Need Radeon with D-sub; prefer a 4770 or 4890

They make noise, too.

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Wedge
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Need Radeon with D-sub; prefer a 4770 or 4890

Post by Wedge » Sat May 16, 2009 10:14 am

I am not sure if either of these models are manufactured with the D-sub interface, but if anybody has a link to a vendor that sells them, please share.

The reason I don't want to use a DVI->VGA adapter is that my new KVM switch by IOGear doesn't want to recognize a digital signal unless the switcher is focused on the PC while it is being turned on. So I'm thinking I need to use a VGA-out. My other PCs use D-sub outputs and they agree with the KVM switch without fail.

I hate to buy a new video card. My current one is an 8800GT and it serves my needs (although I do like the color better on a Radeon), but I hate to have to reboot my PC and switch the focus to it just to make sure the video will show.

morpheus
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Post by morpheus » Sat May 16, 2009 11:09 am

I am not 100% sure I understood correctly, but if you use the DVI-->VGA adapter, the input to your KVM switch will be analog, not digital.

I suppose you could try using such an adapter with your 8800 and see if it works for you this way.

RaptorX
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Post by RaptorX » Sat May 16, 2009 11:22 am

Try a Sapphire HD4850/HD4870 Vapor-X. They have VGA / DVI /HDMI native ports on the back and are dead silent. I have one and I'm pleased with it so far.

Wedge
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Post by Wedge » Sat May 16, 2009 12:25 pm

morpheus wrote:I am not 100% sure I understood correctly, but if you use the DVI-->VGA adapter, the input to your KVM switch will be analog, not digital.

I suppose you could try using such an adapter with your 8800 and see if it works for you this way.
I currently use one of these DVI-->VGA adapters, but I still suspect this to be the problem. Maybe my assumption is wrong, but I have 3 PCs connected to the KVM switch. The two PCs with the D-Sub connector do not have this issue that my 8800GT is having (which is DVI-only).

Wedge
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Post by Wedge » Sat May 16, 2009 2:34 pm

Are all DVI-->VGA adapters alike? Just curious...

dhanson865
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Post by dhanson865 » Sun May 17, 2009 7:06 am

Wedge wrote:Are all DVI-->VGA adapters alike? Just curious...
No, some VGA adapters don't map all the pins. Its good enough for video but there are optional pins that aren't there on all VGA connectors.

Wedge
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Post by Wedge » Sun May 17, 2009 11:50 am

dhanson865 wrote:
Wedge wrote:Are all DVI-->VGA adapters alike? Just curious...
No, some VGA adapters don't map all the pins. Its good enough for video but there are optional pins that aren't there on all VGA connectors.
Is there any reason to think perhaps I need to try a different adapter?

Piblokto
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Post by Piblokto » Mon May 18, 2009 6:51 am

I futzed for several months with DVI KVM switches, but they were more expensive and had glitches, especially at higher resolutions. Just shifted to a cheap Joytech HDMI 3-way switch, using DVI-HDMI cables (from Monoprice.com - very cheap) and now I have a DVI video switch that works perfectly. Only downside is I have to use a separate KVM to switch my mouse and keyboard. I tend not to switch back and forth constantly, so this works for me. YMMV.

Wedge
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Post by Wedge » Mon May 18, 2009 9:56 am

Piblokto wrote:I futzed for several months with DVI KVM switches, but they were more expensive and had glitches, especially at higher resolutions. Just shifted to a cheap Joytech HDMI 3-way switch, using DVI-HDMI cables (from Monoprice.com - very cheap) and now I have a DVI video switch that works perfectly. Only downside is I have to use a separate KVM to switch my mouse and keyboard. I tend not to switch back and forth constantly, so this works for me. YMMV.
Actually, this is the route I took for a while.
Then I decided to go back to a less complicated (read: all-in-one) solution. Not that an HDMI switch independent of a KVM switch is complicated by any means, but for 5 months I had trouble with that as well. There were many times I had to reboot PCs (all of them) in order to get a video signal. I spoke with reps at Monoprice about it and they informed me that I was experiencing a known compatibility issue dubbed "hdcp handshaking". So this same rep recommended a more reliable switch that does not have this particluar issue. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought it made better sense to invest in a all-in-one solution (my old KVM had died). So now I have a KVM switch that also has built-in USB switching and audio-switching so all PCs can share the same devices -- and they can do so independently of one another (1 PC might have control of the USB device(s) while another might have the audio, while yet another might actually have the focus of the KVM). It's pretty handy and creates less wire clutter while providing complete flexibility in device sharing. And thus far, it works:
IOGear 4 port KVMP Switch (model GCS1804)

It also has firmware upgrade capability. Maybe that would fix my issue...

I am just thinking a video card with an analog out (D-Sub) would probably remedy this problem. Again, I could be wrong, but I think the problem lies in the analog-to-digital conversion at the card.
I suppose I could buy a different card and if it turns out to be a solution, I can also sell the 8800GT to help make up some of the cost.

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