Asus rolls out HDMI-enabled EAX1600PRO / EN7600GT graphics cards

Asus is no stranger to kicking out curious motherboards and other peripherals that we geeks just can't help but love, and following up on its undertaking of auxiliary displays and the AquaTank PCI card is a couple of swank new video cards that tout an HDCP-friendly HDMI port. The half-height ATI Radeon X1600 EAX1600PRO was apparently crafted with the common HTPC builder in mind, as its diminutive size lends itself to becoming a perfect fit for those tight spaces within AV-like media center PC cases. But before you gamers get too excited, you should probably know that in-game performance is likely to be less than stellar, but HotHardware did note that its model wasn't shy when overclocked. Interestingly, this HTPC-centric card comes bundled sans a true HDMI-to-HDMI cable, which leaves us all a bit miffed considering the niche it's trying to appease. The EN7600GT ups the ante by delivering the frame rate luxuries as only an NVIDIA GeForce 7600 can, but its full-height design will definitely cause problems in slimmer enclosures. Other extras found on this device are its SLI-capabilities, DVI / S-video outputs, and optical audio jack, but considering it packs just 256MB of GDDR3 RAM, the hardcore gamers in the crowd are still not likely to find themselves impressed. Still, with the EAX1600PRO ringing up at just around a cool hundred, and the more powerful EN7600GT asking just about twice that, these here cards look to be solid options if you're just getting around to creating your own HTPC.

[Via Slashdot]

[JoshLowry @ Mar 13th 2007 11:01PM]

Engadget is just asking us to get onto those Home Theatre PC's. First the pics of LG's hd-dvd/blu-ray internal player and now this! You guys should be displaying banner ads for shuttle cases right about now. XD



-Josh


Where's your head at? - http://www.StateOfBrain.com

[phreak9i6 @ Mar 13th 2007 11:02PM]

SO HOT! (first post)

[strider_mt2k @ Mar 13th 2007 11:22PM]

LOL
You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?

Next time go for content and no one will care when you posted.

This whole HTPC thing is getting me going, but I'm not necessarily worried about making it small in size as long as it does the job.

[Christian Martin @ Mar 13th 2007 11:21PM]

MSI beat them to it, with the exception of the audio jack (which is damn nice): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814127237

[kingofwale @ Mar 13th 2007 11:22PM]

a few things I have to ask

how much will it cost? I am sure not going to spend 1000 dollars on this and 1200 dollars on that HD/Blu-Ray player.

although it'd be a nice change, Let's hope it will come on laptops, I can't imagine bringing my desktop downstairs to my tv. or invest in a looooong HDMI cable.

[Matt @ Mar 13th 2007 11:40PM]

"how much will it cost?"

"...ringing up at just around a cool hundred, and the more powerful EN7600GT asking just about twice that..."


read the whole thing please :)

[akijikan @ Mar 13th 2007 11:29PM]

HDMI = Big whoop!

It's just dvi + digital sound

I guess if you're builing a home theatre pc its nice but really all you need is HDCP enabled DVI + coax or optical out.

[Craig McDonald @ Mar 13th 2007 11:40PM]

akijikan: You can't "enable" DVI to support HDCP - that's the whole point of HDMI.

[akijikan @ Mar 14th 2007 12:07AM]

that's not what I meant. I meant buy a graphics card with HDCP-compliant DVI ports...like my 8800 has 'em. HDMI is snake oil.

[glw @ Mar 13th 2007 11:51PM]

does the hdmi port carry audio?

[Reginald @ Mar 14th 2007 1:27AM]

Yes, the HDMI port carries audio but there are also dedicated audio ports on both models.

The EAX1600PRO has a removable S/PDIF connection allowing you to just use HDMI and replace the bracket with a low-profile bracket while the EN7600GT has an affixed optical S/PDIF connection.

Very nice!

[Sonny @ Mar 13th 2007 11:52PM]

ehh, I've been rockin Dual-Link DVI to my 22" Samsung and HDMI to my 32" Viewsonic for two months now...not sure if it has HDCP support but that is far from mandatory at point and this card will be well obsolete by the time it is

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127223

and its a 7600GT not a GS so this is pretty unexciting

[waba waba @ Mar 14th 2007 8:30PM]

The 7600GT outperforms the GS, so I'm not sure what you're talking about.

Also, I'd like to add that this EAX1600PRO card is weak in the gaming department when you look at the performance. My asus eax1600xt easily outperforms this (eax1600pro) card, and its stock cooler is passive. Do not buy the eax1600pro, it costs the same amount but doesn't perform as well and runs a noisy fan.

[smudley @ Mar 14th 2007 12:01AM]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! ! !

[Sam @ Mar 14th 2007 12:03AM]

DVI can support HDCP

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDCP

[Sam @ Mar 14th 2007 12:03AM]

DVI can support HDCP

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDCP

[glw @ Mar 14th 2007 12:07AM]

if the hdmi port carries audio, where does it get it from?

[akijikan @ Mar 14th 2007 12:09AM]

what do you mean where does it get it from? The PCI-E slot is just like any other, you can send whatever data you want back and forth across it.

[glw @ Mar 14th 2007 12:43AM]

what i mean is...

does the video card include it's own sound card? if not, what does it do if no sound card is installed in the computer? if it works with existing sound cards is there some kind of cable interconnect? because normally, the sound just goes out the speaker ports on the sound card...

hows that? there are more where those came from...

[akijikan @ Mar 14th 2007 12:58AM]

It's gotta be a sound and video card in one...or else that'd just be silly.

[Fitz @ Mar 14th 2007 10:32AM]

The SPDIF is for sound input. I've had the Sapphire X1600 Pro card for almost a year now that does the same thing. I take the SPDIF out from my motherboard and plug it into the SPDIF input on the graphics card and it combines them in the HDMI out.

I guess alot of you guys are newbies when it comes to HTPC.

Check out www.greenbutton.com for info on MCE HTPC's, I use it all the time to tweak my setup.

[walk2k @ Mar 14th 2007 2:32AM]

Looks nice, but they really missed the mark on these reviews.

#1 Nobody cares that they didn't include a damn $4 HDMI cable. I wish people would get off that (see also 18 million whining PS3 fanbots). If they had included a 3ft or 6ft cable people would be complaing that they need a 10ft cable - that's why they don't include, so you can buy one for the length you need - duh.

#2 They ran all these games benchmarks. Shhhello? Nobody buys a 7600GS to run games. These are clearly targetted towards HTPCs where there are only 2 concerns: how well does it playback full-screen HDTV (1080p); and how much noise does it make. Who gives a crap about how many FPS it gets in Quake?? Double-Duh.

[Rik @ Apr 21st 2007 9:34AM]

I agree exactly,
I just purchased(2 days ago) one of these (Asus en7600GT), right now I'm ready to RMA this puppy.
WOW a whole 720P (and that I can only achieve on the DVI output !)
-ummm "...HDMI out - 1080p..." says it right on the freaking box.!
-ok, DVI 1080p ? sure thats fine, I dont really care but I can't even get that ?
What gives with ASUS and graphics cards?, I left them once years ago,(remeber their horrible Graphics cards?) and vowed never to return. -no doubt Asus Motherboards's sure the best.
Graphics cards and lying specs? -whats with the HDMI -type A socket ?
and btw asus, who gives a flying $#!!! about HDCP lousy drm B.S. kissing Bil Gates asss eh?
I want 1080p and thats all I care about.
-I've spent hours checkin settings and specs of my 42" Toshiba 1080p expensive TV/Monitor
I'm runnin MCE 2005, is there anyone else with this problem?
or is it just stupid me again trusting these lying Manufacturers'

regards,
-Rik

[glw @ Mar 14th 2007 8:17PM]

so, i guess you do need another sound card with spdif out... and i guess it wouldn't be very benficial to remove the spdif connector...

yes, i'm a noob planning out an htpc. thanks for the link - but it doesn't go anywhere! did you mean http://www.thegreenbutton.com/

[Fitz @ Mar 15th 2007 12:12AM]

glw - My bad, yes it's www.thegreenbutton.com

[Rik @ Apr 21st 2007 4:29PM]

Hi All,
OK. greatnews: 1st the good and then the bad,

Good:
-actually the Asus EN7600GT Hdmi out card fully complies with "true" 1080p (now this is important listen up !!!)
-"1080p native panel resolution", and or, "True 1080p" these are the specs by which this asus graphincs card adheres to. And therefore, these are the specs by which you should purchase your LCD/.../TV .
we actually tested this on (believe it or not)
-> Westinghouse; 42" LCD HDTV Model: LVM-42W2 and it worked beautifully in 1080p using either hdmi out, or the DVX out of the EN7600GT.

Bad news:
watch out (now listen up !!!) many of the so-called top-name-brands may say they support 1080p but in fact its just up-converted 720p/1080i ... B.S. !
surprisingly these were 42" LCD TV's as well, so
stay away from certain
Toshiba's
Sharp's
Samsung's
...shame on these manufacturers and their "lying" specs. and BTW, yes we tested alot of these LCD-TV's at "Best Buy"
-get it ?!
thumbs up for Westinghouse for a great set, and honest specs.
....again, my apologies to Asus, but please Asus, put imformation/FAQ's like this up on your site !

In closing, if anyone gets other big screen LCD/.../TV's that work please post your success? or failures so everybody can get a fair shake for any money they're about to put out.
Atleast that way we can "screen" out ( good pun eh?) those lying Bill gatez hdcp compliant (and who really cares about tyrannical DRM) lying manufacturers'

-good.

regards,

Rick.