Originally posted by: adsmith82
how would i tell if my laptop is 1.3
It wont matter. HDMI = Single Link DVI as far as the standard data rates go which is where the 2 standards intersect.
The 1.3 version of HDMI that supports 2560x1600 would need to connect to a monitor that supports double-rate HDMI aka HDMI1.3 to take advantage of this resolution over HDMI. No DVI port that I am aware of existing has HDMI 1.3 data rates implemented, since dual-link is already the defacto standard there.
In your case you need Dual-Link DVI which is different from double-rate HDMI (1.3), so you are going to be limited to 1920x1200 from the HDMI->DVI adapter.
I am not saying that there is a 0% possibility of your DVI port supporting HDMI1.3 data rates, just that the chances are slim, and if it doesn't work that is the culprit. Still it might be worth buying the cable/adapter from monoprice just for 1920x1200.