What hasn't ATI produced a dual DVI Radeon 9800?

[John]

The dual LCD users would be in heaven! Why isn't this possible?

 

[tenoc]

It is certainly possible, once sufficient demand exists.

In fact, if at least one of your LCDs is analog, you're there.

 

[jiffylube1024]

$$$$$$$. They want to make as much of these as possible, and dual DVI costs more of them to make.

 

[Auric]

One could assume that two DVI connectors and the usual DVI to VGA adapter could be included with the only downside being that dual-VGA users would have to purchase an additional adapter. However, juding by some 8500's that were supplied with VGA and DVI where the latter was digital-only and the board visibly lacked a chip that on other models made the DVI analog capable, I reckon it is definitely a cost issue. If that omission was worth it then imagine the if every card manufactured would then require a more complicated design and additional parts over a standard one, regardless of how it was to be used (like the typical single VGA).

 

[Lonyo]

Not enough demand for such a product, plus as lot of LCD's have VGA in as well.

Their workstation products have dual DVI though, IICR.

 

[Matthias99]

Yes, some of the FireGL cards have dual DVI. Few average-joe consumers have dual DVI-capable LCDs, so it doesn't make sense to put them into anything but a very high-end part.

I also believe the reference design for the 9800-series cards only has one chip capable of doing digital output. The 9800SE, 9800NP, and 9800Pro are all essentially the same card (albeit with slower memory and/or lower clocks on the cheaper models). You'd have to come up with a new PCB design for a dual-DVI card, which would be costly. Some manufacturers said they would, but they ended up not doing it, probably due to high cost and perceived lack of a market. You'd have to sell the card for more to make up the difference, and then you'd be at a disadvantage against the other cards in terms of everyone that *doesn't* have dual DVI LCDs (ie, 99% of the market). Even people who already have one DVI LCD are probably unlikely to buy a more expensive card on the off chance that they'll add a second LCD at some point in the future, especially when they're just as likely to need a whole new video card by then anyway.