Graphics Cards

Supported graphics cards have dual-link DVI connectors, supporting 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Displays on both ports.

For information on video memory, power, and features refer to Table 1.

All of the supported graphics cards support dual displays in either extended desktop or video mirroring mode; for more detail, see External Display Modes.

The GeForce 8800GT graphics card requires that a booster cable be connected from the PCI slot to the auxiliary power connector. The Quadro FX 5600 graphics card requires two booster cables be connected from the PCI slot to the auxiliary power connector. For additional information, refer to the PCI Developer Note.

The Mac Pro supports the 20-inch Apple Cinema Display at a resolution of 1680 x 1050, the 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display at a resolution of 1920 x 1200, and the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display at a resolution of 2560 x 1600. All ports support a maximum resolution of 2048 x 1536 at 32-bit with 85 Hz refresh rate. Multiple PCI Express graphics cards can support three or more displays.

The table below lists the displays supported by port 1 and port 2.

For information on video ports, see Video Monitor Ports. For information on PCI Express expansion slots, refer to PCI Developer Note.

Video Monitor Ports

The Mac Pro has a DVI connector for an external video monitor. For a description of the DVI connector, refer to Figure 4 and Table 30.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

DVI to Video Adapter

The Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics card supports an optional DVI to S-video/composite adapter that provides S-video and composite output to a PAL or NTSC video monitor or VCR. When a display is connected by way of the video adapter, the computer detects the type of adapter and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in the Display pane in System Preferences.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

The Mac Pro computer provides video output at picture sizes and frame rates compatible with the NTSC and PAL standards; the picture sizes are listed in Table 32. Those picture sizes produce under-scanned displays on standard monitors.

External Display Modes

The computer supports two external display modes: video mirroring and extended desktop. The default is extended desktop mode. To toggle between the two modes, use the Displays pane in System Preferences.

Graphics Cards

Supported graphics cards have single-link and/or dual-link DVI connectors. Single-link DVI ports support 20-inch and 23-inch Apple Cinema Displays. Dual-link DVI ports support 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Displays.

The Mac Pro comes standard with the high-performance, Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT PCI Express graphics card with 256 MB GDDR2 SDRAM memory. For information on PCI expansion, refer to PCI Developer Note. For information on video memory, power, and features refer to Table 3.

All of the supported graphics cards support dual displays in either extended desktop or video mirroring mode; for more detail, see Dual Display Extended and Mirroring Modes.

The high-power, double-wide ATI Radeon X1900 XT and Nvidia Quadro FX 4500 graphics cards require that a booster cable be connected from the PCI slot to the auxiliary power connector. For additional information, refer to the PCI Developer Note.

The Mac Pro supports the 20-inch Apple Cinema Display at 1680 x 1050, the 23-inch Apple Cinema Display at 1920 x 1200, and the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display at 2560 x 1600. All ports support a 32-bit resolution of 2048 x 1536 at 85 Hz. Multiple PCI Express graphics cards can support three or more displays, or can add support for a second 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display.

Both ports on the graphics cards support analog monitors and dual displays in either extended desktop or video mirroring mode. Table 29 lists the displays supported by port 1 and port 2.

For information on video ports, see Video Monitor Ports. For information on PCI Express expansion slots, refer to PCI Developer Note.

Video Monitor Ports

The Mac Pro has a DVI connector for an external video monitor. For a description of the DVI connector, refer to Figure 4 and Table 30.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

DVI to Video Adapter

The ATI Radeon X1900 XT graphics card supports an optional DVI to S-video/composite adapter that provides S-video and composite output to a PAL or NTSC video monitor or VCR. When a display is connected by way of the video adapter, the computer detects the type of adapter and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in the Display pane in System Preferences.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

The Mac Pro computer provides video output at picture sizes and frame rates compatible with the NTSC and PAL standards; the picture sizes are listed in Table 32. Those picture sizes produce under-scanned displays on standard monitors.

Dual Display Extended and Mirroring Modes

The Mac Pro is equipped with two graphics DVI ports. The Mac Pro can support dual displays in both extended desktop and video mirroring modes. The Nvidia Quadro FX 4500 and ATI Radeon X1900 XT graphics cards can drive two 30” Apple Cinema HD Displays.

To switch between extended desktop and video mirroring modes, enable the “Mirror Displays” option on the Arrangement tab in the Displays pane of System Preferences.

The scaling function is available when both monitors are operating and the mirroring mode is selected. Either monitor could have black borders during mirroring, depending on the supported timings between the two displays and on the monitor’s selection algorithm. Both displays show full-sized images only when the resolutions match. Both displays can operate with other resolution settings, but in mirroring mode, one of them has a display that is smaller than the full screen and has a black border around it.

Graphics Cards

The Xserve supports an optional graphics card via the mezzanine card slot. An ATI Radeon X1300 with 64 MB of GDDR3 memory uses 15 W of power and supports a single-link mini-DVI connector. With a mini-DVI to DVI adapter, available separately, DVI displays are supported. A single-link DVI port supports 20-inch and 23-inch Apple Cinema displays.

The mezzanine card supports the 20-inch Apple Cinema Display at 1680 x 1050 and the 23-inch Apple Cinema Display at 1920 x 1200. As a single-link DVI device, it will support the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display at 1280 x 800 resolution. 

For VGA monitors, the ports support up to a 32-bit resolution of 2048 x 1536 at 85 Hz.

Graphics Cards

The mezzanine card, an ATI Radeon X1300 with 64 MB of GDDR3 memory, supports a single-link mini-DVI connector. With a mini-DVI to DVI adapter, available separately, DVI displays are supported. A single-link DVI port supports 20-inch and 23-inch Apple Cinema displays. An ATI Radeon X1300 with 256 MB of GDDR memory, available in slot two, has a dual-link DVI connector. A dual-link DVI port supports 20-inch and 23-inch Apple Cinema displays, and 30-inch Apple Cinema HD displays.

Xserve comes standard with the ATI Radeon X1300 PCI Express card with 64 MB GDDR3 SDRAM memory. Available as a configure-to-order option is the ATI Radeon X1300 PCI Express card with 256 MB GDDR2 memory and dual-link DVI port. For information on video memory and power, refer to Table 5.

When a ATI Radeon X1300 PCI Express card is installed in slot two and a mezzanine card is installed, the system can support two displays in either extended desktop or video mirroring mode; for more detail, see Dual Display Extended and Mirroring Modes.

The ATI Radeon X1300 PCI Express scard supports the 20-inch Apple Cinema Display at 1680 x 1050, the 23-inch Apple Cinema Display at 1920 x 1200, and the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display at 2560 x 1600.

The mezzanine card supports the 20-inch Apple Cinema Display at 1680 x 1050 and the 23-inch Apple Cinema Display at 1920 x 1200. As a single-link DVI device, it will support the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display at 1280 x 800 resolution. 

For VGA monitors, the ports support up to a 32-bit resolution of 2048 x 1536 at 85 Hz.

For information on video ports, see Video Monitor Ports. For information on PCI Express expansion slots, refer to PCI Developer Note.

Video Monitor Ports

The base configuration Xserve has a mini-DVI connector for an external video monitor. For a description of the mini-DVI connector, refer to Figure 1 and Table 7.

The configure-to-order configuration Xserve has a DVI connector for an external video monitor. For a description of the DVI connector, refer to Figure 4 and Table 30.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

Dual Display Extended and Mirroring Modes

When two graphics cards are installed, Xserve can support two displays in both extended desktop and video mirroring modes.

To switch between extended desktop and video mirroring modes, open System Preferences, click Arrangement, and select or deselect the Mirror Displays option.

The scaling function is available when both monitors are operating and the mirroring mode is selected. Either monitor could have black borders during mirroring, depending on the supported timings between the two displays and on the monitor’s selection algorithm. Both displays show full-sized images only when the resolutions match. Both displays can operate with other resolution settings, but in mirroring mode, one of them has a display that is smaller than the full screen and has a black border around it.

20-inch iMac Video System

The 20-inch iMac model supports an LCD display size of 1680 x 1050 pixels at 98 dpi.

24-inch iMac Video System

The 24-inch model supports an LCD display size of 1920 x 1200 pixels at 94 dpi.

External Display Port

The iMac has a mini-DVI connector for an external video display and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. VGA, S-video, and composite analog video output are supported with the use of an adapter (sold separately).

20-inch iMac Video System

The 20-inch iMac model supports an LCD display size of 1680 x 1050 pixels at 98 dpi.

24-inch iMac Video System

The 24-inch model supports an LCD display size of 1920 x 1200 pixels at 94 dpi.

External Display Port

The iMac has a mini-DVI connector for an external video display and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. VGA, S-video, and composite analog video output are supported with the use of an adapter (sold separately).

17-inch and 20-inch iMac Video System

The 17-inch model supports an LCD display size of 1440 x 900 pixels at 100 dpi. The graphics card temporally dithers the 6 bits per component to show up to millions of colors.

The 20-inch model supports an LCD display size of 1680 x 1050 pixels at 98 dpi and supports 8 bits per component to show up to millions of colors.

24-inch iMac Video System

The 24-inch model supports an LCD display size of 1920 x 1200 pixels at 94 dpi and supports 8 bits per component to show up to millions of colors.

Graphics Subsystem

Internal to the North Bridge IC is the graphics subsystem, which includes the Intel GMA 950 graphics processor with 64 MB DDR2 SDRAM shared with the main memory. The internal graphics interface runs at 400 MHz.

The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines. The GPU has a back-end scaler for the LVDS panel and uses a software scaler for external DVI displays that don't have their own hardware scalers.

The display signal generated for the flat panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirror mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Support.

Flat Panel Display

The GMA950 include a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the iMac can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed in Table 9.

External Display Port

The iMac has a mini-DVI connector for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For a description of the mini-DVI connector, refer to Figure 1 and Table 7.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

Graphics Subsystem

Internal to the North Bridge IC is the graphics subsystem, which includes the Intel GMA 950 graphics processor with 64 MB DDR2 SDRAM shared with the main memory. The internal graphics interface runs at 400 MHz.

The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines. The GPU has a back-end scaler for the LVDS panel and uses a software scaler for external DVI displays that don't have their own hardware scalers.

The display signal generated for the flat panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirror mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Support.

Flat Panel Display

The GMA 950 include a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the computer can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed in Table 9.

External Display Port

The 17-inch iMac for education computer has a mini-DVI connector for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For a description of the mini-DVI connector, refer to Figure 1 and Table 7.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

Graphics ICs

The graphics IC is an ATI Radeon X1600 with 128 MB GDDR3 SDRAM. The 20-inch model has a 256 MB configure-to-order option. The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines, front-end and back-end scalers, and a display controller, and it connects to the PCI Express bus via a 16-lane link.

The display signal generated for the flat-panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Support.

Flat-Panel Display

The Mac graphics ICs include a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the iMac can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed in Table 8 for the 20-inch model and Table 9 for the 17-inch model.

External Display Port

The iMac has a mini-DVI connector for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For an explanation of display modes, see External Display Support.

Mini-DVI Connector

The mini-DVI video display connector is a 32-pin rectangular connector. The signal contacts are identified in Figure 1. The digital output supports up to 1600 x 1200 at 60 Hz or up to 1920x1200 at 60 Hz with reduced blanking).

The computer detects the type of display adapter that is plugged in and programs the graphics IC to route the appropriate video signals to the connector.

The signal assignments on the mini-DVI connector are shown in Table 7. The cable detect function on pin 25 is implemented by connecting pin 25 to +5V in the adapters. The computer detects which adapter is present by reading its EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) via DDC. The EDID for video is in the adapter; the EDID for VGA and DVI is in the display.

Table 7  Mini-DVI pin assignments

Pin	Signal name	Pin	Signal name
1	Dat2_P	17	+5V
2	Dat2_N	18	DDC_DAT
3	Dat1_P	19	spare
4	Dat1_N	20	BLUE
5	Dat0_P	21	not installed
6	Dat0_N	22	GREEN
7	CLK_P	23	not installed
8	CLK_N	24	RED
9	DGND	25	Detect
10	DGND	26	DDC_CLK
11	DGND	27	spare
12	DGND	28	DGND
13	DGND	29	HSYNC
14	DGND	30	DGND
15	DGND	31	VSYNC
16	DGND	32	DGND

Graphics ICs

The 17-inch iMac G5 graphics IC is an ATI Radeon X600 Pro with 128 MB DDR RAM. The 20-inch iMac G5 graphics IC is an ATI Radeon X600 XT with 128 MB DDR RAM. Both graphics controllers contain 2D and 3D acceleration engines, front-end and back-end scalers, and a display controller, and connect to the PCI Express bus via a x16 link.

The display signal generated for the flat-panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirroring mode; see Table 10. For information about the display and supported resolutions, see Graphics ICs. Composite video and S-video signals can be displayed on either an NTSC display or a PAL display; see Table 11.

Flat-Panel Display

The flat-panel iMac G5 has a built-in 17-inch widescreen or a 20-inch widescreen display, measured diagonally. The displays are backlit by a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL). The displays use TFT (thin-film transistor) technology for high contrast and fast response.

The 17-inch display contains 1440 x 900 pixels and the 20-inch display contains 1680 x 1050 pixels. Both graphics subsystems can show up to millions of colors.

Both displays support 3D acceleration and display depths up to 24 bits per pixel at all screen resolutions. For more information, see Graphics ICs.

The graphics ICs include a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the iMac G5 can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed in Table 8 for the 20-inch model and Table 9 for the 17-inch model.

Video Monitor Port

The iMac G5 has a port for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode. Video mirroring mode displays the same information on both monitors, enabling the control of a presentation on one display, while allowing an audience to watch the presentation on a second display or projector.

Because of display mirroring, the external monitor could have black borders during mirroring, depending on the supported timings between the two displays and on the monitor’s selection algorithm. Both displays show full-sized images only when the display resolution for the second monitor is set to the first display’s native resolution: 1680x1050 on the 20-inch display and 1440x900 on the 17-inch display.

The external monitor supports user-selectable display sizes up to 2048x1536 at 75 Hz.

Monitor Connector

The video display connector is a 14-pin rectangular connector, Hosiden TCX3143, or compatible. The connector accepts either a VGA adapter or a composite adapter. The system requires a composite adapter to use composite output over this connector.

The pins and signals are listed in Table 10. An adapter is available for use with monitors with VGA 15-pin miniature D-type connectors.

Table 10  Video signals for a VGA RGB display

Pin	Signal name	Pin	Signal name
1	Ground	8	+5 volts
2	VSync	9	Blue video
3	Hsync	10	DDC data
4	Red return	11	DDC clock
5	Red video	12	Ground
6	Green return	13	/Cable detect
7	Green video	14	Blue return

The cable detect function on pin 13 is implemented by connecting pin 13 to ground in the display cable. The computer gathers the display's capabilities by reading its EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) via DDC.

The video display connector is compliant with the VESA specification.

Graphics Subsystem

Internal to the North Bridge IC is the graphics subsystem, which includes the Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144 MB DDR2 SDRAM shared with the main memory. An additional 16 MB is required when using an external display. The internal graphics interface dynamically switches between 250 MHz and 667 MHz, depending on the graphics load and power management.

The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines. The GPU has a back-end scaler for the LVDS panel and uses a software scaler for external DVI displays that don't have their own hardware scalers.

The display signal generated for the flat panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirror mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Support.

Flat Panel Display

The GMA X3100 includes a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the MacBook can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed below.

External Display Port

The MacBook has a mini-DVI connector for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For a description of the mini-DVI connector, refer to Figure 1 and Table 7.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

External Display Modes

The computer supports two external display modes: video mirroring and extended desktop. The default is extended desktop mode. To toggle between the two modes, use the Displays pane in System Preferences.

Video Display Adapter

The MacBook detects the type of display adapter that is plugged in and programs the graphics subsystem to route the appropriate video signals to the connector. The signal assignments on the video connector when the composite adapter is attached are shown in Table 11.

Composite video and S-video signals can be displayed on either an NTSC display or a PAL display. When a display is connected by way of the composite adapter, the computer detects this configuration and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in System Preferences.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

Graphics Subsystem

Internal to the North Bridge IC is the graphics subsystem, which includes the Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144 MB DDR2 SDRAM shared with the main memory. The internal graphics interface dynamically switches between 250 MHz and 667 MHz, depending on the graphics load and power management.

The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines. The GPU has a back-end scaler for the LVDS panel and uses a software scaler for external DVI displays that don't have their own hardware scalers.

The display signal generated for the flat panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirror mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Support.

Flat Panel Display

The GMA X3100 includes a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the MacBook can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed below.

External Display Port

The MacBook has a mini-DVI connector for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For a description of the mini-DVI connector, refer to Figure 1 and Table 7.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

External Display Modes

The computer supports two external display modes: video mirroring and extended desktop. The default is extended desktop mode. To toggle between the two modes, press F7 or use the Displays pane in System Preferences.

Video Display Adapter

The MacBook detects the type of display adapter that is plugged in and programs the graphics subsystem to route the appropriate video signals to the connector. The signal assignments on the video connector when the composite adapter is attached are shown in Table 11.

Composite video and S-video signals can be displayed on either an NTSC display or a PAL display. When a display is connected by way of the composite adapter, the computer detects this configuration and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in System Preferences.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

Graphics Subsystem

Internal to the North Bridge IC is the graphics subsystem, which includes the Intel GMA950 graphics processor with 64 MB DDR2 SDRAM shared with the main memory. The internal graphics interface runs at 250 MHz.

The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines. The GPU has a back-end scaler for the LVDS panel and uses a software scaler for external DVI displays that don't have their own hardware scalers.

The display signal generated for the flat panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirror mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Support.

Flat Panel Display

The GMA950 includes a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the MacBook can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed below.

External Display Port

The MacBook has a mini-DVI connector for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For a description of the mini-DVI connector, refer to Figure 1 and Table 7.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

External Display Modes

The default display mode setting on the MacBook is extended desktop display. To toggle between the two modes, press the F7 key, or go to System Preferences>Displays>Arrangement.

A scaling function is available when the internal display and an external monitor are both operating and the mirror mode is selected. However, the external monitor could have black borders during mirroring, depending on the supported timings between the two displays and on the monitor’s selection algorithm. Black borders are not seen on VGA displays.

Both displays show full-sized images when the display resolution for the external monitor is set to the internal display’s native resolution: 1280 by 800. Both displays can operate with other resolution settings, but in mirror mode, one of the displays may be smaller than the full screen and have a black border around it. With the resolution for the external monitor set to less than 1280 by 800, the image on the internal display is smaller than its screen. For resolution settings larger than 1280 by 800, the image on the external monitor is smaller than its screen.

In mirror mode, the maximum size of the external display is 1280 by 800 at 60 Hz. In extended desktop mode, the maximum size of the external display is 1920 by 1200 at 60 Hz.

Video Display Adapter

The MacBook detects the type of display adapter that is plugged in and programs the graphics subsystem to route the appropriate video signals to the connector. The signal assignments on the video connector when the composite adapter is attached are shown in Table 11.

Composite video and S-video signals can be displayed on either an NTSC display or a PAL display. When a display is connected by way of the composite adapter, the computer detects this configuration and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in System Preferences.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

Graphics Subsystem

Internal to the North Bridge IC is the graphics subsystem, which includes the Intel GMA950 graphics processor with 64 MB DDR2 SDRAM shared with the main memory. The internal graphics interface runs at 250 MHz.

The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines. The GPU has a back-end scaler for the LVDS panel and uses a software scaler for external DVI displays that don't have their own hardware scalers.

The display signal generated for the flat panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirror mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Support.

Flat Panel Display

The GMA950 includes a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the MacBook can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed below.

External Display Port

The MacBook has a mini-DVI connector for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For a description of the mini-DVI connector, refer to Figure 1 and Table 7.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

External Display Modes

The default display mode setting on the MacBook is extended desktop display. To toggle between the two modes, press the F7 key, or go to System Preferences>Displays>Arrangement.

A scaling function is available when the internal display and an external monitor are both operating and the mirror mode is selected. However, the external monitor could have black borders during mirroring, depending on the supported timings between the two displays and on the monitor’s selection algorithm. Black borders are not seen on VGA displays.

Both displays show full-sized images when the display resolution for the external monitor is set to the internal display’s native resolution: 1280 by 800. Both displays can operate with other resolution settings, but in mirror mode, one of the displays may be smaller than the full screen and have a black border around it. With the resolution for the external monitor set to less than 1280 by 800, the image on the internal display is smaller than its screen. For resolution settings larger than 1280 by 800, the image on the external monitor is smaller than its screen.

In mirror mode, the maximum size of the external display is 1280 by 800 at 60 Hz. In extended desktop mode, the maximum size of the external display is 1920 by 1200 at 60 Hz.

Video Display Adapter

The MacBook detects the type of display adapter that is plugged in and programs the graphics subsystem to route the appropriate video signals to the connector. The signal assignments on the video connector when the composite adapter is attached are shown in Table 11.

Composite video and S-video signals can be displayed on either an NTSC display or a PAL display. When a display is connected by way of the composite adapter, the computer detects this configuration and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in System Preferences.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

Graphics Subsystem

Internal to the North Bridge IC is the graphics subsystem, which includes the Intel GMA950 graphics processor with 64 MB DDR2 SDRAM shared with the main memory. The internal graphics interface runs at 250 MHz.

The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines. The GPU has a back-end scaler for the LVDS panel and uses a software scaler for external DVI displays that don't have their own hardware scalers.

The display signal generated for the flat-panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Support.

Flat-Panel Display

The GMA950 includes a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the MacBook can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed below.

External Display Port

The MacBook has a mini-DVI connector for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For a description of the mini-DVI connector, refer to Figure 1 and Table 7.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

External Display Modes

The default display mode setting on the MacBook is extended desktop display. To toggle between the two modes, press the F7 key, or use the Display pane in System Preferences.

A scaling function is available when the internal display and an external monitor are both operating and the mirroring mode is selected. However, the external monitor could have black borders during mirroring, depending on the supported timings between the two displays and on the monitor’s selection algorithm. Black borders are not seen on VGA displays.

Both displays show full-sized images when the display resolution for the external monitor is set to the internal display’s native resolution: 1280 x 800. Both displays can operate with other resolution settings, but in mirroring mode, one of the displays may be smaller than the full screen and have a black border around it. With the resolution for the external monitor set to less than 1280 x 800, the image on the internal display is smaller than its screen. For resolution settings larger than 1280 x 800, the image on the external monitor is smaller than its screen.

In mirroring mode, the maximum size of the external display is 1280 x 800 at 60 Hz. In extended desktop mode, the maximum size of the external display is 1920 x 1200 at 60 Hz.

Video Display Adapter

The MacBook detects the type of display adapter that is plugged in and programs the graphics subsystem to route the appropriate video signals to the connector. The signal assignments on the video connector when the composite adapter is attached are shown in Table 11.

Composite video and S-video signals can be displayed on either an NTSC display or a PAL display. When a display is connected by way of the composite adapter, the computer detects this configuration and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in System Preferences.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

Graphics ICs

The graphics IC is an NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 512 MB GDDR3 SDRAM. The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines, front-end and back-end scalers, and a display controller, and it connects to the PCI Express bus via a 16-lane link.

The display signal generated for the flat-panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Modes.

Flat-Panel Display

The graphics IC includes a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the 17-inch MacBook Pro can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed below.

External Display Port

The 17-inch MacBook Pro has a DVI connector for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For an explanation of display modes, see below. For a description of the DVI connector, refer to Figure 4 and Table 30.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

External Display Modes

The computer supports two external display modes: video mirroring and extended desktop. The default is extended desktop mode. To toggle between the two modes, use the Displays pane in System Preferences.

S-Video/Composite Display Adapter (Sold Separately)

Composite video and S-video signals can be displayed on either an NTSC display or a PAL display. When a display is connected by way of the composite adapter, the computer detects this configuration and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in System Preferences.

The 17-inch MacBook Pro detects the type of display adapter that is plugged in and programs the graphics IC to route the appropriate video signals to the connector. The signal assignments on the video connector when the composite adapter is attached are shown in Table 11.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

Graphics ICs

The graphics IC is an NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with either 256 or 512 MB GDDR3 SDRAM. The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines, front-end and back-end scalers, and a display controller, and it connects to the PCI Express bus via a 16-lane link.

The display signal generated for the flat-panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Support.

Flat-Panel Display

The graphics IC includes a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the 15-inch MacBook Pro can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed below.

External Display Port

The 15-inch MacBook Pro has a DVI connector (specifically, DVI-I for digital and analog interfaces) for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For an explanation of display modes, see below. For a description of the DVI connector, refer to Figure 4 and Table 30.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

External Display Modes

The computer supports two external display modes: video mirroring and extended desktop. The default is extended desktop mode. To toggle between the two modes, use the Displays pane in System Preferences.

S-Video/Composite Display Adapter (Sold Separately)

Composite video and S-video signals can be displayed on either an NTSC display or a PAL display. When a display is connected by way of the composite adapter, the computer detects this configuration and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in System Preferences.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro detects the type of display adapter that is plugged in and programs the graphics IC to route the appropriate video signals to the connector. The signal assignments on the video connector when the composite adapter is attached are shown in Table 11.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

Graphics ICs

The graphics IC is an NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256 MB GDDR3 SDRAM. The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines, front-end and back-end scalers, and a display controller, and it connects to the PCI Express bus via a 16-lane link.

The display signal generated for the flat-panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Support.

Flat-Panel Display

The graphics IC includes a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the 17-inch MacBook Pro can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed in Table 20 and Table 21 below.

External Display Port

The 17-inch MacBook Pro has a DVI connector for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For an explanation of display modes, see below. For a description of the DVI connector, refer to Figure 4 and Table 30.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

External Display Modes

The computer supports two external display modes: video mirroring and extended desktop. The default is extended desktop mode. To toggle between the two modes, press F7 or use the Displays pane in System Preferences.

S-Video/Composite Display Adapter (Sold Separately)

Composite video and S-video signals can be displayed on either an NTSC display or a PAL display. When a display is connected by way of the composite adapter, the computer detects this configuration and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in System Preferences.

The 17-inch MacBook Pro detects the type of display adapter that is plugged in and programs the graphics IC to route the appropriate video signals to the connector. The signal assignments on the video connector when the composite adapter is attached are shown in Table 11.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

Graphics ICs

The graphics IC is an NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with up to 256 MB GDDR3 SDRAM. The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines, front-end and back-end scalers, and a display controller, and it connects to the PCI Express bus via a 16-lane link.

The display signal generated for the flat-panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Support.

Flat-Panel Display

The graphics IC includes a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the 15-inch MacBook Pro can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed below.

External Display Port

The 15-inch MacBook Pro has a DVI connector (specifically, DVI-I for digital and analog interfaces) for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For an explanation of display modes, see below. For a description of the DVI connector, refer to Figure 4 and Table 30.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

External Display Modes

The computer supports two external display modes: video mirroring and extended desktop. The default is extended desktop mode. To toggle between the two modes, press F7 or use the Displays pane in System Preferences.

S-Video/Composite Display Adapter (Sold Separately)

Composite video and S-video signals can be displayed on either an NTSC display or a PAL display. When a display is connected by way of the composite adapter, the computer detects this configuration and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in System Preferences.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro detects the type of display adapter that is plugged in and programs the graphics IC to route the appropriate video signals to the connector. The signal assignments on the video connector when the composite adapter is attached are shown in Table 11.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

Graphics ICs

The graphics IC is an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256 MB GDDR3 SDRAM. The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines, front-end and back-end scalers, and a display controller, and it connects to the PCI Express bus via a 16-lane link.

The display signal generated for the flat-panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Support.

Flat-Panel Display

The graphics IC includes a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the 17-inch MacBook Pro can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed below.

External Display Port

The 17-inch MacBook Pro has a DVI connector for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For an explanation of display modes, see below. For a description of the DVI connector, refer to Figure 4 and Table 30.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

External Display Modes

The default display mode setting on the 17-inch MacBook Pro is extended desktop display. To toggle between the two modes, press F7 or go to the Display pane of System Preferences.

A scaling function is available when the internal display and an external monitor are both operating and the mirroring mode is selected. However, the external monitor could have black borders during mirroring, depending on the supported timings between the two displays and on the monitor’s selection algorithm.

Both displays show full-sized images when the display resolution for the external monitor is set to the internal display’s native resolution: 1680 x 1050. Both displays can operate with other resolution settings, but in mirroring mode, one of the displays may be smaller than the full screen and have a black border around it. With the resolution for the external monitor set to less than 1680 x 1050, the image on the internal display is smaller than its screen. For resolution settings larger than 1680 x 1050, the image on the external monitor is smaller than its screen.

In mirroring mode, the maximum size of the external display is 1680 x 1050. In extended desktop mode, the maximum size of the external display is 2560 x 1600 at 60 Hz.

Video Display Adapter

The 17-inch MacBook Pro detects the type of display adapter that is plugged in and programs the graphics IC to route the appropriate video signals to the connector. The signal assignments on the video connector when the composite adapter is attached are shown in Table 11.

Composite video and S-video signals can be displayed on either an NTSC display or a PAL display. When a display is connected by way of the composite adapter, the computer detects this configuration and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in System Preferences.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

Graphics ICs

The graphics IC is an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 128 MB or 256 MB GDDR3 SDRAM. The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines, front-end and back-end scalers, and a display controller, and it connects to the PCI Express bus via a 16-lane link.

The display signal generated for the flat-panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Support.

Flat-Panel Display

The graphics IC includes a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the 15-inch MacBook Pro can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed below.

External Display Port

The 15-inch MacBook Pro has a DVI connector (specifically, DVI-I for digital and analog interfaces) for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For an explanation of display modes, see below. For a description of the DVI connector, refer to Figure 4 and Table 30.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

External Display Modes

The default display mode setting on the 15-inch MacBook Pro is extended desktop display. To toggle between the two modes, press F7 or go to the Display pane in System Preferences.

A scaling function is available when the internal display and an external monitor are both operating and the mirroring mode is selected. However, the external monitor could have black borders during mirroring, depending on the supported timings between the two displays and on the monitor’s selection algorithm.

Both displays show full-sized images when the display resolution for the external monitor is set to the internal display’s native resolution: 1440 x 900. Both displays can operate with other resolution settings, but in mirroring mode, one of the displays may be smaller than the full screen and have a black border around it. With the resolution for the external monitor set to less than 1440 x 900, the image on the internal display is smaller than its screen. For resolution settings larger than 1440 x 900, the image on the external monitor is smaller than its screen.

In mirroring mode, the maximum size of the external display is 1680 x 1050. In extended desktop mode, the maximum size of the external display is 2048 x 1536 at 60 Hz or 75 Hz.

Video Display Adapter

The 15-inch MacBook Pro detects the type of display adapter that is plugged in and programs the graphics IC to route the appropriate video signals to the connector. The signal assignments on the video connector when the composite adapter is attached are shown in Table 11.

Composite video and S-video signals can be displayed on either an NTSC display or a PAL display. When a display is connected by way of the composite adapter, the computer detects this configuration and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in System Preferences.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

Graphics ICs

The graphics IC is an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256 MB GDDR3 SDRAM. The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines, front-end and back-end scalers, and a display controller, and it connects to the PCI Express bus via a 16-lane link.

The display signal generated for the flat-panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Support.

Flat-Panel Display

The graphics IC includes a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the 17-inch MacBook Pro can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed below.

External Display Port

The 17-inch MacBook Pro has a DVI connector for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For an explanation of display modes, see below. For a description of the DVI connector, refer to Figure 4 and Table 30.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

External Display Modes

The default display mode setting on the 17-inch MacBook Pro is extended desktop display. To toggle between the two modes, press F7 or go to the Display pane of System Preferences.

A scaling function is available when the internal display and an external monitor are both operating and the mirroring mode is selected. However, the external monitor could have black borders during mirroring, depending on the supported timings between the two displays and on the monitor’s selection algorithm. Black borders are not seen on VGA displays.

Both displays show full-sized images when the display resolution for the external monitor is set to the internal display’s native resolution: 1680 x 1050. Both displays can operate with other resolution settings, but in mirroring mode, one of the displays may be smaller than the full screen and have a black border around it. With the resolution for the external monitor set to less than 1680 x 1050, the image on the internal display is smaller than its screen. For resolution settings larger than 1680 x 1050, the image on the external monitor is smaller than its screen.

In mirroring mode, the maximum size of the external display is 1680 x 1050. In extended desktop mode, the maximum size of the external display is 2560 x 1600 at 60 Hz.

Video Display Adapter

The 17-inch MacBook Pro detects the type of display adapter that is plugged in and programs the graphics IC to route the appropriate video signals to the connector. The signal assignments on the video connector when the composite adapter is attached are shown in Table 11.

Composite video and S-video signals can be displayed on either an NTSC display or a PAL display. When a display is connected by way of the composite adapter, the computer detects this configuration and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in System Preferences.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

Graphics ICs

The graphics IC is an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 128 MB or 256 MB GDDR3 SDRAM. The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines, front-end and back-end scalers, and a display controller, and it connects to the PCI Express bus via a 16-lane link.

The display signal generated for the flat-panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode; see External Display Support.

Flat-Panel Display

The graphics IC includes a scaling function that expands smaller-sized images to fill the screen. By means of the scaling function, the MacBook Pro can show full-screen images at the resolutions listed below.

External Display Port

The MacBook Pro has a DVI connector for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. For an explanation of display modes, see below. For a description of the DVI connector, refer to Figure 4 and Table 30.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

External Display Modes

The default display mode setting on the MacBook Pro is extended desktop display. To toggle between the two modes, press F7 or go to the Display pane in System Preferences.

A scaling function is available when the internal display and an external monitor are both operating and the mirroring mode is selected. However, the external monitor could have black borders during mirroring, depending on the supported timings between the two displays and on the monitor’s selection algorithm. Black borders are not seen on VGA displays.

Both displays show full-sized images when the display resolution for the external monitor is set to the internal display’s native resolution: 1440 x 900. Both displays can operate with other resolution settings, but in mirroring mode, one of the displays may be smaller than the full screen and have a black border around it. With the resolution for the external monitor set to less than 1440 x 900, the image on the internal display is smaller than its screen. For resolution settings larger than 1440 x 900, the image on the external monitor is smaller than its screen.

In mirroring mode, the maximum size of the external display is 1680 x 1050. In extended desktop mode, the maximum size of the external display is 2048 x 1536 at 60 Hz or 75 Hz.

Video Display Adapter

The MacBook Pro detects the type of display adapter that is plugged in and programs the graphics IC to route the appropriate video signals to the connector. The signal assignments on the video connector when the composite adapter is attached are shown in Table 11.

Composite video and S-video signals can be displayed on either an NTSC display or a PAL display. When a display is connected by way of the composite adapter, the computer detects this configuration and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in System Preferences.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

Graphics Subsystem

Internal to the North Bridge IC is the graphics subsystem, which includes the Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 64 MB DDR2 SDRAM shared with the main memory. The internal graphics interface dynamically switches between 167 MHz and 500 MHz, depending on the graphics load and power management.

The graphics controller contains 2D and 3D acceleration engines. The GPU has a back-end scaler for the LVDS panel and uses a software scaler for external DVI displays that don't have their own hardware scalers.

The display signal generated for the flat panel display is simultaneously available for an external monitor in mirror mode and extended desktop display mode.

External Display Port

The MacBook Air has a micro-DVI connector for an external video monitor and supports video mirroring mode and extended desktop display mode. The figure below shows the contact configuration for the micro-DVI connection and Table 27 lists the signals and pin assignments.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

External Display Modes

The computer supports two external display modes: video mirroring and extended desktop. The default is extended desktop mode. To toggle between the two modes, use the Displays pane in System Preferences.

Graphics Subsystem

Internal to the North Bridge IC is the graphics subsystem, which includes the Intel GMA950 graphics processor with 64 MB DDR2 SDRAM shared with the main memory. The Mac mini has a DVI connector for an external video monitor. The internal graphics interface runs at 400 MHz.

External Display Port

The Mac mini has a DVI connector for an external video monitor. For a description of the DVI connector, refer to Figure 4 and Table 30.

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

DVI video output supports digital resolutions up to 1920 x 1200 pixels. The Mac mini supports the 20-inch Apple Cinema Display and the 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display. The Mac mini supports coherent digital displays up to 154 MHz and non-coherent digital displays up to 135 MHz.

VGA video output supports analog resolutions up to 1920 x 1080 pixels.

Video Display Adapter

The Mac mini detects the type of display adapter that is plugged in and programs the graphics IC to route the appropriate video signals to the connector. The signal assignments on the video connector when the composite adapter is attached are shown in Table 11.

Composite video and S-video signals can be displayed on either an NTSC display or a PAL display. When a display is connected by way of the composite adapter, the computer detects this configuration and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in System Preferences.

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

Graphics Cards

Supported graphics cards have both single-link and dual-link DVI. Single-link DVI ports support 23-inch Apple Cinema Displays at 1920 x 1200. Dual-link DVI ports support 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Displays at 2560 x 1600. All ports support a 32-bit resolution of 2048 x 1536 at 85 Hz. Multiple PCI Express graphics cards can support three or more displays, or can add support for a second 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display.

The configure-to-order NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 occupies two PCI Express slots. For information on PCI expansion, refer to PCI Developer Note. For information on video memory and power, refer to Table 28. For information on port support, refer to Table 29.

All of the graphics cards support dual displays in either extended desktop or video mirroring mode; for more detail, see Dual Display Extended and Mirroring Modes.

The Power Mac G5 comes with a high-performance PCI Express graphics card with DDR or DDR3 SDRAM memory. Table 28 lists the supported NVIDIA graphics cards, video memory, and power.

The configure-to-order Quadro FX 4500 has a stereo 3D port and occupies two PCI Express slots.

Both ports on the graphics cards support analog monitors and dual displays in either extended desktop or video mirroring mode. Table 29 lists the displays supported by port 1 and port 2.

For information on video ports, see Video Monitor Ports. For information on PCI Express expansion slots, refer to PCI Developer Note.

Video Monitor Ports

The following sections describe the video connectors on the graphics cards.

DVI Connector

Figure 4 shows the contact configuration for the DVI connector; Table 30 lists the signals and pin assignments.

Table 30  Signals on the DVI connector

Pin	Signal name	Pin	Signal name
1	TMDS Data2–	13	TMDS Data3+
2	TMDS Data2+	14	+5V Power
3	TMDS Data2/4 Shield	15	Ground for +5V Power
4	TMDS Data4–	16	Hot Plug Detect
5	TMDS Data4+	17	TMDS Data0–
6	DDC Clock	18	TMDS Data0+
7	DDC Data	19	TMDS Data0/5 Shield
8	Analog vertical sync	20	TMDS Data5–
9	TMDS Data1–	21	TMDS Data5+
10	TMDS Data1+	22	TMDS Clock Shield
11	TMDS Data1/3 Shield	23	TMDS Clock+
12	TMDS Data3–	24	TMDS Clock–
C1	Analog red	C4	Analog horizontal sync
C2	Analog green	C5	Analog ground (analog R, G, B return)
C3	Analog blue

The graphics data sent to the digital monitor use transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS). TMDS uses an encoding algorithm to convert bytes of graphics data into characters that are transition-minimized to reduce EMI with copper cables and DC balanced for transmission over fiber optic cables. The TMDS algorithm also provides robust clock recovery for greater skew tolerance with longer cables or low-cost short cables.

DVI to Video Adapter

The GeForce 6600 LE and GeForce 6600 graphics cards support an optional DVI to S-video/composite adapter that provides S-video and composite output to a PAL or NTSC video monitor or VCR. When a display is connected by way of the video adapter, the computer detects the type of adapter and enables the composite and S-video outputs. The settings for the resolutions and standards (NTSC or PAL) are then selectable in the Display pane in System Preferences .

The video output connector is a 7-pin S-video connector. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of the pins and Table 31 shows the pin assignments on the composite out and S-video connector.

Table 31  Pin assignments for the S-video output connector

Pin number	S-video output connector
1	Analog GND
2	Analog GND
3	Video Y (luminance)
4	Video C (chroma)
5	composite video
6	Unused
7	Unused

The Power Mac G5 computer provides video output at picture sizes and frame rates compatible with the NTSC and PAL standards; the picture sizes are listed in Table 32. Those picture sizes produce under-scanned displays on standard monitors.

Table 32  Picture sizes for S-video output

Picture size	Pixel depth
800 x 600	24 bpp
832 x 624	24 bpp
1024 x 768	24 bpp

Dual Display Extended and Mirroring Modes

The Power Mac G5 is equipped with two graphics DVI ports. The Power Mac G5 can support dual displays in both extended desktop and video mirroring modes. The Quadro FX 4500 graphics card can drive two 30” Apple Cinema HD Displays.

To switch between extended desktop and video mirroring modes, enable the “Mirror Displays” option on the Arrangement tab in the Displays pane of System Preferences.

The scaling function is available when both monitors are operating and the mirroring mode is selected. Either monitor could have black borders during mirroring, depending on the supported timings between the two displays and on the monitor’s selection algorithm. Both displays show full-sized images only when the resolutions match. Both displays can operate with other resolution settings, but in mirroring mode, one of them has a display that is smaller than the full screen and has a black border around it.