More then one graphic card in new mac pro??

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16-07-2009, 06:42 PM
HartmutEssfeld

More then one graphic card in new mac pro??

Hi,
so is it possible to install and control more then one graphic card in the new mac pros?
I have an appliance for three HD Ready screens on one mac pro, mac mini is out of choice cause the maximum possible resolution and the bandwidth.
Each screen has a native resolution of 1360x768 pixel, they build up on top of each other as a column. The content who should be displayed is Full HD 1920x1080 over all of the screens, it will be recorded upright to get the maximum displayed resolution.
The use of a tripple head would not work couse i need more then the possible output resolution on a single graphic card wich is maximum 2560x1600 per output. And this is less then the three screens have.
So i would like to use two cards in the mac pro to drive each display with its nativ resolution.
Is it possible in this way? Or is it maybe easier and more save to use for each screen one mac mini and to sync them over midi timecode??

Best regards

Hartmut Essfeld

Sorry i've seen that this request is maybe better placed in technology request, but i cant move it by myself. :)
16-07-2009, 10:47 PM
NevBull

Hello Harmut

Simple answer is no I am afraid. Single graphics card supported only.

Nev.
17-07-2009, 08:03 AM
HartmutEssfeld

That was quick an easy.
Thanks for the answer, i thought that but i wanted to get sure that iam on the right way.

Kind regards

Hartmut
17-07-2009, 12:22 PM
Mr_P

Quote:

Originally Posted by HartmutEssfeld

Hi,
so is it possible to install and control more then one graphic card in the new mac pros?

As Nev said: Catalyst only supports ONE graphics card

Quote:

Originally Posted by HartmutEssfeld

I have an appliance for three HD Ready screens on one mac pro, mac mini is out of choice cause the maximum possible resolution and the bandwidth.
Each screen has a native resolution of 1360x768 pixel, they build up on top of each other as a column. The content who should be displayed is Full HD 1920x1080 over all of the screens, it will be recorded upright to get the maximum displayed resolution.
The use of a tripple head would not work couse i need more then the possible output resolution on a single graphic card wich is maximum 2560x1600 per output. And this is less then the three screens have.
So i would like to use two cards in the mac pro to drive each display with its nativ resolution.

You should be able to use a DH2G on the 2nd Dual-Link DVI output and get 3840x1200 (2 x 1920x1200 outputs) or lower - and still use your primary output for another 1920x1200 output.

2009 macs only seem to support 1xDual-Link and 1xSingle-Link output natively with the current available 'supported' graphics cards. You should ensure that you use the 'Dual-link' DVI output to connect to the DH2G or TH2G, rather than the 'single link' Mini Display-port output.

Alternatively, to achieve your desired resolutions - test to see if your screens can accept a 1024x768 image, and then stretch to fit width. - If they can - you can use a TH2G at 3072x768 and run the content 'anamorphic' in catalyst, in 3 mix windows, and allow the screens to stretch the image back to a 16:9 ratio (1360x768).

Contact me further for explanation if this is an option for you.

Recently I have run 2 x TH2G on a 2009 Mac Pro with an either ATI HD4870 or Nvidia 880GT (10.4.7). With one TH2G on each output, I achieved:
Single Link / Dual Link
1x 2400x800 + 1x 2400x800 (6x 800x600)
1x 2560x1024* + 1x3840x1024 (5x1280x1024)
1x 2048x768* + 1x 3072x768 (5x1024x768)
(*Triple-Head2Go in Dual-Head mode)

Quote:

Originally Posted by HartmutEssfeld

Is it possible in this way? Or is it maybe easier and more safe to use for each screen one mac mini and to sync them over midi timecode??

You can use 2 separate Macs to send to separate screens. It is possible to sync with MIDI if you are running Midi Timecode anyway. Otherwise - use the sync ID function to syncronise between layers on each server.

Do contact me if you require further assistance

Regards

Simon
18-07-2009, 11:12 PM
HartmutEssfeld

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_P

You should be able to use a DH2G on the 2nd Dual-Link DVI output and get 3840x1200 (2 x 1920x1200 outputs) or lower - and still use your primary output for another 1920x1200 output.

2009 macs only seem to support 1xDual-Link and 1xSingle-Link output natively with the current available 'supported' graphics cards. You should ensure that you use the 'Dual-link' DVI output to connect to the DH2G or TH2G, rather than the 'single link' Mini Display-port output.

Hello Simon, thank you for the answer.
On the Apple homepage they offer a Mini DisplayPort to Dual Link DVI Adapter.
So it should be easy du use a DH2G on each of the (now) two Dual Link DVI outputs.
Three for the LCDs and the last one for control an configuration monitor.
But i think the final solution will be on output one directly a LCD and on the second one (with the Apple DisplayPort adapter) a DH2G for the last two screens.
By the way i need all this twice, thats why also asked for the syn over the sync id or midi timecode. Overall i will have two mac pros and six screens, sometimes with the same content running, sometimes with different.
However another question, on the Apple homepage and as well at the ATI homepage is the maximum output resolution from the 4870 graphic card is 2560x1600.
But if i use an DH2G or TH2G on an Dual Link DVI i can call up a resolution wich is much more. Such as 3072x1024.
Now then what is actual the maximum resolution i can get out of the 4870?
You wrote run the system with 1x 2560x1024* + 1x3840x1024 (5x1280x1024). So is this the maximum right??

kind regards

Hartmut
19-07-2009, 07:38 PM
Mr_P

I've not tested the Dual-Link DVI adaptor... it will be interesting to see if it adds any frame delay?!?

DH2G will work on the single-link DVI port.

I tried the TH2G on both ports of the 4870 graphics card in a 2.26G 8 Core mac - the resolutions are quoted above.
1st set = Single Link port
2nd set = Dual Link port

so:
1x 2560x1024* + 1x3840x1024
seemed to be the maximum with the TH2G

The quoted resolution is 2560x1600 - However, the actual maximum depends upon what is connected - I've only tested with TH2G so far

HOWEVER - DO TEST your own configuration to ensure that you get the expected results...

Simon
26-07-2009, 03:33 PM
SourceChild

It's things like mini display port that prove Apple gets too high on their horse and makes stupid decisions. I have tested the mini display port on the 4870 and all it seems to be good for is running a second 30" cinema display. It doesn't like the TH2G pr DH2G boxes that well. Yes, I use the Dual Link box which is a pain in the butt.

In short, I suggest three ways for your show in the order I would choose.

The first way, the way I would do it is to use the DVI output of two Mac Pros with 4870 cards, attached to a TH2G each set for 1280x720x3. Your monitors will only see 1280x720 but the chances of anyone noticing you're not pixel accurate is unlikely.

The second solution is to use six Mac Minis (three per tower). I like this idea because it puts the Media server right at the device so ethernet is all you need run.

The third solution is to use three Mac Pros running two outputs each.

Solution 1 is best for perfectly synchronous content playback between adjacent monitors. Solution 2 is simplest and has smallest footprint. Solution 3 is the one which will allow the greatest number of layers to be run per output.
27-07-2009, 10:08 AM
Mr_P

Apparently, matrox is about to release a Mini Display port version of the DH2G and TH2G...
http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/gxm/dh2go/
http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/pr...m/th2go/#close

not sure this will help much though - think the outputs are mini display port too!!!...

After talking to apple recently re mini display ports - they suggested that users feeback their 'constructive' comments online at:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macpro.html
or
http://feedback.apple.com/
(may need a .mac login)

Apparently - they do listen... so please feedback your comments re mini display port on MacPro products to apple with explanations of why proper DVI-D ports are better for your applications conecting to peripherals other than an LCD display.
(mini display ports on laptops do seem sensible however...)

Good news is that there are a few 'proper' 2 x DVI-D port cards appearing on the market - as yet untested - from Nvidia and ATI

please feedback any experience

Simon
28-07-2009, 02:32 AM
samsc

Quote:

Originally Posted by NevBull

Hello Harmut

Simple answer is no I am afraid. Single graphics card supported only.

Nev.

the reason you cant use more than one graphics card is that there is no internal apple hardware mechanism for transferring information like video images from one card to another without going through the pci bus or cpu.

also only low end graphics cards were ever supported with more than one card.