Thread: Multi-display Confusion - Using DisplayPort 1.2 & HDMI on GPU    

So I want 2x HP zr2740w and to daisy-chain them with Displayport 1.2, which new gpu has.

Most of the time, just the 2 computer monitors will be fine, but sometimes, I'll want to copy a display, if possible, to a nearby TV with my GPU's HDMI out. How will this work when I do that? Will I be able to just keep my display size the same as it is with the 2 HP displays? Or will I have to staple on another 1920x1080 somewhere? Or would it try to display the entirety of the 2 monitors through the TV?

pretty sure you cannot use hdmi and display port at the same time, as they use the same channel, its hdmi and dvi, or display port and dvi, but not display port and hdmi

also check to see if your card can even support 3 monitors, most cannot, most can only handle 2

Need to know the card before advice can be given. For instance if you have a Radeon HD 5000 or 6000 series then what Surealistic said is completely wrong because in those cards the HDMI output is tied together with one of the two DVI outputs, meaning display port + anything else works perfectly fine.

Originally Posted by Surealistic

pretty sure you cannot use hdmi and display port at the same time, as they use the same channel, its hdmi and dvi, or display port and dvi, but not display port and hdmi

I don't think so. The limitation there is with using dvi/vga/hdmi, which can typically only be used for 2 outputs (2 hdmi, 2 dvi, 1 hdmi + 1 dvi are all fine) total, and any additionally monitors must be connected via displayport, which is limited only by the max monitors the gpu can support.

I had a similar situation where I was using 1 HDMI output and 1 DVI output, and I wanted to also sometimes have a third monitor to use occasionally. The limitations of the GFX card however required a DisplayPort connection be used for the third monitor, and none of my monitors accepted DP input. What I ended up doing was obtaining an Active DisplayPort Adapter and using that for one of the monitors, and using native HDMI for the TV. Don't bother copying when you can go full native.

GPU is Zotac Geforce GTX 780. DisplayPort is 1.2, but I was mistaken about that particular monitor having a DP out. (This, btw, is a very difficult thing to search for, or I'm an idiot. Or both. Same with the mythical DP 1.2 MST hub. Who the fuck can get one of those to market?)

I really like the monitors though.. Hmm.

I may just get the 2 monitors, use either 2 DVI or 1 DVI and 1 DP.

If I ever add in the HDTV with the HDMI to show something there, will I have to disconnect the DisplayPort?

Yeah, you're limited to any 2 of HDMI or DVI passive or native. For any third you must use the displayport as output either natively or via an active adapter; again, I recommend you use one of the monitors as that target that simply due to connector loss and cable run lengths.

All the monitors have DisplayPort input, that is no problem. It's just 1, how many--and which--cables do i need to plug into the back of the GPU? (if I can daisychain, just 2: a DP and HDMI occasionally) and 2, at what point (monitors, resolutions) does output to the 3rd display (the HDTV) become impossible? I think if I have 2 monitors at 2560, even with them from a single DP port on video card, that I can't use my HDTV via HDMI.? Of course, that's a moot point if I can't find a monitor with the DP out to be the middle man.

I'm confused about the passive/native wording to DVI? The DisplayPort is kinda my primary. That will be going to a monitor regardless, unless for some reason I'd have to use the 2 DVI on the GPU, which I know isn't true.

I may just have to forget about the HDTV, but dammit, that's why I put this 25ft hdmi cable on the monoprice order long ago.

None of my equipment supports displayport, so I'm not familiar with the daisy chaining. Probably the simplest way to get this working for you would be to use DP for one of the monitors, DVI for the other, and HDMI for the TV; 3 cables, no adapters required.

Yeah it's only DisplayPort 1.2 that supports, (do they have mini 1.2? -- i know the gpu output you're talking about, saw some with 3-6 mini DP) but the monitor needs the DP out. I can only find some Dell U2413 or something that has the DP out ports for the adjacent monitor.

I'll just have to make it work like Stromgarde said most likely.