3rd monitor

ingeborgdot

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How can I or can I make this work. I have a dual screen setup on this computer and need a third for a projector. I have an XFX 7870 video card with an ASRock Z87 Extreme 4 motherboard with a Xeon E3-1245 V3 CPU. It has HDMI out and in. Is it possible to hook up the third monitor(PJ) or not? Thanks.
 
AMD cards support up to 4 monitors on that variant of card (5-6 on higher ones). You should be just fine.
 
Which exact 7870 do you have (a link would be useful)? Also what connectors are you currently using for your 2 monitors and what resolution are your monitors?

Assuming you have a standard card you can only use 2 out of the 2x DVI and HDMI connections so to connect 3 monitors you will need to use at least one of the DisplayPort or mini DisplayPort connections. If your monitor are high resolutions this might complicate things a bit more.

AMD's setup guide might be useful.
 
Yep, you need an active mini DP to DVI adapter (single link DVI for resolutions up to 1200p and dual link above 1200p). I don't think adding a DVI to HDMI cable to your current setup will work.
 
Yeah, I have tried to push video out of the DVI port but it is not happening. So, you are saying that if I have one in display port out to hdmi, and one in hdmi out do hdmi, I will need an adapter from the display port out to dvi? Should I change my setup in any way? What would you put out to the monitors and what would you put out to the PJ? Just curious is all. I can't get anything to come out of the motherboard connections. Not sure what to do to make that work I guess. Thanks.
 
Okay, help me out here. I just found an hdmi to dvi cable or you might call it a dvi to hdmi cable. Would I still need a display port to dvi to make this work. I have a display to hdmi adapter to one monitor. Could I then run an hdmi to dvi or dvi to hdmi as some might say, and then a straight connection for DVI from the computer to the PJ or will I still need to do it the other way? Thanks.
 
No, in the description it says it's a passive adaptor. The key word you're looking for is an active DP/miniDP to DVI cable (single link DVI for up to 1200p and dual link DVI above 1200p).

Active DP/miniDP to single link DVI cables sometimes come bundled with high end GPUs so check your box or search ebay, single link ones aren't that expensive. Dual link is much more expensive though.

Ideally if your monitors have Displayport inputs then connect them via a DP to DP cable, otherwise you can't connect more than 2 monitors via HDMI/DVI without an active cable.
 
Wow! I have never set this up before like this so can you help, PLEASE? If I have the one on a mini-display port adapter to HDMI, another on just HDMI, what should I get to make the PJ work? Mini-Display active adapter to DVI? Can you tell why this is needed? Just curious and very interesting. I am learning something every day I guess.

But when I get this stuff. How do I make it work? Will it just work?

I just wish that my onboard video would work too. It sure would save a lot of headache.
 
Here's a pretty good explanation.

It's not that much of a headache, all you need to do is find the correct adapter. Just search ebay/amazon/google for active mini display port to DVI adapter. In the UK SL-DVI ones are pretty cheap ~£10-15. The DL-DVI are much more expensive, usually over £70.
 
But basically what you are saying is that it will work, right? I will then have 1 mini to hdmi, 1 active adapter mini to dvi, 1 hdmi to hdmi from this card. And when I plug it in it will now let me run my 3rd monitor, right??? I understand but just want to clarify before I order. Thanks.
 
Yes, that setup will work. Just to double check can you post a link of what you're ordering?
 
Okay, a little change in plans. I will see if I can explain it decently. I have my two monitors and my pj screen. I am planning on using the 2 mini display ports just because they seem to be my best option. Then I will use my HDMI as the 3rd port used. What I will do is hook up one monitor with HDMI direct. Then I will take on mini DP and I have an HDMI adapter which will hook into the other monitor with HDMI. Easy, right? Well, here is where I need some more advice. I will then come out of the 2nd mini DP and have an HDMI on the other end of the cable and hook it up to the Pioneer receiver I have. There is only one HDMI out on the receiver but here is what I want to do UNLESS one of you real smart people (me not included) has a better idea. I want to take the HDMI out and run it into a DVI splitter and run one connection to the PJ, and one to one of my monitors. You say, why to one of your monitors? Well, in order to run these receivers and use the services they provide you need to have a screen to see otherwise they are pretty useless. Will this work? What would you do differently? I am sure some of you have a much better way of doing what I want to do. I just need to hear it. Thanks.
 
That setup won't work for reasons I've explained above.

You can duplicate displays and set up preset display profiles in CCC.
 
Read this guide again.

To connect 3 or more monitors to your card you need either:
a) At least one monitor which has a DP input or
b) An active DP adapter

Currently none of your monitors have a DP input (from what I can gather) and you don't have an active DP adapter (your current DP to HDMI is passive) which is why your setup is not working.

You need to either:
a) Buy a monitor with a DP input or
b) Buy this cable
 
I understand that. I have one of those. I actually just got it today. But how am I going to do this? I hate to be a pain in the butt, but would you mind writing out the diagram you would use with the equipment I have to make this work? I feel just downright stupid again.
Receiver
2 monitors
1 projector and screen
I need two monitors to use for video editing purposes. As I said I have 2 mini DP ports, 2 DVI ports, and 1 HDMI are on my card.
I will have the two monitors hooked up in their HDMI ports. One comes directly from HDMI, the other comes from a mini DP port via an adapter. The only thing that goes into my PJ is component and DVI.
I would like to have my one monitor show two things (not at once). It would be on the same line as the PJ with a splitter if possible. I would then have HDMI and DVI both hooked into that monitor and I would switch to what ever source I wanted. I need that monitor for use with my video editing and as a monitor for my receiver to be able to run it with all of its media things. I don't know how else to explain what I am trying to do.
 
Use the adapter you just bought for your projector:
GPU <-> active miniDP to DVI adapter <-> DVI to DVI cable <-> Projector

Then you can connect your other 2 monitors however you want.

I would like to have my one monitor show two things (not at once). It would be on the same line as the PJ with a splitter if possible. I would then have HDMI and DVI both hooked into that monitor and I would switch to what ever source I wanted.
But you only have one source (from the GPU) right?
My understanding is that you want the projector to show the same thing as one monitor some of the time and for all 3 of your screens to show different things the rest of the time. If this is the case then you don't need a splitter, you can set this up as 2 preset display configurations on a software level using CCC.
 
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