Best GPU for HDR 4K Content **I am NOT a gamer**


  1. Posts : 8
    Win 10 Home
       #1

    Best GPU for HDR 4K Content **I am NOT a gamer**


    Good evening to all who view this post.
    I want to purchase a new PC (not a laptop, not a media server, but a PC) with a GPU that can display the highest quality 4K content (preferably @60fps) AND HDR where available to my high end 55" 4K UHD HDR Smart TV. Like I said, I am definitely NOT a gamer. The PC will be used for streaming content from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Youtube, etc. Perhaps some light video editing, but not a top priority. Although my aforementioned Smart TV has the above named streaming services apps already installed, these apps are very limited in their capabilities, when compared with viewing their content via a PC. As far as the CPU is concerned, Intel i5 or above (at least 8th generation where available). I do not really want to even consider the Intel UHD630, but a better Intel GPU would be fine, as well as AMD, Invidea, etc. As far as any other hardware components, like storage, RAM, etc, these are secondary considerations.
    I'm not even looking for a specific PC model #, but instead advice on which GPUs to consider for my needs.
    Sorry for what may seem like rambling, but I can't seem to get any straight, direct answers.
    Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 2,068
    Windows 10 Pro
       #2

    Well, right now it's almost impossible to find any video card for remotely close to a reasonable price.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 1,207
    11 Home
       #3

    Here's the white paper from Intel:
    https://www.intel.com/content/dam/su...WhitePaper.pdf

    For merely watching streamed video content, you don't actually require a lot of CPU or GPU processing power. Any half decent Intel 7th Gen CPU compatible motherboard with an onboard HDMI port will already be sufficient for that. Only if you want to do extras like video upscaling with madVR, for example, that's when you want to grab a more powerful CPU to achieve higher quality video upscaling support, as a lack in CPU power when using madVR on higher quality settings can cause the buffer to run empty resulting in choppy playback.

    As an aside, in MPC-HC while using madVR, you can hit CTRL + J to bring up the status overlay of madVR, which shows you if the framerate of the video playback is perfectly in sync with the vertical refresh frequency that your currently activated display mode uses. (Look for dropped frames or repeated frames.) So, for example, with 24:1001 (i.e., 23.976fps) Blu-ray movies, you want to switch the Intel HD Graphics' display mode to '23p' mode before the playback starts. To use the TV like a normal computer monitor, the general standard is 60Hz so for that, use the '60p' mode.
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  4. Posts : 4,453
    Win 11 Pro 22000.708
       #4

    I believe that just viewing 4k/HDR content isn't particularly taxing. Unless you are using software that can benefit from GPU acceleration, you don't need a lot of GPU power. High-end GPUs are mainly needed for 3D gamimg and cryptocurrency mining.

    In the nVidia line: High Dynamic Range Display Development | NVIDIA Developer

    I have a Titan X (900 series, Maxwell) card that does HDR over DisplayPort. I think the whole 900 series supports HDR over HDMI.

    A 10 series card (1030 and up, Pascal) may be a more up-to-date design as regards HDR.

    The newer generations are Turing (16 and 20 series) and Ampere (30 series). They suffer from the current GPU shortage, though.
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  5. Posts : 1,207
    11 Home
       #5

    bobkn said:
    I believe that just viewing 4k/HDR content isn't particularly taxing. Unless you are using software that can benefit from GPU acceleration, you don't need a lot of GPU power. High-end GPUs are mainly needed for 3D gamimg and cryptocurrency mining.

    In the nVidia line: High Dynamic Range Display Development | NVIDIA Developer

    I have a Titan X (900 series, Maxwell) card that does HDR over DisplayPort. I think the whole 900 series supports HDR over HDMI.

    A 10 series card (1030 and up, Pascal) may be a more up-to-date design as regards HDR.

    The newer generations are Turing (16 and 20 series) and Ampere (30 series). They suffer from the current GPU shortage, though.
    I know that a laptop is not what the OP wants, but, just to give a very rough idea of what can already be done with my 'lowly' laptop that uses an Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU, and that I bought from the local grocery store:
    Intel Tiger Lake (Xe) Graphics Details Slide Leaks

    Just for the record here, my laptop has BOTH HDMI 2.0b AND USB 3.2 Gen 2×1 Type C with DisplayPort 1.4 so, there you have it... it's all natively supported, even, at the grocery store.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 8
    Win 10 Home
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Grateful to all who provided advice


    hdmi said:
    I know that a laptop is not what the OP wants, but, just to give a very rough idea of what can already be done with my 'lowly' laptop that uses an Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU, and that I bought from the local grocery store:
    Intel Tiger Lake (Xe) Graphics Details Slide Leaks

    Just for the record here, my laptop has BOTH HDMI 2.0b AND USB 3.2 Gen 2×1 Type C with DisplayPort 1.4 so, there you have it... it's all natively supported, even, at the grocery store.
    Good evening everyone.
    Thanks so much for taking the time to share your suggestions and thoughts to help me with my next PC purchase.
    The search goes on...
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 11,246
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       #7

    hdmi said:
    I know that a laptop is not what the OP wants, but, just to give a very rough idea of what can already be done with my 'lowly' laptop that uses an Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU, and that I bought from the local grocery store:
    Intel Tiger Lake (Xe) Graphics Details Slide Leaks

    Just for the record here, my laptop has BOTH HDMI 2.0b AND USB 3.2 Gen 2×1 Type C with DisplayPort 1.4 so, there you have it... it's all natively supported, even, at the grocery store.
    Hi there
    query for @hdmi - do (or can) those 2 ports operate independently -- Would be nice to enable graphics passthru on VM's when using a laptop without having 2 GPU's.

    BTW for 4K UHD / WDR you need proper HDMI cables as the wretched evil of DRM is rearing its ugly head again !!!

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 1,207
    11 Home
       #8

    jimbo45 said:
    Hi there
    query for @hdmi - do (or can) those 2 ports operate independently -- Would be nice to enable graphics passthru on VM's when using a laptop without having 2 GPU's.

    BTW for 4K UHD / WDR you need proper HDMI cables as the wretched evil of DRM is rearing its ugly head again !!!

    Cheers
    jimbo
    I haven't tried it, but I suppose that multi monitor support and specific limitations thereof are dependent of the varying hardware implementations of the motherboard, in concert with those of the docking station or external hub device (if any)─the HDMI/DP output capabilities thereof.
      My Computers


 

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