Does DisplayLink software utilize GPU's?
 

I'm thinking of buying an VGA over IP from Startech.com
They use theis driver version: DisplayLink-5.5.29194

I have been trying to find out how the software works on my system. As far as I know it "works closely" with the GPU. But what does that mean exactly.

Will my external monitor (tv in my case) have the full potential of my graphics card? (NV GFX260)

I see a coulpe of threads here with people having problems with games. So I was wondering if the software lets the GPU handle the rendering, and then transmit it thought IP instead of its display port?

I hope people have some experience with this :)

As far as I know, DisplayLink devices have their own graphics card. This is why not everything works properly including anything using 3D acceleration.

After using 5.6, I think this policy changed as the output from my ATi card is now identical to the one on the DisplayLink monitor.

Hi

The answer to this depends on what OS you are on.

On XP, we install a virtal software graphics card, alongside the primary GPU. As this is SW based, it has no hardware acceleration, so things like Direct3D are not available under XP.

On Vista and Windows 7, we wanted to support the Aero experience, so we started using the GPU to do the 3D effects for us and provide hardware acceleration. Once the GPU has done the work for us, the pixels enter our IP to be rendered on the USB screen.

Hope that makes sense.

Wim

Thanks Wim! I'm curious, when did this change happen? I noticed it in 5.6 so I was just wanting to confirm.

This has always been the case. V4.1 was the first release to support Vista and v5.2 was the first release to support Windows 7.

Wim

Then I wonder why I've never experienced it working before until 5.6. And honestly, it was only after installing 5.6 that this functionality worked for me on any of my machines with any of these monitors.