ATI Eyefinity Validated Dongles

[BanjoDubz]

Great resolution. :D We got to expect some teething problems with a new product I guess. One of the toughest parts of marketing is knowing how the customer thinks.

Cheers Dave!

[J. Elliott]

I'm pleased that a company representative is on the 'net, paying attention and answering questions. Then again, and with no offense intended, I do expect the products I buy to work as advertised and for manufacturers to address easily foreseen issues that prevent their goods from working in typical usage scenarios.

Bottom line is that probably 80% of the people who buy the new 5000 cards for Eyefinity's sake don't have a clue that they'll need a $100 adapter to pull it off. And that finding one is difficult. When Newegg ain't got it, it's obscure.

Those of us who spend $170-ish on the card aren't in the market for a $100 adapter. That makes it a $270 purchase, assuming shipping doesn't push it to $280. For 95% of the computing public, those of us with bills to pay and regular jobs to provide paychecks, $300 video card solutions in our computers is fantasyland thinking. And a totally inappropriate allocation of family funds.

I'd like to see a standard deviation analysis of how many customers refuse to spend almost $300 on a video card purchase. I suspect the market squeezes down 75% from the $175 customers to the $300 big spenders.

When a guy spends $175 on a video card, he doesn't expect to shell out $100 more to make it do the thing everyone is talking about. That the company has some small-type style info tucked away on a few webpages isn't even beside the point - it's meaningless.

We've got guys reloading their OS's, pulling cards, swapping out panels, buying new ones, loading multiple driver packages, and doing everything else possible to avoid getting completely hosed on a $100 adapter that shouldn't cost more than $35. EXACTLY like the $100 HDMI cable scam a few years back.

After wasting about six or seven hours in the last week trying to figure this all out, I think I am now versed on the issue:
* I can spend an additional 60% on a $#$#$& adapter to make this card do what it's touted to do
* I can spend about $30 on a passive VGA adapter that might work and will definitely look worse

I'm in this position not because of a hardware condition, but because in their marketing of the cards ATI keeps their mouths closed about this need. If the boxes said anything about this and made it clear to the buying public that we'll need this outrageous adapter (and good luck buying one with the card today, fella), then said boxes wouldn't leave the shelves. The problem isn't the hardware, it's getting sandbagged about what is needed and how much it'll cost.

ATI knows exactly what is going on here and new it would work out this way. They had a choice to make in deciding how clearly to explain this $100 adapter requirement. From the gazillion Google hits on "problems with Eyefinity dongle" on 500 websites, it's pretty clear how well the public has been informed. That the company is trying to do something about it, after having taken tens of millions from unsuspecting customers, isn't a comment fit for polite conversation.

[geniv2]

Who ever "validate" those dongles for "Eyefinity" should get kiss my hairy behind and get hanged.

the dongle that I 've ordered came.. and to no surprised it doesn't not work in triple head eyefinity..

now I have to return it.

ATI either need removed that flucking page because it is missleading. if they mean "eyefinity" as in 2 screen than any half arse DP->DVI/HDMI adapter will work...

just no in triplemode and most people will assume eyefninity is 3 screens..

[gilzaobr]

Has anyone tried the B087B-001B the single link DVI on eyefinity? it's validated, but I'm at $200 on cables already and don't want to go ahead with another one until i know it works.. (@ $200 until I can get my refund from amazon(fail).com)


-Tanshin

edit: Here is something interesting... On the validated website, it says my adapter is validated for firmware 1.01... my cable has a piece of white tape around it that says F/W: 034.

Is there anyone with a working adapter that can verify firmwares?

hi,

i tried the Bizlink KS10009-A31 , its a equivalent Accell B087B-001B and not working :doh and it is listed as Validated :nudgenudge Windows and Catalyst only accept 2 Monitors Working, cant Create a group with 3 :hide right now im at work, ill see the Firmware of my cable when i return to my home :doh

Stupid Brazil dont have this cables to sell, i waited 21 days for this cable and dont work.

Ill try a Crossfire tonight with my friend 5870. i think is the faster way to get this done....

my babies 3x 2209WA

[suiken_2mieu]

[quote]


Has anyone tried the B087B-001B the single link DVI on eyefinity? it's validated, but I'm at $200 on cables already and don't want to go ahead with another one until i know it works.. (@ $200 until I can get my refund from amazon(fail).com)


-Tanshin

edit: Here is something interesting... On the validated website, it says my adapter is validated for firmware 1.01... my cable has a piece of white tape around it that says F/W: 034.

Is there anyone with a working adapter that can verify firmwares?

hi,

i tried the Bizlink KS10009-A31 , its a equivalent Accell B087B-001B and not working :doh and it is listed as Validated :nudgenudge Windows and Catalyst only accept 2 Monitors Working, cant Create a group with 3 :hide right now im at work, ill see the Firmware of my cable when i return to my home :doh

Stupid Brazil dont have this cables to sell, i waited 21 days for this cable and dont work.

Ill try a Crossfire tonight with my friend 5870. i think is the faster way to get this done....

my babies 3x 2209WA

It's validated for only 2 displays, sorry, but ATI's validated list is pure crap as it's not very clear. So let me make this very clear to you. If you want a DP->DVI Adapter and 3 Monitors, you need an ACTIVE adapter. This is one that required external Power (most of the time it's a USB cable).

[Tamlin]

AMD have updated the page now to clarify this: :cheers

Connectivity Requirements: ATI 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 ATI Eyefinity technology.

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

[BanjoDubz]

That's good that they did the update. However the details are not entirely complete. More and more people are having success with the passive DP->VGA adapters, especially the HP (made by Bizlink) ones. Ive also notices a trend emerging where a lot of the time its sapphire cards that have issues with the passive DP->VGA adapters. Perhaps this is only a BIOS thing and not a limitation of the eyefinity technology???

[Dave Baumann]

That's good that they did the update. However the details are not entirely complete. More and more people are having success with the passive DP->VGA adapters, especially the HP (made by Bizlink) ones.

There are no "passive" DP->VGA adapters, by definition. Unlike DVI, DP doesn't actually pass a VGA signal through.

DP outputs can actually pass some power through them so "active" adapters can be powered directly powered from the DP output, the dual-link active adapters require more power than DP can supply so they supliment the power from USB.

[suiken_2mieu]

Hey Dave, what about those Active Single-Link DVI adapters? Any word on those?

[gilzaobr]

[quote][quote]


Has anyone tried the B087B-001B the single link DVI on eyefinity? it's validated, but I'm at $200 on cables already and don't want to go ahead with another one until i know it works.. (@ $200 until I can get my refund from amazon(fail).com)


-Tanshin

edit: Here is something interesting... On the validated website, it says my adapter is validated for firmware 1.01... my cable has a piece of white tape around it that says F/W: 034.

Is there anyone with a working adapter that can verify firmwares?

hi,

i tried the Bizlink KS10009-A31 , its a equivalent Accell B087B-001B and not working :doh and it is listed as Validated :nudgenudge Windows and Catalyst only accept 2 Monitors Working, cant Create a group with 3 :hide right now im at work, ill see the Firmware of my cable when i return to my home :doh

Stupid Brazil dont have this cables to sell, i waited 21 days for this cable and dont work.

Ill try a Crossfire tonight with my friend 5870. i think is the faster way to get this done....

my babies 3x 2209WA
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/8340/dsc02468ol.jpg
It's validated for only 2 displays, sorry, but ATI's validated list is pure crap as it's not very clear. So let me make this very clear to you. If you want a DP->DVI Adapter and 3 Monitors, you need an ACTIVE adapter. This is one that required external Power (most of the time it's a USB cable).


thanks man now i know :doh ill try the Crossfire configuration tomorrow :bowdown

[BanjoDubz]

[quote]That's good that they did the update. However the details are not entirely complete. More and more people are having success with the passive DP->VGA adapters, especially the HP (made by Bizlink) ones.

There are no "passive" DP->VGA adapters, by definition. Unlike DVI, DP doesn't actually pass a VGA signal through.

DP outputs can actually pass some power through them so "active" adapters can be powered directly powered from the DP output, the dual-link active adapters require more power than DP can supply so they supliment the power from USB.

OK this makes sense now. I guess the consumer (incl members of this forum) assumes passive to be any dongle that is not supplied with an external power source, but in reality this assumption is false due to DP having some level of power available. I guess its cos a "passive" DVI adapter looks the same as an "active" vga adapter.

Thanks for clearing that up Dave.

[JCC]

[quote]That's good that they did the update. However the details are not entirely complete. More and more people are having success with the passive DP->VGA adapters, especially the HP (made by Bizlink) ones.

There are no "passive" DP->VGA adapters, by definition. Unlike DVI, DP doesn't actually pass a VGA signal through.

DP outputs can actually pass some power through them so "active" adapters can be powered directly powered from the DP output, the dual-link active adapters require more power than DP can supply so they supliment the power from USB.


So whats the Conclusion? Can u run a 3 monitor set up with 2 DVI and one Displayport to VGA connection?

[BanjoDubz]

So whats the Conclusion? Can u run a 3 monitor set up with 2 DVI and one Displayport to VGA connection?

Yes. I am doing this now with the HP DP-VGA adapter. Here is a pic of my setup

[JCC]

2 DVI's and one Displayport to VGA works for awhile. However, after the card heats up i notice the third monitor turns off. When I reset the connection the screen works for awhile bfore the same thing happens again.

Someone on thread suggested hooking up to highest resolution monitor, which I did...however to no avail...the screen still switches off intermittently.

Any ideas?

[iThinman]

AMD have updated the page now to clarify this: :cheers

Connectivity Requirements: ATI 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 ATI Eyefinity technology.

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

Good stuff. Thanks again to Dave for his support!

[kipghost]

Just completed my triple monitor Eyefinity setup today using this dongle that came in today:

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=215179262&loc=101&#top

Got it for $16 w/ free shipping. Best deal for this type of dongle. It is an active dp-vga dongle made by Sunvalleytek, and is similar to the other types of dongles that work. Haven't had any issues or flickering with it. Highly recommend it!