Extend Desktop Across 3 Displays (Asus 5850)

[DrumnBassBBoy]

Today, my third monitor came in, so went to the store, and purchased this:
FRYS.com*|*Monster

I tested the passive VGA setup, and it DOES for sure work. I had 3 displays at once. Only problem was, the adapter was kind of...well....fat. My other adapters and cables were basically falling out of their sockets trying to stay in. I figured since I dropped $50 on that, and people were seeing black screens with that setup; I will just got drop the money and get the active display port adapter. (I am not broke, just cheap) I took the passive adapter back to Frys, mind you this is a 15 - 20 mile drive, and picked up the active adapter.

So...
I get home, and try to get this thing to work, and I can't. No combination that I have tried will work. Honestly, I think this is probably the last time I buy an ATi graphics card. What is the purpose of making a 3 out GPU if you can't simply hook 3 monitors to it, and everything works? Even when I buy what they tell me too, it still doesn't work. I am not concerned with getting this eyefinity crap working, but to just extend my desktop across 3 monitors. Can someone please help me with a combination that may work with what I have to work with?

GPU Outlets:
DVI-A/D/I Female
DisplayPort Female
HDMI Female

Cables & Adapters:
1. VGA > VGA Cable
2. VGA > VGA Cable
3. DVI-D > DVI-D Cable
4. DVI-D > DVI-D Cable
5. DVI-D > DVI-D Cable
6. DVI-D > HDMI Cable
7. HDMI > HDMI Cable
8. DisplayPort > HDMI Cable
9. DisplayPort Male > DVI-D Female Dual-Link Adapter (Active Display Port)
10. DVI-A Male > VGA Female Adapter
11. DVI-A/D/I Female > HDMI Male Adapter

 

[james.wired]

lol this is definitely NOT the card's fault. You need to configure it in Catalyst. Not everything just magically works when you plug in it. Have you visited ATi's website and followed the instructions? You should try that.

And just because nVidia and ATi both have 3(+) outs doesn't mean that they should "just work". Why do you think TV's and DVD players and Playstations and Xbox 360's, and even MOTHERBOARDS via IG have MULTIPLE outs? Because some people prefer to have different native connections. lol next you will get upset because a PS3 won't display across multiple screens even though it has HDMI and A/V out.

It is not the card's fault is all I'm trying to say That is all.

 

[DrumnBassBBoy]

lol this is definitely NOT the card's fault. You need to configure it in Catalyst. Not everything just magically works when you plug in it. Have you visited ATi's website and followed the instructions? You should try that.

And just because nVidia and ATi both have 3(+) outs doesn't mean that they should "just work". Why do you think TV's and DVD players and Playstations and Xbox 360's, and even MOTHERBOARDS via IG have MULTIPLE outs? Because some people prefer to have different native connections. lol next you will get upset because a PS3 won't display across multiple screens even though it has HDMI and A/V out.

It is not the card's fault is all I'm trying to say That is all.

Probably right about the PS3...LMAO...
That gadget just kind of sits in my apartment and collects dust...
What is this catalyst you speak of? Are you talking about modifying the monitors in the screen resolution menu?
-----------------
Just read up on ATi Catalyst and the Catalyst CC. How does this differ from the Win7 screen res CC?

 

[DrumnBassBBoy]

Found this on the internet.
http://www.amd.com/us/Documents/Display_Connectivity.pdf

I went with setup # 5, considering I have an HDMI out, DVI out & DisplayPort out Asus 5850. Took back the Active DisplayPort > DVI adapter, got an Active DisplayPort > VGA adapter, and everything works now.

Mind you, if you go with setup #4 or #5, you can get off a lot cheaper than the rest of the setups.

Active DisplayPort > DVI = $100.00
Active DisplayPort > VGA = $30.00

 

[james.wired]

Whatever works for you I would personally hate to have to use VGA.

 

[DrumnBassBBoy]

I would say def. if I was gaming, I would prefer going all digital.

 

[CalcProgrammer1]

The 58xx has 2 DVI/HDMI hardware units and one DisplayPort hardware unit. This means that you can use 2 DVI/HDMI monitors total. This means 2x DVI, 1x DVI and 1x HDMI, 1x DVI and 1x DVI passive adapter on DP, or 1x HDMI and 1x DVI passive adapter on DP. If you want three DVI/HDMI monitors you NEED an active adapter as the card has only 2 DVI/HDMI signal outputs. The DisplayPort will not have access to the second DVI/HDMI signal output if it is already used by another port and so it will only output DisplayPort signals, which must be converted to DVI signals with an active adapter.

I think the 58xx also has 2 VGA output signals which can either go through the DVI ports with an adapter or through the DisplayPort with a passive adapter.

Any DisplayPort active adapter will not affect these numbers as a DP Active adapter takes a DP signal and converts it to another type (saving the units that already exist on the card for other ports).

EDIT: You MUST use the DisplayPort for any EyeFinity setup. There are two display units on the GPU for DVI/HDMI/VGA and one display unit for DisplayPort. Each DVI port can function as DVI, HDMI (with adapter), or VGA (with passive adapter) and uses one of the two display units when active. The HDMI port also uses one of the display units and can output HDMI (with audio) or DVI (using an adapter).

The DisplayPort can output DisplayPort signals or DVI/HDMI signals directly. If you use a passive adapter (HDMI and DVI only) then it uses one of the two DVI display units. However, if you use either a DisplayPort monitor or an ACTIVE DisplayPort adapter (to HDMI, DVI, or VGA), it uses the third, single DisplayPort display unit and not the DVI/HDMI/VGA unit, allowing for a third monitor in addition to two HDMI, DVI, or VGA monitors. All DisplayPort to VGA adapters are active, although they draw their converter chip power from the DisplayPort and are self contained, usually looking similar to passive adapters.

I just did a test, hooked up two VGA CRT's using two DVI to VGA passive adapters. I then used an HDMI to DVI cable to hook up my single LCD monitor to the HDMI port. All three monitors are recognized by the card but only two may be enabled at a time. I may get a DisplayPort to VGA adapter ($20) because having three monitors would be awesome.