Hi guys,

My pending annual PC upgrade affair is a three monitor display, but I am getting a bit bogged down with the types of connectors.

My Graphics card will do 3 x monitors fine, that's partly why I got it.  It has 2 x DVI, I have attached an image to show what they look like (in the manual they look nothing like this).

Now as far as I can tell DVI-D Cables will work in DVI-I sockets.  I found for example that a Single Link DVI-D works fine in my DVI-I Dual link port...

All bloody confusing.

So I have my eye on this monitor : BenQ GL2450E x 3

That appear , from the description, to be DVI-D.

So to start with I can presumably use 3 x DVI-D Dual Link cables ?

Or should I use DVI-D Single Links x 3 ?

BTW, the third DVI cable connects through a HDMI->DVI adapter.

Can anyone make sense of this ?

I tried Sapphire, but they quoted from a specification that does not match my card....

Thanks for any pointers

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I get hazy when it comes to more than two monitors.

Can you post a link to your card please Freddy, it might help us sort it out.   

Sure here it is :

http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/?cid=1&gid=3&sgid=1037&lid=1&pid=1236

The port pictures have the same connectors as mine.

I think either Dual or Single Link DVI-D is going to be the solution....still digging....

I just noticed in their specs is says :

1 x Single-Link DVI-D

But the connector looks like a Dual Link DVI-D 

I found this helpful page : http://www.cabledepot.com/05DTDVIINF.html


Seems that as each of my monitors would have 1920x1080 resolution then single link is fine.  And also as I said single link DVI-D does work with the ports.

Re the specs; I am wondering if the Single Link DVI-D port is actually correct but for some reason they used a Dual Link connector ?  Maybe for further compatibility...hmmm

According to this guy it's easy to do on a card like yours.

QuoteI started out by firing up my rig with just the left-most monitor connected to one of the DVI ports. Once Windows 7 was fully booted up, I connected the middle monitor to the second DVI port, and finally the third one using the HDMI to DVI adapter (included). As I did this, the monitors were automatically configured and added. Bam, that easy.

http://icrontic.com/article/sapphire-radeon-hd-6870-review-triple-monitors-on-a-budget



It seems to me that as long as the plug fits the socket then the card should detect what's plugged into it and sort it out.

Cool, thanks for digging around for me 

I'll try DVI-D Single Link for now as I have two here, maybe another if I rummage around.  That saves me a few quid on new cables then.

Cheers

I know it's a bit more money but I do like the look of these, nicer stands, has HDMI input as well (might come in handy) and I have seen a few Acer screens and they have always impressed me.

http://www.ebuyer.com/393375-acer-g246hlb-24-led-lcd-hdmi-monitor-um-fg6ee-b01

Yeah funnily enough they are number two on my list.  The Benq has slightly better reviews from more people and will be about £60 cheaper...

Here it is on EBuyer...

http://www.ebuyer.com/432395-benq-gl2450e-led-monitor-24-1920-x-1080-fullhd-9h-l7ala-fpu

From the comments it also appears to have HDMI, but that's juts academic to me..

The Acer does have 2ms response time though, but so should the BenQ - they appear to have mistakenly labelled it 5ms...on Amazon it is 2ms for the same model number.

I sent eBuyer a query.

If the Acer comes down to around £100 over the next two weeks I might opt for it.  It's between those two anyway.

The Acer does appear to have lower wattage too, so worth noting.

There is no HDMI on the BenQ that I can see, really I was thinking of the future, will my next graphics card take say 4 HDHI monitors.

Also thought you could possibly connect one monitor to the HDMI port on your card, should you need to when connecting it all up, gives you another option.

Just some thoughts.

Read through a few of the reviews for the BenQ, a few people mention the HDMI socket.

Eg ...

QuoteExcellent picture quality via DVI or HDMI inputs although the appropriate cable is not included withthe monitor. One of the few monitors with speakers for 'basic' sound. Some have complained about receiving a continental plug, but mine arrived with a UK power cable.

Hmm, right, after some digging it looks like there is a screw up on their site.

The reviews on eBuyer seems to be pulling from the wrong product.  If you go to these two pages in different tabs and compare the REEVOO reviews then they are identical.

So I was misled it seems...

http://www.ebuyer.com/432395-benq-gl2450e-led-monitor-24-1920-x-1080-fullhd-9h-l7ala-fpu#

http://www.ebuyer.com/393201-benq-gl2450hm-24-led-lcd-hdmi-monitor-speakers-9h-l7cla-tbe

So I was actually reading the reviews of the more expensive monitor.... need a rethink now

I was wondering why some people said it had speakers...