Internal DAC(400MHZ), is it good?

[lzy_tek]

My T42's video card is ATI MR9600 and from the adapter page, I find out its DAC type is "Internal DAC(400MHZ)".

I saw a Gateway notebook which has the same type of video card but different DAC frequency: 350MHZ.

My question is what the difference means to the system?

Will the T42 output better image quality to an external CRT monitor?

TIA

[slagmi]

that's a reference to the graphics memory clock speed only.

not better quality, but faster performance!

that's a great example of an item where IBM could have sacrificed and saved ten or fifteen dollars and did not.

congrats, you've got a very nice Thinkpad there!

[gazingwa]

WOW..... missed the boat on that one...

Yes the T42 will look better on an ANALOG connection than the gateway. And will be able to handle higher resolutions with more grace

DAC... Digital Analog Converter

Your lcd is a digital interface, so is DVI, the DAC is used for the DB15 interface.

ATI 9600 mobility isn't a 400 mhz processor.

[slagmi]

yea, technically it's the speed of reads from memory rather than a reference to the bandwidth of the memory itself. though the image would be the same, it's redrawn faster. your answer is better gazingwa.

lzy_tek, you'll take advantage of that faster RAMDAC only if you actually set the refresh rate higher than on the other system. 85hz is good provided the monitor you are using can support it at whatever resolution you want to use.