Low Profile Multi-Display Graphics on the Cheap

[pschmid]

Diamond Multimedia offers MultiView graphics cards for low-profile systems with BizView BV200 for PCI and BV300 for PCIe.

 

[MU_Engineer]

I am surprised that other small-form-factor cards such as the NVIDIA 6200TC or 7300LE/GS and Radeon X300, X550, anx X1300-based units weren't compared. One can usually get a card like that for $30-60 and the capabilities are better than the Radeon 9250-based Diamond cards. They also have RGB- and DVI-out as well as SVHS out. There is also a much more powerful 7300GT (Zigos) and a dual-DVI X1300 made by HIS that would be much more card for the money than the Diamond. And for the real low-profile performance junkie, Sapphire makes an X1600 Pro-based card with an HDMI and an RGB-out.

 

[Windaria]

What do you expect, Toms Hardware doesn't really write in-depth articles anymore. I mean seriously, there were just a few paragraphs and some pictures, this could have been copied straight out of the Diamond marketing materials.

They didn't really do anything that would even indicate or SHOW that they actually used the card. No tests to show how well it worked for 2d work, no pictures of it actually being used, nothing. This entire article could have been written by someone just sitting there looking at the Diamond website and writing about one of their products. In fact... was it?

 

[jinjuku]

Isn't $120-130 expensive for a dual head display? I picked up a Radeon X300 with dual DVI for under $75 and it works great for all my office apps...

Big whoop if they are low profile cards...

 

[hcforde]

It seems that since the originator "TOM" of the site was kicked out by the board the site has gone downhill. IT SEEMS TO HAVE LOST ITS MISSION, VISION AND FOCUS OF THE REASON IT WAS STARTED AND WHAT BROUGHT IT TO GREATNESS.

The forum community is still a great feature. Unfortunately they are just using the site to generate revenue-but as far as depth goes on the site it is simply style over substance. I hope they reverse the trend.

I'll probably get kicked off or censored but truth is truth.

 

[CompTIA_Rep]

Tom isnt around anymore?

 

[gm0n3y]

Tom isnt around anymore?

I didn't even know there actually was a real 'Tom'.

 

[CompTIA_Rep]

LOL. Another McDonnalds scheme then? Or was there a real McDonald?


Anyway I agree. There are soo many beter low profile cards. This one is not even on the list of ones to consider and yet its being reviewed without comparison.

 

[gm0n3y]

No Ronald 8O ???

My whole world is crashing down around me!!!

Anyways, I agree with everybody above. Unless these cards are in the $10-20 range, there are vastly better cards out there for the money. Don't all new video cards have dual monitor support?

 

[hcforde]

Tom Pabst was the originator actually he is also a physician with a love for computers. Most people also do not know what country this site originates from. Any takers?

see this site http://www.pcmech.com/show/tt/209/

C ya

 

[shabodah]

Yeah, this article seems a waste. They didn't even mention that you can use a two-slot style backplate to still use the D-sub easily. I'm all for making computers smaller, and having low-profile GPU's that are worth a darn is taking as long as SATA DVD players becoming mainstream. Just doesn't make sense. And where's creative with a low-pro sound car in PCIe x1?!?

 

[CompTIA_Rep]

Europe, but forgot where in. It was discussed heavly in the thread about winning Tom's 10k FNW computer. People were mad that this site wouldnt extend the contest to where this site started from. Lets not get into that again.

 

[hcforde]

Speaking of 2D cards (per se) there are a lot of them that can be benched/reviewed and their existance brought to light.

ATI FireMV series PCI & PCI-E
Nvidia Quadro NVS285 PCI-E
Matrox numerous models PCI-E, (PCI/PCI-X)


The glittery world of 3D is not needed in most business aps and there is the assumption that everyone needs 3D or might need to use it. I would venture to say that a number of businesses would prefer NOT to have their work machines capable of 3D but would prefer accelerated 2D. There is the belief that 2D is 2D on any card in the PCI-E platform it is usually true, but their are other benefits such as the use of the software package that comes with the multiheaded cards. There is also the matrox line which has a broad range of 2D cards with pristine 2D graphics and fast but with a price to match.

Why not an in depth 2D business app card roundup?

 

[gm0n3y]

Germany?

 

[jinjuku]

Germany, I remember when Tom hit the scene. He instantly made friends with Mike McCreedy (sarcasm folks ;-)

 

[lijianliu]

I bought a $80 ($70 after rebate) EVGA GeForce 6200 256MB DVI+Analog output card from CircuityCity two weeks ago. This card worked great in dual head mode on Fedora Core 5. I had two 1600x1200 LCD connected to the card. The one connected to the DVI was the main display. My desktop resolution went to 3200x1200... LOL~~

It took me a whole evening to figure out how to configure the dual head mode for nVidia GeForce 6200 on FC5:

Don't use the FC5 provided dual display mode. Instead, modify the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file:

Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "Videocard vendor"
BoardName "EVGA e-GeForce 6200 nVidia"
Option "TwinView" "true"
Option "SecondMonitorHorizSync" "31-79"
Option "SecondMonitorVertRefresh" "56-75"
Option "MetaModes" "DFP-0: 1600x1200, CRT-1: 1600x1200;"
Option "TwinViewOrientation" "LeftOf"
Option "Xinerama" "on"
EndSection

Unfortunately I have to return the 2nd LCD to my wife after the dual head setup and demoed to her.... we couldn't afford buying another 20" LCD

--
Lijian Liu

 

[krazyIvan]

In a small amount of defense, I would bring up the fact that these cards have half-height back plates that make them usable in SFF setups. There are a lot of half-height cards on the market, but most include non-removable full-height back plates.

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

In a small amount of defense, I would bring up the fact that these cards have half-height back plates that make them usable in SFF setups. There are a lot of half-height cards on the market, but most include non-removable full-height back plates.

Exactly, not even worries about SFF, they can use 3/4 heigh cards like the usual X1300 and X1600HDMI, but low profile 1/2 height cards needed for slim cases like DELL, IBM, HP, etc thin clients are impossible to find, and next to none having dual DVI on 1/2 height. Sure I'd prefer that they put the RV515 on the BV200 instead of the weak R9250, but it's a step in the right direction for 2D. The only big drawback is the loss of AVIVO features, but for 2D CAD and static phtoshop type suff, that BV200 will deliver about the same quality as the BV300, bothrunning 10bit per channel colour and both spliting the DualTMDS into 2 DVI outs so no panel adv either.

Very purpose driven, but if those other readers didn't know that at the start guess they wouldn't apprciate why these cards exist and are needed by niche markets.

Sure I'd prefer a little more detail on multi-montior suppoprt, like Hydravision examined a bit on these cards (maybe add MutliMon for kicks). But it looks like more of a news flash / heads'-up , rather than an in depth article.

Most people also do not know what country this site originates from. Any takers?

Bet you don't know either. You probably think you know, but you probably don't based on your comments.

It's definitely a different animal now, but that change happened long before Tom left and his lack of involvement near the end was obvious, as was the frustration of members. Now it runs like the corporate entity it always was destined to become after it had more than 1,000 chip heads like myself reading it.

BTW, there was no Mr McDonald, the founder Ray Kroc died in the 80s and left the company to his wife who died recently and left alot of it to the Salvation Army.

 

[CompTIA_Rep]

BTW, there was no Mr McDonald, the founder Ray Kroc died in the 80s and left the company to his wife who died recently and left alot of it to the Salvation Army.

Because the Salvation Army needs cheeseburgers, much like they need outdated video cards.



I would love to donate a bunch of old PCI modems to the SA.. then watch them hand out 9600 baud modems to the homeless.

 

[krazyIvan]

I was interested in building a Multimedia PC based on one of the low-height A/V style cases but couldn’t find a suitable half-height video card for it (MX4000 was all that I could find).
The ones in this review wont do either, but at least there better then the MX4000.

 

[gm0n3y]

BTW, there was no Mr McDonald...

Lies!!! Ronald lives!

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

I was interested in building a Multimedia PC based on one of the low-height A/V style cases but couldn’t find a suitable half-height video card for it (MX4000 was all that I could find).
The ones in this review wont do either, but at least there better then the MX4000.

I agree, these don't fit the bill but if they put the BV300, or better yet an X1650, into a BV200 form factor, then you'd have the perfect Media Centre PC solution IMO.

Full HD AVIVO features, plus passive cooling (reliable/quiet), plus better basic 3D options for VISTA, all in a half-height package. No one offers that right now. For it to be a worthy nV solution you'd want the GF7600GT for the added PureVideo features like HD telecine not available on lower models (including the 7600GS).

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

I am surprised that other small-form-factor cards such as the NVIDIA 6200TC or 7300LE/GS and Radeon X300, X550, anx X1300-based units weren't compared. One can usually get a card like that for $30-60 and the capabilities are better than the Radeon 9250-based Diamond cards.

You show me those in PCI garb, and then maybe you'd have something.

The GF6200TC doesn't exist in PCI, it's a plain GF6200, and the GF7300 never surfaced as a marketable product in PCI form. And the X series cards were not available either.

Only the 3/4 height X1300 is available in PCI form of the ones you listed, and then it's a alot more expensive, and has none of the features of the BV200 (not passive cooling, not half height, and can only support 1 DVI-I or DVI-A monitor at a time, the other output is DB-15/VGA.

These are niche products, and like a quad output Matrox, nV or ATi card, could be better replaced by other solutions for most people, but for some it's just what is needed for them.

 

[CompTIA_Rep]

I dont think those cards would do much good for a MCPC. I purchased the HP Media Center, and it is by far the best looking case + equipment on the market. However, its a beast, and still has trouble some times lagging behind the audio/video. Granted I returned it before I upgraded the ram, because it was missing some items too... but what a PC that was (if only it didnt have voice-lag issues when recording).

 

[hcforde]

The real issue is who and what is driving the market? Niche products can be very profitable and sometimes I have niche needs. Matrox has been very profitable in their niche. Everyone wants to be the big dog in the big market but eventually that market gets wittled down. Now there are only 2 major players ATI and Nvidia. Matrox saw this a few years ago when it got blasted on delivering the Parhelia with too little too late. The have changed their business plan and done very well in Video and 2D imaging. A recent development is the PCI 2.3 spec which allows 66Mhz in a regulat PCI slot "Not a PCI-X slot". This effectively doubles the bandwidth but the problem is the motherboard manufacturers have not put it in many motherboards yet. If the general PCI video card manufacturers would raise the level of their PCI cards to work at that level their could be an increase in PCI video cards. They would work at the same level as an x1 PCI-Express video card which are rare but expensive.

For me the beauty of it would be you could have 2-3 busses operating at much higher rates and be seperated from each other. Those 3 busses being
PCI-E/16 lanes@250MB/s per lane,
PCI-X/133Mhz * 64bit,
PCI/ 66Mhz * 32 bit

You woud think that the new ASUS workstation boards would have done this but the P5WDG2-ws-Pro has PCI-X but the 2 PCI slots are 33Mhz

The ASUS P5W64-WS Pro has 4 PCI-E slots and 2 PCI slots running at 33Mhz.

Yes, I would have a reason for all three busses running as fast as possible. There is a reason they call the P5W64 the wallstreet quartet but they missed a golden opportunity with the PCI slots. I hope they make a revised board with the PCI slots running at 66Mhz

Check out www.Tradingcomputers.com .

Machines like this are not unheard of in financial circles and the scientific arena. some of these machines have 20 monitors.

Niche, YEAH, But a profitable niche