DVI -> VGA for cheap?

[uberlad]

Does anyone know where I could pick up a DVI to VGA adapter for cheap in the UK?

I picked up a cheap 8500LE and the VGA filter circuitry is abysmal - nasty shimmering over the windows desktop. I am under the impression that a DVI signal will be without such circuitry and that I might get a better signal with said DVI to VGA adapter.

I need a cheap one of the off-chance that this will do nothing for my picture and I'll have wasted however much cash just before I buy a house (!) (which I'm told can be rather expensive )

Any ideas people? Or am I better off not even bothering with the adapter?

Thanks,

Uberlad

[Greebe]

Matrox should sell these(?) I used the DVI-HD15 dongle that came with the G550 to adapt my monitor's 2nd input for use with Parhelia

[The PIT]

Re: DVI -> VGA for cheap?

Originally posted by uberlad
Does anyone know where I could pick up a DVI to VGA adapter for cheap in the UK?

I picked up a cheap 8500LE and the VGA filter circuitry is abysmal - nasty shimmering over the windows desktop. I am under the impression that a DVI signal will be without such circuitry and that I might get a better signal with said DVI to VGA adapter.

I need a cheap one of the off-chance that this will do nothing for my picture and I'll have wasted however much cash just before I buy a house (!) (which I'm told can be rather expensive )

Any ideas people? Or am I better off not even bothering with the adapter?

Thanks,

Uberlad

Sounds more like interferance than anything else.

[Greebe]

I agree TP... DVI- VGA is nothing but pure analog out and the signal still passes out all that you currently see

DVI-A is not part of the DVI spec because they only pass through the analog signal.

DVI-D is different, it's pure digital (no analog pass through)

DVI-I has both analog and digital components

[uberlad]

And the second, DVI connector on the 8500LE is which kind of DVI port?

No doubt the wrong kind

I think the Matrox one wouldn't be cheap - the only thing even vaguely to do with DVI I can see in their shop costs £40

But I spose I have to pay for quality - it's only very noticable on white text on a black background and it may just be that I got so used to the old G400 image quality that I'm spoilt

Ta for the thoughts. Better wrap the components in tin foil to prevent interference I suppose

Uberlad

[Gurm]

My 8500 came with an adapter for the second port.

- Gurm

[GT98]

hmm I have an extra DVI adapter

but I'm in the States

[the maddman]

Actually on the 8500 using the DVI to VGA adapter can be better, because the analog part of the DVI is driven by an external RAMDAC. Look near the top left of the heatsink for a small square chip, it's partially under the heatsink on built by ATI cards. If you have that chip, you can drive an analog monitor from the DVI port, if you don't, the adapter won't do anygood.

[uberlad]

Ooooh, ta for the heads up. I'll check tonight once I've turned this beast off.

Uberlad

[Fogel]

Hercules Radeon 8500LE don't have external RAMDAC.

[Greebe]

and it should be the same signal as the VGA out via it's ramdac... not an additional external one (sounds backward and expensive)

[the maddman]

Originally posted by Greebe
and it should be the same signal as the VGA out via it's ramdac... not an additional external one (sounds backward and expensive)

The 8500 is a dual head card, so it does have to have 2 ramdacs. It's like the G400, has one internal and one external. Like other people have posted, some cheap 8500's skip the second ramdac to save money, which means the card can't drive an analog monitor from the DVI port.
The fun part is none of the third party companies seem to think that when they remove the Analog signal, they shouldn't have to change the DVI-I port to a DVI-D. That just leads to a lot of complaints of people getting DVI to VGA adapters and they don't work.

[Greebe]

That's their bad then

[the maddman]

The newer Radeons have dual internal ramdacs, so no more problems there, and I don't care anyways, I went DVI a while back. Just someone tell me where I can find the Hitachi CML174.