Single Link, Dual Link and 24" Monitors OH MY!!!

[EastCoasthandle]

I am getting a lot of conflicting information about the which DVI cable I should be using with a 24" monitor that outputs 1920x1200. Most sources agree that a single link DVI cable can support up to 1920x1080 at (single link offers 165MHz). However, I can't quite get a consensus for 1920x1200. Some think a single link DVI cable is good enough others believe a dual link cable is better because it offers a few more RGBs.

Here's the deal I verified that my monitor and my HD2900 supports dual link mode so that's out the way. Now, here's the kicker, even though a DVI cable comes with 24 pins if it doesn't say dual link DVI cable it only uses 12 of them (from the information I read so far). A single link DVI cable provides a TMDS (transition minimized differential signaling), a 165MHz transmitter. While dual link DVI cable offers 2 TMDS (2x165MHz).

Here's the point, you want to decrease bitrate by increasing bandwidth. But there is no real concrete information out there that I've found that helps me with 1920x1200 @ 60Hz which uses 154MHz. Some believe that a single link DVI cable is enough while others think a dual link DVI cable will provide more and eliminate something called "blanking interval" but I am not sure how this relates to LCD as it does to CRTs.

Can anyon elaborate on this? For the clarity?

 

[EastCoasthandle]

anyone?

 

[alexp999]

I'm just using the one that came with my Monitor. If your really unsure pick up a dual link. I dont think there is a lot of difference in price.

 

[Ripper3]

I would pickup a dual-link, if I wasn't sure, but as far as I know, dual-link is necesarry resolutions higher than 1920x1200, but not lower than that.
Still, a cable is a cable, and as long as it works, then I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[erocker]

I just prefer using quality cables. I went out and bought a dual link DVI-D, and the cable is twice as thick as the single link that came with my monitor. I experience no problems whatsoever.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

ok thanks for the input

 

[niko084]

A dual link DVI for 1920x1200 will do around 80fps, so single link will hold 40fps... So says the bandwidth requirements for the data transfer.

Considering those facts.

 

[Deleted member 3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVI

With a single DVI link, the largest resolution possible at 60 Hz is 2.75 megapixels (including blanking interval). For practical purposes, this allows a maximum screen resolution at 60 Hz of 1915 x 1436 pixels (standard 1.33 ratio), 1854 x 1483 pixels (1.25 ratio) or 2098 x 1311 (widescreen 1.6 ratio).

 

[niko084]

Thanks, I messed up my math a bit, had a long day at work...

 

[EastCoasthandle]

DanTheBanjoman, I am not sure what that means? Can you break it down?

 

[lemonadesoda]

The answer is this:

A regular DVI cable will work on a 1920x1200 screen. But make sure your GPU card can output that resolution on a single link. Many cannot. I bought a matrox G550 recently on ebay for a second desktop... and it couldnt even handle 1600x1200. So I binned it :-(

To go big-screen, like Cinema 30", you NEED a dual link card and a dual link cable.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

OK I just watched Shooter (love that movie) in HD and again the text is a bit more pronounced then before. Although the movie looked the same I found certain scenes to offer a bit more detail then before.

-Dark colored suites and outfits show a bit more detail then before
-The snowed capped mountain scene clearly show the details in the sniper's white camouflage.

Before although you could see the dark color suites and white camouflage they appear to be blended in with that color and detail was lost. What stood out the most was the snow capped mountain scene as the white camouflage suites appear more detail.

Are these just the results of having a bad cable, etc not sure. But in this case I am noticing something that I didn't notice before.

As far as games are concerned I am not seeing much difference so far with Medal of Honor: Airborne.