Widescreen Gaming Forum

Hi all,

This is my first post on here. Ive been reading a whole bunch of posts in this forum about how passive DP->DVI cables do not work in eyefinity. However this link http://support.amd.com/us/eyefinity/Pages/eyefinity-dongles.aspx from ATI lists some passive connectors as being compatible so long as you dont wish that one screen exceeding 1920x1200. Am I missing something that has been answered in one of the many threads?

Cheers

The community seems to be getting mixed results with those adapters, in real world use. Some of them seem to work, some of them don't. We even had two different forum members indicate that one in particular worked for one of them, but not for the other.

Hmm wonder if they were using the same brand of card? Would be good to have some soft of compatibility chart or list that can be built up by the members that includes the card model, brand and dongle, short note as to its success and a confirmed total. If there is one I have not come across it yet. I'm thinking of something similar to this one for wii compatible HDD's http://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/index.php?title=USB_Devices_Compatibility_List#300GB. Anyone think its a good idea?

Saw this a while back, posted over on another forum Im on but nobody seemde in the slight bit interested.
From what I've read it seems the Active DPs need the extra power for higher res, I couldn't actually find anythig that said which res needed it tho :(

I've ended up with a Apple DP adapter and a fmdp > mdp cable but still having troubles :(

I'm too lazy to search for it right now, but I remember reading a long, detailed post by somebody on this forum that said an "active" adapter was needed for the third monitor because the 5870 (and 5970) cards are only capable of providing two DVI/HDMI synchronization/timing signals at once. The third monitor, if its using DVI or HDMI, will always need the timing signal generated for it by something other than the 5870 card. This is why an active adapter is needed, as opposed to a passive one. It had nothing to do with the resolution. It was because only the active adapters have the electronics in them to generate this timing signal that the 5870 card cannot provide for the third monitor.

Somebody on amazon, wrote the following about passive adapters (http://www.amazon.com/Accell-B087B-001B-UltraAV-DisplayPort-Adapter/dp/B001CXXD2Q/ref=pd_cp_e_3):

I bought this to run 3 monitors on an ATI 5770. I thought I could use this because it says right on the package "Active Technology" and I knew that passive adapters won't work for three monitors. Yes, this will work if you want to run two monitors but in order for the ATI 5770 to be able to output to 3 monitors, one must be NATIVE DisplayPort and an active adapter is required to convert that signal to DVI... but even though this claims "Active Technology" and that it has built-in circuitry and "Features a Self-Powered Design" it DOESN'T WORK TO RUN 3 MONITORS! Check ATI's site for "ATI Eyefinity Validated Dongles".

Additional info: It seems the 5000 series cards have two RAMDACs so they can only output two signals that require a RAMDAC. A native DisplayPort signal does not require a RAMDAC. Because of the two RAMDAC limitation, the only way to get three monitors is to use a native DisplayPort signal because it doesn't require a RAMDAC. Passive converters DO NOT convert native DisplayPort signals and THEREFORE REQUIRE the use of a RAMDAC. Because only 2 RAMDACs are available, a passive adapter, which requires another RAMDAC, won't work for 3 monitor setups.

So I wouldn't waste my money in a passive adapter if you really want to connect 3 screens...

Passive ones are to be used for 2X screen configurations. For a third screen and above, you need either an active adapter or a DP-VGA (analog) adapter.

I'm locking this thread, since the subject already excist. Please go here for further discussion of this:
http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=18584