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Explain Display Port Adapters to me

zokudu

zokudu

Diamond Member
I just ordered one of the 27 inch Korean monitors. I currently have a 20 inch LG monitor (1600x900) that only accepts DVI and VGA. The new monitor will only support DVI. My graphics card has 1 DVI-D Dual Link 1 HDMI and 2 mini display ports.

What would be the best way to shove all this together? What is an active vs a passive display port adapter? Can I use a passive one to run my 20 inch LG and put the new monitor on the DVI port?
 
zokudu said:
I just ordered one of the 27 inch Korean monitors. I currently have a 20 inch LG monitor (1600x900) that only accepts DVI and VGA. The new monitor will only support DVI. My graphics card has 1 DVI-D Dual Link 1 HDMI and 2 mini display ports.

What would be the best way to shove all this together? What is an active vs a passive display port adapter? Can I use a passive one to run my 20 inch LG and put the new monitor on the DVI port?
Click to expand...

HDMI, tried and true.:biggrin:
 
I haven't searched, but I would imagine HDMI -> DVI would be the cheapest adapter since they are pin compatible with each other.
 
zokudu said:
Neither of the monitors I have/will have support HDMI.
Click to expand...

HDMI is just another connector with a different pinout for a DVI port (of course with the added audio ability). Think of it like USB vs. Micro USB. That is why DVI to HDMI cables are always passive and are rather cheap. An HDMI to DVI cable would be the easiest way here.
 
From Apple's website:

9. What is the difference between an active adapter and a passive adapter?
An active adapter can convert a signal from one connector to another. The Apple Mini DisplayPort to DVI and Apple Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapters are active adapters. A passive adapter acts as a pass-through from one connector type to another and does not convert a signal. The Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adapter is an example of a passive adapter.
Click to expand...


You can try a passive adapter to your LG (Not sure if it will work)... but you will definately need an active adapter or a direct DVI Dual Link to DVI Dual Link for your 2560x1440...

Main reason is because a DP signal is not the same as DVI signal.

EDIT: Or what Wall Street and others Said about HDMI
 
Last edited:
zokudu said:
I just ordered one of the 27 inch Korean monitors. I currently have a 20 inch LG monitor (1600x900) that only accepts DVI and VGA. The new monitor will only support DVI. My graphics card has 1 DVI-D Dual Link 1 HDMI and 2 mini display ports.

What would be the best way to shove all this together? What is an active vs a passive display port adapter? Can I use a passive one to run my 20 inch LG and put the new monitor on the DVI port?
Click to expand...

Quick summary:

HDMI > Use this for big screen HDTV's. Don't use this crap on your PC monitor.

DVI/D > good.

Displayport > With spec 1.2 is the best of the 3. Has the most bandwidth and with DP 1.2 supports a lot of cool features like wireless displays and multiple displays on a single cable (although I'm not sure if such an adapter was released yet).

What I would do is use DVI/D for the IPS 27", and use an mini DP > active DVI adapter for the 20" if you ever need to use it.
 
The HDMI port is not crap, I believe it is electrically compatible to DVI, you just need to connect the right pins using a dumb (no brains) adapter.

Ebay has an adapter that will let you use your existing cable (there is an adapter for use with an HDMI cable, and an adapter for use with a DVI cable), or you could just get an HDMI (male) to DVI cable to plug directly between the video card and monitor without having to use a separate adapter.

Anyway, to get the best quality on both monitors, use their DVI ports, and on the video card for best quality use the dual-link DVI port and the HDMI port for single-link DVI via an adapater.
 
Your 20" LG monitor is probably SL-DVI. Just use a cheap female (SL-DVI) to male (HDMI) adapter that converts SL-DVI to HDMI for the LG.

Save the DL-DVI port for the Korean monitor. The Korean monitor will come with a DL-DVI cable.
 
blackened23 said:
Displayport > With spec 1.2 is the best of the 3. Has the most bandwidth and with DP 1.2 supports a lot of cool features like wireless displays and multiple displays on a single cable (although I'm not sure if such an adapter was released yet).
Click to expand...
And these technologies help the OP out how?
 
blackened23 said:
Quick summary:

HDMI > Use this for big screen HDTV's. Don't use this crap on your PC monitor.

DVI/D > good.

Displayport > With spec 1.2 is the best of the 3. Has the most bandwidth and with DP 1.2 supports a lot of cool features like wireless displays and multiple displays on a single cable (although I'm not sure if such an adapter was released yet).

What I would do is use DVI/D for the IPS 27", and use an mini DP > active DVI adapter for the 20" if you ever need to use it.
Click to expand...

Active DP adapters cost between $40-120 and can be flaky. No need when a simple female to male SL-DVI to HDMI adapter can support 1600x900 for his LG.
 
Ben90 said:
And these technologies help the OP out how?
Click to expand...

Higher resolution monitors need more bandwidth that HDMI cannot officially support. AMD has ways of getting around this that are not official spec but you're best off using Displayport now. Especially if you want multi-monitor set ups.
 
Dark Shroud said:
By "Korean Monitor" the op is referring to a Catleap which is 2560x1440.
Click to expand...
I think the consensus here is that he should connect Catleap to the DL-DVI port on his GPU. That leaves the 1600x900 for which the HDMI->DVI is the simplest and the best solution, and actually identical to SL->DVI since HDMI->DVI adapter is just dumb rewiring of pins. Alternatively, a passive miniDP->DVI is ok too.
It would be foolish to connect 20" to DL-DVI and then require an expensive active DP->DLDVI adapter for Catleap.
 
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