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 Posted: Tue, 3rd Apr 2007 19:12 Post subject: Coming soon: an external video card near you? |
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Internal video cards have been around as long as the PC—IBM's original 1981 model had no graphics at all, until you added the IBM Color Graphics Adapter (CGA) and reveled in its 320 by 200 resolution modes in all four glorious available colors. More recently, gaming enthusiasts have driven the market for expensive, power-hungry 3D graphics cards from ATI and NVIDIA, some of them requiring huge cooling solutions, additional power connectors, and even taking up the space normally occupied by two card slots.
Now, both companies are toying with graphics solutions that go to the next level. Some cards are now available, like Asus' EAX1800XT, that offer an external 80 Watt power supply to ensure that the computer's own power supply doesn't get overloaded. The next logical step would be to remove the graphics card from the computer completely, and put it in an external box.
Sound crazy? NVIDIA has just released a monster external graphics solution for people who have exceedingly high demands for pushing pixels. The Quadro Plex 1000 is a set of graphics processors enclosed in its own box, capable of rendering 80 billion pixels per second and powering multiple monitors with a combined resolution of up to 148 million pixels. It doesn't come cheap: prices start at $17,500, and it is intended primarily as a networked rendering solution. It requires one or two free PCIe slots (yes, you can buy two and run them in SLI mode) to connect it to your computer.
The NVIDIA Quadro Plex 1000
A more consumer-friendly external product might be useful for people with laptops or desktops without a PCIe slot. An external graphics card might be just the solution for someone wanting to play the latest and greatest PC games without purchasing a new computer. Some companies, such as Matrox, already provide external devices such as the TripleHead2Go that expand a laptop's display over multiple monitors. These solutions typically use the computer's existing graphics card and GPU, however.
A completely external graphics card might be a neat upgrade for laptop users, but there are some technical hurdles that have to be overcome first. The primary issue is that of bandwidth. USB 2.0 provides 60 MB per second maximum throughput, whereas today's PCI Express slots have a maximum possible bandwidth of 8 GB per second when operating in full-duplex mode. Such high bandwidth is needed to drive today's fast-action 3D games.
However, with the merging of ATI and AMD, there is a possibility of the new company developing a high-speed external video connector with enough bandwidth to make this feasible. While rumors are flying around the 'Net about ATI's new graphics cards based on the R600 core being external, these stories are most likely misinterpreting the need for the next-generation cards to have external power supplies. Unfortunately for laptop owners, a truly external gaming graphics card is not yet on the horizon.
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I've been hearing through the grapevine that these cards may use a PCI-E slave card with an external cable. Either way what an outstanding concept if they could get this to work. Not only the fact that is has it's own dedicated power but heat would no longer be an issue inside our cases! |
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Franneke
Posts: 295
Location: A Swede(ish) in Belgium
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| Posted: Wed, 4th Apr 2007 00:44 Post subject: |
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not at all, just dun post links to sites that deal with warez mostly.
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nouseforaname
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Location: Toronto, Canada
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| Posted: Wed, 4th Apr 2007 00:54 Post subject: |
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nouseforaname
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Location: Toronto, Canada
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| Posted: Wed, 4th Apr 2007 01:10 Post subject: |
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| Posted: Wed, 4th Apr 2007 04:56 Post subject: |
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Fucking external graphics cards my arse! Transistor tech is nearing the end of it's practical life, lets get some organic or quantum computers up in here!
"Techniclly speaking, Beta-Manboi didnt inject Burberry_Massi with Benz, he injected him with liquid that had air bubbles in it, which caused benz." - House M.D
"Faith without logic is the same as knowledge without understanding; meaningless"
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Phluxed
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Location: Oakville, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Wed, 4th Apr 2007 05:44 Post subject: |
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Word@animal.
Quantum is being spearheaded by a Vancouver based company, and organic is (apparently) being researched by a GM subsidiary.
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nouseforaname
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Location: Toronto, Canada
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| Posted: Wed, 4th Apr 2007 14:02 Post subject: |
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It's an old building that uses a boiler for heat ... so there are two settings, the whole building on or the whole building off. The last month we've pretty much had to keep the balcony door wide open while we're home to keep it bearable in the apt 
