Run Two 30" Apple Cinema Displays on a PC

dealcatcher writes "For those blessed by the Apple gods and actually own two 30-inch Apple Cinema Displays, this guide explains how to hook two of them up to a PC. The guide includes which graphics cards will support this configuration and a step-by-step of how to get it all going."

Comments

Price

[Sux2BU]

Each display costs $3000 from Apple's website.

Re:Price

[antifoidulus]

The shittiest thing about Apple monitors if you don't use Apple computers is that they don't give you the option of using Applecare to extend the warranty of the monitor above the 1 year it comes with even if you want to pay extra. However if you buy an apple computer and get the applecare then the display is covered for free. If you are planning on doing this it almost makes sense to buy 2 minis with your display, get the applecare, and then chuck the minis on ebay for close to what you paid for them. Seems a bit excessive though just to get a 3 year(industry standard really) warranty on your monitor....

Re:Price

[foo12]

I don't think your solution will work --- AppleCare transfers with sale of equipment, meaning you'd lose the 'halo' protection afforded by listing the display with the Mini(s).

Re:Price

[Yaztromo]

So, it indeed looks like you can have one monitor attached per mini

There is only one problem in this case -- you can't drive a 30" Cinema Display off a Mac mini, due to the need for the dual-link DVI out. You can only drive a 30" Cinema Display off a PowerMac.

Yaz.

or to sum it up

[FidelCatsro]

1: buy two rather wonderfull but epensive monitors
2: buy expensive graphics card with duel dvi conectors and a framebuffer to support massive displays such as these
3: install graphics card(driver setup etc ) and then plug in new monitors ( if you buy one with conectors too close either, use an adaptor cable or slice up the one on your 3000 grand monitors... i know which i would do)
4: turn on system and configure your windowing system to use both monitors at a comfertable size .... in other words do exactly the same thing you would do(read:Should do) normaly

I see

[El]

So this would be the computer equivalent of putting Formula One racing slicks on a Yugo?

Wow.

[Moofie]

What a useful guide. You install the video card, plug in the displays, and it works. Gee, I never would have figured that out on my own.

Want to be helpful? Tell me how to get those two displays without selling both kidneys.

Re:Wow.

[putaro]

Sell your liver

This is actually Part Two:

[sRev]

Part One was: "How to afford two 30" Apple Monitors."

aargh

[toQDuj]

it is like a million voices all cried out at once and were suddenly silenced.

possibly heart attacks.

But seriously, I'd just have put the G5 behind some soundproofing walls and run virtual pc on them. VPC suffices for most scientific programs that would not run under a unix environment.

B.

and as you click here...

[Beatbyte]

to see his desktop...
you can SEE the silver spoon by which he is fed ;)

okay

[Sebadude]

Who has enough desk space for two 30" displays, That's what I'd like to know.

How practical is it? You'd have to sit pretty far away from them to see all that there is to see, but if you have to sit far away, why not go with two smaller screens and sit closer?

Silly

[ed 'g3']

This is all a bit daft - he has a G5 with these two massive monitors and chucks it all because of the fan noise.

So, in some bizarre attempt at making it better, he hooks them up to a pc.

Reminds me of the Volksagon adverts - It's a Mini adventure. Those were bloody stupid as well.

You lucky 10

[gremlins]

I hope the 10 people who can actually afford this enjoyed the article.

The story behind the story.

[Yaztromo]

1. User decides to ditch the Mac because the fans are too noisy.
2. User slices up the connectors of two perfectly good, $3000 Apple Cinema 30" displays to get them to plug into some no-name video card with an nVidia chipset on their "silent" PC,
3. User complains of the fan noise now coming from the PC video cards.

What a complete and total git. And this gets posted to /. for what reason?

(Remember: with great power comes great fan noise).

Yaz.

Two big monitors are a pain in the arse

[Anonymous Coward]

Two 30" monitors are a pain, one tends to center their attention on one monitor and place things that are always open on the other.

The constant head turning and sometimes scooting your chair over to use the other monitor is just plain wasteful.

I've even tried placing one large monitor over the other, this seemed to help cut down on the scooting and head turning as I just can use my eyes to look up.

The work involved dragging windows up to the other monitor just isn't worth the effort.

Since any window can easily be minimized or using Expose in Mac OS X kind of makes getting a second 30" Display a total waste of money. I've been happier since I got rid of the other monitor. BTW I sit about 4 feet from the 30" to take it all in. Wireless keyboard is neccessary.

Of course the other person was very happy to receive it. :)

http://homepage.mac.com/hogfish/PhotoAlbum2.html

What I want to know is...

[oahazmatt]

what the BSOD looks like on the display. C'mon, show us the goods!

G5 tower... loud?

[Ballresin]

I've been around a number of G5 towers running 30" Cinema Displays, as I work at a retail store. The G5s only make any noise that is audible above a slight whisper when they are churning data really hard.... or are defective. It is not unheard of for a G5 to have a bad midplane. This guy aparently didn't have the sense to bring his $9000+ setup back to an Apple Store and have the Geniuses say "Yup... that's noisy" and fix it. That said... he is clearly not aware of the giant performance hit his "silent" PC is from his G5. Oh well. Feels like another under-appreciated waste of power.