Have the 6970 & three monitors... how to get all three working?

[aaron7]

I think I missed something here!

I've been running dual monitors off my MSI 6970 for a while now (both Asus VW246) with one connected to the HDMI port and one using the DVI to HDMI adapter that came with the card.

Since I had an extra DVI port I ordered a third identical monitor only to find out that one of the DVI ports is shared with the HDMI; in other words, you can't run three monitors using the HDMI and both DVI ports.

I know I need an adapter from one of the two (displayport?) connections on the card but I'm confused with this 'active' and 'passive' adapters as I'm not sure which I need.

I've also seen most all the adapters available on Newegg have bad reviews... are there any known good brands?

Thanks!

 

[blacksci]

You need a active adapter. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814999034 the reviews for it are even good, and its only 30 bucks.

 

[ubercake]

You'll have the highest level of success going with the active adapter as recommended by AMD:
http://www.amd.com/us/products/technologies/amd-eyefinity-technology/how-to/Pages/set-up.aspx

I'd go with this 5-egg rated adapter:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814999034

 

[aaron7]

Excellent, thanks for the link guys! Now I can finally play Skyrim with Eyefinity

 

[larkspur]

Just make sure you get the right kind of active displayport (DP) adapter. There are mini DP and regular DP. My 6970 uses regular DP. Other 6970s use mini-DP.

 

[ubercake]

Excellent, thanks for the link guys! Now I can finally play Skyrim with Eyefinity

Would be nice. It's also great in 3D.

 

[jk47]

Would be nice. It's also great in 3D.

It would be, but I don't think a single card could handle that.

in 3D, those 3 screens may as well be 6 screens. Card has to work six times harder to produce the results from one 2D screen. Graphics would sure have to be turned down lowwwww.

 

[aaron7]

Nah, the 6970 will run Skyrim with Eyefinity pretty easily!

Ok guys, that Sapphire adapter arrived today but I still have the same issue. I can enable or disable all three monitors but I'm allowed only two at a time.

Unfortunately I'm guessing that Sapphire adapter isn't a true active unit as it doesn't have an external power connection.

Does this mean I have to drop $100+ on an adapter? That's lame!

 

[blacksci]

Since were not there with you I would go and do a youtube search and see how those guys are hooking it up and activating it.

 

[aaron7]

THe problem seems to be split 50/50. Some people say it works fine and they just plugged it in, some people have the exact issue I have and haven't found a solution

 

[blacksci]

Yeah, performance wise there should be no problem, and unlike nvidia you dont have to have monitors that support the same native resolution and such.

 

[Earnie]

2 monitors using DVI,the 3rd using the dp adapter,then go to ccc,desktop management,creating and arranging desktops,click on the black triangle on 1 of the monitors and click create group.

oh,and all 3 must be plugged into primary card only for crossfire.

 

[aaron7]

I can't use DVI, HDMI, and Displayport? Has to be the DVI ports and the Displayport? Sounds promising... now to find DVI cables lol

 

[blacksci]

yeah, cant run all 3, they want it 2- dvi and the displayport. But sides that there more flexable then nvidia, you have to run 3 dvi and they must all be the same resolution, hrtz, etc.

 

[aaron7]

Yup, using two DVI and one displayport now. Working fine! Wish I could maximize to each monitor and not across all there but that's ok. Maybe they'll fix that in a later release

 

[blacksci]

well you know you could just make separate windows to fit each monitor.

 

[Earnie]

Yup, using two DVI and one displayport now. Working fine! Wish I could maximize to each monitor and not across all there but that's ok. Maybe they'll fix that in a later release

glad its working,there is a way to have 3 diff windows open on the monitors,If i remember correctly,you use hydravision to set that up.

http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/hydravision.aspx