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8800 GT dual monitors don't fit!

M

Maddler

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 28, 2007
43
0
So I was using my second monitor to run my G5 while transferring files to my new 3.2 octo, and then the past week I was using it to transfer my old PC files to my new PC. Now I finally just went to hook it up as my second monitor on my Mac Pro, and found out that I CAN'T FIT BOTH DVI CABLES TO THE PORTS!!! :mad:
They're too close together so I can fit one monitor into either port, but not both simultaneously. My monitors are the aluminum 23" ACD's w/ DVI.

Anyone?
 
That's why Apple sends you a DVI-DVI cable; to put the other one out enough so they can both fit. It's not Apple's fault; it's nVidia's. Don't call (Apple), don't write (Apple), don't e-mail His Jobsness.
 
Tallest Skil said:
That's why Apple sends you a DVI-DVI cable; to put the other one out enough so they can both fit. It's not Apple's fault; it's nVidia's. Don't call (Apple), don't write (Apple), don't e-mail His Jobsness.
Click to expand...

It's Apple's fault - trust me, they violate the PCI-E spec when they design the case. If it's nVidia's fault, anyone selling 8800GT would have to include the adapter, since normal case wouldn't fit. But we know it fits (as I haven't heard of people complain about two DVI connectors not fitting for most cases), so quit blaming on companies for actually following the spec :)
 
I would be curious to know if the cable fixed the OP's problem, as I have not yet connected 2 monitors to my mac pro which arrived yesterday.
 
noi375 said:
It's Apple's fault - trust me, they violate the PCI-E spec when they design the case. If it's nVidia's fault, anyone selling 8800GT would have to include the adapter, since normal case wouldn't fit. But we know it fits (as I haven't heard of people complain about two DVI connectors not fitting for most cases), so quit blaming on companies for actually following the spec :)
Click to expand...

It's the fault of whatever display manufacturer for having larger than necessary DVI connectors and the fault of the graphics card company for not having their ports spaced wide enough.
 
Mine Fit..

Interesting. The DVI cables that connect to my Dell 24" monitors both fit on the 8800GT without any issues. No adapters needed.

jas
 
aaronw1986 said:
I would be curious to know if the cable fixed the OP's problem, as I have not yet connected 2 monitors to my mac pro which arrived yesterday.
Click to expand...

Yes, it'll fix his problem. Most experienced Mac users know of this problem. Apple knows of this problem. That's why the extension is provided.
 
Tallest Skil said:
It's the fault of whatever display manufacturer for having larger than necessary DVI connectors and the fault of the graphics card company for not having their ports spaced wide enough.
Click to expand...

You do know that you are talking about DVI cables that have STANDARDIZED connectors, right? So you are going to blame it on companies that actually FOLLOW the standards instead of the company that is violating the standards? The distance between the two connectors is fine, as it's based on the DVI standard, and the distance is the same from various video card with two DVI connectors. I guess you should complain about AMD/ATI too, since their video card on a mac would require the use of that adapter on non-Mac cables. Just hope you realize Apple is purposely violating the spec so you have to use their own hardware, right? I wish if I open a company, I would have customers that will always assume I am right :)
 
noi375 said:
Just hope you realize Apple is purposely violating the spec so you have to use their own hardware, right? I wish if I open a company, I would have customers that will always assume I am right :)
Click to expand...

But they're NOT. Show me proof that the Mac Pro case itself comes into conflict with the 8800 GT. The Mac 8800 GT is physically identical to any PC 8800 GT; the difference is in the ROM.

Even better, show me an Apple 8800 GT and a PC 8800 GT in the same case... That'd serve a dual purpose, since that's what I'm planning to do with mine.

Oh, and Apple isn't always right. I didn't like the puck mouse. I also don't appreciate giving 2006 Mac Pro owners the shaft and not (they won't) making the 8800 GT available to them.
 
Tallest Skil said:
But they're NOT. Show me proof that the Mac Pro case itself comes into conflict with the 8800 GT. The Mac 8800 GT is physically identical to any PC 8800 GT; the difference is in the ROM.

Even better, show me an Apple 8800 GT and a PC 8800 GT in the same case... That'd serve a dual purpose, since that's what I'm planning to do with mine.

Oh, and Apple isn't always right. I didn't like the puck mouse. I also don't appreciate giving 2006 Mac Pro owners the shaft and not (they won't) making the 8800 GT available to them.
Click to expand...

Then you are not making any sense - if nVidia is at fault and producing cards that has the DVI connectors placed too closed together, that would mean the physical card itself is different, as we all know there PC version of 8800 GT and they all work fine with two DVI ports. What the thread was talking about is the connector itself don't fit when trying to fit two non apple DVI cable onto the 8800 GT on Mac Pro - you tell me how the difference in ROM does that? I have seen the problem with cases before, as I remember to having to remove either the extra plastic cover or what not, so I can fit two DVI connectors onto the video card on some cheap cases. Since nowadays, Apple don't use their own custom version of the DVI connector, there is no need for nVidia to create a custom board just for them (as the difference in connector might warrant a different board layout/design), so the physical card is the same as the PC version.

I am not going to comment on the whole ROM issue, since I don't know what is really going on, but think of it like this - Apple is known for controlling what hardware goes to their systems, so do you really think they would not notice the 8800 GT doesn't work on the older Mac Pro, unless it is by design? I do know the 32bit ROM/EFI for the 8800GT exists already, so draw your own conclusion :)
 
noi375 said:
What the thread was talking about is the connector itself don't fit when trying to fit two non apple DVI cable onto the 8800 GT on Mac Pro
Click to expand...

Okay, yes, valid points... but he's not. He's using two ACDs and having problems while others in this thread have posted nothing of the sort with both third-party and ACDs. This seems like an isolated incident rather than Apple having made the Mac Pro case purposely/accidentally out of spec.

In one of Apple's documents, they state something about the need for the extender since some displays' DVI ports are of a non-standard size and two of them wouldn't fit. I'm just thinking that Apple would have checked on the plug-inability of their own displays in this circumstance....

I just realized something: the OP hasn't posted since his first post. OP, upload a picture of your card's connectors as you try to plug the displays in! Let's see if we can prove me wrong, shall we? I'd just rather be right on whatever side instead of bickering.
 
Tallest Skil said:
Okay, yes, valid points... but he's not. He's using two ACDs and having problems while others in this thread have posted nothing of the sort with both third-party and ACDs. This seems like an isolated incident rather than Apple having made the Mac Pro case purposely/accidentally out of spec.

In one of Apple's documents, they state something about the need for the extender since some displays' DVI ports are of a non-standard size and two of them wouldn't fit. I'm just thinking that Apple would have checked on the plug-inability of their own displays in this circumstance....

I just realized something: the OP hasn't posted since his first post. OP, upload a picture of your card's connectors as you try to plug the displays in! Let's see if we can prove me wrong, shall we? I'd just rather be right on whatever side instead of bickering.
Click to expand...

My fault for not reading the whole thing :( Anyway, the only reason that connector came with the Mac Pro anyway is someone is violating the spec, or you can always use the standard connectors to fit, or at least to me, as otherwise, why bother spending the extra money on a connector that people should not need? I know panels has funny DVI connectors, but the cable itself should be ok, as otherwise, how in the world would they fit? I just don't see Apple would be so "nice" as to provide the connector for other companies - I am betting on some Apple hardware (ACD or video card or what not) need that adapter.

I guess my problem is that I just cannot fathom a problem like that exist - in order for it to be nVidia's fault, they would have to 1) Use the wrong bracket that has the DVI cutout too close and 2) have the DVI connectors placed too closed so you cannot place both on there. We are talking about a pretty big gap between the connectors (from mechanical stand point). Unless he got a hack card from somewhere, you can imagine my reasoning for jumping onto the thread on why would people think this is nVidia's fault - it would have to be an error on so many level it wouldn't be funny.
 
noi375 said:
...someone is violating the spec... ...I just don't see Apple would be so "nice" as to provide the connector for other companies... ...wouldn't be funny....
Click to expand...

I like this approach. Acknowledging that a company is breaking the rules but not explicitly naming them. It's a little slice of "You know who you are, and we hate you for it." in every box. :rolleyes:

Apple's not being nice, they're being themselves and admonishing whoever's off spec. :p

Oh, but it is... :D
 
Tallest Skil said:
I like this approach. Acknowledging that a company is breaking the rules but not explicitly naming them. It's a little slice of "You know who you are, and we hate you for it." in every box. :rolleyes:

Apple's not being nice, they're being themselves and admonishing whoever's off spec. :p

Oh, but it is... :D
Click to expand...

I am sure the connector maker is loving this approach - be mad all you want, as long as you buy from us :)

Another funny little thing is that if anyone has the Quadro FX5600, they would noticed the bottom right hand corner of the board has a little funny cut - I wonder why that is there, since that card is only used in Workstations and Macs...

In this case, it's easy to fix, but I remember in the old days when ASUS violate the PCI-I or AGP spec that would rip off some components on your video card because they placed some caps in areas where they should not have. No adapter in the world can fix that :)
 
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