Max # of 30" Displays?

[davoodoofunk]

Hello,

Will 2x ATI Radeon X1900XT Cards support 4x 30" Displays? I realize this will cover up the 3rd up PCI Slot, but I'd rather have 2x 1900XT's than 1x 1900XT & 3x GeForce 7300GT.

Does anyone have any experience putting 4x 30" displays on the Mac Pro?

Thanks!

 

[princealfie]

Nope, you have to get 4 graphics cards to support 4 x 30" displays apparently.

You can support 8 X 23" display I suppose.

 

[lancestraz]

I don't know the answer to your question, but I have to ask: What do you need 4x 30" displays for?

 

[Schroedinger]

Princealfie is incorrect. The ATI cards have two duallink dvi ports, which you need to run a 30 inch display. The 7300GT, which I'm running, will only support one 30 inch display, plus one other smaller display.

Two ATI cards will do what you need to do.

Good luck.

 

[panoz7]

Nope, you have to get 4 graphics cards to support 4 x 30" displays apparently.

You can support 8 X 23" display I suppose.

Where did you get that information from? I haven't tried this but I'd be very surprised if you couldn't run 4 x 30" displays from two X1900s.

Each X1900 has two dual link DVI ports each of which supports a 30" display.

EDIT: Beaten by schroedinger... that's what I get for opening multiple tabs.

 

[princealfie]

Where did you get that information from? I haven't tried this but I'd be very surprised if you couldn't run 4 x 30" displays from two X1900s.

Each X1900 has two dual link DVI ports each of which supports a 30" display.

EDIT: Beaten by schroedinger... that's what I get for opening multiple tabs.

Okay a little bit of math here guys from algebra I folks:

4 30" ACD display * 2 DVI ports / 30" ACD display * ATI Radeon X1900 card / 2 DVI ports= 4 ATI Radeon X1900 cards needed

Bingo 4 X1900 cards = 4 30" displays

Okay, now

4 23" ACD display * 1 DVI port / 23" ACD display * ATI Radeon X1900 card / 2 DVI ports= 2 ATI Radeon X1900 cards needed

Check da numeros!

 

[Scottyk9]

on Apple's website:

 

[therevolution]

4 30" ACD display * 2 DVI ports / 30" ACD display * ATI Radeon X1900 card / 2 DVI ports= 4 ATI Radeon X1900 cards needed

Um, a 30" doesn't take up two DVI ports. It takes up one (dual-link) DVI port.

 

[panoz7]

Okay a little bit of math here guys from algebra I folks:

4 30" ACD display * 2 DVI ports / 30" ACD display * ATI Radeon X1900 card / 2 DVI ports= 4 ATI Radeon X1900 cards needed

Bingo 4 X1900 cards = 4 30" displays

Okay, now

4 23" ACD display * 1 DVI port / 23" ACD display * ATI Radeon X1900 card / 2 DVI ports= 2 ATI Radeon X1900 cards needed

Check da numeros!

You're a little bit confused. Dual link does not mean that there's two cables coming out of the monitor. Instead each DVI port has two transmitters connected to it. It's a bit complicated but they alternate sending data through the cable allowing increased bandwidth on a single cable. There's still only one cable connecting the monitor to the graphics card.

Each X1900 has two dual link dvi ports. Each of those ports can run a 30" displays. If you get two cards you should be able to run 4 30" displays.

 

[netdog]

Anyone think these price drops are because touchscreen ACDs are around the corner to be released with Leopard and some "secret feature" that supports them?

I still can't imagine wanting to touch my screen at home, but there it is.

 

[mustard]

Hello,

Will 2x ATI Radeon X1900XT Cards support 4x 30" Displays? I realize this will cover up the 3rd up PCI Slot, but I'd rather have 2x 1900XT's than 1x 1900XT & 3x GeForce 7300GT.

Does anyone have any experience putting 4x 30" displays on the Mac Pro?

Thanks!

You can do two 1900xts but they will not run at there full capacity because you can't have two 16-lane PCI-E cards running at full speed

You can change the settings and have one card at 16 and the other at 8 but you would loose some of the performance that the second 1900xt has to offer.

A more cost effective solution would be to purchase one 1900xt to power two of the displays and get two 7300GTs - one for each of the other monitors

 

[rogersmj]

Okay a little bit of math here guys from algebra I folks:

4 30" ACD display * 2 DVI ports / 30" ACD display * ATI Radeon X1900 card / 2 DVI ports= 4 ATI Radeon X1900 cards needed

Bingo 4 X1900 cards = 4 30" displays

Okay, now

4 23" ACD display * 1 DVI port / 23" ACD display * ATI Radeon X1900 card / 2 DVI ports= 2 ATI Radeon X1900 cards needed

Check da numeros!

OK smart ass, get off your algebra high-horse and do 10 seconds of research: dual-link DVI does NOT MEAN two DVI ports. It's a special kind of DVI interface (using ONE DVI port) where the device sends two DVI signals over one connection. So two ATI cards, each with two dual-link ports, will handle four 30" displays. Try that, math genius. It wouldn't have been a big deal if you had simply misunderstood, but you always have to be a smart-aleck about everything and keep spreading misinformation.

 

[zap2]

OK smart ass, get off your algebra high-horse and do 10 seconds of research: dual-link DVI does NOT MEAN two DVI ports. It's a special kind of DVI interface (using ONE DVI port) where the device sends two DVI signals over one connection. So two ATI cards, each with two dual-link ports, will handle four 30" displays. Try that, math genius. It wouldn't have been a big deal if you had simply misunderstood, but you always have to be a smart-aleck about everything and keep spreading misinformation.

Calm down...he did just misunderstand...then he used that information(which wasn't right) to do some math, so the OP would understand the answer, not just knowit.

 

[lancestraz]

Anyone think these price drops are because touchscreen ACDs are around the corner to be released with Leopard and some "secret feature" that supports them?

I still can't imagine wanting to touch my screen at home, but there it is.

I really don't think Apple is going to go the touch screen route in Leopard. It would make all current Macs obsolete. If Apple introduces a touch screen Mac, it will be a single product line.

OK smart ass, get off your algebra high-horse and do 10 seconds of research: dual-link DVI does NOT MEAN two DVI ports. It's a special kind of DVI interface (using ONE DVI port) where the device sends two DVI signals over one connection. So two ATI cards, each with two dual-link ports, will handle four 30" displays. Try that, math genius. It wouldn't have been a big deal if you had simply misunderstood, but you always have to be a smart-aleck about everything and keep spreading misinformation.

Take a chill-pill. You've never knew you were right about something but was really wrong?

 

[princealfie]

Sorry about the math. Yeah, I miscalculated, geezzzzz

 

[Xander562]

Sorry about the math. Yeah, I miscalculated, geezzzzz

Don't worry about it too much. Before reading this I too thought Dual Link meant 2 DVI ports. But i'm good now.

 

[FF_productions]

Anyone think these price drops are because touchscreen ACDs are around the corner to be released with Leopard and some "secret feature" that supports them?

I still can't imagine wanting to touch my screen at home, but there it is.

I do have a strange feeling inside that this may happen.

 

[davoodoofunk]

You can do two 1900xts but they will not run at there full capacity because you can't have two 16-lane PCI-E cards running at full speed

You can change the settings and have one card at 16 and the other at 8 but you would loose some of the performance that the second 1900xt has to offer.

A more cost effective solution would be to purchase one 1900xt to power two of the displays and get two 7300GTs - one for each of the other monitors

Thank you!! you answered my question perfectly...
So let me ask you, how do you change the settings and manually assign how many lanes each card takes? Additionally, have you ever tried two video cards in a G5 tower? What happens is that two monitors running off two video cards don't run as smoothly as two monitors running off the same video card.

For example, if you have a video straddling two monitors (spanning over two monitors) that are running off of different video cards, the video stalls. Then, if you put those monitors on the same video card, and then play the video over both displays, it runs perfectly smooth, no glitches or stalling. I haven't had the time or opportunity to try this on a Mac Pro, but if the same applies, then it would be better to run TWO 1900XT's over ONE 1900XT+ TWO 7300GT's.

If this is confusing, let me know, but thanks for your reply earlier, it helps.

 

[mustard]

Thank you!! you answered my question perfectly...
So let me ask you, how do you change the settings and manually assign how many lanes each card takes? Additionally, have you ever tried two video cards in a G5 tower? What happens is that two monitors running off two video cards don't run as smoothly as two monitors running off the same video card.

For example, if you have a video straddling two monitors (spanning over two monitors) that are running off of different video cards, the video stalls. Then, if you put those monitors on the same video card, and then play the video over both displays, it runs perfectly smooth, no glitches or stalling. I haven't had the time or opportunity to try this on a Mac Pro, but if the same applies, then it would be better to run TWO 1900XT's over ONE 1900XT+ TWO 7300GT's.

If this is confusing, let me know, but thanks for your reply earlier, it helps.

I personally have never had a need to run multiple cards in either my g5 or MacPro so I don't know but I would assume that splitting the load would retain an overhead but an independent GPU would be able to compensate for the loss.

More info regarding PCI-E Available here

 

[Pressure]

You can do two 1900xts but they will not run at there full capacity because you can't have two 16-lane PCI-E cards running at full speed

You can change the settings and have one card at 16 and the other at 8 but you would loose some of the performance that the second 1900xt has to offer.

A more cost effective solution would be to purchase one 1900xt to power two of the displays and get two 7300GTs - one for each of the other monitors

It doesn't even matter in games but it especially doesn't matter with a workstation.

The difference between PCI-Express x8 and X16 is next to immeasurable concerning performance.

 

[mustard]

It doesn't even matter in games but it especially doesn't matter with a workstation.

The difference between PCI-Express x8 and X16 is next to immeasurable concerning performance.

Some what true (the increased bandwidth is a huge difference but it depends on wether or not you would take advantage of it - AKA what are you doing) but then why pay for the performance offered by two 1900xts compared to four 7300s if all you want to do is run 4 30"ACDs.

The benefit of running:
1 - 1900xt
2 - 7300

Is to maximize the performance available while keeping cost in mind and keep an open PCI-e slot open.

 

[Rod Rod]

A more cost effective solution would be to purchase one 1900xt to power two of the displays and get two 7300GTs - one for each of the other monitors

You can't mix the ATI X1900 and nVidia 7300GT in the current Mac Pro, and I'm pretty sure you can't mix ATI and nVidia (let's say a Quadro FX 4500 and an X1900) either.

 

[mustard]

You can't mix the ATI X1900 and nVidia 7300GT in the current Mac Pro, and I'm pretty sure you can't mix ATI and nVidia (let's say a Quadro FX 4500 and an X1900) either.

According to an Apple tech (Menlo Park Mall Apple Store) as well as a 1-800-my-appl(I think that is the number) customer service rep it is indeed possible but I can't personally attest to it on the mac side of things but it is 100% do-able in windows which to me further confirms that it can be done in OSX.

 

[RedTomato]

This is a pretty serious question, and a fair bit of cash depends on the answer, so before buying anything, I suggest you go to a mac specialist, and ask to see a system with the setup you intend to buy, and run your tests on it.

Be nice to them, buy your solution from them, don't just walk away and get the hardware $50 cheaper on Amazon.com, as it does take a bit of time to set up their system for you to test.

It might even be worth paying $100 odd upfront for their time to set up 4 x 30'' screens, you'll probably get it back if you buy any major stuff from them.

The main Apple stores may or may not have time / staff available - try speaking to their high end / business consultants - worth trying an independent mac specialist too.

It would also help if people who haven't tried this kind of thing out themselves would shut up too

 

[Chaszmyr]

I'm pretty sure you cannot run 4 30'' displays from 2 x1900s, because the way the distribution of bandwidth to the PCIe slots works makes it so only one of the slots is fast enough to support two 30'' displays.

If I'm wrong, someone please say so by giving more than conjecture.