Can't get working multiple monitors with one at (2560 x 1600)

[charleyb]

I have a 30" Dell 3007 wfp which runs natively at (2560x1600) as my primary display (Win7/64). Video card is HIS Radeon 6970 ICEQ Turbo (2GB), which has two video display ports, HDMI, DVI-single-link, DVI-dual-link.

The 3007 native resolution displays properly when it is the only monitor (yes, needs to be on the dual-link DVI, not single-link DVI).

HOWEVER, every time I try to plug in a second monitor (21" Dell 2007 or Dell 2001, native 1600x1200), my 30" monitor no longer displays at native res, and somehow seems to "max-out" at 1280x800. It doesn't matter if I plug the second monitor into the single-link DVI, the HDMI, or either of the video display ports. It doesn't matter if I plug both monitors into each of the video display ports (not using DVI at all).

The specs on this card seem to say I should be able to get this working: 30" primary, and I'd like one or two more 21" extra monitors. (Don't much care about performance, I'm not gaming, I just want the real estate.)

What is the "proper" configuration for more than one monitor, when one is a 30" 2560x1600?

I assume it is not a driver issue (I'm running the latest, AMD Catalyst 11.12, Driver Packaging Version 8.92-111109a-129966C-ATI).

Aside: I don't think it's a driver problem, but in my search, I pulled an 8MB "driver" for the 3007wfp directly from the Dell website, and my SuperAntiSpyware runtime detected a trojan (weird, cleaned that up, makes me wonder what's going on over at Dell).

[IronWarrior]

The DVI's and HDMI ports on the GPU are running from one clock gen, so I believe if you try to power both monitors using any of these three ports, you have this problem.

Use the DVI port for the 30" but use the DP ports for the smaller monitor, you will need to get a mDP to DVI adapter to connect it to the monitor.

I would also try using a other cable just in case the the cable you are using is faulty. Last thing how long are the cables you using? I once found... a 5m DP cable would cause resolution problems for one of my monitors untill I swapped it to a smaller cable. :/

[charleyb]

The DVI's and HDMI ports on the GPU are running from one clock gen, so I believe if you try to power both monitors using any of these three ports, you have this problem.

Thanks! That is *exactly* what I needed to know.



Use the DVI port for the 30" but use the DP ports for the smaller monitor, you will need to get a mDP to DVI adapter to connect it to the monitor.

I would also try using a other cable just in case the the cable you are using is faulty. Last thing how long are the cables you using? I once found... a 5m DP cable would cause resolution problems for one of my monitors untill I swapped it to a smaller cable. :/

Very good points on the cables: I ordered my DP=>HDMI adapter, then HDMI=>DVI adapter, 6' DVI cable, monitor. Still had the problem.

I then went DP=>HDMI adapter, 6' HDMI cable, HDMI=>DVI adapter, still had the problem.

So, I don't think it was the cables.

BUT, GOT IT WORKING (as you suggested, dual-DVI on 30", DP=>HDMI=>DVI on 21"): The 30" is native at 2560×1600, and if I put my 21" PORTRAIT (it is 1200x1600, portrait makes it same pixel-height as 30"), THEN IT WORKS.

I *failed* to get both monitors working in landscape with either cable configuration. However, I don't care, because I was going to run them 1600-high anyway (30" landscape, 21" portrait). I would have *expected* the card to support them in both landscape, but I haven't found the recipe yet.

Thanks! (I searched XtremeSystems.org for how to "thank" a post, ...how do you do that?)

[IronWarrior]

Glad you got it working! You lucky you didn't have the problems with the cables like I did, maybe I got a faulty cable or something.

Click "Thanks" in the bottom left of the post if you wish to know.