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    iMac 2011 Target Display Mode

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by Generic User #2, May 21, 2011.

  1. Generic User #2

    Generic User #2 Notebook Deity

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    I'm told that the 2011 imac only supports TDM from thunderbolt ports.

    Based on that, are there any technical users here that know if ATI or nVidia will eventually make cards with displayport-thunderbolt ports?
     
    Generic User #2, May 21, 2011
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  2. wave

    wave Notebook Virtuoso

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    I am not sure if the GPU makers want to take on another headache like this, making the boards more complex and potential driver problems. Bandwidth on the PCI-E ports is already a problem so it could cause limitations with the high end GPUs running in SLI/Crossfire.

    Since most new CPU designs come with build in GPU it would make sense to integrate it with the motherboard chipsets and make the onboard GPU work with one or more thunderbolt ports. Besides that I would expect PCI-E expansion cards with 2-4 thunderbolt ports without graphics.

    Nvidia and AMD to integrate them in their dedicated GPUs is unlikely to me. Maybe in the far of future if thunderbolt becomes standard (2 years plus).
     
    wave, May 22, 2011
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  3. kornchild2002

    kornchild2002 Notebook Deity

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    They used to integrate FireWire 400 (6-pin) with PCI-express cards back in the early days of that format so I imagine anything is possible. Right now I imagine that 10Gbps up and downstream will cut into the bandwidth of the GPU. The whole APU thing seems to be taking off though so the bandwidth issue might not matter by the time thunderbolt catches on with other manufacturers (though HP looks like they are never going to support it).
     
    kornchild2002, May 22, 2011
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  4. Generic User #2

    Generic User #2 Notebook Deity

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    apple. they could have at least one of the of DP ports as an actual-DP port.

    i wanted to use the pc box as a gaming machine, the iMac as a display, and iMac guts to serve as a os x developer machine.

    refurbs, here i come -_-
     
    Generic User #2, May 23, 2011
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