ATI Radeon HD 5770 and 3 monitors : 2x mini DisplayPort to HDMI, 1x DVI-D to DVI-D

Prolem solved.

I bought an active mini displayport -> HDMI from startech :

StarTech.com MDP2HDS Mini DisplayPort Male to HDMI Female Active Adapter Audio Converter 1920x1200.

Now I have :

Graphic card DVI output: NEC E231W, 1920x1080, directly connected with DVI cable.

Graphic card mini displayport 1: TV connected with active mini displayport to hdmi, 1920x1080, audio output works. In fact, the TV itself is connected to my DENON AVR 3806 AMP which is itself connected to the adapter.

Graphic card mini displayport 2: NEC E231W, 1920x1080, directly connected with mini displayport to display port cable.

(the two NEC are configured with extended desktop and the TV is just a video copy of my first desktop)

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH6761?viewlocale=en_US

Thank you to those who helped.

almost. That link shows me a (full-sized) DisplayPort version.

I think you want this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Accell-B087B-006B-DisplayPort-Single-Link-Certified/dp/B00 4071ZXA/ref=pd_sim_e_1

I am trying to beat casual readers over the head with the ACTIVE = Powered concept. The Ads will prominently say "ACTIVE" if they are, and not otherwise.

I wanted to share my success in case it helps someone else. This thread was very helpful in getting me as far as I did (thanks to Grant Bennet-Alder) but my set up was not represented. I just today set up my stock Mac Pro (mid-2012) with Radeon 5770 using three LG 25UM56-p 25" ultrawide monitors (2560 x 1080) (link to NewEgg) (that have HDMI ports only). I wanted to avoid the mini DisplayPort (mDP)–to–DVI-D adapters so I looked for a straight mDP-to-HDMI solution.

1 x DVI-D

From the computer, the DVI-D port uses a DVI-D cable connected to a DVI-D–to–HDMI adapter. I don't remember where they were sourced but a least one came with another of my Apple computers.

2 x mDP

Each of the two mini DisplayPorts have Cable Matters Active mDP-to-HDMI adapters (link to Amazon) connected to HDMI cables. For any monitors over 1920 x 1080, they not only need to have active adapters in all three connections, but [I think] the mDP adapters must also be capable of higher res (these adapters are 4K capable).

But wait ... There's More!

The video card does not have firmware that works with higher res monitors so to get the image to be legible you need SwitchResX. Not the easiest software to figure out (I still don't know what finally worked setting up one, then moving to two, and now three monitors, but every time was a bit of trial and error). My settings in SwitchResX have the two mDP port monitors set to 60Hz but the DVI-D connected monitor is set to 53Hz (it might actually be 52.52Hz). If I try to make it 60Hz, too, the image is horrible.

And everything seems just fine when I boot from my Windows 7 HD on this Mac.

I hope someone finds this useful.

5770 only supports two ports at once.

You will need a second video card to support more than two screens.

The 5770 and 5870 support up to three simultaneous displays each. You do not need an additional graphics card, although that is one possible, but very expensive, solution.

The 5770 and 5870 have a shortage of power to run converters to what ATI calls "Legacy" connection methods. In order to connect three displays, all converters must be ACTIVE POWERED adapters.

DVI for a display wider than 1920 wide requires a Dual-Link cable (or the cable attached to the display with no adapter). Dual-Link does not mean two displays -- it means that the cable has two sets of data lines to carry the large amount of data needed by such a wide display.

This page from AMD/ATI web site lists many Adapters/Converters ATI/AMD approves for use with its display cards. Read very carefully. ACTIVE POWERED Adapters/Converters for Mini DisplayPort are listed in one section.

Apple's recommended "Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adapter with USB cord for additional power" costs US$100. Other approved solutions are available from Amazon at prices cheaper than Apple's. Amazon's search is an approximate search, and will give you chaff as well as the good stuff. Read carefully -- it must say ACTIVE and MINI DisplayPort.

http://support.amd.com/us/eyefinity/Pages/eyefinity-dongles.aspx

FYI, HDMI uses DVI signals. It is only a pin conversion, there is nothing to power.

So please try again Grant.

LordZedd, you are correct that HDMI and DVI Video signals can be produced from each other using a simple adapter that simply cross connects wires, and therefore does not need any power.

To get from Mini DisplayPort to Single-Link DVI to run a Monitor, an ACTIVE POWERED Converter must be used if you wish to have three displays on that card.

If you prefer HDMI (without sound) you can add a simple adapter to the DVI output to cross-connect the wires to produce HDMI Video from the DVI Video.

This explains the dilemma:

Connectivity Requirements: AMD Eyefinity technology is supported by graphics cards in the ATI Radeon™ HD 5400 series and higher. These cards can support up to six monitors (depending on the model), subject to the following restrictions:

• A maximum of 2 legacy monitors (VGA, DVI or HDMI) can be enabled simultaneously, provided that each monitor is connected either directly or via a “passive” DisplayPort™ adapter/dongle. “Passive” adapters/dongles will NOT support more than 2 legacy monitors.

• To enable support for more than 2 monitors, “active” DisplayPort™ adapters/dongles are required (or monitors with direct DisplayPort™ connectivity must be used).

• Approved “active” adapters have no general connectivity restrictions with AMD Eyefinity technology.

from: http://support.amd.com/us/eyefinity/Pages/eyefinity-dongles.aspx

.

In other words, my original post was 100% correct in that his card only supports two displays and he will need a second video card, or $1000 monitor with a MDP connector.

No, dear.

1st display: Connect the Wide DVI display to the DVI port using its own cable, or use a Dual Link cable. Plugs right in and works.

2nd display: use an ACTIVE POWERED adapter from the provided Mini DisplayPort to DVI. Connect the display with a DVI to HDMI cable.

3rd display: use an ACTIVE POWERED adapter from the provided Mini DisplayPort to DVI. Connect the display with a DVI to HDMI cable.

Adapts: Mini DisplayPort™ To: DVI-D Single Link Active
AMD Status	Manufacturer	Part Number	Max. Resolution	Purchase
Gold	Accell	B087B-006B	1920x1200	Buy Now
Gold	Astron	3411020-090-H	1920x1200
Gold	Bizlink	KS30015-131	1920x1200	Coming Soon
Gold	Startech	MDP2DVIS	1920x1200	Buy Now
Gold	Wieson	G9858C219-006-H	1920x1200	Buy Now

The requirement is that it picks up power from somewhere. There IS a lead on the Mini DisplayPort interface that can be used, and that is what the Accell ACTIVE adapters do. Those adapters are for sale in the US on Amazon.

The Apple adapter goes completely to the extreme and instead uses a different source (a nearby USB port) to pick up the power. This may make is a bit more reliable.

An adapter that is ACTIVE will have be sure to use that word in its description, to justify its higher cost to buyers.

Thanks for all the helpful info Grant! I'm in the same situation, now before I click 'purchase.' You're saying that an adapter such as this

http://www.amazon.com/Accell-B087B-006B-DisplayPort-Single-Link-Certified/dp/B00 4071ZXA/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1358451181&sr=1-2&keywords=DVI+HDMI +ACTIVE+POWERED+adapter+MINI+DISPLAYPORT

that says ACTIVE but NOT powered in the title-will work for this? All the non-usb powered adapters are a third of the price, just want to make sure I'm buying the piece that will work.

Thanks for the quick response. The price diference is so vast, and I've been trying to solve this for a while, I thought surely it couldnt be that easy(cheap)! thanks again

The Apple solution is truly an Industrial-strength solution. It is a full Dual Link DVI connector (with double conductors on three extra pairs of data lines). It also uses an external USB to pick up lots of additional power, from a source other than the graphics card.

... and it is Genuine Apple, and priced accordingly.

all the third party ones on amazon are expensive too. Is it much of an issue to be concerned with if running the 3 monitors most of the day each day? Or just one of those over kill things. I know little of the durability of graphics cards.