30" ACD on a PC

[laggedreaction]

Does anyone else have a 30" ACD running on a PC? If so, what video card are you using?

I recently built a new PC with the intention of using my 30? ACD on it, but things aren?t working out so well. I tested it and the monitor still works fine on my PowerMac with a 6800 Ultra DDL card and a PC with an ATI FireGL X3-256 (AGP).

BTW, I can't use the old ATI card, since the new PC uses PCIe.

Now, I believe the problems I've been having problems are related to DVI timing issues. I get red, green and blue sparkling areas on the screen. Yes, I've used PowerStrip, but I've only been able to reduce the amount of sparkles. Even then, I still have to retune things every once in a while. It never really reaches an acceptable level though. If the screen is displaying white, there'll be no problem, but if it's a blue or black area, it's horrid.

Oh, and the video card I?m using now is an Sapphire X1300. I?m not using this machine for games at all, I just wanted to pick up a cheap card that had Dual-Link DVI and was quiet(no fan). I would just keep trying different cards, but I?m living in Japan now and the situation with returns/exchanges seems to be a bit more difficult here. So, I'd like to make sure the card works before buying it.

If anyone has a PCIe card running on a PC and driving one of these monitors, I?d sure like know which card it is! I'm thinking that perhaps the X1300 just has a crappy TDMS transmitter.

Thanks.

 

[Steve]

Do you mean LCD?

Make sure you have a dual-link DVI cable too.

 

[laggedreaction]

ACD = Apple Cinema Display which is an LCD. Also, the dual-link cable is built into it and cannot be detached.

 

[Ronin]

The card you're using has to have a Dual-Link DVI output in order to push the 30" ACD's native resolution. Whatever card you're using right now doesn't have that.

 

[Steve]

What he's using does have dual-link DVI:

http://www.sapphiretech.com/en/products/graphics_specifications.php?gpid=124

 

[Steve]

Are you using the ADC? And do you have another card to try?

 

[laggedreaction]

The Sapphire X1300 card does have a dual-link DVI output. I'm fairly sure all ATI X1*00 series cards have dual-link. Besides, if it weren't dual-link, it wouldn't come anywhere close to outputting the 2560x1600@60Hz like it does now. The issue is that [TDMS]performance at the level is just crappy.

 

[laggedreaction]

Originally posted by: sm8000
Are you using the ADC? And do you have another card to try?

I don't have another PCIe card to test. I know the monitor works fine with the Geforce 6800 Ultra DDL in my G5 and an ATI FireGL X3-256 AGP in my other PC. I can't use the FireGL in the new PC since it's PCIe only.

 

[Ronin]

RADEON X1300 - 450MHz Core
512MB/256MB/128MB of DDR2/DDR1 - 500 MHz Memory
128-bit or 64-bit memory interface
4 Pixel Pipelines
PCI Express x16
RAMDAC - 2x400MHz
FullStream (Video-deblocking) - Real, divX, WM9
Single slot passive (silent) cooling solution
Maximum 3D Graphics Resolution of 2560x1600
Hydravision 3 Dual Display support

You're saying because of the bolded section, that means it does?

While ATi's spec sheet says this:

# Dual integrated DVI transmitters (one dual-link + one single-link)
* DVI 1.0 compliant / HDMI interoperable and HDCP ready

I'd say something's up.

 

[Ronin]

Originally posted by: laggedreaction
The Sapphire X1300 card does have a dual-link DVI output. I'm fairly sure all ATI X1*00 series cards have dual-link. Besides, if it weren't dual-link, it wouldn't come anywhere close to outputting the 2560x1600@60Hz like it does now. The issue is that [TDMS]performance at the level is just crappy.

Which is also why it's stupid. Imagine gaming at 2560x1600 on an X1300....yeah right.

 

[Steve]

I'd also say defective card. ATI's TMDS transmittters have been just fine, spec-wise, for years.

 

[laggedreaction]

Originally posted by: Ronin

Originally posted by: laggedreaction
The Sapphire X1300 card does have a dual-link DVI output. I'm fairly sure all ATI X1*00 series cards have dual-link. Besides, if it weren't dual-link, it wouldn't come anywhere close to outputting the 2560x1600@60Hz like it does now. The issue is that [TDMS]performance at the level is just crappy.

Which is also why it's stupid. Imagine gaming at 2560x1600 on an X1300....yeah right.

lol, I don't plan on doing any gaming on that machine. I was just hoping for something quiet. Plus from what I've seen ATI seems to be a bit better with video.

 

[Paratus]

Sounds like a bad card. RMA possible?


posted via Palm Life Drive

 

[laggedreaction]

RMA not possible. I got it at a small shop in Akihabara that had a sign saying no refunds or exchanges. Even if I could return or exchange, I still live 2.5 hours away from Tokyo by shinkansen (bullet train). lol, The ticket there would cost more than what the card's worth.

Basically, this was a cheap card so I don't care. I'm just afraid of buying an expensive card like a 1900xtx, only to find out it doesn't work and subsequently being stuck with it. A lot of places have horrible return/exchange policies around here.

 

[Ronin]

The expensive cards are the ones you should expect to work (the X1900XT/X should fall into that category nicely).

 

[Paratus]

Originally posted by: laggedreaction
RMA not possible. I got it at a small shop in Akihabara that had a sign saying no refunds or exchanges. Even if I could return or exchange, I still live 2.5 hours away from Tokyo by shinkansen (bullet train). lol, The ticket there would cost more than what the card's worth.

Basically, this was a cheap card so I don't care. I'm just afraid of buying an expensive card like a 1900xtx, only to find out it doesn't work and subsequently being stuck with it. A lot of places have horrible return/exchange policies around here.

I know what a shinkansen is. My 3 yr old is a train nut!

Anyhow that card should have worked. If it's a retail card, the manufacturer should RMA it, even in Japan.

If not try another X1000 series or 7800.

Good luck!

posted via Palm Life Drive

 

[Paratus]

Originally posted by: Ronin
The expensive cards are the ones you should expect to work (the X1900XT/X should fall into that category nicely).

Actually if card has a feature it should work period, regardless if the card is cheap or expensive,or the feature is DL DVI, HDCP, or Purevideo.




posted via Palm Life Drive

 

[Ronin]

Sadly, not always the case, as is apparent above.

 

[Paratus]

Agreed, but it sucks thats the case.

posted via Palm Life Drive

 

[Steelski]

I'm confused.
The card should work......is the Op saying it does not work or that it works but is too loud or that it is really slow on 2D?
what are you saying man. ?
What is TDMS and what does it do or prevent.

 

[Steve]

TMDS transmitters send the DVI signal. As I said already, ATI's have been fully compliant for years. Sounds to me like the OP just got a bum card and another ATI-based card will work fine. I ran my 2405FPW off a 9100 PCI over DVI without a problem.

 

[laggedreaction]

Originally posted by: sm8000
TMDS transmitters send the DVI signal. As I said already, ATI's have been fully compliant for years. Sounds to me like the OP just got a bum card and another ATI-based card will work fine. I ran my 2405FPW off a 9100 PCI over DVI without a problem.

Yeah, but dual-link can be a different ball game since it's not as common.

 

[Steve]

Nah. ACDs (and other WQXGA displays) have been around for a while, so has dual link. Even on the ATI side - just that it was more common in their workstation cards (FireGL et al.) than in consumer cards.

 

[laggedreaction]

Anyway, turns out it was just a crappy card. Yesterday I picked up an Asus 1900XTX and it works beautifully. The only problem was that it didn't include the extra PCIe power adapter so I had to wait a day to use it. :|

 

[Steve]

Glad the problem was diagnosed and solved. Enjoy your new card!