HD 4870 problems?

I've been reading about the HD 48xx cards producing blank
screens with Vista and DVI output to some LCD monitors. When
you go on some of those forums you get a lot of complainers,
so I was wondering if anyone here has an insight to the true
scope of this issue. Some said they also have the problem
with XP.

Ian D wrote:
I've been reading about the HD 48xx cards producing blank
screens with Vista and DVI output to some LCD monitors. When
you go on some of those forums you get a lot of complainers,
so I was wondering if anyone here has an insight to the true
scope of this issue. Some said they also have the problem
with XP.



Never had any such problem using DVI on both XP and Vista64. Maybe the
DVI cable they are using is the problem. My Samsung 226bw shipped with a
single link DVI cable and current video cards need dual link cable.
Maybe that is their issue?

"Jonathan Mars" wrote in message
...
Ian D wrote:
I've been reading about the HD 48xx cards producing blank
screens with Vista and DVI output to some LCD monitors. When
you go on some of those forums you get a lot of complainers,
so I was wondering if anyone here has an insight to the true
scope of this issue. Some said they also have the problem
with XP.

Never had any such problem using DVI on both XP and Vista64. Maybe the DVI
cable they are using is the problem. My Samsung 226bw shipped with a
single link DVI cable and current video cards need dual link cable. Maybe
that is their issue?

Wait til you hear their resolution for this. With both the PC and
monitor powered on, they disconnect and reconnect the DVI
cable, which supposedly activates the monitor display. They
may get away with this for a while, but eventually it will be
bye-bye monitor and/or video card interface chip.

The problem with forums, as you are well aware, is that people only go there
to complain. Check the Newegg buyer reviews, which has both positive and
negative reviews, with statistically significant sample sizes. Looking at
the numbers, 4870 owners don't appear noticeably less satisfied than GTX260
owners. If the blank screens (a definite dealbreaker) were prevalent, you
wouldn't see such high satisfaction ratings.

Sapphire 4870X2 2GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102768
108 reviews, 86% of buyers gave the card 4/5 stars or better.

HIS 4870 512MB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161236
57 reviews, 89% of buyers gave the card 4/5 stars or better.

Powercolor 4870 1GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131120
38 reviews, 82% of buyers gave the card 4/5 stars or better.

Sapphire 4870 1GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102801
32 reviews, 97% of buyers gave the card 4/5 stars or better.

eVGA GTX 260
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130398
78 reviews, 97% of buyers gave the card 4/5 stars or better.

MSI GTX 260
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127361
77 reviews, 91% of buyers gave the card 4/5 stars or better.

BFG GTX 260
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814143157
16 reviews, 81% of buyers gave the card 4/5 stars or better.

--
"War is the continuation of politics by other means.
It can therefore be said that politics is war without
bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed."


"Ian D" wrote in message
...
I've been reading about the HD 48xx cards producing blank
screens with Vista and DVI output to some LCD monitors. When
you go on some of those forums you get a lot of complainers,
so I was wondering if anyone here has an insight to the true
scope of this issue. Some said they also have the problem
with XP.

Jonathan Mars writes:
Maybe the
DVI cable they are using is the problem. My Samsung 226bw shipped with a
single link DVI cable and current video cards need dual link cable.

You need a dual-link cable (and a dual-link-capable video card) only
if you want to drive a monitor that can proccess a dual-link signal,
and you want a resolution beyond what single-link DVI supports (i.e.,
beyond 1920x1200).

So for your 22" monitor with a maximum resolution of 1680x1050, a
single-link cable is sufficient (that's why the monitor came with
one), and a dual-link cable would not help, because the second link
will be inactive at the resolution you are using, and the monitor
probably does not even connect to the second link.

- anton
--
M. Anton Ertl Some things have to be seen to be believed
Most things have to be believed to be seen
http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/anton/home.html

Anton Ertl wrote:

You need a dual-link cable (and a dual-link-capable video card) only
if you want to drive a monitor that can proccess a dual-link signal,
and you want a resolution beyond what single-link DVI supports (i.e.,
beyond 1920x1200).

So for your 22" monitor with a maximum resolution of 1680x1050, a
single-link cable is sufficient (that's why the monitor came with
one), and a dual-link cable would not help, because the second link
will be inactive at the resolution you are using, and the monitor
probably does not even connect to the second link.

- anton

My monitor is only capable of 1680x1050 but had to use dual link cable
or I got the black screen. That was with one of those 7950GX2 video
cards so borrowed a friends dual link cable and it worked fine. Ended up
buying my own dual link cable and that is all I have used since.

Ian D wrote:
I've been reading about the HD 48xx cards producing blank
screens with Vista and DVI output to some LCD monitors. When
you go on some of those forums you get a lot of complainers,
so I was wondering if anyone here has an insight to the true
scope of this issue. Some said they also have the problem
with XP.


HD4870, Vista and a Sammy 226BW here. Never had any issues...

0 issues running in Vista 64 here, fast and flawlwss..

GR

On Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:41:11 -0500, "Ian D" wrote:
I've been reading about the HD 48xx cards producing blank
screens with Vista and DVI output to some LCD monitors. When
you go on some of those forums you get a lot of complainers,
so I was wondering if anyone here has an insight to the true
scope of this issue. Some said they also have the problem
with XP.