Jon 2010-03-12 00:03
It used to be easy to use multiple monitors with MultiMon; just load up PCI slots after filling a AGP with a couple DVI cords. It's not so simple anymore.
I'm not a gamer, I just like lots of monitors; at lease 4 per computer; preferably 6.
ATI tells me that 3 monitors can run off their newer cards, I have a couple of the Radeon HD5770's. Tech support says in order to run three at lease one has to be plugged into their Display port. I've never seen a monitor with a Display Port connection. You can't run their HDMI and 2 DVI. With a display port to DVI adapter I can get two monitors to work and that's it. ATI says you have to use a special adapter called a Display Port to DVI Dual Link adapter. It uses USB or AC power to make it work. New egg has one but it over $100.
Any suggestions on getting three monitors to work with only one PCI X card? This particular MB only has one PCI x slot.
I'm building a unit on a MSI 790FX-GD70 motherboard , which has 4 PCI express slots. I think that will solve my problem although in "cross fire mode" I understand 4 cards is like having only 2 cards rather than 4. I'll have to experiment with that.
ATI even suggested I use your utility when I called their tech support number trying to get this God forsaken Display Port of theirs to work.
Hogbuoy@aol.com
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ecarlson 2010-03-12 12:57
Thanks for the Display Port info with the Eyefinity cards and 3 monitors. I didn't know about that limitation.
Only 1 PCIe slot? Not even some X1 slots? You can modify either a PCIe X16 card to fit an X1 slot, or an X1 slot to fit an X16 card. (I did the card mod, as you can see on my web site.)
Also why do you want to use crossfire mode? You don't have to use it.
- Eric, www.InvisibleRobot.com
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LittleScooby 2010-03-25 16:17
I'm in the same boat, and is sucks the donkey tail.
I have an ATI HD5850. I knew before purchasing it that I would have to deal with the display port nonsense.
I don't know what they were thinking with this. It's a new tech that may or may not catch on. Currently, there aren't a whole lot of great choices for monitors with the native display port capability. I think ATI is betting this tech will become standard, but for now, it is not.
I saw the crazy USB adapater wonky lookin thing. I know it works but it seems hoaky. I hope they rework this on their next release of video cards.
ATI, if your listening, that was a dumb maneuver to give us this display port junkola.
Eyefinity = Cumbersome
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Dan Rosenberry 2010-04-13 02:10
ATI isn't in the business of designing video cards for desktop usage. I'm sure there was some sort of internal decision as to why to include only two clock signals on the card's board. This limitation is the reason that only two of the "normal" connections can be made to work at once.
DisplayPort is available on higher end monitors. Apple uses it exclusively and Dell has options with it (their Professional and Ultrasharp lines) as does HP. It has some technical advantages that mean DVI may eventually go the way of VGA. I wouldn't call it junkola per se.
I understand the pain of running head on into unseen tech barriers. I'm sorry that you hit this one head on at such high velocity. I still remember the first computer I built where I ordered a motherboard and a CPU only to find that there was such a thing as different socket types...
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LittleScooby 2010-04-18 04:00
Junkola may be the wrong choice of words for what ATI has done in this situation.
It does seem that mistakes were made however. Everyone seems to share the idea that most people are not very happy with the display ports and would prefer standard DVI or HDMI instead.
Perhaps ATI was pushing the envelope too quickly by unleashing the display port issues. I know I would much rather prefer they would have used the standard interfaces with the 5800 series of cards.
Guess we'll have to wait and see what happens, but for right now and the forseeable future, multimon configs using the 5800's do seem limited. The display port market is still too small and limits our choices. Bad move on ATI's part. Just have to wait this one out.
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Greg 2010-05-10 06:43
We use ATI cards exclusively for our multiple display computer systems. The 5770 card is great for CAD and Gaming systems, but the 3rd port can only be attached using the Display Port - you can get a DP to DVI adapter (about $100) to resolve this issue. http://www.amazon.com/Accell-UltraAV-B087B-002B-DisplayPort-Dual-Link/dp/B002ISVI3U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1260221735&sr=8-1
Greg - www.emcworkstations.com
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WisdomWolf 2011-04-12 14:34
I have an ATI 5770 and have three monitors connected currently. I have two connected via DVI and one is connected to a DP -> DVI adapter. You don't need a powered adapter, just an active one. I purchased mine from newegg for under $30 here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814999030&Tpk=Sapphire%20Tech%20100924
Hope that helps.
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devfrag 2011-04-13 03:55
Totally agree with WisdomWolf. The active adapters are much more affordable these days. I run 1-DVI, 1-HDMI, and 1-DisplayPort and it works beautifully. I paid $30 for my adapter on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004071ZX0
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None 2012-03-24 05:17
But what happens if you plug in a TV to the HDMI out in addition to the 2 DVIs and 1 DisplayPort? Wouldn't that make four monitors?
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Mark 2012-03-25 00:33
Look,
I have had same problem with MY video card with 3 connectors^ VGA, DVD-D and Display Port.
VGA output is analog,
DVI (pls wikiped it) has versions both Digital and analog - unfortunately, ATI opted to have ONLY the
Lucky we are, there's also the DISPLAY POR which is both analog and digital.
The convertor DP to VGA is around $10 on ebay.
Cheerio
Mark
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