Display PC Triple Screen Setup

Bonus, do you have a Ati or nvidia gfx card? With an Ati card you need to use at least one display port connector for 3 monitors. My monitors have a native display port input so I use 2xdvi an 1xdisplay port. If you don't have a monitor with a display port you will need a display port connector, you need an 'active' (as opposed to passive) connector. They are about $50 I think.

Ideally all your monitors should have the same native resolution (mine are all 1680x1050) the eyefinity software will treat your 3 monitors like 1. So I run a resolution of around 5060x1050.

Here's the display port adaptor I'm using, Bones ...

https://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=16867

Thanks guys, i got a AMD radeon 6970 graphic card, do i need to get that adaptor Stone and where do i stick it (noob techless me)
[img=AMD]http://static.techspot.com/articles-info/348/images/radeon-6970-ports.jpg[/img]



using a BenQ 23.6 for centre and 2 Asus 23.6's for the side.

Yeah thats good. You will need 2xdvi cables (right hand sockets from your pic) and 1 display port cable (bottom left).

It looks like you have mini display ports. So you may need a mini Active DP Adapter (http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19_621_625&products_id=16880) -> DVI plug -> monitor. Then for the other 2 monitors you just used dvi->dvi (assuming your monitors have dvi input)

What is the make/ model of your 3 monitors?

Also see: http://www.amd.com/us/products/technologies/amd-eyefinity-technology/how-to/Pages/set-up.aspx

I think your options are 1xmini dp (with active adaptor) and either (1xhdmi + 1xdvi) or 2xdvi

Hope that makes sense!!!

Yeah mate ... you need that (or similar) adaptor ... and it goes into the single, longer slot, to the left of the two big DVI ports. A second (power) lead for the adaptor runs to any USB port on the mobo.

Unfortunately for me, the monitors I have only have HDMI inputs, and the displayport adaptor output is a DVI-D signal ... so I had to get an adaptor for my adaptor ...

I have to use DVI-D Female to HDMI Male Adaptors, like ...

http://www.cablechick.com.au/cables/dvi-d-female-to-hdmi-male-adaptor.html

... but if your monitors have DVI inputs, you'll be golden.

And soon, mate, very soon, your "noob techless" status will evaporate

EDIT: ahh ... stupid client interupted my posting and Dusty beat me ...

Great thanks again guys, an adaptor came with my PC for the "longer Slot next to the big DVI ports" (why don't they just call it that) and it has a dvi on the end of it, not sure if its active or passive, i will check it all out and make sure i got the cables ready for when the monitors arrive.
Yer Im a noob to all this stuff but once i get my head around names of things and adaptors for adaptors should be an expert. i didn't know what ram was a few months ago.
My Monitors:
https://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=16166
https://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=16708

I got 3 DVI cables 3 VGA cables and 1 HDMI cable, looks like you dont use the HDMI cable or ports at all? Be simple to just make em all Hdmi wouldn't it and then you just plug them in. These IT Tech guys know how to make things difficult, guess that make it easier to charge $200 an hour.

I think you can use 1 dvi, 1 hdmi and 1 dp. What you cant do is use 2dvi + 1 hdmi. I dont know why but to run 3 monitors you must use at least 1 DP.

So if I were you I would set it up as:
Mon 1 - Dvi output ->Dvi input
Mon 2 - Dvi output ->Dvi input
Mon 3 - mini DP output-> active Dp/dvi convertor -> Dvi input

Stoney to correct me if the Dp convertor stuff is wrong, as I haven't actually used one. But I did read about them when I was getting my monitors.

Hey Bones,
I have that exact graphics card - after several tries (and cables) to get it going
the only way is how Dusty said it.
Both DVI connectors and then the active display port - if it's a cheap adaptor it's not an 'active' one.
good luck - your gonna love it!

Mon 1 - Dvi output ->Dvi input
Mon 2 - Dvi output ->Dvi input
Mon 3 - mini DP output-> active Dp/dvi convertor -> Dvi input

Ok i think i can do this now, any prefered cable for the middle monitor, it is the better of the 3 or do they all output the same in the end.
When you said "Mini DP" out put, is that the one we are now calling "the wide one near the 2 Dvi out puts" Lol .

The card that Bones has uses a regular displayport, not a mini-DP, but other than that, your understanding matches my own, Dusty ... i.e. for eyefinity to work, you need at least one 'active' DP output from the card ... regular-DP or mini-DP doesn't matter, but it MUST be an active DP > DVI convertor ... but here's the rub ...

... heaps of adaptors claim to be 'active' on account of the fact that there is already (apparently) a very small potential (voltage) across the DP socket ... but don't go this route ..! A signal CAN get to your monitor, but it's very unstable/unreliable ... personal experience ... passive adaptors are not really compatible with the data-transfer requirements for DVI or HDMI.

So if it claims to be 'active', but then also says it is a Single-link DVI, it will be house! Only get a DP adaptor if it has a USB cable attached ... the higher bandwith signal that eyefinity needs, requires a Dual-link DVI, i.e. a truely active/powered display port adaptor ... something about the second link (in the dual link) carrying the the extra data that DVI and HDMI need ...

... and if that's all a steamin' pile o' to you, Bones, just remember ... the adaptor MUST have a USB power connection ... and she'll be apples, buddy


Edit: see ... I am full o' crap ... having failed to notice completely that next to the display port on the graphics card are two mini-DPs ... so if, where ever you are, you can hear a siren, don't be alarmed ... it's just a "wit alert" ... go back to whatever it was you were doing, folks ... nothing to see here ... these aren't the droids you're looking for

Thanks Joe, yer I been waiting to get the extra 2 screens, did a couple of big jobs this week and got paid cash, had it spent before i got home, always seems to disappear if it gets home and nothing to show for it. looking forward to the added vision, not expecting to go faster just anticipating a more immersive experience.

Cool Stone i look for the one with the USB connector, i'm a visual not technical so descriptions mean more that titles to me, i get all these words mixed up and meaning nothing to me in the end, but can picture how this is all going to go together, thank you all.
This is it:
2 side screens simply connect to the big ones on the right (DVI outputs) with a straight DVI cable
The middle screen will connect to one of the 2 little plugs on the left (mini-DP) or the "wide one near the 2 DVI outputs" (regular-DP), but it must go through an DP to DVI converter that has a USB plug hanging off it (Active DP to DVI converter).

For a bloke who is not partial to descriptions, that's one that you have nailed, brother Spot on, Bones ... and good luck ... but we'll be here if you need owt

What a great family we have here looking after the little (old man) brother. Will keep you informed of my progress and hope to do a tutorial of it all in the end. Thanks for shifting this conversation to a new thread, I havent worked out how to do that yet and prob take another thread to teach me lol.

Got it hooked up and going, now got to do the adjustments for angles and screen size. Looks good but I must have something set wrong somewhere. I am getting some of the middle screen clipped in I racing, the main menu Is cropped, it has a little cut off either side and on track it makes reading the optimal lap sector thingo difficult cos the titles are cut off. I'm guessing it is either the Eyefinity cutting out the bezel or i got my middle screen resolution up the Sh**.
I went into the graphics cards Eyefinity settings to set it up, all was good except when I went to the adjust the screens bezel thingo a triangle appeared accross the left and middle screens with some arrows to adjust it on the middle screen. After about 2 seconds the middle screen just disappears, hit Esc and it shows up again behind the what to do next popout box, but i cant adjust them.

Hello There,

For nvidia users, I thought I'd post a link to the nvidia geforce page that shows you what to plug where for surround gaming, dependent on the number and type of graphics card you have.

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/3dvision-surround/system-requirements

I've been surround gaming for years and nothing beats playing a PC racing game with multiple monitors, be it on ati or nvidia.