ATI 5770 and triple screen works!

dutchie · Post by **dutchie** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 10:12 am

Just to let you know that the new ATI cards work well with 3 screens.

There is a limitation on the cards though. You have to make use of the DisplayPort for the 3rd screen. If you dont have a DisplayPort screen then you either have to use an Active DisplayPort to DVI adaptor (expensive), or a DisplayPort to VGA adaptor (which are all active, but some support limited resolution, so check which one you buy).

I have a 24" widescreen LCD (DVI), 19" LCD (DVI->VGA), 19" LCD (DisplayPort->VGA)

Note that this works great with Windows 7, but if you want to play games using the EyeFinity triple screen support then all your monitors have to run at the same resolution when in EyeFinity mode.

Cheers,
Dutchie

lm · Post by lm » Fri Nov 27, 2009 4:36 pm

Can you do 2560x1600 on all heads?

ps. eww, LCD screens with VGA inputs

alecmg · Post by **alecmg** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 11:53 pm

Is it true that GPU won't be in low-power mode in idle when more than one display is connected?

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:20 am

I have heard this as well. This is why some reviews have bad reviews of 5750's at idle, so the rumor goes.

Considering the massive, useless cost of having 3 screens both A) in possession and B) on burning a couple of hundred watts, I dont think anyone cares about the 10 watts excess of idle from the card.

dutchie · Post by **dutchie** » Mon Nov 30, 2009 3:17 pm

lm wrote:Can you do 2560x1600 on all heads?

ps. eww, LCD screens with VGA inputs

When I bought those LCDs, quite a few years back, DVI ones were too expensive. So they'll have to do for now

I believe it can do that on all heads, but I cant test as my old vga screens dont support that res. But check this out, 6 30" screens running at 2560x1600:

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3635

Cheers,
Dutchie

rivet · Post by **rivet** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 6:37 pm

Where do you buy your DisplayPort to VGA adaptor? Is that cheap? (as you mention DP to DVI adapter is expensive)

dutchie · Post by **dutchie** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 3:03 am

I went with this one from ebay UK

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWNX:IT

Works fine.

Note that with this setup there is a problem in that after some idle time when the monitor goes to sleep it unlinks from the display group and doesnt wake up properly. And you have to unplug/plug it. But that is a driver issue common to all adaptors, and ATI is aware of it. So hopefully a fix will be forthcoming for that soon.

alecmg · Post by **alecmg** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 4:18 am

~El~Jefe~ wrote:I have heard this as well. This is why some reviews have bad reviews of 5750's at idle, so the rumor goes.

Considering the massive, useless cost of having 3 screens both A) in possession and B) on burning a couple of hundred watts, I dont think anyone cares about the 10 watts excess of idle from the card.

Well considering quite effective power-saving mode on new Radeons, I wouldn't want it to run full speed when I have a second display connected, but not even turned on.