yoshirawr

Like a typical person, i ordered a new vid card and monitor without knowing what i was doing. They both have DVI ports, but now i find out there are several types of DVI, and neither the video card nor the monitor list what type of DVI cable i need for them to function, or if they're even compatible.

The monitor is a DCLCD DCL22A Black 22" with DVI inputs. The description of the port says it's DVI-I, and has the normal holes for the pins, the blade, and the 4 pins around the blade. Input compatibility lists analog RGB and digital, so i assume this means i can use any dvi cable with this and the cable just has to match the vid card format.

The vid card is an XFX PVT84JUDD3 GeForce 8600GT XXX 256MB. It has dual-link DVI-I ports, same connector as the monitor. It does NOT say what type of DVI output it is capable of.

In addition, the guy at Circuit City told me they no longer carry DVI cables because the technology is too obsolete. I laughed at him and went to Best Buy, where they had 1 Dynex DVI cable. Not in stock, that's just all they carried. I dropped $30 on it, regardless of the fact that it doesn't even say what kind of DVI cable it is. It's all i could find. On the back in small letters it says 18+1 pin which if i'm reading right means it's a DVI-D cable. Of course i can't actually see the pins inside the package because they put white caps over the connectors to protect them.

So here's my problem. Will the card and monitor work together? Can i use them with full digital DVI cable for the best picture without a problem? What kind of DVI cable SHOULD i be using? And what is up with the dual outputs on the card? Am i supposed to hook both to the monitor? How would one even go about doing that?

zaknafein72

I'm by no means an expert, but I think I can help a bit.

First of all, the dual DVI ports on the card are for if you want to use 2 monitors and once. You will only be using one.

The video card should be capable of output for all forms of DVI.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:DVI_Connector_Types.svg

That page shows the pin diagrams for the different DVI specifications. If the monitor is dvi-i, a cable of that type should work just fine. The vid card and monitor will definitely work together, it's just a matter of finding the right cable.

Oh, and btw, I have the exact same video card, the XFX 8600gt. It is a very nice card; I couldn't ask for better performance. However, be warned: the fan is very very loud. The fan on the card cannot be throttled, so it is running at 100% speed all the time. I realized this too late, so I bought an aftermarket fan to mount on the card to reduce the noise: the zalman vf-900 cu. Works very well, you cannot even hear it unless your ear is right next to the case. If you can, and you care about noise, you might want to return the card and find another by another manufacturer of the same type (eg. PNY, eVGA, etc.) with a quieter fan, especially if you don't feel comfortable mounting an aftermarket fan on the card.

Oh, and also, if you do buy a fan, consider that you will have to probably attach it to the motherboard instead of the card, so make sure you have an available 3-pin fan header connection.

zaknafein72

http://www.playtool.com/pages/dvicompat/dvi.html

"DVI-D cables fit into both DVI-D and DVI-I connectors whereas DVI-I cables do not fit into DVI-D connectors."

From the info on that page, it sounds like the cable will be fine whether it is DVI-I or DVI-D: either one will work.

Happy connecting!

yoshirawr

Sounds good. As far as noise is concerned, i'm not worried. The fan on the PSU i had to pick up to power this entire rig looks like a jet turbine. I haven't hooked it up yet but i'm betting it'll sound like a vacuum cleaner. Thankfully i have a sealed partition on my desk i put my tower in. There are openings in the back for air flow with filters on them, so no dust or smoke or anything can get inside and i don't have to ever take my tower apart to clean it. It does wonders for noise reduction.

Thanks for the help ^_^

zaknafein72

Hey, I'm glad about the noise being a likely non-issue. Let us know if everything works out.

yoshirawr

Everything worked fine, used the DVI-D cable i bought and it works like a charm. Running 1680x1050 res now and it looks fantastic. I finally got to play Company of Heroes on max settings. Now in addition to being probably the greatest RTS ever created, i can attest that it's the best-looking. ^_^

I'm either worried or relieved about the PSU fan though. I can't tell whether the PSU fan will be loud or not because in the last 12 or so hours, it hasn't kicked on once. This thing is a 15cm steel fan, literally the size of the PSU case, so i'm sure i'll know it when i hear but, but i haven't gotten a single spin yet.

Unfortunately, i don't know how to actually test it to make sure it's working fine. There are no thermometers or temp gauges to monitor and know when it should be on or off, and short of potentially melting something i don't know how hot to let it get before i acknowledge that something is wrong with it. Luckily for me, it appears to be made by the same company running Acer, and by that i mean no manuals, discs, or instructions whatsoever, in the package or on their website. Would it be possible there's a cable or plug that needs to be connected to the mobo to power the PSU fan? It's a PSPK650 made by Power King.

It also says it has a PCI-E connector, but i don't know what that is or where it would go. The vid card is in the PCI-E slot and works fine the way it is, as far as i can tell.

Ralck

What brand of power supply is that?

I could be wrong, but all the PSU's I know have their fan turn on regardless of temperatures. If it's cool enough, the fan will just spin very slowly, but I would expect it to be spinning none-the-less.

yoshirawr

Power King, and no the fan hasn't moved, despite getting very hot at the top of the case. I'm really getting worried it's defective and continuing to use it will cost me my mobo or more.

zaknafein72

Hmmm...sounds like maybe an RMA to me.

Oh, and btw, the additional VGA card connector from the PSU is only used on higher end cards. The PCI-E slot itself delivers 75W to the card. The external connector is used for overflow, when the card needs more power than that. I believe the 8600gt uses around 45W or so, so no need for an external power cable (in fact, there is no where to put one on the card.)

yoshirawr

I nominate Power King for the prestigious Dumbest ****ing Company I've Ever Seen award.

Now, as a former military engineer, i quickly came to understand that life is in the details, quite literally in most cases. I say this before anyone accuses me of overlooking anything in the packaging. I thoroughly read and inspect everything as soon as i open the box. NOWHERE on the packaging, or in the box, or on the PSU itself was a warning or notice that said "You can not put this in a PC."

I most definitely didn't see a warning that said "Due to our ineptitude, purchaser must take this PSU out of the box, completely disassemble it and void their warranty, and remove a PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT IS HIDDEN UNDERNEATH THE FAN BLADES WHICH GLUES THE FAN TO THE SIDE OF THE PSU before installing it."

After i had my momentary freakout over the fan not spinning, i decided to check online if anyone else had the same problem. What i found were reviews, message board posts, and blogs absolutely screaming about how this PSU kills systems. Between a day and 2 weeks is the common timeframe most people seem to get before it overheats and fries their entire tower, and no one knows why. I guess i just found the reason why.

I found it entirely by accident, too. I thought "maybe the fan is just stuck, or was pushed on too tightly during production" and decided to push the blade myself to loosen it and get it started. First i grabbed a screwdriver, then looked at the steel 15cm fan blade and laughed at myself. I rolled up a small piece of paper instead, and nudged the blades in the opposite direction they would normally turn. It moved, then came flying back in the right direction making the most godawful noise i've ever heard. Little bits of clear plastic started falling out before i powered the system down and unplugged it. When i took it apart i found what remained of the plastic strip, still glued to the side of the PSU case, hidden underneath the fan blades. I mentioned it was also clear plastic, right?

I removed it, completely disassembled the remainder of the PSU to be safe and checked it, put it all back together, and it works like a charm now.

I'm honestly surprised with the number of negative reviews quoting damaged PC components that PK hasn't been sued into oblivion yet for including that piece of plastic. Even more so, i'm surprised my fan motor isn't burned up yet considering it's been running for 2 days now with the fan blades glued to the side of the freaking case.

magistr

Time to replace that power supply now before disaster strikes.

ebackhus

Power King is also in that "don't use unless you WANT to ruin your PC" category for generally low quality.

garethw

Hi all,

First time poster. I just bought an LG W2284F 22" monitor with a D-Sub (VGA) and a DVI-D input. Works great using the DVI-I to VGA adaptor, then using the DVI-D to DVI-D (24-pin) cable that shipped with the monitor. I have a BFG 8800 GT OC video card.

But here's the problem - when I use this cable from the BFG's DVI-I port to the monitor's DVI-D input I get no picture (just the monitor's 'digital standby mode' signal). Is this anything to do with the fact that the BFG outputs are DVD-I Dual-Line? I means does DVI-I Dual-Line 'out' (BFG) to a DVI-D 'in' (LG monitor) need a special cable?

The analog display is very sharp but I would like to run in full digital mode if possible as everyone says its quicker and sharper.

Any help much appreciated.

Gareth

ozzo74

same problem but i have a 8800 gts 512, thats what i am looking for