Bought a Nvidia 8800 GTS, but my monitor isn't DVI-I dual-link?

[zech]

I just bought the following card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130071

And also bought two DVI-I dual-link cables from NewEgg.com, for my two monitors.

My LCDs, a 19" and 20.1", are fairly new; 19" is a little over a year old, but the 20.1" is maybe 6 months.

To my surprise the 20.1" doesn't even have the right DVI input for the dual-link. Nor does the 19".

My 20.1":
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001226

So here's my confusion:

I'm browsing NewEgg.com looking for LCD monitors with DVI-I dual link connectors. What I find? I can't find a single one! And the specifications on NewEgg.com never go into specifics of the port, they simply say "DVI-D" or "DVI-I" but not whether it's dual-link compatible.

If the 8800 is supposed to be dual-link, where the hell are the dual-link monitors?

I just find it odd they made the card with dual-link ports when 95% of LCDs on the market aren't DVI-I dual-link compatible. You've gotta have a really new LCD it seems.

What are other owners with 8800s using for LCDs? Am I just missing something here? (I hope).

 

[Noema]

I don't have a 8800, but my 7800GS has the same connector as the 8800GTS you bought. (DVI-I Dual - DVI-I single link is different because it has less pins, you can see the physical difference here). I can use a DVI-D cable to plug my 7800GS DVI-I connector to my ViewSonic 22" with no problems. In other words, you can use a DVI-D dual link cable to connect a DVI-I connector to a DVI-D connector; you just can't use a DVI-I cable to connect to a DVI-D connector, which is currently your problem.

Your 20.1" Samsung is DVI-D. So a DVI-D cable should do the trick.

The difference between DVI-D and DVI-I is simply that DVI-D carries only the digital signal; DVI-I carries both analog and digital. With the DVI-D cable you'll just get the digital signal from the DVI-I but that's no problem at all. The reason why most video cards (not just the 8800GTS) have DVI-I is so that they can support older analog CRT monitors.

If fact: I'm not an expert so correct me if I'm wrong, but AFAIK there's no such think as a dual-link monitor? The dual link / single link distinction only applies to cables, I believe.

 

[zech]

Ah ok, that clears things up quite a bit. Thank you.

Unfortunately I bought DVI-I dual-link cables and not DVI-D dual-link cables.

Will DVI-D single-link cables work with 8800s?

 

[zech]

Actually, here's another cost-saving thought:

Can I physically modify my DVI-I dual-link connector into a DVI-D dual-link?

Looking at the photos in the link you provided above, the only visible difference are the 4 pin around the flat pin. My guesses are no.. but it's worth asking.

 

[Noema]

Nope. The long, minus-sign shaped flat pin is a bit longer on the DVI-I cable so it won't fit on a DVI-D female. Sorry

 

[Matthias99]

If fact: I'm not an expert so correct me if I'm wrong, but AFAIK there's no such think as a dual-link monitor? The dual link / single link distinction only applies to cables, I believe.

There are monitors that require a dual-link cable/display device to use their native resolution (like the Dell 300XFPWs, which run at 2560x1600). I think it will take a single-link DVI-D and run at a lower resolution, though.

 

[Noema]

Originally posted by: Matthias99

If fact: I'm not an expert so correct me if I'm wrong, but AFAIK there's no such think as a dual-link monitor? The dual link / single link distinction only applies to cables, I believe.

There are monitors that require a dual-link cable/display device to use their native resolution (like the Dell 300XFPWs, which run at 2560x1600). I think it will take a single-link DVI-D and run at a lower resolution, though.

You are absolutely right...I completely forgot about that 30" Dell.