DVI-D plug won't fit in DVI-D port???

Moe024

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Apr 24, 2014
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I upgraded my GFX card to a R9 290x (MSI Lightning) which says plain as day that it has two DVI-D ports. Went to hook everything up and low and behold my monitor plug won't fit (It's VGA with a VGA to DVI-D adapter on the end)

I thought that maybe it was because my adapter was old and that maybe there was a new type of DVI-D plug... but alas no. Looking on New Egg I can only find one VGA to DVI-D cable that looks like it might fit. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812226071 - I already tried 3 VGA to DVI-D adapters I had lying around and none of them fit...

Can anyone explain why there are at least two different kinds of DVI-D plugs, and confirm if that adapter will fit my R9 290x?

 
Hi. You need to check the plugs and the ports here is a chart:
DVI.jpg
 
DVI-VGA adapters generally have the pinout of the DVI-A connection from coastie's post. If you read the comments on that newegg listing there are a couple that say that the picture does not represent what they were shipped which was a DVI-I not DVI-D connector.

Unless your graphics card, through some creativity, supports pumping analog signals out over digital IO pins of DVI-D, it isn't going to work. Generally the RGB signal for the VGA cable is pumped out over the 4 pins around the line on the left side, if you only have a DVI-D you don't have those 4 pins, and likely don't have analog video capability.
 

Moe024

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Apr 24, 2014
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Hi, thank you for the very informative response.

Apparently I have two DVI-I adapters and one DVI-A adapter.... and all three were packaged and sold as DVI-D adapters..... -_-

Looking on NewEgg I can see several DVI-I and DVI-A adapters being listed as being DVI-D adapters...

How in the hell can they get away with such blatant misrepresentation of what the product is??? Is there still something I'm missing?

 


Nope. More than likely something you are catching that nobody else has. That is why it is good to have those charts like I posted. They can be helpful.
 

Moe024

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Apr 24, 2014
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Thanks, I actually realized that was an option this morning... However, I seem to have the worst luck possible when it comes to finding computer parts. I called every single store in my city that might possibly sell anything even remotely computer related. From VOS computers, Radio shack and Best buy, to Fred Meyer, Office Max, and Staples.... I even tried Wal-Mart (ugh)

I can't even begin to stress how frustrating it was to learn that every single freaking store has DVI-A, DVI-I, and Mini display port adapters!!!! None of them carry DVI-D or regular display port adapters or wires of any kind. (a couple of the stores even told me they had DVI-D only to discover when I had them describe the pins that they were actually DVI-A or DVI-I)

Things like this really make me hate this age of buying everything online over the internet. Nothing beats being able to walk into a store and physically hold the item in your hand to confirm it is indeed the correct part that will work before you buy it.

Unfortunately since it seems many DVI-D adapters sold online are mislabeled DVI-A or DVI-I adapters,, I'm going to buy several of them from various sites, as well as a few VGA to Display port adapters... Hopefully one of them will end up working.

And big thanks again to Coastie for the unbelievably helpful chart.