Linux and HIS HD 5970 2GB?

[lawrenpx]

Any idea if a HIS HD 5970 2GB will run LINUX?

I mainly need to get my 3x30" monitors working with my workstation (running seismic interpretation software, not games) and am open to suggestions (MATROX TRIPLEHEAD DVI won't work) or solutions.

Thanks

 

[christiangordon]

Two video cards works. I have not tried the 5970 myself. I use Two PCIexpress GPUs and use four screens.

 

[Crazy Hitchhiker]

Typically, drivers for ATI graphics cards for linux are of poor quality when compared to their windows counterparts. If you want to use linux, I would recommend a Nvidia-based card(s), as they have very good linux drivers. If you decide to go the nvidia route, you can do three monitors by running two separate cards in SLI, or you can get a Geforce 590 when it is released.

 

[pelov]

Typically, drivers for ATI graphics cards for linux are of poor quality when compared to their windows counterparts. If you want to use linux, I would recommend a Nvidia-based card(s), as they have very good linux drivers. If you decide to go the nvidia route, you can do three monitors by running two separate cards in SLI, or you can get a Geforce 590 when it is released.

I don't think this is the case anymore. Certainly a couple of years ago AMD/ATi drivers for linux really stunk, but the recent drivers work just fine and are less of a hassle than nvidia cards/drivers for linux as of late. AMD has been pushing their linux compatibility and open sourced initiative quite hard and it's become far more friendly in FOSS. People have been having some serious issues with nvidia drivers over the last year and a half or so, from what I've read.

Generally speaking, if you buy a relatively newer card you shouldn't run into too many issues. I have a 5750 on a linux box (ubuntu 10.10) and am using the AMD catalyst drivers off their site.

I'm not sure about eyefinity on linux, though, as I haven't tried it yet.

http://phoronix.com/forums/showthread.php?28415-Some-questions-about-eyefinity&highlight=eyefinity

http://phoronix.com/forums/showthread.php?26148-Triple-27-quot-Monitor-Setup-Card-Recommendations&highlight=eyefinity

http://phoronix.com/forums/showthread.php?26127-Questions-about-Eyefinity-3-monitors&highlight=eyefinity

phoronix may be a better alternative to these sorts of questions than tom's. Phoronix is strictly open-source/linux site that deals with hardware-related stories and news concerning linux distros (and other stuff too).

 

[lawrenpx]

to all, thanks for the great help. i'm assuming linux will work.

now i need to find out if the ATI RADEON graphics card HIS HD 5970 2GB, or any others, will work with my THREE 30" HP LP3065 monitors, link below. it looks like i would have to use the one "mini-display" port plus the 2 DVI ports. But can i mix and match?

Maybe the HIS 6990 Fan 4GB GDDR5 PCI-E DVI/4xMini DP is better since it has 4 Mini-display ports.

Mini-DisplayPort problem? Since my HP monitors only have DVI and DisplayPort (link below) but not Mini-display port this still leaves me with the problem of finding an adaptor for the mini-display port or ports, depending on which graphic card i have to go with. Not sure if the adaptors are available.

my HP monitors:
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/en/WF06b/382087-382087-64283-72270-3884471-3297215-3297272-3322968.html


"The Mini DisplayPort (mDP) is a miniaturized version of the DisplayPort"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_DisplayPort

money not a big issue since this is work related. fyi, my workstation based job, 3-D seismic interpretation, feels like gaming, but no shooting, just flying around in a 3-D world space. i work with 20-200 GB size volumes of data, all going into RAM.

since i am new to this forum, please feel free to let me know if i've violated protocol since i'm moving off topic.

thanks again

 

[lawrenpx]

thanks all.

just found out my company is more keen on nvidia so i'll have to find a solution with them.