Eyefinity problem ATI6950

[Toms88]

Hi Guys

Have recently built my new system which has been running flawlessly at 4.5ghz for 2 weeks now

So today i tried to hook up my third display but was greeted with error messages and problems.

My main display (1) is a Dell ST2410 and is connected via HDMI directly from the HDMI port. My second display is a Samsung Syncmaster 22"(2), connected via a DVI-D cable to the top DVI port on the GPU as you look at the back. My third display is a Sony Bravia 40"(3) however this is connected to my Onkyo 7.1(3) Theatre Amp via HDMI. The idea was to use my DVI->HDMI on the GPU and the other end of the HDMI plugs into the Onkyo's HDMI port. I will point on that on my last system (HD2900XT) i had the same setup but just simply switched the cables between the Samsung(2) and the DVI->HDMI to the Onkyo. This worked fine as long as i changed the resolutions and used overscan to get full 1080p on the Sony 40"(3).

This time when i plugged the DVI->HDMI into the lower port on the GPU i get the message that this port does not support Sound. (previously both DVI ports on the 2900XT were able to support audio to the Onkyo Amp(3) )
Then i went into CCC and right clicked on new display option for the Onkyo to "extend" the desktop and it told me i first had to disable a display?! Then it auto switched off the Samsung(2) and put the extended display onto the Sony(3). Now for some reason in both windows and CCC i only have the option of the Dell(1) and the Onkyo(3). Its like it no longer see's the samung(2) plugged in?!

I assumed i would be able to extend the desktop to a third display without a problem...am i missing something or do i HAVE to use the miniport if i want a third screen??

Sorry for the long post but this is really bugging me as this was the biggest reason for me to upgrade systems so i wouldnt have to manually swap leads all the time!

 

[Toms88]

Anyone think this maybe PSU related? I was assured the 550Watt PSU would be enough.

 

[Toms88]

If I'm not mistaken, to use Eyefinity one of the output HAS TO BE via the display port, which you would need a active adapter for to make it display port->DVI.

OcUK unfortunately only sell Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter...try googling Sapphire Active DisplayPort to DVI Adapter.

So your telling me i need to pay 80quid for an adaptor only because my BRAND NEW graphics card has DisplayPort rather than a minidisplay port, of which you can no longer find the adapter because they are discontinued!!
Thats near on half of what i paid for the graphics card anyway....WHAT A RIP OFF!

 

[Toms88]

My Eyefinity setup on a Sapphire 6950 is 2 x DVI and 1 x minidisplay>VGA.

You have to use the minidisplayport or Eyefinity will not work.

Not sure about the sound issue. It may come back if you get rid of the straight HDMI connection adn use the ATI dongle on the DVI to connect through your amp.

Was under the impression that most 6950's came with a mini>normal display port adaptor. Mine did and this is then linked into a displayport>VGA adaptor, connected to my 24" monitor. Dont see any degradation of image quality by using VGA / DSUB connection either, looks identical to the DVI connected monitors

Didnt really think to check at the time but after a quick look i only have

2 X DVI
1 X HDMI
1 X Displayport

The descriptoin on overclockers mentions -
- Display Connectors: 2 Dual-Link DVI-I, 1 HDMI & 2x DisplayPort

Hmmmmm......

 

[Toms88]

I think the cheapest I found was only around £17 when I was googling it...

Try putting "Sapphire Active Display Port to Single Link DVI Adaptor" into google, and then click "shopping" at top.

Ahhh, yep i see. I was assuming i needed the one with a seperate USB cable making it "active", those ones look like passive ones but are labelled as active so il give it a go.

Eyefinity isn't an extended desktop, it's a single resolution, a single desktop.
A 6950 has mini DP doesn't it?

No, thats my mistake, when i bought it i assumed it had 2 x minidisplayports as it only has one standard display port (although its advertised here as 2 x displayport)

 

[Toms88]

OK so now im getting really annoyed with this.

Monitor 1 - Displayport to HDMI (direct cable, one end displayport one end HDMI.
Monitor 2 - DVI - DVI
Montior 3 - HMDI - HDMI

WHY WONT THIS WORK!!!! The the second monitor appears but when i try to extend it still tells me that "To extend a display, a display must be disabled"

Is a Displayport to HDMI cable not good enough, because i dont want a Displayport to DVI, i want Displayport to HDMI. So unless now i need to get a Displayport to DVI, then a DVI to HDMI connected onto that, which seems utterly stupid. I think its ridiculous that it should be this difficult to plug in three screens.

 

[Toms88]

Thanks Shelster.

Its just ive heard so many different things and after ATi and Sapphire werent really sure i started to lose hope that anyone did!

Just to clear up exactly how my setup works i put this together -

Regarding your adapter, is it anything like this?

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=displayport+to+hdmi&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=10388358669032999051&sa=X&ei=Wvo2TvGRCoWLhQfh4eVg&ved=0CDAQ8wIwAA

If so then il just go ahead and try that! I assume it wont matter that both the Sony an Dell will be 1920 x 1080 and the samsung is 1680 x 1050.

 

[Toms88]

Hi mate

Thanks a lot for the offer! I cant seem to find where to send a PM though?

 

[Toms88]

Hi All

After receiving a complimentary DP Active Adapter yesterday from Shelster( thanks again mate!!!) i gave it a go last night.

So now i have connected to the following ports on the Graphics card -

HMDI Port - Direct HDMI lead to my Onkyo Amp 1080(Sony Bravia 40" connected via HDMI)
DisplayPort - DP Active Adapter - DVI to my Samsung (1050)
DVI - DVI direct to the Dell (1080)

So now when im CCC i can see all 3 displays as active, which is fine but for some reason which ever display i try and connect with the Active Adapter shows "no signal" on the monitor.

Is there a particular order in which i need to set it up, or a specific DVI cable i must use, or is it because the Monitors themselves arent compatible?

 

[Toms88]

OK, some mild success!

I turned off the pc, un-plugged all the DVI's and HDMI leaving me with just the DP Adaptor. Plugged my dell into that via a DVI-D Dual Link cable and it worked! Then i plugged the amp into the HDMI and the sammy into the DVI port with a DVI-I Single Link cable. When i tried to create a group something went wrong and i ended up with no display on any of the monitors so i had to restart and boot in safe mode, rollback the drivers and try again. It took me over an hour to get back to 1 display over DVI-D and my gf's getting pretty bored of watching me faff around with it now so ive got to wait until the weekend to try again haha

Im pretty sure its a matter of getting the CCC settings right though now as i have proved the DP adaptor DOES work.

 

[Toms88]

Does anyone know if you can run 3 screens as independent desktops without eyefinity, ie not as 1 group display. So one main and 2 extended?

 

[Toms88]

Haha good to know its possible, how did you go about setting that up?

 

[Toms88]

OK, i got it working that way but for some reason the best resolution i can get from the Sammy is 800x600!!! It can support upto 1680 x 1050 so i dont know. I set other two screens to 1680 x 1050 thinking that would work but no such luck! I think i need to get a new 1080 screen.....but for now if anyone else has any ideas that would be great!