Apple 27 CD and Graphics Card Question?

[dotyet]

Hi everyone,

I plan to buy a pair of apple 27" cinema displays for my setup and I wanted to confirm if the following graphics card will do the job? So, both the monitors connected to the same card on both the mini-dp ports.

Sapphire Radeon HD 6870

I am not into gaming, but I do like to watch movies on my PC. Further, I am mostly into server management, so prefer larger displays for remote desktop sessions.

I also want the simplest setup with no extra cables or adaptors, except for something which can help me extend the length of the display cord. I will be using it with Windows 7 x64 or Windows 2008.

Can someone please confirm if the above card will serve my needs or not?

Thank you.
dy.

 

[dotyet]

Continuing the above thread, I have two more questions:

1) Can I buy one 27" iMac and one 27" Cinema Display and use both of them as standalone monitors with my PC. AND, use both of them as standalone monitors with the built-in macintosh?

2) If I were to consider HP ZR30w as well, would it be a comparable monitor or is not worth the extra $$$?

Thank you.
dy

 

[Ashok0]

Continuing the above thread, I have two more questions:

1) Can I buy one 27" iMac and one 27" Cinema Display and use both of them as standalone monitors with my PC. AND, use both of them as standalone monitors with the built-in macintosh?

2) If I were to consider HP ZR30w as well, would it be a comparable monitor or is not worth the extra $$$?

Thank you.
dy

Hi,

Other users have confirmed that the ACD27" and iMac27" both work perfectly with the Radeon 6850 without the need for adapters or converters. (See http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1504231&page=13) You shouldn't have any issues using an ACD27" or iMac27" as standalone monitors on your Mac or PC.

If the 6850 works fine, I think you can rest assured that the 6870 will do the job as well.

The ZR30w is not exactly comparable with the ACD27". The ACD27" does have a primitive but functional video scaler that accepts 720p video input signals which allows for you to hookup an XBOX 360 or Playstation 3 to the display. The ZR30w has no internal scaler and cannot be used with consoles, but if you aren't a heavy gamer this is probably a non-issue. The ACD27" is also glass where the ZR30w is matte and has a moderate anti-glare coating which creates a slight "sparkle" effect. I know a lot of guys prefer the glossy look of the ACD27", where just as many will tell you that the ZR30w is superior due to its matte finish. It ultimately boils down to personal preference.