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4 outputs on a card

Gibbs

Gibbs

Gibbs

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Joined
22 Jun 2006
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Belfast
Hello all,

am after a cheapo card (under £200) that has 4 ports. I have 2 x HP 22", 1 HannsG 19" and a 32" HDTV that I want to power.

2 Hps are my main screens and the Hanns is tilted to act as a book reader/docs. I use the HDTV for watching movies from the net and downloads. (legal of course)

I need a card that will power all 4, no need to be a gaming card but just to power the 4 displays

Cheers
 
thatll power VGA ok with them dispayport to vga yokes and one for hdmi

Nice cheers for that I did some goggling and couldnt find something suitable and there it was on the main site ha :confused::D:D
 
Hi there,

If you go for a HD 6850 (£100) card like this, then you can drive four displays.

The only catch is that you will need to connect up two of the displays via the mini-Displayport connections. If your monitors don't support mini/full-size displayport then you will need a pair of active mini-DP to DVI-D adapters (active adapter that convert to VGA and HDMI are also available if needed). Something like the "StarTech Mini DisplayPort to DVI Active Adapter" would do the job if two of the monitors support DVI.

The XFX 6770 card TheRealDeal mentions will also work - but it only comes with displayport outputs and only one active adapter. So if you go with that it would need you to buy a total of three active adapters (at ~£20 each) if you don't have any native displayport monitors- so in the end it would costs around £20 more to set up and the 6770 is less powerful than the 6850.
 
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the card must be able to power 3 VGA displays as thats there only input. Crap I know but I get them cheap from work hence the single connection. Keeps there costs down.

The HDTV is hdmi as usual.

I have been out of the gfx card market for a while so all these DCI-I/DCI-D is recking my head lol. I know ill need apaters of some kind so link me them too.

Be ording once payday comes;)
 
The 6850 cmndr_andi will work then, and performs better than the 5770. However only one DVI port is DVI-I so you need two mini Displayport to VGA. So the 3 VGA displays on the DVI->VGA and mini Displayport-> VGA, and the HDTV on the HDMI port.

There's a list from AMD here on what adapters will garantee to work: http://support.amd.com/us/eyefinity/Pages/eyefinity-dongles.aspx

You will want to look at the Mini DisplayPort to VGA Active list. Seems to be ~£20 on the jungle.

You might need to buy a DVI to VGA adapter, I'm not sure if the OcUK 6850 comes with one so maybe ask them in the customer support section to see if it supplied with the card.
 
Orcvader said:
The 6850 cmndr_andi will work then, and performs better than the 5770. However only one DVI port is DVI-I so you need two mini Displayport to VGA. So the 3 VGA displays on the DVI->VGA and mini Displayport-> VGA, and the HDTV on the HDMI port.

There's a list from AMD here on what adapters will garantee to work: http://support.amd.com/us/eyefinity/Pages/eyefinity-dongles.aspx

You will want to look at the Mini DisplayPort to VGA Active list. Seems to be ~£20 on the jungle.

You might need to buy a DVI to VGA adapter, I'm not sure if the OcUK 6850 comes with one so maybe ask them in the customer support section to see if it supplied with the card.
Click to expand...

Just a thought, couldn't he put a DVI to VGA adapter on the MDP-DVI active adapter that comes in the box for the card first linked (6770)? It is listed as having one which is unusual...

J.
 
bridder said:
Just a thought, couldn't he put a DVI to VGA adapter on the MDP-DVI active adapter that comes in the box for the card first linked (6770)? It is listed as having one which is unusual...

J.
Click to expand...

I think the answer is no.

I'm pretty sure it will only convert the miniDP to DVI-D, not DVI-I, so there's no analog output.
 
I have 2 DVI to VGA adapets already that are running on a X1950XT card (oldie) so can re use them.

So Ill need to buy the 6850 card, and run 3 VGAS using another DVI to VGA adpater and the HDTV on the HDMI? Would I even need the displayport outputs at this stage?
 
Surveyor said:
I think the answer is no.

I'm pretty sure it will only convert the miniDP to DVI-D, not DVI-I, so there's no analog output.
Click to expand...

You are quite correct - the DVI to VGA adapters only work on DVI-I outputs and not DVI-D outputs (since DVI-I carries and analogue signal as well as a digital one). Therefore, only one of the outputs of the graphics card can be used to drive a VGA monitor. Also, you can only drive a maximum of two monitors from the DVI and HDMI ports on the graphics card - so the TV (via HDMI) and one VGA monitor (via the DVI-I port and a VGA adapter) would use up all two - the remainder must all be driven by displayport outputs.


Gibbs said:
I have 2 DVI to VGA adapets already that are running on a X1950XT card (oldie) so can re use them.

So Ill need to buy the 6850 card, and run 3 VGAS using another DVI to VGA adpater and the HDTV on the HDMI? Would I even need the displayport outputs at this stage?
Click to expand...

As for running a DVI to VGA adapter off the active mini-DP to DVI adapter - this won't work - since the output is only DVI-D. The VGA adapters require DVI-I or DVI-A to work with these passive VGA adapters since these ports transmit an analogue signal.

Therefore you need to connect up two VGA monitors via the displayport connections. The AMD page Orcvader linked to gives you a range of options here. Personally I would go with two of the "StarTech Mini DisplayPort to VGA Video Adapter Converter" with part number: "MDP2VGA" as this is certified to work and costs just under £20.
 
aww right so my shopping list would now be:

6850 card and 2 x StarTech Mini DisplayPort to VGA Video Adapter Converter

Thats for 2 displays, then 1 DVI to VGA for the other, HDMI to the HDTV.

Why must it be so complicated lol
 
i do have a spare slot and was thinking about it but theres a wireless card in there as well which doesnt leave much room for a card in between it and the main gfx card.

Plus the fan is busted on the current card and theres just a 120mm fan jerry rigged beside it so time for a upgrade.

Ill be picking up the below in the middle of the week. Or even fine a used card somewhere try my luck

6850 card and 2 x StarTech Mini DisplayPort to VGA Video Adapter Converter

Thats for 2 displays, then 1 DVI to VGA for the other, HDMI to the HDTV.
Click to expand...
 
Yup, and it should all be working nicely. Just a warning, one DVI is DVI-D only, so if you find that display doesn't work, don't panic, just move it to the other DVI port :p.
 
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