Widescreen Gaming Forum

First hello to all first post.

Ok I have 3 24" monitors.
I got a XFX 5870
I have also ordered the dell Display port to Dual link DVI Active Adapter. I had to do this because my monitors do not have a DisplayPort.

Ok now on to my question.

Now couldn't ATI have shared the HDMI port on the card with the DisplayPort instead of sharing with the DVI port. It seems like many people are having to order one of these expensive adapters.

I don't know if this is even possible but just thought about it and wondered why they did not do this instead. Then they could have just put a switch or toggle to select either HDMI port or Display Port on the card itself. You would think this would then tell the card that ok 3rd display is going out from the display port, or HDMI port what ever the switch was set on. If it was going out the HDMI port then we could just have used a passive adapter HDMI to DVI or just straight HDMI.

My whole understanding of this was just the limitations of the actual Display Port. Not the card itself. Please share your understanding or thoughts about this.

Because DVI and HDMI technology have very similar hardware requirements, which allowed them to cut $$$ and space on the video card by isolating the displayport as the third option. Displayport has little likeness to the DVI/HDMI.

HDMI is more or less a repackaged DVI. DP is a whole new thing. The archetecture behind it is different.

It's like you have 3 people, one American, one Brit and one Chinese and then you ask the Brit why he can't speak Chinese. :lol:

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

Yea thats what I figured but in that case why not just go all HDMI. The HDMI port looks to be about the same size as Display Port. Why even add the Display Port at all.

it's an added value solution. Plus ATI has been adding all the feature of HDMI into DVI for a while. You can use the DVI ports and an HDMI adapter and still run sound through it.

DP doesn't require clock signals to be produced, hence 1 less ASIC to put on the board, hence less money to dish out. Eyefinity wasn't the focus of the 5800 series cards, we on the other hand pretty much took it to be, so as were mad they look at us and say what, "we added it because it was cool." Basically.

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Yea thats what I figured but in that case why not just go all HDMI. The HDMI port looks to be about the same size as Display Port. Why even add the Display Port at all.

and then what ?
add two HDMI=>DVI adapters for each and every card ? :roll: ;)

DVI is more present on the PC consumer market than HDMI !
whereas HDMI is more present than DVI on the TV consumer market, but this is irrelevant here.

[quote]Yea thats what I figured but in that case why not just go all HDMI. The HDMI port looks to be about the same size as Display Port. Why even add the Display Port at all.

and then what ?
add two HDMI=>DVI adapters for each and every card ? :roll: ;)

DVI is more present on the PC consumer market than HDMI !
whereas HDMI is more present than DVI on the TV consumer market, but this is irrelevant here.

Yea exactly because then we could by a $5 adapter instead of a $100 Active one. Makes more sense they would not have to add these adapters with every card they are easily available and cheap.

That same arguement was regurgitated many times around here over a month ago. The reality of it is the design of the card can only have 2 legacy timing clocks in it, and not add in more without a major reworking. I argued this even before the cards were on the street. My arguement is that 6 Mini-DVI or 6 HDMI ports would fit just fine in any 5000-series back port plate. The plate isn't the issue, it's the design of the electronics required to push those ports that is at issue. Basically, it's not cost effective for AMD to screw with a redesign for the benifit of our niche market. To paraphase them, the enabling tech in all of this is DP and nothing else.

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

Ok I get what your saying now. And I am new so didn't see that argument a month ago haha. But just to throw it in there maybe it would not be such a niche market if there was an easier solution to all this. I imagine it turns people away knowing they either have to buy a new monitor with DP which there are not very many on the market. Or the $100 adapter. I just don't understand what these cards are marketed towards I guess. I was assuming Eyefinity was a big part of there market. And not just for gaming. But arn't these cards mostly targeted towards the gaming market, didn't they know this would be a big thing. I think they should have already been looking into making a cost effective adapter. I heard they are doing that right now.

I suppose in the future we will see multiple mini DP connectors.

I mean... just at the moment, there are many ways that ATi COULD of improved the design. You could of had a multiple slot card with 3x DVI, 3x HDMI, 3x DP and 3x VGA. But they decided to go with tried and tested 2x DVI with 2 other ports, one of which is becoming more common, the other is just in its infancy with PC teritory.

Its about time we got some new sockets, HDMI is fine for HT systems but DVI is just bulky and heavy connector, far too much like a Scart cable for my liking. If ATi had its way and could control what screen manufacturers put on their screens, Im sure things would be a little different than they are now.

But it is how it is!!! Unfortunatly for some!

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