AMD's ATI FirePro 2450 quad-display card
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted Mar 9th 2009 11:27AM
posted Mar 9th 2009 11:27AM
It's a simple premise, and one that we wholeheartedly support: if a single display is good, two displays are doubleplusgood. AMD has always had our back in this regard, and now the company is back with further proof, in the form of a little something called the ATI FirePro 2450 video. This guy supports not two but four monitors, rocking either DVI or VGA, at up to 1920 x 1200 resolution, in a low profile form factor. The device includes support for DirectX 10.1, OpenGL 2.1 visual effects, and Microsoft Windows, and ships with 512MB of memory for $499. ATI points out that this device is aimed at "financial institutions," possibly a gift for your sweetheart in the foreign exchange market?
[Via Electronista]
[Via Electronista]
FIRST!!!!
Also, this is pretty sweet!
OK, so the card does 4 monitors - but the image you choose to use shows 9. A tad confusing, perhaps?
Buy 8 get, one free!!!!
I was wondering that myself....why is there a grid of 9 monitors as an ad for a card that supports 4.
I didn't read all the details, I'll admit. Perhaps I can run two of these, and still use my built-in Intel Graphics Chipset!
$500 for multi display to show scrolling text? Why not just use those USB to DVI adapters that are MUCH cheaper if you only plan to display text on the monitors.
I don't think there is any USB to DVI adapter with 1920x1200 support out there on the market.
$500 is pretty cheap for a workstation multi-monitor card. Some of these go for 3 or 4 times that. Keep in mind this is for a low profile card and not meant for a multi 16x PCIe board.
They don't display just text. Most of the time these traders are running multiple programs that they use for research and trading. It's not very intensive graphics but they need a lot of screen real estate in order to be productive.
If the traders are doing well, they will make way more than $500 for the company. We're talking millions, at least. Of course, traders doing well is the big problem right now.
Yes, but can it CUDA? :P
Nope CUDA is NV but it can Firestream just fine.
...suda..wuda...
AMD Is the Best.. Without Question
laul... nice try, though...
FAIL! But nice try...
@Pedja:
Are you ignorant? ATI newest is trouncing nvidia right now.
(BTW, i've got a 8800 GTS 512 in my pc and a 9100M in my lappy)
Nice, though it seems it doesn't have much in the horsepower department.
If by horsepower you mean 3D performance then you are technically correct. Since this video card is targeted at multiple 2D applications running simultaneously providing real-time market data it would be a waste to put too much effort into it's 3D capabilities. The low power (32W) and low profile nature also indicates it is perfect for use in the Lenovo Thinkpad Advanced Dock which paired with an ATI equipped Thinkpad could yield a total of six monitors and you are looking at market trader nirvana....Well, except for the actual market right now.
No, I meant the horses that transport the electrons inside it.
I like the use of Newspeak in the article.
Well obviously Big Brother already got to you
Are you mad? Big brother doesnt get anyone, we willingly went there.
Chad's right, the card will likely stink at 3D since htey say it's aimed at the financial market. Otherwise, the price would be 4 or 6 times higher. This is competing with Matrox's offerings... if they're still making cards.
I use a ThinkPad with the Advanced Dock and two 1920x1200 displays: one DVI, the other analog; no PCI-E card, so far. I'm a Matrox man; Matrox has ruled this sector: the company offers several low-profile PCI-E boards that can drive two DVI displays natively and, when equipped with a four-head adapter cable ($100), can drive four 1920x1200 displays in analog; some are X1 speed, others X16. They range from 64MB (G550 and P650) to 128MB (P650), 256MB (P690), and 512MB (M9120). The company's M9140 (512MB) can drive four such displays in DVI, using a different $100 adapter cable; but the M9140 isn't low-profile. With the FirePro 2450 video, ATI has combined the versatility and capacity of M9140 with the low profile and moderate cost of the M9120. Nice work, ATI. Now if only I could make room on my desk for two more 23-inchers...
Hmmm... a hardware board with lots of specialty chips made in China and targeted for installation into our "financial institutions". I think someone may want to do some sniffing around to see if this puppy "sends" as well as "displays"!
One 4850x2 > THIS and for 400 cheaper
Low profile > HD4850x2 in a workplace environment.
With the major brands like Dell and HP (Compaq) pushing low-profile "green" systems out in the field, your video card options become very limited.
Until now I've only been able to get Matrox cards that offer 4 screens in low-profile. It's not made for gaming, but it's for sure a whole lot better than using displaylink to add multiple monitors. You get real video acceleration on all 4 screens this way.
I've been working with a quad-display Matrox low-profile card for about 6 months now. Glad to see ATi's introducing something to compete; it's definitely cheaper and I'm a big ATi fan at heart anyway.
Looks like the people working at the minitruth would enjoy these... That or the surveillance agencies that make our lives doubleplusungood.
I work for an accounting firm where everyone is on at least 3 screens, and most are using laptops. We use IOGEAR's USB-to-VGA adapters to run the 3rd screen. The NVIDIA and Intel graphics cards the laptops have won't support 3 screens even with a docking station unfortunately. It's either 2 external, or 1 external + laptop screen. The cards work fairly well.
seems overpriced for what it is... what ever happened to matrox? they used to own this end of the market? I use two 1600x1200 20" lcds (for many years now) and find thats close to enough realestate... every now and then ill put something off on a 3rd screen from my router pc but I think the needs for this are limited, even in a trading environment. There is only so much you can pay attention too, chart or quote wise.
anyone else get the 1984 reference?
Whatever, this guy on our trading floor 8 years ago had a quad Eizo LDC setup at his desk. I know it wasn't dome with one card, but it was doable.
Ha ha, LCD.
Ok, First I would like to comment that ATI phone support SUCKS!!!
After seeing this, and doing research I wanted to procede on getting a 9 monitor setup for my Boss. I then called ATI in hopes to find a solution of 9 monitors just like shown in the picture. I called ATI and got hung up on 4 times!!! and their drivers and support website was down. The bad thing is 4 different associates I spoke to at ATI didn't even know that their website was down!!!!
I did find out that you can hook 2 of these up, to run 8 monitors.(also comes with the 4 DVI cables on each card)
But once you install a FirePro 2450 it will disable your original VGA output. So after I asked them why they are putting this image on their website, he responded to me with
"it's just a picture" NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!!
If you care to complain about this such as I did, feel free to call 1-866-284-2093 Opt #1
and complain that their company sucks and has bad customer service.