3x 30" monitors from amd 7970

[DragonReborn]

hey all, i seem to have an "older" 7970 (http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-DL-DV..._cd_al_qh_dp_t). The connections are as follows:

1 x Dual-Link DVI-I
1 x Single-Link DVI-D
1 x HDMI
1 x DisplayPort

Currently, i have a 30" dell 3007 (2560x1600 dual link dvi) as my center monitor and two shimian 27" monitors flanking (dual link dvi 2560x1440). In order to run all three i needed to get a cheap 5450 to run the 2nd Shimian.

Two questions:

1. The 7970 has only one dual link dvi yet somehow it is running both the shimian and dell at their native res. How is that possible? doesn't the shimian need a dual link dvi to run at 2560x1440?

2. i want to get 3 of the newer monoprice (http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=113&cp_id=11307&cs_id=1130703&p_id=10734&seq=1&format=2) 30" monitors and run them completely off my 7970.

My thought would be one monitor via Display port and the other two via the dvi's. I'm concerned now though that i only have one dual link dvi port.

Do I need to upgrade my 7970 to one with two display port and a dual link dvi?

thanks!!

 

[KingFatty]

Is the Shimian hooked to the video card using the single-link DVI port of the video card, and using a single-link DVI cable? And the Dell is using the dual-link DVI and cable?

 

[tullnd]

I have two Dell U2713HM's running off my 6970, using the mini-DP connectors. I'm specifically looking for a new R9 that has dual mini-DP to replace it.

You can do a few things, but sometimes mixing connectors can cause sync issues if you ever want to game in eyefinity. I had issues previously running 3 HP ZR24W's in 1920x1200(5860x1200 for eyefinity) with two off DP and one off DVI. The DVI one always had some screen tearing/draw latency I didn't see on the DP fed ones. I think it was more just a sync issue than anything.

So theoretically, you want to run all of yours off DP if you can. Provided that 7970 has a DP 1.2 physical port, you can use a MST Hub. Accell makes one for about $120 but it has a limit of 2048x1600ish for running all 3 simultaneously as independent displays.

So it won't support all 3 at 2560x1600. You could run one DVI-D and then use the splitter to just run two off DP(the MST hub has 3 ports, but functions differently based upon bandwidth, so only running two gives you more to alot to each) and you can get 2560x1600@60hz on two displays.

See this page for info: http://www.accellcables.com/K088B-003B.html
Click on Specifications for the breakdown:

 

[3DVagabond]

I have two Dell U2713HM's running off my 6970, using the mini-DP connectors. I'm specifically looking for a new R9 that has dual mini-DP to replace it.

You can do a few things, but sometimes mixing connectors can cause sync issues if you ever want to game in eyefinity. I had issues previously running 3 HP ZR24W's in 1920x1200(5860x1200 for eyefinity) with two off DP and one off DVI. The DVI one always had some screen tearing/draw latency I didn't see on the DP fed ones. I think it was more just a sync issue than anything.

So theoretically, you want to run all of yours off DP if you can. Provided that 7970 has a DP 1.2 physical port, you can use a MST Hub. Accell makes one for about $120 but it has a limit of 2048x1600ish for running all 3 simultaneously as independent displays.

So it won't support all 3 at 2560x1600. You could run one DVI-D and then use the splitter to just run two off DP(the MST hub has 3 ports, but functions differently based upon bandwidth, so only running two gives you more to alot to each) and you can get 2560x1600@60hz on two displays.

See this page for info: http://www.accellcables.com/K088B-003B.html
Click on Specifications for the breakdown:

^^^This^^^ You will need an MST hub to run 2 off of your DP out.

 

[DragonReborn]

Is the Shimian hooked to the video card using the single-link DVI port of the video card, and using a single-link DVI cable? And the Dell is using the dual-link DVI and cable?

i believe it is hooked up via a dual link dvi cable yet connected to the single link port on the video card. the dell is almost certainly connected to dual link dvi port with dual link dvi cable

 

[DragonReborn]

I have two Dell U2713HM's running off my 6970, using the mini-DP connectors. I'm specifically looking for a new R9 that has dual mini-DP to replace it.

You can do a few things, but sometimes mixing connectors can cause sync issues if you ever want to game in eyefinity. I had issues previously running 3 HP ZR24W's in 1920x1200(5860x1200 for eyefinity) with two off DP and one off DVI. The DVI one always had some screen tearing/draw latency I didn't see on the DP fed ones. I think it was more just a sync issue than anything.

So theoretically, you want to run all of yours off DP if you can. Provided that 7970 has a DP 1.2 physical port, you can use a MST Hub. Accell makes one for about $120 but it has a limit of 2048x1600ish for running all 3 simultaneously as independent displays.

So it won't support all 3 at 2560x1600. You could run one DVI-D and then use the splitter to just run two off DP(the MST hub has 3 ports, but functions differently based upon bandwidth, so only running two gives you more to alot to each) and you can get 2560x1600@60hz on two displays.

See this page for info: http://www.accellcables.com/K088B-003B.html
Click on Specifications for the breakdown:

Ok...so what if i only want to run one off my DP port and the other two monitors off the dvi? im still confused how the single link dvi port can push the shimian to it's full native 2560x1440 resolution

 

[KingFatty]

Maybe your information is incorrect. Are you sure the DVI-D port is single-link?

It physically appears to have all the pins of a dual-link connector.

Also, I searched your model number and according to TigerDirect, both DVI ports are dual link (click the tab for specifications):

Connector(s) 1 x HDMI
1 x DisplayPort
1 x Dual-Link DVI-I
1 x Dual-Link DVI-D

See: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5469329

Maybe there is something weird, like the port will only behave as a dual link if you connect something to the other DVI port simultaneously? Who knows.

But it's weird that they would physically have the pins for dual-link, but claim it's single-link only. Maybe the mistake is they meant to clarify that one port is DVI-I and the other is DVI-D (and both are dual link)?

What if you disconnect the main display, and just leave the Shimian connected to the "supposedly" single-link DVI-D port. Does it still work all by itself? What if you just disconnect everything, and then just connect *only* the Dell 30" to the supposedly single-link port?

 

[DragonReborn]

Interesting, I'll try it out and report back

Thanks

 

[DragonReborn]

so just looking at the back of my card, it appears that i have one dvi-i dual link and one dvi-d dual link.

i plugged the 30" dell into both and its able to drive the full 2560x1600.

so it appears that sapphire and amazon have it listed incorrectly and should say that it has a dual link dvi-d instead of that single link dvi

does this mean i can drive all three 30" monitors with the 7970? one in each dual link dvi and the 3rd from the displayport?

 

[KingFatty]

That's pretty amazing that Sapphire itself would mess up the DVI port description to make their cards look worse than they really are, but TigerDirect would get it right!

The displayport should support that high resolution, but will any of your monitors have native port for a displayport cable? If not, you will need an adapter that is both active and dual link, which can be pricey.

Hopefully you can just connect the Dell to the displayport and then use the DVI ports for the other two displays, but I don't know if your Dell has a displayport input port.

 

[DragonReborn]

That's pretty amazing that Sapphire itself would mess up the DVI port description to make their cards look worse than they really are, but TigerDirect would get it right!

The displayport should support that high resolution, but will your monitor have native port for a displayport cable? If not, you will need an adapter that is both active and dual link, which can be pricey.

well it's all thanks to the anandtech forum research team! sapphire should hire you guys (or gals)...

I was thinking about grabbing three of the monoprice (http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=113&cp_id=11307&cs_id=1130703&p_id=10734&seq=1&format=2) which does have a display port input.

I keep going back in forth though on whether to get 3 27" or 3 30". The value for the extra three inches just doesn't seem to be there. I do really want to try three monitors in portrait however and I'm not sure many 27" that do that

 

[KaRLiToS]

Good luck playing 3 x 1600p (or 1440p) in Eyefinity with a single 7970, unless you plan of playing CounTer Strike Global offensive.

 

[DragonReborn]

ha, thankfully i only play SC2 and the new elder scrolls online (when it comes out).

on sc2, i will rotate main screen back to landscape. for elder scrolls...might be interesting...not too demanding of a game. maybe ill have to throw another 7970 in there =)

 

[KaRLiToS]

ha, thankfully i only play SC2 and the new elder scrolls online (when it comes out).

on sc2, i will rotate main screen back to landscape. for elder scrolls...might be interesting...not too demanding of a game. maybe ill have to throw another 7970 in there =)

I think you are underestimating 7680x1440 (7680x1600)

 

[DragonReborn]

Probably I am! We shall see what elder needs

Sc2 I'll only run at 2560x1440