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Uncle Skeleton · Jan 24, 2007, 11:37 AM

Sorry if this is obvious or whatever, but I couldn't find any reference to it.

I was unpacking a new Mac Pro yesterday, and there's a DVI to VGA adapter, and also what I can only guess is a 3-inch DVI extension cable (DVI on both ends, male on one and female on the other), which seems quite useless. What the heck is that thing?

MaxPower · Jan 24, 2007, 12:39 PM

The first rule of 3-inch DVI extension cable is not to talk about 3-inch DVI extension cable.

Nai no Kami · Jan 24, 2007, 12:55 PM

You broke the Seal of the 3 Inch Cable. Prepare for the consequences.

Uncle Skeleton · Jan 24, 2007, 01:15 PM

Do the consequences involve me learning what it's for? I'm ready.

MarkLT1 · Jan 24, 2007, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton

Do the consequences involve me learning what it's for? I'm ready.

Nope.. part of your punishment is never knowing what the 3-IDVIC is for

Uncle Skeleton · Jan 24, 2007, 01:47 PM

You guys are being mean. I'm telling Apple on you.

bowwowman · Jan 24, 2007, 01:56 PM

It was Apple's idea in the 1st place ! HAHAHAHA

peeb · Jan 24, 2007, 02:12 PM

Wouldn't you be annoyed if you wanted to put your monitor just THREE INCHES further than the cable allowed? Wouldn't you be delighted that Apple thought of that?

RevEvs · Jan 24, 2007, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by peeb

Wouldn't you be annoyed if you wanted to put your monitor just THREE INCHES further than the cable allowed? Wouldn't you be delighted that Apple thought of that?

LOL!!!

Sub · 06:35 PM

It's way to much, I only need 2 inches of extra cable for my display, what a waste of money!

wr11 · Jan 24, 2007, 03:26 PM

I would tell you what it is for... but this is way too funny!

MaxPower · Jan 24, 2007, 04:56 PM

So its really just a 3-inch DVI cable with male DVI on one end and female DVI on another end? I looked on the Apple store and couldnt find anything that fits the bill. Since all I got in my Mac Pro box was the DVI-VGA cable, I'm going to chock it up to some factory workers unhealthy obsession with the sign of Ouroboros. Better connect the ends together and hang it on your wall as a keepsake.

brokenjago · Jan 24, 2007, 05:47 PM

I would have to concur with MaxPower. All I got with my Mac Pro was a DVI to VGA adapter.

Ouroboros forever!!!

Uncle Skeleton · Jan 24, 2007, 05:57 PM

The ends are too fat to let it connect to itself.

Someone please tell me. PM it to me if you're too embarrassed to let everyone know that you know.

chris v · Jan 24, 2007, 06:06 PM

Sounds like the 12 year old kid in Sigapore who's responsible for soldering the VGA end on the dongle grabbed the wrong part, & his 14 year old quality control inspector was asleep at the switch.

Uncle Skeleton · Jan 24, 2007, 07:01 PM

But I got the VGA adapter too. Was it supposed to come with 2 VGA adapters? The video card has 2 DVI ports. I like VGA adapters; if I deserve another one, I want it.

MaxPower · 07:06 PM

I want to help! But I really don't know what that could be. If it is indeed a full size DVI-M to DVI-F, I have no idea why it's so small.

Could you snap a pic and dump it on ImageShack� - Hosting ?

OOH Hold the phone!! Could it possibly be a DVI-i to DVI-d connector? Does one side have a flat connector and the other have a cross shaped one in the same place?

MarkLT1 · Jan 24, 2007, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by MaxPower

I want to help! But I really don't know what that could be. If it is indeed a full size DVI-M to DVI-F, I have no idea why it's so small.

Could you snap a pic and dump it on ImageShack� - Hosting ?

That's exactly what it is- a DVI-M on one end, a DVI-F on the other, and about 2 1/2" of cable between. One came with my MP as well.

My only guess is that it might be for some strange case where a monitor's DVI cable plug is too big to fit in the space provided? It almost reminds me of the short little VGA patch cables that came with the 3DFX VooDoo 1 cards way back in the day..

Uncle Skeleton · Jan 24, 2007, 07:27 PM

I'm pretty sure both ends have just the flat connector.

So am I to understand that some Macs come with this and some don't? Why would that be?

I'll post pics when I get home.

mduell · Jan 24, 2007, 08:12 PM

Could be a DVI-I to DVI-D converter. Just in case your display has a DVI-I connector and your video card only has the DVI-D connector.

Cadaver · Jan 24, 2007, 09:46 PM

OK - here's the real, actual use of the cable.

The two DVI ports on at least the nVidia 7300GT (perhaps the X1900XT, too) are too close to each other to allow two DVI connectors to fit, depending on how fat the connectors are. The 3" extender Apple provides is to help two DVI connectors fit if they're too fat to fit next to each other.

Sorry to spoil the fun.

Leonard · Jan 24, 2007, 10:06 PM

Aaaaaawwwww Cadaver, you spoiled all the fun.

I can't believe anyone else got it, though. I'm sure if you search the forum, this question has been answered before.

Uncle Skeleton · Jan 25, 2007, 01:36 AM

I guess there's no point in pictures now.

So how come some people didn't get these?

bowwowman · Jan 25, 2007, 07:06 AM

we all knew that we all knew that you didnt know what is was, so now that we all know that you know that we knew in the 1st place, now we can all say that we can all say that we all knew what it was, but we just didnt want to tell you that we didnt want to tell you what it was

huumm......game over, NOW I'm bored

analogika · Jan 25, 2007, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by Cadaver

OK - here's the real, actual use of the cable.

The two DVI ports on at least the nVidia 7300GT (perhaps the X1900XT, too) are too close to each other to allow two DVI connectors to fit, depending on how fat the connectors are. The 3" extender Apple provides is to help two DVI connectors fit if they're too fat to fit next to each other.

Sorry to spoil the fun.

Bingo!

It's a fix for a graphics-card design ****-up - and it is a pretty funny ****-up, but completely brain-dead nonetheless.

Some machines didn't come with this adapter because they have sensibly designed graphics cards.

brokenjago · Feb 2, 2007, 10:39 PM

I'm assuming mine didn't come with one because I have the X1900XT, which seems to have sensibly spaced DVI ports.

bearcat2000 · Feb 3, 2007, 01:25 PM

The answer to the question: When one has an ADC display and needs to use an ADC-DVI converter, the end on the DVI converter will not fit side by side another DVI end plugged into the PowerMac if you have 2 displays going on one card. I had this exact issue and I was like, "what the hell?" because I couldn't plug in both DVI cables...lo and behold Apple to the rescue. Very cool indeed.

shabbasuraj · 01:16 AM

This thread needs pics.

Seriously...

bowwowman · Feb 5, 2007, 08:06 AM

Originally Posted by shabbasuraj

This thread needs pics.

Seriously...

preferably pics with a hot babe (or 2) holding the cable

TimmyDee51 · Feb 5, 2007, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by Cadaver

OK - here's the real, actual use of the cable.

The two DVI ports on at least the nVidia 7300GT (perhaps the X1900XT, too) are too close to each other to allow two DVI connectors to fit, depending on how fat the connectors are. The 3" extender Apple provides is to help two DVI connectors fit if they're too fat to fit next to each other.

Sorry to spoil the fun.

While this may be, I think it's also a DVI-i/DVI-d adapter. I've got an old Manta-style Apple Studio Display that I use as my secondary monitor, and it didn't work by just plugging it straight into the graphics card (which is a 7300, granted). Once I put the little 3" guy on there, it worked fine.

macgeek2005 · Feb 5, 2007, 04:18 PM

I'm not so sure. While it may simply be a fix to allow two plugs to be plugged into the card, it's true that one end is DVI-I and the other is DVI-D. I'm positive of this.

So it could serve both purposes.

Uncle Skeleton · Feb 5, 2007, 06:00 PM

No. They are both DVI-D. I didn't think it was necessary to post pics when everyone was just poking fun. If you really need proof, I will though.