Open-Source Linux Driver Support For 4K Monitors

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Open-Source Linux Driver Support For 4K Monitors

While 4K resolution monitors are still extremely expensive, there's growing curiosity over support for 4K monitors by the open-source Linux graphics drivers...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTQ1NzE

[macemoneta]

Extremely expensive?

$1,118.08 & FREE Shipping.
Seiki Digital SE50UY04 50-Inch 4K UHD 120Hz LED HDTV:
http://www.amazon.com/Seiki-Digital-...dp/B00BXF7I9M/

$699.00 & FREE Shipping.
Seiki Digital SE39UY04 39-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV:
http://www.amazon.com/Seiki-Digital-...dp/B00DOPGO2G/

[FourDMusic]

Why do 4K monitors/outputs have to be treated specially? I would have thought it simple came down to mode setting in the driver.

[madbiologist]

"but for Intel hardware I believe there is also 4K monitor support in their latest DRM code."

Did you forget your own article from August 07, 2013? - http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...tem&px=MTQzMDg
You've missed an advertising opportunity there

Note that HDMI 1.4a/b only supports 4K resolution at 24/25/30 frames per second. This is fine for watching movies, but not for gaming. 4K resolution at 60 frames per second requires the yet to be released HDMI 2.0. Or you could just use a DisplayPort 1.2 connection.

[tomato]

Why do 4K monitors/outputs have to be treated specially? I would have thought it simple came down to mode setting in the driver.

The 4k resolutions need support for newest standards (Display Port 1.2), so you need to know that the hardware supports it or you may be running it in an out of spec configuration.

[89c51]

$1,118.08 & FREE Shipping.
Seiki Digital SE50UY04 50-Inch 4K UHD 120Hz LED HDTV:
http://www.amazon.com/Seiki-Digital-...dp/B00BXF7I9M/

$699.00 & FREE Shipping.
Seiki Digital SE39UY04 39-Inch 4K Ultra HD 120Hz LED TV:
http://www.amazon.com/Seiki-Digital-...dp/B00DOPGO2G/

The ASUS and Sharp ones are around 3.5K $ which IS steep. And i believe the Samsung and Dell that are coming will be similarly priced.

At least i know that my card can support this in the case they become cheap.

[schmidtbag]

Why do 4K monitors/outputs have to be treated specially? I would have thought it simple came down to mode setting in the driver.

Because they demand more bandwidth than your average video signal is capable of. Even doing 2 lower-resolution monitors will increase your GPU clocks whether you're rendering anything or not.

[gamerk2]

Because they demand more bandwidth than your average video signal is capable of. Even doing 2 lower-resolution monitors will increase your GPU clocks whether you're rendering anything or not.

So? That's hardware, not software. The software should support any resolution setting under the sun. Its the drivers/hardware which need to be concerned about bandwidth, connectors, and whatnot.

[schmidtbag]

So? That's hardware, not software. The software should support any resolution setting under the sun. Its the drivers/hardware which need to be concerned about bandwidth, connectors, and whatnot.

And how exactly do you expect the software to support something the hardware doesn't support? If every software group thought that way the computer industry would be destroyed. It doesn't matter what the software is capable of if the hardware can't do it, so it's better to not let the drivers say "hey look, I can do 4k screens!" and someone attaches one only to find out it doesn't work due to a hardware limitation. This isn't the same thing as having a CPU too slow to play a game, because the game will still run. If you buy a 4K screen because your drivers SAY they can support it, you're going to be pretty unhappy to find out the screen won't even leave standby.

Setting screen resolutions is a lot more complicated than most people are aware of - there's a lot more than width, height, color depth, and refresh rate. It isn't as simple as just flicking a switch and suddenly getting 4K resolutions.

[89c51]

Now that i think about it.



Michael you should buy a 4k monitor to test what the devs claim to work.