Zotac to release Passive DisplayPort/Mini-Displayport to 2 x HDMI Adapter

Post by **BHawthorne** » 27 Feb 2012, 20:18

The adapters just arrived. Not used them on my AMD machine yet.

A few things to be mindful of: Zotac requires delivery signature on their UPS shipments. You can swap out the DP-mDP patch cable that plugs into the adapter with a mDP cable if you have a card with mDP port.

A new detailed gallery of pics is up at:
http://widescreengamingforum.com/gallery/zotac-dp-dual-hdmi-active-adapter-gallery

Post by **Delphium** » 27 Feb 2012, 20:34

The adapters just arrived. Not used them on my AMD machine yet.

A few things to be mindful of: Zotac requires delivery signature on their UPS shipments. You can swap out the DP-mDP patch cable that plugs into the adapter with a mDP cable if you have a card with mDP port.

A new detailed gallery of pics is up at:
http://widescreengamingforum.com/gallery/zotac-dp-dual-hdmi-active-adapter-gallery

:rockout :cheers

Post by **BHawthorne** » 28 Feb 2012, 01:47

A quick update. these must be DP 1.2 only. The 5860 E6 doesn't see it. I modified the Gallery removing the 5870 E6 card pics to avoid any potential confusion. Now to ponder 6950/6970/7970 to buy...

Are these going to turn out to be the DP 1.2 MST hubs that were promised a year ago? The lack of information has me confused at the moment. Guess definitive information will have to wait till I have a 69X0 or 79X0-series card. :(

Post by **Delphium** » 28 Feb 2012, 09:33

Thats a bummer, although no surprise, I did have my suspicions that these would be DP1.2 only. :(

mattsimis · Post by **mattsimis** » 28 Feb 2012, 22:00

Is there any problem using one of these with 2x HDMI to DVI adapters, to power 2x DVI monitors from one mini-DP from a MacBook Pro? Got one in work and the single monitor output is driving me insane!

Post by **Delphium** » 28 Feb 2012, 22:40

Is there any problem using one of these with 2x HDMI to DVI adapters, to power 2x DVI monitors from one mini-DP from a MacBook Pro? Got one in work and the single monitor output is driving me insane!

Using DVI adpators on the 2x HDMI zotec device should work...

However according to this http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4241 the Mac Book Pro uses displayport v1.1 which the zotec is not compatible with, we beleive the zotec device requires displayport v1.2 to work.

mattsimis · Post by **mattsimis** » 28 Feb 2012, 23:35

Your post prompted me to dig deeper (and yes, the way every Macbook Pro has the same name regardless of generation makes this a pain in the hole) and I found the opposite:

The Zotac Adaptor is DP1.1a:
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/20374/zotac_increases_multi_display_possibilities_with_new_dp_to_dual_hdmi_adapters/index.html

Zotac's page simply says "any native DP port":
http://www.zotacusa.com/zotac-displayport-to-dual-hdmi-adaptor.html

The 2010 and later Macbook Pro supports DP1.2:
http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1132916
http://www.pbcentral.com/news/viewnews.cgi?id=EkZkuZpyAVXjMMtfpL

Who knows why neither Zotac or Apple simply state the stupid DP version of their devices, but in theory it should all work fine. Im going to order one fine and expense it to work, a lot cheaper than the exotic dock they suggested.

Post by **Delphium** » 29 Feb 2012, 00:54

Well then, i stand corrected, nice find when digging deeperi nerd to dig and see if the amd 5870 is dp 1.1 or 1.1a.
:-)

Post by **BHawthorne** » 29 Feb 2012, 01:07

I just know form personal experience that they don't work on a 5870 E6. I question that DP1.1 compatibility stated.

Keroppi · Post by **Keroppi** » 29 Feb 2012, 02:23

Hmm...I was just getting ready to pull the trigger on these...but I have e6s...Brad, what brand are yours? I have Sapphire. I am surprised they don't work, didn't Duniek get one working on a lowly 5450?

Post by **BHawthorne** » 29 Feb 2012, 02:53

Hmm...I was just getting ready to pull the trigger on these...but I have e6s...Brad, what brand are yours? I have Sapphire. I am surprised they don't work, didn't Duniek get one working on a lowly 5450?

There is no real design variation in the 5870 E6 card. They're vanilla AMD designs. I have one Sapphire and one Powercolor. I tested mine with the ports on the Sapphire one and a 3' mDP Monoprice cable. Maybe the 3' mDP Monoprice cable is at fault and it's not allowing enough power for the active circuitry? I'm grasping at straws there though. Anyone see a US seller that has any 4 or 6" mDP patch cables?

Keroppi · Post by **Keroppi** » 29 Feb 2012, 03:16

I have seen (more than once) an OEM take a reference design and manage to drag it at least slightly out of spec with a firmware implementation or the like...
But the fact that you tested it on the Sapphire is sad news. I have had hit-or-miss flakiness with dp adapters and cables though...do you still have the adapters that came with the card(s)? Can't you use the original included mini-to-full adapters on the cables that came with the zotacs? Not ideal for sure, but should be another option for troubleshooting...Zotac obviously thought their included patch cables were good enough...and you wouldn't have to buy anything. I'd be infinitely grateful if you could check...Thanks!

Post by **BHawthorne** » 29 Feb 2012, 04:23

I have seen (more than once) an OEM take a reference design and manage to drag it at least slightly out of spec with a firmware implementation or the like...
But the fact that you tested it on the Sapphire is sad news. I have had hit-or-miss flakiness with dp adapters and cables though...do you still have the adapters that came with the card(s)? Can't you use the original included mini-to-full adapters on the cables that came with the zotacs? Not ideal for sure, but should be another option for troubleshooting...Zotac obviously thought their included patch cables were good enough...and you wouldn't have to buy anything. I'd be infinitely grateful if you could check...Thanks!

Thanks for reminding me of the adapters in the Sapphire box. I totally forgot about them. I'll try one of those later tonight.

Keroppi · Post by **Keroppi** » 29 Feb 2012, 04:37

Sweet. Fingers crossed!

Post by **BHawthorne** » 29 Feb 2012, 05:03

Please forgive the un-prewarp corrected projections. I just threw two random projectors on some work tables and shot on the wall. ;)

You'll be happy to know that the E6 supplied mDP-DP Sapphire adapter worked. Thanks for reminding me about those ones bundled with the card. I totally forgot about those things with all the active adapter nonsense we typically have to deal with. :rockout

The behavior of the adapter is that on the two 1024x768 projectors I threw on it, it detected up to 2048x768 for the max resolution in the microsoft display control panel. It sees 2048x768 and 1600x600 for dual resolutions. And 1920x1080 down to 800x600 on single resolutions. Single resolutions are cloned to both displays much like how Eyefinity does. When you force portrait mode on it it'll make 2048x768 it into 768x2048 not 1536x1024, so it's treated like a pseudo-single display.

Keroppi · Post by **Keroppi** » 29 Feb 2012, 06:30

Suh-WEET! Mr. Hawthorne, you have just made my ~~day~~ month. I can finally span my whole 8 cubes and turn back on tri-fire!! Off to order 4 of them right now...
:cheers

Post by **Delphium** » 29 Feb 2012, 09:08

Thanks for the feedback brad :-)

Its sad to see that it acts like a matrox dual head 2 GO, I w as hoping i.t would be more like an mst hub

timdas · Post by **timdas** » 29 Feb 2012, 09:35

So you can't do 2x portrait (1536x1024) ?
Have you tried to make an eyefinity group with 2x projectors in portrait mode using Zotac ?

Post by **BHawthorne** » 29 Feb 2012, 10:11

So you can't do 2x portrait (1536x1024) ?
Have you tried to make an eyefinity group with 2x projectors in portrait mode using Zotac ?

No Eyefinity options with just two on the adapter. I have projectors sitting around so I can play with configuration variations in the next few days. I'll try 4x1 and 6x1 spanning. It really is Eyefinity 2x1L and 3x1L with using the adapters though. 6x1L appeals to me because of it's 360 degree potential. That's not a real big deal though as I can do 360 degrees with 4x1L or 5x1L too. I do like to have new options available though.

What this adapter does though more than anything is render the Matrox DH2G DP Edition obsolete. Why buy a DH2G DP Edition when you can get this $40 adapter?

One thing I want to try in the next week or so is how the adapter handles 120hz S3D. I've not used AMD's HD3D before, so that'll be another new experiment. I need to pick up a set of DLP 3D Ready shutter glasses though. My NVIDIA 3D Vision glasses are proprietary to NVIDIA hardware so can't use it on my AMD rig.

What I find humorous about this adapter is if it can kill off the DH2G, what keeps them from making a $60 Tri-HDMI version of the adapter and killing off the TH2G too? The port bandwidth should be there in even DP 1.1 (I think?) to push those resolutions.

mattsimis · Post by **mattsimis** » 29 Feb 2012, 10:18

Hurray for Zotac, the ~~poor mans~~ thinking mans Matrox DH2G !
:D

Widescreen Gaming Forum

Zotac to release Passive DisplayPort/Mini-Displayport to 2 x HDMI Adapter

The adapters just arrived.

BHawthorne wrote:The adapters

A quick update. these must be

Thats a bummer, although no

Is there any problem using

mattsimis wrote:Is there any

Your post prompted me to dig

Well then, i stand corrected,

I just know form personal

Hmm...I was just getting

Keroppi wrote:Hmm...I was

I have seen (more than once)

Keroppi wrote:I have seen

Sweet. Fingers crossed!

You'll be happy to know that

Suh-WEET! Mr. Hawthorne, you

Thanks for the feedback brad

So you can't do 2x portrait

timdas wrote:So you can't do

Hurray for Zotac, the poor

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