I know that the twin view on the upscale graphics cards serves this purpose, but I think it would be great to use 2 seperate cards for different monitors.
Just a thought. Oh yeah, and make them 8x. Thanks.
AGP accesses the memory directly and the protocol only has support for one AGP device per memory controller. Sorry, Intel made up the rules on this one.
You can easily have multiple video cards. Just have them be PCI. I don't think you can run a game on all of them at once, but it's been done for years.
Yeah this is not like Vesa Local Bus which AGP really is just a newer version of. With VESA Local Bus you could have 3 cards but it was limited to clock cycles or something.
Your options are: dual-headed cards like the TwinView, and PCI cards.
With a TwinView in the AGP slot, a PowerMac could drive 6 monitors. (I'm assuming that dual-head PCI cards don't exist.) That should be enough for even the most rabid power user on these boards, at least.
6 black lcd monitors, lined up with 4 surrounding you and 2 perched up high, then you have a matrix-esque set up
it would be the super pimp if you had a 22 inch cinema displayi n the centre two 17inchs two the left and right of that and15 inches everywhere else. that would be nutty, If I had the money, and time, I would do that, just for fun, but I don't so oh well...
.I feel sick...I haven't been sick in like years....urg...
<strong>With a TwinView in the AGP slot, a PowerMac could drive 6 monitors. (I'm assuming that dual-head PCI cards don't exist.)</strong><hr></blockquote>
<strong>AGP accesses the memory directly and the protocol only has support for one AGP device per memory controller. Sorry, Intel made up the rules on this one.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I think this is not entirely correct.
While it is true that you can only have one AGP device per AGP controller, you should be able to just integrate two such controllers into the northbridge and use them concurrently.
Yet, even though it might be technically possible, it would be completely infeasible, because apart from having to have two AGP controllers integrated into the northbridge, each AGP slot would also need to be connected individually to "his" controller, which would drive up the northbridge's pin count and general motherboard complexity (and thus price) to insane levels, especially if most customers aren't likely to need or use it anyway.
Bye,
RazzFazz
P.S.: Concerning direct memory access - this also applies to bus-master PCI devices and even the CPU itself, and still it's obviously possible to have all of them in a system. The memory controller arbitrates conflicting memory accesses.
I agree that would increase prices, just like EVERY additional option does. But on the side of feasability, what if you are talking about machines with multiple processors? What does that do to the situation?
GeForce 3 with the dual port would rock. Isn't the current dual monitor card for the Mac a GeForce 2 MX dual port? That's an AGP card right? At least that (Dual GF3) could be done.
<strong>I agree that would increase prices, just like EVERY additional option does.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yeah, but you can't just make it an option to put on top of an existing motherboard. A complete board redesign would be inevitable (which is completely different from the situation for dual processor macs, see below).
[quote]<strong>
But on the side of feasability, what if you are talking about machines with multiple processors? What does that do to the situation?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Nothing really. Even DP machines only have a single UniNorth chip. In fact, the motherboard is exaclty the same for single and dual processor macs, they just have different CPU modules plugged on top of them.
If I remember right, the current chips from both NVidia and ATI support dual monitors. Apple just needs to build the ability into the NVidia cards they are building. I think most of ATI's current video cards support 2 monitors now.
<strong>If I remember right, the current chips from both NVidia and ATI support dual monitors. Apple just needs to build the ability into the NVidia cards they are building.</strong><hr></blockquote>
They already do. The TwinView is even standard on some models.
Comments
Just a thought. Oh yeah, and make them 8x. Thanks.
Why is two AGP slots impossible, I really dont understand?
They are direct memory ports, as opposed to a bus, so you can only have one of them (apparently).
It is a problem because two monitor set-ups are de riguer in many pro situations, video editing, 3D, sound studio etc.
With a TwinView in the AGP slot, a PowerMac could drive 6 monitors. (I'm assuming that dual-head PCI cards don't exist.) That should be enough for even the most rabid power user on these boards, at least.
it would be the super pimp if you had a 22 inch cinema displayi n the centre two 17inchs two the left and right of that and15 inches everywhere else. that would be nutty, If I had the money, and time, I would do that, just for fun, but I don't so oh well...
.I feel sick...I haven't been sick in like years....urg...
<strong>With a TwinView in the AGP slot, a PowerMac could drive 6 monitors. (I'm assuming that dual-head PCI cards don't exist.)</strong><hr></blockquote>
The new Radeon 7000 is a dual-head PCI card...
10 monitors!
<strong>AGP accesses the memory directly and the protocol only has support for one AGP device per memory controller. Sorry, Intel made up the rules on this one.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I think this is not entirely correct.
While it is true that you can only have one AGP device per AGP controller, you should be able to just integrate two such controllers into the northbridge and use them concurrently.
Yet, even though it might be technically possible, it would be completely infeasible, because apart from having to have two AGP controllers integrated into the northbridge, each AGP slot would also need to be connected individually to "his" controller, which would drive up the northbridge's pin count and general motherboard complexity (and thus price) to insane levels, especially if most customers aren't likely to need or use it anyway.
Bye,
RazzFazz
P.S.: Concerning direct memory access - this also applies to bus-master PCI devices and even the CPU itself, and still it's obviously possible to have all of them in a system. The memory controller arbitrates conflicting memory accesses.
[ 01-17-2002: Message edited by: RazzFazz ]</p>
[ 01-17-2002: Message edited by: onlooker ]</p>
<strong>I agree that would increase prices, just like EVERY additional option does.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yeah, but you can't just make it an option to put on top of an existing motherboard. A complete board redesign would be inevitable (which is completely different from the situation for dual processor macs, see below).
[quote]<strong>
But on the side of feasability, what if you are talking about machines with multiple processors? What does that do to the situation?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Nothing really. Even DP machines only have a single UniNorth chip. In fact, the motherboard is exaclty the same for single and dual processor macs, they just have different CPU modules plugged on top of them.
Bye,
RazzFazz
<strong>If I remember right, the current chips from both NVidia and ATI support dual monitors. Apple just needs to build the ability into the NVidia cards they are building.</strong><hr></blockquote>
They already do. The TwinView is even standard on some models.