Quadra 700 with 1680 x 1050 SCreen

[Aoresteen]

I have a couple of 1680 x 1050 monitors and I would like to use one with my Quadra 700.  Anyway to do this at 1680 x 1050 resolution?  If not, is there any Quadra that can do this resolution?

Thanks!

 

[olePigeon]

If you got a video card capable of 1600x1200, theoretically it could drive 1680x1050 with pixels to spare.  The problem would be making it recognize such a relatively odd-ball resolution.

 

[Unknown_K]

The only 1600x1200 Nubus cards that will do that resolution are the rare High end Supermac Thunder II GX 1600 and Radius Thunder IV GX 1600 models.

 

[Aoresteen]

If you got a video card capable of 1600x1200, theoretically it could drive 1680x1050 with pixels to spare.  The problem would be making it recognize such a relatively odd-ball resolution.

1680 x 1050 was developed by Apple - Cinema Display 20" for video editing.  Slowly it spilled over into the PC world as an inexpensive wide screen monitor.  They are everywhere now.

 

[olePigeon]

Relatively odd-ball compared to the usual 4:3 resolutions supported on most vintage video cards.  Getting one to support a widescreen monitor is something else entirely.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I know of only one solution for customizing resolutions in NuBus architecture: SuperMac Spectrum24 Version 1.0 ROM c1989

The card dates from the period when resolutions had yet to be standardized and virtual desktop capability was the workaround for limited pixel count CRTs of the day. By inputting the timing parameters for any given resolution into the card's control panel, it would spec the frequency of the crystal required to be installed for output at that resolution.

As resolutions standardized, RAMDAC limitations for those monitor standards became set in stone.

 

[Unknown_K]

Isn't that a 1MB card? No way your going to get the color depth and resolution you want and screen updates would be slow as hell.

 

[rsolberg]

840x525 pixels would probably look quite nice on that display and would likely be more achievable with the vintage hardware if you can manage to set up custom resolutions. Being half the horizontal and vertical resolutions, the monitor should interpolate it very nicely. Using 16-bit (thousands) of colours, that resolution should use 862KB of VRAM.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Not at all, there's 3MB of VRAM on board. That's enough to do 720p@24bit and 1600x1200@8bit which was a bit shy of the ragged edge of 16bit requirements IIRC. If memory serves, 3MB will support 4K resolution in single bit mode.

You might just barely be talking 16bit at only 1980x1050. Bit depth calculator's not handy. No NuBus card can match the "speed" of onboard video for pedestrian purposes like gaming frame rates at relatively low resolutions because of bandwidth limitations. NuBus cards are for pushing massive amounts of pixels in graphics apps, displaying huge spreadsheets or providing for a workable multi-window desktop.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

1680 x 1050 was developed by Apple - Cinema Display 20" for video editing.  Slowly it spilled over into the PC world as an inexpensive wide screen monitor.  They are everywhere now.

Wide Screen formats developed in the PCI architecture era. It would be interesting to find out if the 4MB HPV cards were capable of this resolution in the brief, transitional NuBus architecture PPC era. It's pretty much a function of the RAMDAC's flexibility given sufficient VRAM for any given bit depth, after that would be driver availability to make use of a RAMDAC's capabilities.