VIA Demos Dual GPU S3 Graphics Card at Digital Signage Expo 2010

Thursday, February 18 2010

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced its participation at Digital Signage Expo 2010, Feb. 24 - 25, Las Vegas. Join VIA at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Hall C1-2, Booth 1240 and experience the latest technologies for next-generation signage systems, including a demonstration of the forthcoming S3 Graphics Chrome 5400E x2; a dual GPU add-in-board aimed at advanced, multi-display digital signage applications.

The S3 Graphics 5400E x2 is a highly integrated and flexible video card that features dual graphics and multimedia processors. Boasting extreme hardware acceleration of the latest HD video codecs, the S3 Graphics 5400E x2 uses S3 Graphics' PanoChrome technology to provide up to four independent HD video streams at resolutions of 1080p on up to eight displays, employing a variety of display modes and configurations.

"VIA is delighted to work with S3 Graphics to bring unique digital signage embedded products to market, highlighting our prowess in delivering the very best in power-efficient, Hi-Def digital display technologies," said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc.

S3 Graphics Chrome 5400E x2 - Key Features:

Support for up to 8 simultaneous displays
Up to 4 independent video streams
HD screen resolutions of up to 1080p
H.264, VC-1 and WMV-HD hardware acceleration
Support for Span, Extended and Clone view configurations
Built-in Genlock support for synchronized source timing

Samples of the S3 Graphics Chrome 5400E x2 will initially be available to ODM customers in the US from Q2 2010.

posted by btarunr - 12:07 PM | Related News |

User comments

by Mussels (February 18th - 12:25 PM) - Reply

cant wait for a review - odds it it will be about the speed of a geforce 4, but its always good to see news from the lower-end GPU makers like S3.

by HalfAHertz (February 18th - 12:36 PM) - Reply

Well I remember their previous top offering the GTX440 (or was it 540) Had 32SPs and was very close to a GT9400/GT8500 performance level. Their drivers on the other hand were quite poor...
Edit: lookey here:http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/S3/Chrome_440_GTX/26.html

by DanTheBanjoman (February 18th - 12:37 PM) - Reply

by: Mussels
cant wait for a review - odds it it will be about the speed of a geforce 4, but its always good to see news from the lower-end GPU makers like S3.

The previous models are faster than a GF4 already. Plus this clearly isn't aimed at the same market as your NV and AMD cards. 8 displays is quite impressive. Assuming the pricetag is at a similar level as their previous product they could snoop some marketshare from Matrox.

by Mussels (February 18th - 12:38 PM) - Reply

by: DanTheBanjoman
The previous models are faster than a GF4 already. Plus this clearly isn't aimed at the same market as your NV and AMD cards. 8 displays is quite impressive. Assuming the pricetag is at a similar level as their previous product they could snoop some marketshare from Matrox.

the performance comment was a joke.

by Fourstaff (February 18th - 1:09 PM) - Reply

Hmm, anti eyefinity?

by ToTTenTranz (February 19th - 12:12 AM) - Reply

As far as resolution is concerned, it only supports 4*1080p (two per GPU).

So the 8-display is probably made through some kind of post-stretching of those resolutions, like we have with Matrox's triple-head adapters right now.

by Mussels (February 19th - 12:13 AM) - Reply

by: ToTTenTranz
As far as resolution is concerned, it only supports 4*1080p (two per GPU).

So the 8-display is probably made through some kind of post-stretching of those resolutions, like we have with Matrox's triple-head adapters right now.

dual GPU model would have 4 outputs.

by a_ump (February 19th - 12:29 AM) - Reply

i think it'd be so badass if nvidia in its failing with fermi slowly declined and S3 or matrox bought em and started competing with AMD/ATI. lol but thats only my imagination gears grinding.

so yea...why do they suck so bad? i would've thought that with only focusing on like 1 chip they could make it really good. Pour all resources just about into that one chip since that's bout all they got going for em. or am i mistaken?

by ToTTenTranz (February 19th - 12:45 AM) - Reply

by: Mussels
dual GPU model would have 4 outputs.

Yes, and that remains true, concerning resolution.

S3 Graphics' PanoChrome technology to provide up to four independent HD video streams at resolutions of 1080p on up to eight displays, employing a variety of display modes and configurations.

So each GPU is capable of driving two 1920*1080p displays (or two single-link DVI outputs), the same as before. There's apparently no change at the GPU level, so it's probably another Chrome 500.

The only change should be in the board configuration. A dedicated chip must be stretching those 2*1080p per chip to other monitors, with limited resolution (lower than 1080p).

Or at least that's what I understood from the article.

by Mussels (February 19th - 12:48 AM) - Reply

I read it as two monitors per GPU, two GPU's on one card, so run two cards with four GPU's for 8 monitors.

Its either that, or displayport + DP hub thingies

by Jizzler (February 19th - 2:18 AM) - Reply

S3's spec page says integrated 4-lane DisplayPort transmitter, so with 2 chips 8 DP displays at 1080 should be possible.

http://www.s3graphics.com/en/products/class2.aspx?seriesId=17

by Yukikaze (February 19th - 7:36 PM) - Reply

I think they mean the decoding of 4 "only" 1080p streams in hardware at the same time, but with the ability to drive 8 monitors at once.

I want one of those for my workstation at work. Finally then I'll be able to hook up as many monitors as I can put my hands on.

by eidairaman1 (February 22nd - 11:30 PM) - Reply

by: Yukikaze
I think they mean the decoding of 4 "only" 1080p streams in hardware at the same time, but with the ability to drive 8 monitors at once.

I want one of those for my workstation at work. Finally then I'll be able to hook up as many monitors as I can put my hands on.

Ya and watch ultra porn!!!:roll:

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