Widescreen Gaming Forum

Agree. The Eyefinity6 card must be able to support 6 single link DVI connections via simple passive adaptors. If you want dual link resolutions then you sacrifice two outputs each so you end up with 3 - the same as the current 5870.

It needs to be fully DP+ capable, able to switch each to single link DVI output.

If the 6 card is effectively gimped by the requirement to use active adaptors then the whole fuss of Eyefinity is going to fail...

And, if nVidia is watching and reading and picks up on these requirements for their next card then the current slot at the top for ATI is going to be very short again...

Dave, can you please confirm the DP+ capabilities of the Eyefinity6 card - can it run each output at single link DVI resolutions via passive adaptors...?

Sorry it will NOT. only 2 DP+ outputs on ALL future 5000 series cards

You may consider the dependance on DP a "misstep", but in fact DP is the enabler to this technology being offered as a standard feature on all our boards. Remember, that these have to appeal to everyone Eyefinity is not something that we are charging extra for - the product has to stand on its own two feet as a competetive solution, but with value added features such as Eyefinity, DX11 and new levels of compute capabilities. If it wasn't for DisplayPort we wouldn't be as competetive because we'd be saddled with extra cost.

All of these boards can drive two "legacy" display outputs, the additional displays have to be DisplayPort. The Eyefinity6 Edition board will be DP+, but again only up to 2 outputs - more than two outputs will still require DP.

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Dipping bags at Mach1.9

[quote]I don't think anyone here is asking for ATi to do a "no extra cost" value add feature. I think what most of us are saying is that there should be some variation of the card that does away with DP and uses all DP+ that we'll happily pay the premium for over having to deal with active adapter costs. Would DP+ port not cost us less than a bunch of active adapters?

Simply put, yes, as it would require an entriely new ASIC specifically for this.

With that in mind, is the architecture capable of 6 DP+ ports on the 6 mini-dp card?

No. Again, its DP that makes this capable, and the architecture behind DP.

There is a pre-established market for EyeFinity and it's not currently properly targeting it. EyeFinity should set the bar low enough to allow it to gain acceptance and the DP requirement is an impediment to that, especially if DP+ could be used for a marginal increase in cost.

You're thinking only in terms of that market. Bear in mind that all previous graphics boards can only drive 2 displays, so most users will either have one or two panels - for them, adding Eyefinity capabilities means they need to add another display or two anyway.

Since you are in Canada, where can a fellow Canadian find a cheap active adapter?, the only one i can find is by Anitec and it costs $176.

Will ATi ever sell these adapters at a cheaper price?

Thanks for any response.

I just hope the proposed single link adaptors (or even the bloody 100 buck ones) are available outside of the US soon :(

EDIT: Anybody in the US want to make a bit of cash? Offer the Dell adaptors on EBay with international shipping (and a small mark up for yourself obviously ;) ) :p

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Dipping bags at Mach1.9

Anybody in the US want to make a bit of cash? Offer the Dell adaptors on EBay with international shipping

During the check out process on that Dell US site you are required to check that you will not export the ordered item out of the US. 8)

It's ridiculous.

Basically our only hope now is some vendor comes up with a cost effective single-link dvi active adapter. The dual-link active adapters should only have to be used for 30". A single-link active adapter would be just fine for the rest of us. The question is now, where do we get these things? And at what price point?

Also, this means there might have to be 2 versions of the single-link active adapter. 1 for the DP and another for the mini-dp (because I don't trust an adapter on an adapter unless ATI signs off on it).

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Brad Hawthorne
Product Manager
Nthusim Pty. Ltd. | www.nthusim.com

I take it that it would not be possible to use overscan compensation with Eyefinity?

(Not that, you know, I can actually afford three rear projection TVs or anything, but I'm curious.)

Anybody in the US want to make a bit of cash? Offer the Dell adaptors on EBay with international shipping

During the check out process on that Dell US site you are required to check that you will not export the ordered item out of the US. 8)

It's ridiculous.

I won't tell Customs if you don't!

Basically our only hope now is some vendor comes up with a cost effective single-link dvi active adapter. The dual-link active adapters should only have to be used for 30". A single-link active adapter would be just fine for the rest of us. The question is now, where do we get these things?

Yeah I hoppe the discussion Dave talked about come to fruition. i can wait for the Hemlock/2GB cards though. I am hoping the Hemlock will be 5870 at full spec, cos otherwise I will have to get new mobo, CPU and cooler to get 2 CF 2GB

_________________
Dipping bags at Mach1.9

Basically our only hope now is some vendor comes up with a cost effective single-link dvi active adapter. The dual-link active adapters should only have to be used for 30". A single-link active adapter would be just fine for the rest of us. The question is now, where do we get these things? And at what price point?

Also, this means there might have to be 2 versions of the single-link active adapter. 1 for the DP and another for the mini-dp.

Can you explain why a passive adapter doesnt work, i dont understand why it needs to be powered...

[quote]Basically our only hope now is some vendor comes up with a cost effective single-link dvi active adapter. The dual-link active adapters should only have to be used for 30". A single-link active adapter would be just fine for the rest of us. The question is now, where do we get these things? And at what price point?

Also, this means there might have to be 2 versions of the single-link active adapter. 1 for the DP and another for the mini-dp.

Can you explain why a passive adapter doesnt work, i dont understand why it needs to be powered...

Sure, ATI is using DP port not DP+:

[quote]At this point passive adapters don't work. Don't buy one for Eyefinity purposes All they do is carry on an existing DVI video stream. The secret to the sauce is allowing the DisplayPort to be a DisplayPort by coupling it to a authentic DisplayPort device. And a DisplayPort device has DisplayPort electronics that tells the DisplayPort on the video card to do it's DisplayPort thing. From all the info I've gathered....

To get into terminology - there are DP certified devices and there are DP+ Certified devices. DP+ means that you can carry other signal over the DP output, allowing for passive adapters; DP only carries DP signals. The DP output on these initial boards are DP only.

_________________
Brad Hawthorne
Product Manager
Nthusim Pty. Ltd. | www.nthusim.com

[quote][quote]Basically our only hope now is some vendor comes up with a cost effective single-link dvi active adapter. The dual-link active adapters should only have to be used for 30". A single-link active adapter would be just fine for the rest of us. The question is now, where do we get these things? And at what price point?

Also, this means there might have to be 2 versions of the single-link active adapter. 1 for the DP and another for the mini-dp.

Can you explain why a passive adapter doesnt work, i dont understand why it needs to be powered...

Sure, ATI is using DP port not DP+:

[quote]At this point passive adapters don't work. Don't buy one for Eyefinity purposes All they do is carry on an existing DVI video stream. The secret to the sauce is allowing the DisplayPort to be a DisplayPort by coupling it to a authentic DisplayPort device. And a DisplayPort device has DisplayPort electronics that tells the DisplayPort on the video card to do it's DisplayPort thing. From all the info I've gathered....

To get into terminology - there are DP certified devices and there are DP+ Certified devices. DP+ means that you can carry other signal over the DP output, allowing for passive adapters; DP only carries DP signals. The DP output on these initial boards are DP only.

Damn... thanks, i thought it just had something to do with powering the cable so that the screens dont go blank thinking they are not connected to anything, i was already thinking of maybe modding a passive adapter but this sounds like... something else, lol.