Radeon X1900XTX connectors

[scottws]

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/video/ati/x1900/x1900card.png

It's hard to tell from the pictures, but those two connectors on the left look like SCSI connectors for LVD/SE cables. The Anandtech article makes no mention of the connectors whatsoever.

At first I thought maybe it had something to do with Crossfire (I haven't followed closely since the 9800 series), but in looking that up I see that it would be a single DVI input, and not two connectors that look like they are for SCSI devices.

Anyone know what these connectors are for?

 

[Kwincy]

Thats a crossfire master card, with the connector for the external dongle.

Kwincy

 

[jiffylube1024]

Kwincy is correct: that is the Crossfire master card. The X1800XT crossfire edition looks exactly the same: the regular version is dual DVI, the Crossfire card has that dual connector thingy.


... Why would a video card have a SCSI input ?

 

[scottws]

I have no idea, but they look like SCSI connectors in that picture. I was baffled as to what the purpose of SCSI connectors on a videocard might be. Actually, now that I look at it, the scale is way off anyway. SCSI connectors are a lot longer.

 

[Steelski]

Originally posted by: scottws
I have no idea, but they look like SCSI connectors in that picture. I was baffled as to what the purpose of SCSI connectors on a videocard might be. Actually, now that I look at it, the scale is way off anyway. SCSI connectors are a lot longer.

you might wanna start your own company. there could be a niche in the market for that

 

[scottws]

Ok, here's another question.

Here is a picture of two ATi cards hooked up with the Crossfire dongle:

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/vid...sfire/launch/CFM_WithBoards_Dongle.png

In that picture, it appears that neither one of the cards have the two SCSI-like ports that appear on the back of the 1900 X1900XTX Crossfire master card image that I posted above.

Here's the other image again:

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/video/ati/x1900/x1900card.png

So how does this work? Do some cards not have a master or something?

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: scottws
Ok, here's another question.

Here is a picture of two ATi cards hooked up with the Crossfire dongle:

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/vid...sfire/launch/CFM_WithBoards_Dongle.png

In that picture, it appears that neither one of the cards have the two SCSI-like ports that appear on the back of the 1900 X1900XTX Crossfire master card image that I posted above.

Uh... guh?

What, exactly, do you think the inter-card "dongle" cable is plugged into?

 

[scottws]

If I knew that, I wouldn't be asking the question.

Let me restate... The X1900XTX image clearly shows a DVI port, along with two other ports right next to each other which look like short SCSI ports, that people have explained are part of Crossfire master cards.

The other image clearly shows two cards in Crossfire configuration. The dongle appears to be plugged into a single connector on both devices. I do not see the two SCSI-like interfaces on either card.

Maybe it's the picture. Maybe it's my eyes, but it appears to me that the two SCSI-like interfaces are not on either card in the picture with the dongle..

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: scottws
If I knew that, I wouldn't be asking the question.

Let me restate... The X1900XTX image clearly shows a DVI port, along with two other ports right next to each other which look like short SCSI ports, that people have explained are part of Crossfire master cards.

The other image clearly shows two cards in Crossfire configuration. The dongle appears to be plugged into a single connector on both devices. I do not see the two SCSI-like interfaces on either card.

Maybe it's the picture. Maybe it's my eyes, but it appears to me that the two SCSI-like interfaces are not on either card in the picture with the dongle..

That's what the dongle is plugged into on both cards. Maybe it's just the angle of the shot or something confusing you. I'm not sure what you are seeing (or not seeing).

Edit: Okay, I see what you mean. They seem to have switched to a different style of plug on the newer cards; maybe that card was an old engineering sample or mockup? The new ones look like this (the plug on the left in the first shot).

 

[scottws]

http://img.neoseeker.com/neo_image.php?imageid=143123&type=article

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/video/ati/x1900/x1900card.png

In both of the images, look at the connector(s) on the left. In the first, it's a single DVI connector. In the second it is two SCSI-like connectors.

In the image I posted earlier with the dongle, it looks to me like both cards are configured like the first picture, with a single DVI port.

I don't know how else to explain it.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: scottws
http://img.neoseeker.com/neo_image.php?imageid=143123&type=article

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/video/ati/x1900/x1900card.png

In both of the images, look at the connector(s) on the left. In the first, it's a single DVI connector. In the second it is two SCSI-like connectors.

In the image I posted earlier with the dongle, it looks to me like both cards are configured like the first picture, with a single DVI port.

I don't know how else to explain it.

See my edit above. They seem to have changed styles on the connector.

I think the 'dual' ("SCSI-like") plug is used on the X1800 Crossfire cards, while the X1900s and X800/850s use the 'single' plug (which you erroneously refer to above as a "DVI connector").

 

[scottws]

Yeah, I looked at it again. It looks to be a similar size and shape as a DVI plug from the image, but the pin configuration is obviously different.

 

[Cuular]

Actually the X1900CF cards use either a DVI connector or the "dual scsi" thing, but the connector that connects to them is a single connector about the same size as a DVI connector.


The Connect3D X1900CF uses the the "dual" connector. But is also has those "screw" things to tighten it down. But instead of the standard 2 it has 4 of them, 2 on each side. Talk about a pain to get tightened down.

To small for my fingers, and has only a regular "slot" on the end instead of a "phillips". And to boot, it doesn't have the receptor on the card secured, so when I unscrewed them to trouble shoot some issue, it totally pulled the whole connector out of the card.

Just like back in the good ole days. Anyway, the part on the card was so tightly screwed in that I was able to screw the whole deal all the way back into the graphics card when I re-installed it.

But the issue is probably on the manufacturer's end. Having not dealt with connectors that small in such a long time, they forgot that when they stress 3 times in the manual to "Make sure the CrossFire connector is tightly secured" that it might get tight enough to unscrew the part from the card itself.