27" iMac displayport Input

Thanks for the news iPC. It's been well known that the cinema display and the iMac target display mode work on the older 4890 cards without any problems, but the same thing isn't true of the 5870 unfortunately.

Still though, enjoy the 24" Cinema Display... it's a really nice screen. I lusted for one for several months when I saw that the refurbs were going for $599.

I predict that you'll be seeing a 27" version of that screen hopefully in Q1 2010 since I've got to say that a really prefer the 27" iMac at 2560x1440 over my 30" Dell at 2560x1600. The 16:9 Aspect ratio just seems better than 16:10 when you get into crazy sized displays.
 
IMG_0169.jpg


Those of you who might be interested in input lag numbers.
I put the resolution to 1280x720 (I don't think the CRT can sync to 2560x1440)
and mirrored to my FW900, and took a couple of pictures.
Worst case lag seems to be about 3 frames.
 
My main problem with expensive converters is that a 4890 with Displayport costs $185 on newegg. If the converter costs more than that, what's the point? Just get the card instead. And as for future costs, do you think the price of a 4890 Displayport card is going to fall faster than the price of a converter? I do.
 
Hey All,

I noticed that Apple released a new firmware update for the 4850 card in the iMac today. Has anyone had a chance to install it and see if it makes any difference with the 5870 displayport issue?

Also, in addition to the release of the Catalyst 9.12 release, there was also a "9.12 hotfix" which was released which fixes some issues related to DisplayPort audio.

I'm out of town at the moment traveling, but if anyone has tried either of these two items, let me know if it helped.
 
Probably not, Apple said that the firmware update was specifically to fix flickering issues in the 27" iMac.
 
I got back home from China today and after sleeping for like 24 hours straight, I tried the new Apple firmware and Catalyst 9.12 "hotfix" drivers.

The obvious bad news is that the stupid card still doesn't work with iMac.

I can't wait any longer, so my card is going up on Craigslist while I should still be able to get a decent amount for it, and I'll just live with the 4890 for now. I'm sure as soon as I fix it, they'll release a new firmware that fixes all the problems and also makes it poop gold bricks.

That's the early adopter penalty I guess... (I just don't know why I never learn:)

Anyway, this will definitely steer me towards NVIDIA offerings in the next round of GFX cards assuming that their new architecture is decent enough and actually provides a proper displayPort implementation.
 
Meatybone said:
I got back home from China today and after sleeping for like 24 hours straight, I tried the new Apple firmware and Catalyst 9.12 "hotfix" drivers.

The obvious bad news is that the stupid card still doesn't work with iMac.

I can't wait any longer, so my card is going up on Craigslist while I should still be able to get a decent amount for it, and I'll just live with the 4890 for now. I'm sure as soon as I fix it, they'll release a new firmware that fixes all the problems and also makes it poop gold bricks.

That's the early adopter penalty I guess... (I just don't know why I never learn:)

Anyway, this will definitely steer me towards NVIDIA offerings in the next round of GFX cards assuming that their new architecture is decent enough and actually provides a proper displayPort implementation.
Click to expand...

I agree with your logic. I'm actually pissed at nVidia for a few reasons of late, but display port really should work properly between two display port enabled devices. Maybe I'm among the minority, but I have seldom had issues like this with DVI, but I know HDMI was a can of worms when it first came out, especially with audio. Perhaps display port will mature with time as HDMI has. It has been a while since I had any HDMI problems whether with PC's, blu ray players, or consoles as a source.
 
Meatybone said:
Anyway, this will definitely steer me towards NVIDIA offerings in the next round of GFX cards assuming that their new architecture is decent enough and actually provides a proper displayPort implementation.
Click to expand...

Remember, nVidia botched their initial DVI and HDMI offerings. This problem goes all around.
 
No, still holding off on a 5970 on the hopes that Apple and ATI get their act together and figure out the 5870.
 
The lack of options here is really frustrating. The best display in my home can't be used with the dozen-plus items that output video.
 
I got my msi 5970 working with my 27" iMac last night. This thread was really helpful in figuring out what video card to buy so thanks to all involved. I didn't really want to spend so much on a video card but considering the resolution I think this was probably the best choice anyway.
 
Stush said:
I got my msi 5970 working with my 27" iMac last night. This thread was really helpful in figuring out what video card to buy so thanks to all involved. I didn't really want to spend so much on a video card but considering the resolution I think this was probably the best choice anyway.
Click to expand...

Congrats! Does it work with full native resolution?? How about gaming?

This is really great to hear.
 
SirKronan said:
Congrats! Does it work with full native resolution?? How about gaming?

This is really great to hear.
Click to expand...

Yes all games I have tried so far have worked fine in full native res (Left 4 Dead 2, Mirror's Edge, Modern Warfare 2). I played Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer in full resolution for about four hours straight last night and the framerate was very good with all in-game video settings maxed.

The only issue so far is that if I have only the displayport connection in place it does not cause the iMac to switch into target display mode when I turn on my PC. I have to keep a monitor connected via DVI and startup with that as the primary and the iMac as the secondary and then switch it around once Windows starts and the iMac kicks into target display mode. I haven't spent much time trying to figure out why this is the case yet though so I'm not sure if this is a quirk with this setup or if I'm just missing something in the Catalyst settings.
 
Stush said:
Yes all games I have tried so far have worked fine in full native res (Left 4 Dead 2, Mirror's Edge, Modern Warfare 2). I played Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer in full resolution for about four hours straight last night and the framerate was very good with all in-game video settings maxed.

The only issue so far is that if I have only the displayport connection in place it does not cause the iMac to switch into target display mode when I turn on my PC. I have to keep a monitor connected via DVI and startup with that as the primary and the iMac as the secondary and then switch it around once Windows starts and the iMac kicks into target display mode. I haven't spent much time trying to figure out why this is the case yet though so I'm not sure if this is a quirk with this setup or if I'm just missing something in the Catalyst settings.
Click to expand...

Bah. So inconvenient. I thought the whole point of digital interfaces like this was to help facilitate communication so the images display properly and the monitor becomes plug and play.
 
SirKronan said:
Bah. So inconvenient. I thought the whole point of digital interfaces like this was to help facilitate communication so the images display properly and the monitor becomes plug and play.
Click to expand...

I am going to spend some time today trying to determine why this is happening (problem with how I have things configured or truly a problem with this hardware/setup). If I figure anything out I'll report it back here.
 
How about the SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4860, any possible this will work, It's just a downgraded version of 4890
 
Stush said:
I am going to spend some time today trying to determine why this is happening (problem with how I have things configured or truly a problem with this hardware/setup). If I figure anything out I'll report it back here.
Click to expand...

After a lot of testing I found that the Windows PC can be rebooted fine and target display mode works, but if the PC has been sitting with the power off for a while then target display mode does not kick in when starting up the PC as it should and I have to disconnect the displayport cable until Windows startup has actually begun after which connecting the cable kicks off target display mode and all is well. I'm guessing this is a driver issue and I just noticed ATI released some new drivers today that reference some displayport fixes so I'll post back if they fixed it.
 
I built a new gaming system. I wanted to get decent graphics. The Sapphire 4890 Vapor-X mentioned in this thread is not on newegg anymore so I settled for the Gigabyte HD 4890 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125297 update looks like this product just got deactivated also. : /

Anyways I bought 2 of these badboys and crossfired them. I can confirm it DOES work with the iMac under target display mode. I just boot the PC and my iMac goes straight to the PC display.
 
wiregen said:
I built a new gaming system. I wanted to get decent graphics. The Sapphire 4890 Vapor-X mentioned in this thread is not on newegg anymore so I settled for the Gigabyte HD 4890 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125297 update looks like this product just got deactivated also. : /

Anyways I bought 2 of these badboys and crossfired them. I can confirm it DOES work with the iMac under target display mode. I just boot the PC and my iMac goes straight to the PC display.
Click to expand...

Good to hear. Thanks for the feedback.
 
Hello to all,

After I returned my card “5770” I would like to know from who tried the HD4890, Did you had the resolutions to the 2560x1440? And the other question is which card is better Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD4890 1 GB or the Sapphire Radeon Vapor-X HD 4890 1GB?

And thanks for the help.
 
both of those cards work. I own the gigabyte 4890. I have them in cross fire and all resolutions work included the native.
 
Thank you very much, I ordered the Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD4890 1 GB which cost me about $250 with shipping. It's very hard to find these cards now.
 
My news, I got the card "Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD4890 1 GB" and it worked 100% even i played Bioshock 2.
I have it on 1920x1080. Also, I have tried it on 2560x1440, and it dose work too with no problem.
btw, the Dipaly Port cable i'm using is 3 meters long.
 
Powercolor 5970 works with iMac 27" - confirmed.

Had 2x5770 CF (XFX and Gigabyte which worked great together) but got sick of waiting for a fix for the iMac DP issue, so I upgraded to a single Powercolor 5970 which worked no problems straight up. Thanks to everyone on this forum for pointing me in the right direction. I still hope that there is a fix for the 57xx and 58xx's soon as they are great cards.

I use 3 monitors at once, two 22" DVI and the iMac 27" DP. It switches between mac and pc well, the PC just changes the primary display from the iMac to one of the DVI monitors when I am using mac, but automatically switches back once I "command F2" back into target display mode. When I use eyefinity though, it decreases the resolution on the iMac to match the 22" monitors, but it still looks great. Not a problem when using profiles.
 
just wondering if this would work for xbox360 using the VGA converter... thinking of getting this as my mac/pc/360 system...
 
The Kanex XD converter is avail for preorder. $150.
http://kanexlive.com/products/item.aspx?id=3662

There's no mention of scaling 1080P, some have interpreted this to mean that inputs are limited to 720P for the 27" iMac (since I guess doubling pixels is trivial compared to upscaling 1080P to 1440P). Still, since most PS3 and X360 games run at 720P natively anyway, it might not be a big deal. I'd be more concerned if it introduced any lag to the signal.
 
SirKronan said:
So far it looks that way. We're stuck waiting on those that are going to use the adaptor.
Click to expand...

Well it looks like that adapter only provides 1080p. According to the Atlona DVI to Mini DisplayPort converter detailed info:

"Note for iMac 27" users only: Even our box is capable of passing high resolutions up to 1920x1200, users of iMac 27" will only be able to get picture with resolutions up to 1280x720 (720P). The reason for it is that iMac 27" native resolutions are: 800x600, 1280x720 or 2560x1440 (since our box is limited to single link (1920x1200), and can't work with 2560x1440 it will take the next resolution down the list which is 720p. We are working on AT-DP400 which will allow dual link resolutions (such as 2560x1440) to pass though. For PS3 or Xbox users, you can use our converter without additional devices at only 720p resolution. Make sure to set 720p prior connecting it to the DP200."

So looks like we have to wait for a dual link solution or buy an ATI card to utilize the 2560x1440 resolution.
 
RadiAnt04 said:
Powercolor 5970 works with iMac 27" - confirmed.

Had 2x5770 CF (XFX and Gigabyte which worked great together) but got sick of waiting for a fix for the iMac DP issue, so I upgraded to a single Powercolor 5970 which worked no problems straight up. Thanks to everyone on this forum for pointing me in the right direction. I still hope that there is a fix for the 57xx and 58xx's soon as they are great cards.

I use 3 monitors at once, two 22" DVI and the iMac 27" DP. It switches between mac and pc well, the PC just changes the primary display from the iMac to one of the DVI monitors when I am using mac, but automatically switches back once I "command F2" back into target display mode. When I use eyefinity though, it decreases the resolution on the iMac to match the 22" monitors, but it still looks great. Not a problem when using profiles.
Click to expand...

Do you have any problems with your 5970 connected to your iMac 27"? I have the same setup except I have a Sapphire 5970 OC rather than Powercolor and I have a problem where the screen flickers in a weird way. It's as if every alternate frame is rendered 90% of the size of the first one, quite difficult to describe in words.

Here's a screenshot of the problem:
img0200t.jpg


And a video: http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/8423/img0198.mp4

Does yours do this? If not, can you please let me know what your 5970 clock speeds are, and what BIOS your 5970 has?

Thanks! :)
 
Does anyone know, if the line-in can be used in target display mode? I would like to use the build-in speakers when I eventually connect my PC (still waiting for compatible 5750).
 
Hi Fuzzb

Sorry about the late reply, I have been on holidays!

I did have that problem in Need4Speed Shift, if I remember correctly, I had to change my refresh rate from 60 to 59Hz in the game settings, but I am not sure on that (I was testing out eyefinity at the same time so it could have been something to do with that too!). When I get a chance, I will try and reproduce the flicker and let you know.....

My Catalyst settings for the iMac are: 2560x1440@60Hz

BIOS Version 012.013.000.002
BIOS Date 2009/10/23
Core Clock in MHz 725 MHz
Memory Clock in MHz 1000 MHz

Clocks are factory standard at the moment.
 
Hi Anders And

Yes, the audio is passed through the miniDP cable to the iMac speakers. I don't use them by default, but I tested them and they do work. (I assume that is what you meant by line-in). Just select "ATI DP Output" from the windows sound playback settings. BTW, I have a Powercolor 5970.
 
Hi RadiAnt04. Thanks for the info. Could you please tell me if you have any other displays hooked up to your 5970 along with your iMac?

I've managed to resolve the problem (temporary work around) by doing one of the following:

1. Connecting another display via DVI (bizarre but does fix the flickering)
2. Disabling Catalyst AI in the driver (also disables one of the GPUs)
 
Hi Fuzzb. I have two 22" Dell monitors hooked up via DVI as well as my iMac via miniDP. Resolution of the two 22" monitors is 1050 x 1680 in Portrait mode, and iMac is 2560 x 1440 Landscape. When playing most games though, I use profile settings to change back to single iMac monitor with the 22" monitors physically plugged in but disabled in Catalyst.

I checked my Catalyst settings, my AI is enabled (I thought I might of accidently disabled it). I tried both 59 and 60Hz refresh rates in NFS Shift game settings and the flickering didn't come back. I can't remember what I did to fix it when I was having the flickering. I will look into it on the weekend and see if I can come up with anything. I will also unplug my DVI monitors and see what happens.
 
Thanks again RadiAnt04. I tried setting the refresh rate to 59Hz and then 60Hz, but the flickering was still there.

I'm guessing that you're not seeing the flickering because you have extra displays connected via DVI. It will be interesting to see if you get flickering when you disconnect those DVI displays and only have the iMac connected.
 
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