Bandwidth issue. Can VGA carry 120 hz + 1920x1080 resolution?

Cythx

Cythx

Cythx

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I wanted to give my dad a monitor however his computer only has a VGA connection.

The monitor in question is an Alienware AW2310, which only has a DVI input, so we needed to use an adapter, however it still didn't work. I initially thought the adapter might not of been functioning, but after looking at some stuff on tftcentral I am now thinking maybe my dad's computer just can't output enough bandwidth?

How can I solve this?

Will a cheap GPU do?
 
no it can't, 1920x1080 at 120hz uses a bit more bandwidth than the max bandwidth of VGA

also it should work anyway, just default to 60hz

and why a 120hz monitor for a non-gaming rig? especially such an expensive one
 
HW91 said:
and why a 120hz monitor for a non-gaming rig? especially such an expensive one
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That is a very good point.

You could sell the AW2310 (price when new ~£400) and buy a 23in IPS monitor which will give you better image quality and a native VGA port for £260. For example the Dell U2311H is an excellent monitor (here is an in-depth review), wouldn't require a new graphics card and the image quality/viewing angles are better than the Alienware.
 
cmndr_andi said:
When you have 7 more posts, you will be eligible access to the OCUK members market. Have a read of this.

Alternatively, you could use a popular auction site - but that does incur fees.
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How much do you think I would get on the members market? I only have the monitor power and dvi cable left.
 
That pretty much get him a Dell u2311 then, hope it's easy and reliable to use the members market.

The only other online transaction I've done is selling an online MMO character for 900 USDollars
 
or alternatively sell monitor for £230-240 quid

buy your old man a cheapo 23/24" monitor at £100 quid

blow the rest :)
 
Its a really good place to buy stuff tbh. There isn't any fees and the trust system works really well. Just make sure you read the rules when you get access and you will find it very useful.

One thing, as you will be selling something big with no previous reputation then you will very likely be asked to post first and the buyer will send the money as soon as they receive the item and confirm it is as advertised. Don't be worried about this, it is pretty much standard procedure for dealing with new MM (members market) users to ensure the existing members don't get scammed - so long as you arrange this with a buyer with good rep then you will be absolutely fine.
 
Foxtrot26 said:
or alternatively sell monitor for £230-240 quid

buy your old man a cheapo 23/24" monitor at £100 quid

blow the rest :)
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Possibly a good idea too lol, doubt he would appreciate a wide gamut IPS monitor, he's been using computers almost a decade old so I don't think he cares much.
 
Cythx said:
Possibly a good idea too lol, doubt he would appreciate a wide gamut IPS monitor, he's been using computers almost a decade old so I don't think he cares much.
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The dell isn't really a wide gamut monitor - but it is IPS. This means it uses a true 8 bit panel, has very good colour accuracy, wide viewing angles and is generally a pleasure to look at.

If you don't think your Dad will make use of this, then I would suggest having a look at this monitor.
 
cmndr_andi said:
The dell isn't really a wide gamut monitor - but it is IPS. This means it uses a true 8 bit panel, has very good colour accuracy, wide viewing angles and is generally a pleasure to look at.

If you don't think your Dad will make use of this, then I would suggest having a look at this monitor.
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Ya I just realized after taking a look at the review on tftcentral. But even though his job pays well, he's pretty cheap on everything to do with desktop computers and only really uses them for MS office work, net browsing and emails.
 
Got a feeling the graphics card needs to support dual-link dvi (required for 1080p @ 120hz) and that that didn't show up until around the 6800GT era. So an older gfx card may not be able to handle it.
 
That ****ing sucks, so I need an old enough card that uses PCI, but new enough to use DVI DL, if I chose to go the GPU route?
 
I don't see why you can't just set the refresh to 60hz.

VGA should be able handle it at 1920 (single-link dvi does)

Visual Quality is only slightly reduced and it doesn't sound like the user will mind
 
CrowK said:
I don't see why you can't just set the refresh to 60hz.

VGA should be able handle it at 1920 (single-link dvi does)

Visual Quality is only slightly reduced and it doesn't sound like the user will mind
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I would change the settings for the monitor except I can't do that unless the monitor is connected, and at default it is set to 120hz so I can't even navigate thru windows xp to set it to 60 hz
 
something's wrong

since you're outputting VGA it shouldn't be able to do 1920x1080x120, I think there's more than just the cable problem.

also for selling it, if you received it within 7 days (?) then you can return under DSR for full refund minus shipping both ways
 
HW91 said:
since you're outputting VGA it shouldn't be able to do 1920x1080x120, I think there's more than just the cable problem.
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It doesn't to 1080p @ 120hz, because the only output on my dads pc is VGA, so I either need an converter, in which case I'll still get a VGA quality image, or I could buy a PCI GPU with dual link DVI, and I'm not sure those were ever made.
 
no, the drivers shouldn't allow the option to output it and therefore the monitor should work albeit at a lower resolution or refresh rate

since it's not working at all I'm saying that something is a dud in the line, unfortunately there are 3 variables, 1 is cheap, 1 is hard to find and the other requires another monitor.

You need to try a different monitor with a DVI input (or HDMI if you have a DVI female to HDMI male adaptor), if it works then the alienware is faulty, if it doesn't work then first try a new VGA-DVI adaptor, if the alienware doesn't work then, you'll need to try the monitor on a different computer or switch out the graphics card on your dads one.

if none of those things work then the easiest way around it would be your Dad needing a new computer
 
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