SGI 1600SW

The 1600SW is a widescreen flat panel video monitor from Silicon Graphics introduced in 1998. It won many awards after release. It is notable for longevity, with used models still actively traded on eBay a decade later, despite the difficulty adapting the monitor to run with modern video cards. The 1600SW uses an OpenLDI video interface.

Formac sold the same monitor bundled with its own OpenLDI graphics adapter as Formac ProVitron 18/500. Radius sold the monitor as the Article which differed mainly in having a translucent white case and a conventional mount. SGI sold the monitor primarily under Model #AM173Y01.

For its time the 1600SW was revolutionary, featuring a 17.3 inch diagonal wide screen panel, in a market then dominated by CRT monitors. The 1600SW had a 16:10 aspect ratio (referred to by SGI as SuperWide) with a resolution of 1600 x 1024 pixels. The refresh rate was 60 Hz in 24-bit color and 110 dpi (which makes for a smaller dot pitch than most competitive monitors). The 1600SW shared the same styling motif as the SGI Visual Workstation 320. 540 and O2, with a unique (and troublesome) off-center mount. The display won a dozen international awards and despite its age, it still compares well to modern displays produced a decade later. At introduction the 1600SW cost in the neighborhood of $2500.

Complete List of PCI Video Cards with an 1600SW connector

* Formac ProFormance 3 (special version with OpenLDI)
* Number Nine Revolution IV (special version with OpenLDI)
* 3D Labs Oxygen VX1-1600SW

Monitor switches for OpenLDI

There is a 4-way monitor switch by Dr. Bott called MoniSwitch Pro LDI that allows sharing OpenLDI display among 4 computers, each of which must be equipped with an OpenLDI graphics adapter.

Adapting the 1600SW to Modern Video Cards

OpenLDI is rarely used today, as all popular home and office LCD panel monitors use a DVI-standard connector. There are several companies that make adapter boxes which allow continued use of these older displays. All of these adapters were developed for the 1600SW monitor:

* SGI Multilink Adapter (VGA or DVI) (discontinued)
* Dr. Bott SGI-Saver (DVI) (discontinued)
* [http://pixsolution.com PIXsolution] PIX-Link 1600SW (DVI) (discontinued)
* [http://niktec.com/gfx1.html GFX-1600SW] developed by SGI Engineer Dan Evanicky and sold by [http://niktec.com/ Niktec] (DVI adapter, in passive PCI form factor)

SGI referred to video cards that support the 1600SW's 1600 x 1024 resolution as Super Wide Savvy. Most modern cards have no trouble with this resolution, but on PC based machines, problems and screen distortion can exist during system boot. Apple OS X machines boot directly into the proper resolution. Thus, with a little work, the 1600SW can be adapted to almost any modern computer.

External Links

[http://www.sgi.com/products/legacy/displays.html SGI: Legacy Products: Displays] an archive of original material (P/N AM173Y01).