considering my use case. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598953357 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixion Posted December 17 Share Posted December 17 On 15/12/2024 at 13:47, tsupersonic said: I mean you do have one of the most powerful desktop gaming CPU's available now...and it is intended for gaming and to be paired with a dGPU. I'm watching 4k videos on YouTube and local media without any frames being dropped, on a Intel Ci5-1345u (thin/light laptop). Most modern iGPU (APU/Iris) should be ok Absolutely, but it's the same iGPU as all the Ryzen 7000 and 9000 series CPUs, the 8000 series are rather better as are most of the Intel iGPUs, I guess it's designed to be good enough to put a picture on a monitor for troubleshooting or for moving your data over from another PC which was what I used it for Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598953519 Share on other sites More sharing options...
satukoro Posted December 19 Author Share Posted December 19 (edited) So i managed to cram that HD7950 into that optiplex mid size tower by (forcibly) removing one of the drive bays. As soon as i got it in there i realized I didnt have the power rails for the gpu coming out of the psu. Also considering the psu is a dell branded 250w or something like that and the gpu can pull up to 200w its looking like im gonna need a different power supply. I cant imagine i need more than 400w total for this thing considering i wont be gaming or maxing out the gpu. I think i should be able to get away with throwing a cheap aftermarket psu in there, anyone have any recommendations under $50 or $100? Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598953934 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixion Posted December 19 Share Posted December 19 It might not be that simple. Dell historically used proprietary power supplies for its motherboards, and so buying an aftermarket supply, although it will power the GPU, might not power the rest of the computer for you! Which Optiplex is it that you have? I might be that the best option is to find a secondhand Dell PSU from the same Ero of Optiplex but which shipped with a discrete GPU. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598953935 Share on other sites More sharing options...
satukoro Posted December 19 Author Share Posted December 19 (edited) On 19/12/2024 at 08:28, Ixion said: It might not be that simple. Dell historically used proprietary power supplies for its motherboards, and so buying an aftermarket supply, although it will power the GPU, might not power the rest of the computer for you! Which Optiplex is it that you have? I might be that the best option is to find a secondhand Dell PSU from the same Ero of Optiplex but which shipped with a discrete GPU. I have an Optiplex 9020. To be honest, this whole set up sits out of sight behind my entertainment center so im not opposed to just plugging in an aftermarket psu and just running that into the case to the gpu in addition to the existing one. May have to jump a remote wire to get it to turn on at the same time as the other one if it needs that. I ordered a 20$ non-modular 400w psu off of newegg thatll be delivered after the new year to play around with but am still interested in hearing other options Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598953981 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixion Posted December 19 Share Posted December 19 On 19/12/2024 at 16:18, satukoro said: I have an Optiplex 9020. To be honest, this whole set up sits out of sight behind my entertainment center so im not opposed to just plugging in an aftermarket psu and just running that into the case to the gpu in addition to the existing one. May have to jump a remote wire to get it to turn on at the same time as the other one if it needs that. I ordered a 20$ non-modular 400w psu off of newegg thatll be delivered after the new year to play around with but am still interested in hearing other options Looks like someone awesome has already done a guide https://www.hardware-corner.net/guides/optiplex-3020-7020-9020-upgrade/#psu From reading this it sounds like an off the shelf ATX PSU plus a cable adapter will do the job for you! satukoro 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598953991 Share on other sites More sharing options...
satukoro Posted December 19 Author Share Posted December 19 (edited) On 19/12/2024 at 12:06, Ixion said: Looks like someone awesome has already done a guide https://www.hardware-corner.net/guides/optiplex-3020-7020-9020-upgrade/#psu From reading this it sounds like an off the shelf ATX PSU plus a cable adapter will do the job for you! Thank you for finding this! I ordered the 24pin to 8 pin adapter in that article. Hopefully it does what i need it to. I ended up having to cancel that $20 psu order that would show up after new years day because i realized there was only 1x 6pin pcie power on it. Ended up ordering this instead for $50 (cheapest atx i could find w/ 2x 6+2 pcie rails) after shipping and it should be here monday: https://www.newegg.com/thermaltake-smart-series-ps-spd-0600npcwus-w-600w/p/N82E16817153232?item=N82E16817153232 I'll add an update when it comes in goretsky 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598953997 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixion Posted Friday at 17:15 Share Posted Friday at 17:15 Looka like a decent choice, hopefully the GPU will do what you want! satukoro 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598954234 Share on other sites More sharing options...
satukoro Posted Tuesday at 19:26 Author Share Posted Tuesday at 19:26 (edited) The psu + that 24 to 8 pin adapter was a success! Thank you all for your input on this, my home theatre pc is playing video as smooth as i could ask it to. I may add an update if i put any basic games on here. I've been wanting to play psychonauts 1 on my couch so if that plays well I'll consider it an even bigger success. hellowalkman 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598954837 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixion Posted Tuesday at 20:03 Share Posted Tuesday at 20:03 Great stuff, the original Psychonauts is a great game and old enough it should play brilliantly on that setup satukoro 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598954843 Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellowalkman Reporter Posted Tuesday at 22:43 Reporter Share Posted Tuesday at 22:43 On 19/12/2024 at 18:36, satukoro said: I cant imagine i need more than 400w total for this thing considering i wont be gaming or maxing out the gpu. try locking the frame rate to reduce the power draw and stay in safe limits. satukoro 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598954855 Share on other sites More sharing options...
satukoro Posted Tuesday at 23:07 Author Share Posted Tuesday at 23:07 On 24/12/2024 at 17:43, hellowalkman said: try locking the frame rate to reduce the power draw and stay in safe limits. The psu i ended up with is a 600w unit so i should have plenty of power hopefully goretsky 1 Share Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1449959-budget-gpu-for-4k-video-playback/#findComment-598954858 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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