Archives Discussions

[kos]

So I need monitor only to setup hardware and driver ?

[tgm]

That's definitely unacceptable! Can you imagine how to setup a cluster with thousands of dual GPU nodes?

Even in a desktop machine with dual GPU cards, what if I have only one monitor?

Originally posted by: udeepta@amd Kos,

2. Take a dual GPU machine. Connect both GPUs to monitors. Boot your machine, start X Windows, remove the monitor from the second GPU, and run a stream app on the second monitor (use BRT_ADAPTER). AFAIK, it should run. Now try again but remove monitor before you start.

 

[michael_chu]

There are a few ways around this today:

- You can use a dummy VGA "adapter". This is an "adapter" that grounds the RGB lines from their respective grounds with 75ohm resistors.

http://soerennielsen.dk/mod/VGAdummy/index_en.php

We have done this in our labs and for demos. Easiest way we have done it is to get a DVI-to-VGA converter (I forget if one is included with the Radeons) and insert 3 75ohm resistors in there.

This will make the card think there is a VGA monitor attached.

- You can use a FireStream card which already allows you to use the card without a monitor attached.


There are other potential solutions being discussed internally but I can't comment on their schedules just yet.

Michael.

[kos]

That sounds better. I cann't imagine big cluster administator who runs around failing from time to time servers with monitor.

[JonBoyd]

I've run across this problem before and never had a good solution. I like the VGA adapter with the 3-75 ohm resisters tied to gnd. Wish I'd thought of that.

Does the card make an assumption about the resolution at that point or does it matter?

Edit:Removed Advertising from the post

[michael_chu]

It'll assume (incorrectly :-)) that you have a 640x480 standard VGA monitor attached.

Of course, not that it matters though since you won't be able to see any pixels its pushing out that port. 🙂

Michael.

[LenAlox]

I am trying to figure out how to tell Brook+ to use device 0 or device 1 (Both firestream 9170 boards) in Linux CentOS 5.1. I have seen BRT_ADAPTER is what you change, but from what I understand it is an eviroment variable and I don't know how that applies to a Linux platform.

I used export BRT_ADAPTER=1 or 0 in my .bashrc file, will this tell the brook code to go to one device or the other? Also, is there a way to tell what is running on a card in Linux?

Thank you.

[thesquiff]

So do 4870X2 cards need to monitors to be hooked up to use both GPUs?

[MicahVillmow]

If the X2 is in crossfire mode then only one monitor is required to have both GPU's visible to CAL.

[ryta1203]

Originally posted by: MicahVillmow If the X2 is in crossfire mode then only one monitor is required to have both GPU's visible to CAL.

Yes, but then won't CAL only recognize 1 device, so wouldn't that defeat the purpose?

Ok, it looks like CAL sees 2 devices for a 2 Card CFX setup with CFX enabled and only 1 with CFX disabled. It seemed from previous documentation that we were suppose to disable CFX, seems confusing.