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Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphics & Displays > AMD Radeon > [Solved] 7950 Eyefinity Help -- 3 HDMI cables & active mDP?

[Solved] 7950 Eyefinity Help -- 3 HDMI cables & active mDP?

Forum Graphics & Displays : AMD Radeon [Solved] 7950 Eyefinity Help -- 3 HDMI cables & active mDP?

Best answer from kitsunestarwind.

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Hey all,

I've been searching around for what seems like hours and I can't seem to find a definitive answer.

I have an HD 7950 GPU which has 3 ports; HDMI, and 2 miniDP. Right now, I have 3 monitors hooked up via HDMI, HDMI with miniDP adapter, and DVI with miniDP adapter. I cannot run all 3 at once and I understand this is because the 3rd DVI connected monitor would need a ~$100 active adapter.

My question is, since all 3 monitors are HD and I have 3 HDMI cables, can I just get another HDMI to miniDP adapter? Or do I need a $100 one for HDMI too?

AMD has no "active" HDMI adapters on their approved list, the approved adapters are specifically labelled "passive". Will they still work if I have 3 monitors connected via, HDMI, HDMI to mDP and another HDMI to mDP without some weird power supplied active adapter?

Any help is appreciated. I just want to run my eyefinity with HDMI only! Having to drop another $100 is a nasty surprise, or just poor research on my part.

Thanks!


Message edited by Epwna on 02-08-2012 at 10:07:49 PM
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AFAIK you need at least one active adapter for triple display in any configuration with the exception of using display port monitors.
Passive adapters are only usefull if you need to convert one port to another, Active Adapters have the TMDS driver circuitry build into them (i think i am correct here) allowing the card to drive 3+ monitors.

So yes you will need an active adapter. the only way past that limitation is to use a displayport compatible monitor

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Reply to kitsunestarwind

Thanks for the reply, it's disappointing that AMD would list the HDMI adapter as compatible when it is not. I will pick up an active DIV -> mDP adapter and see how that works. I've found some cheaper ones on newegg and people have said that it does.

Thanks again!

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This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey

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