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Which active adapter: DL DVI to DP or HDMI to DP?

kingmustard

eb_displays4.png.89cd678d9549a887dab06b8fae6dfe3c.png

 

Above is an image showing my two displays with their available ports and my GPU, with its available ports.

 

I am trying to avoid a pure DisplayPort connection on either display because if one goes to sleep, Windows thinks it has been turned off and all my windows move to the other screen! Very frustrating.

 

I'm aware that not using a pure DisplayPort connection for the Gigabyte display will leave me unable to enable G-Sync and that's fine, as FreeSync will still work.

 

I believe I have two options, which are also included in the image above.

 

The Dual-Link DVI to DP active adapter option (top) appears to cost around £125.

 

The HDMI 2.0 to DP active adapter option (bottom) appears to cost around £15-25.

 

I have a few questions:

  1. Which option is preferable? (top or bottom)
  2. Will I lose any functionality (i.e. FreeSync and HDR) of my Gigabyte display if I went for the bottom option? (due to it being an active adapter, rather than a passive one)
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Gigabyte go DP to DP, AOC go HDMI to HDMI?

CPU: i7-2600K 4751MHz 1.44V (software) --> 1.47V at the back of the socket Motherboard: Asrock Z77 Extreme4 (BCLK: 103.3MHz) CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 RAM: Adata XPG 2x8GB DDR3 (XMP: 2133MHz 10-11-11-30 CR2, custom: 2203MHz 10-11-10-26 CR1 tRFC:230 tREFI:14000) GPU: Asus GTX 1070 Dual (Super Jetstream vbios, +70(2025-2088MHz)/+400(8.8Gbps)) SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 256GB (main boot drive), Transcend SSD370 128GB PSU: Seasonic X-660 80+ Gold Case: Antec P110 Silent, 5 intakes 1 exhaust Monitor: AOC G2460PF 1080p 144Hz (150Hz max w/ DP, 121Hz max w/ HDMI) TN panel Keyboard: Logitech G610 Orion (Cherry MX Blue) with SteelSeries Apex M260 keycaps Mouse: BenQ Zowie FK1

 

Model: HP Omen 17 17-an110ca CPU: i7-8750H (0.125V core & cache, 50mV SA undervolt) GPU: GTX 1060 6GB Mobile (+80/+450, 1650MHz~1750MHz 0.78V~0.85V) RAM: 8+8GB DDR4-2400 18-17-17-39 2T Storage: HP EX920 1TB PCIe x4 M.2 SSD + Crucial MX500 1TB 2.5" SATA SSD, 128GB Toshiba PCIe x2 M.2 SSD (KBG30ZMV128G) gone cooking externally, 1TB Seagate 7200RPM 2.5" HDD (ST1000LM049-2GH172) left outside Monitor: 1080p 126Hz IPS G-sync

 

Desktop benching:

Cinebench R15 Single thread:168 Multi-thread: 833 

SuperPi (v1.5 from Techpowerup, PI value output) 16K: 0.100s 1M: 8.255s 32M: 7m 45.93s

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1 minute ago, Jurrunio said:

Gigabyte go DP to DP, AOC go HDMI to HDMI?

As I said, I am avoiding a pure DisplayPort connection on either display because if one goes to sleep, Windows thinks it has been turned off and all my windows move to the other screen! Very frustrating.

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4 minutes ago, kingmustard said:

Above is an image showing my two displays with their available ports and my GPU, with its available ports.

 

I am trying to avoid a pure DisplayPort connection on either display because if I turn one off (or it goes to sleep), Windows thinks it has been turned off and all my windows move to the other screen! Very frustrating.

 

I'm aware that not using a pure DisplayPort connection for the Gigabyte display will leave me unable to enable G-Sync and that's fine, as FreeSync will still work.

 

I believe I have two options, which are also included in the image above.

 

The Dual-Link DVI to DP active adapter option (top) appears to cost around £125.

 

The HDMI 2.0 to DP active adapter option (bottom) appears to cost around £15-25.

 

I have a few questions:

  1. Which option is preferable? (top or bottom)
  2. Will I lose any functionality (i.e. FreeSync and HDR) of my Gigabyte display if I went for the bottom option? (due to it being an active adapter, rather than a passive one)

Well, first just for clarity, notation for adapters is "<source> to <display>", the same direction the video signal goes. The graphics card sends the signal to the monitor, not the other way around, so connecting a DP graphics card to an HDMI display is a "DP to HDMI adapter" :)

 

FreeSync/G-Sync will not work through an adapter, so I would advise using a straight HDMI connection for your main monitor. You can use a DP to HDMI adapter for your 1440p 60 Hz AOC monitor. Avoid DP to Dual-Link DVI active adapters unless you have no other option, they tend to be unreliable.

 

For 1440p 60 Hz you don't need an HDMI 2.0 active adapter, a standard Type 2 passive adapter will work fine. But you can get the active adapter if you want to, to give you more flexibility in the future or something.

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/729232-guide-to-display-cables-adapters-v2/?output=DP&amp;input=HDMI

 

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6 minutes ago, kingmustard said:

As I said, I am avoiding a pure DisplayPort connection on either display because if one goes to sleep, Windows thinks it has been turned off and all my windows move to the other screen! Very frustrating.

btw did you try the Windows key + P command and use "extend" option?

CPU: i7-2600K 4751MHz 1.44V (software) --> 1.47V at the back of the socket Motherboard: Asrock Z77 Extreme4 (BCLK: 103.3MHz) CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 RAM: Adata XPG 2x8GB DDR3 (XMP: 2133MHz 10-11-11-30 CR2, custom: 2203MHz 10-11-10-26 CR1 tRFC:230 tREFI:14000) GPU: Asus GTX 1070 Dual (Super Jetstream vbios, +70(2025-2088MHz)/+400(8.8Gbps)) SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 256GB (main boot drive), Transcend SSD370 128GB PSU: Seasonic X-660 80+ Gold Case: Antec P110 Silent, 5 intakes 1 exhaust Monitor: AOC G2460PF 1080p 144Hz (150Hz max w/ DP, 121Hz max w/ HDMI) TN panel Keyboard: Logitech G610 Orion (Cherry MX Blue) with SteelSeries Apex M260 keycaps Mouse: BenQ Zowie FK1

 

Model: HP Omen 17 17-an110ca CPU: i7-8750H (0.125V core & cache, 50mV SA undervolt) GPU: GTX 1060 6GB Mobile (+80/+450, 1650MHz~1750MHz 0.78V~0.85V) RAM: 8+8GB DDR4-2400 18-17-17-39 2T Storage: HP EX920 1TB PCIe x4 M.2 SSD + Crucial MX500 1TB 2.5" SATA SSD, 128GB Toshiba PCIe x2 M.2 SSD (KBG30ZMV128G) gone cooking externally, 1TB Seagate 7200RPM 2.5" HDD (ST1000LM049-2GH172) left outside Monitor: 1080p 126Hz IPS G-sync

 

Desktop benching:

Cinebench R15 Single thread:168 Multi-thread: 833 

SuperPi (v1.5 from Techpowerup, PI value output) 16K: 0.100s 1M: 8.255s 32M: 7m 45.93s

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23 minutes ago, Glenwing said:

Type 2 passive adapter will work fine

Maybe I'm about to learn something new here, but I was always told you need an active adapter if you want to use multiple displays. I have four of them running right now, all using active adapters. I did try passive for fun (since I had them lying around) and even with just two monitors, the passive adapters don't work.

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4 minutes ago, TempestCatto said:

Maybe I'm about to learn something new here, but I was always told you need an active adapter if you want to use multiple displays. I have four of them running right now, all using active adapters. I did try passive for fun (since I had them lying around) and even with just two monitors, the passive adapters don't work.

I'm running 3 monitors with passive adapters right now lol :P

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I like hdmi but if you get mulitible graphic cards

 

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On 2/28/2019 at 11:29 PM, Glenwing said:

Well, first just for clarity, notation for adapters is "<source> to <display>", the same direction the video signal goes. The graphics card sends the signal to the monitor, not the other way around, so connecting a DP graphics card to an HDMI display is a "DP to HDMI adapter" :)

 

FreeSync/G-Sync will not work through an adapter, so I would advise using a straight HDMI connection for your main monitor. You can use a DP to HDMI adapter for your 1440p 60 Hz AOC monitor. Avoid DP to Dual-Link DVI active adapters unless you have no other option, they tend to be unreliable.

 

For 1440p 60 Hz you don't need an HDMI 2.0 active adapter, a standard Type 2 passive adapter will work fine. But you can get the active adapter if you want to, to give you more flexibility in the future or something.

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/729232-guide-to-display-cables-adapters-v2/?output=DP&amp;input=HDMI

 

Could you possibly help me find said Type 2 HDMI to DisplayPort passive adaptor on eBay UK please (seller location as UK only), I'm having trouble :(

 

I think the cheapest one I've found is actually a cable, rather than an adaptor. This one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/332266626506

 

I want to make sure I'm looking at the correct thing, basically.

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On 3/3/2019 at 5:14 AM, kingmustard said:

Could you possibly help me find said Type 2 HDMI to DisplayPort passive adaptor on eBay UK please (seller location as UK only), I'm having trouble :(

 

I think the cheapest one I've found is actually a cable, rather than an adaptor. This one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/332266626506

 

I want to make sure I'm looking at the correct thing, basically.

Adapter cable vs adapter dongle are both still adapters :)

 

Generally I recommend dongles since you can adjust the length of the cable to suit your needs if things change with your setup in the future.

 

Yes, any adapter that advertises "4K support" is either a Type 2 passive  or an active adapter.

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23 hours ago, Glenwing said:

Adapter cable vs adapter dongle are both still adapters :)

 

Generally I recommend dongles since you can adjust the length of the cable to suit your needs if things change with your setup in the future.

 

Yes, any adapter that advertises "4K support" is either a Type 2 passive  or an active adapter.

I see!

 

In that case, something like this (£3.12), perhaps?

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18 hours ago, Glenwing said:

Possibly, but I dunno if the absolute cheapest ebay item is really the way to go :P your choice though.

I'd understand it more if there were chips inside (active) but as this is just a passive cable, apart from potential build quality issues, they'll all be the same, won't they?

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7 hours ago, kingmustard said:

I'd understand it more if there were chips inside (active) but as this is just a passive cable, apart from potential build quality issues, they'll all be the same, won't they?

Well it does say active in the description :P Passive DP to HDMI adapters also have a chip inside to do voltage conversion, which is why there are Type 1 and Type 2 passive adapters, the chips used in Type 1 can't handle the higher speeds.

 

You can try the eBay one if you want, it just seems a bit sketchy to me :P

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20 hours ago, Glenwing said:

Well it does say active in the description :P Passive DP to HDMI adapters also have a chip inside to do voltage conversion, which is why there are Type 1 and Type 2 passive adapters, the chips used in Type 1 can't handle the higher speeds.

 

You can try the eBay one if you want, it just seems a bit sketchy to me :P

Sorry, I thought it was a passive cable! I would definitely not pay £3.12 for an active one - would be abysmal!

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To futureproof, I have been researching 4K60 HDMI > DisplayPort passive adapters and I think my options are:

 

Lindy, £13/£15/£17 (1m/2m/3m cable)

 

eb_conv-1lindy.jpg.5304680e6b75ef12266243821064f19e.jpg

 

DeLock, £26 (adapter)

 

eb_conv-2delock.jpg.7cf39729aafaad645337fbc32cb94f36.jpg

 

Unless I'm mistake, these are my only options.

 

Any recommendations, Glenwing? :)

 

EDIT: Sorry, I wasn't aware there was no such thing as a 4K60 passive adapter (unless they use YCbCr 4:2:0 subsampling, which removes ¾ of the normal color information from the image, which is rubbish).

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On 3/10/2019 at 11:44 AM, kingmustard said:

So, I have been researching 4K60 HDMI > DisplayPort passive adapters and I think my options are:

 

Lindy, £13/£15/£17 (1m/2m/3m cable)

 

DeLock, £26 (adapter)

 

Unless I'm mistake, these are my only options.

 

Any recommendations, Glenwing? :)

Again, here are the types of DP to HDMI adapters:

 

Passive Type 1: 1080p 60 Hz

Passive Type 2: 4K 30 Hz / 1440p 60 Hz

Active: 4K 60 Hz

 

There are no passive adapters for 4K 60 Hz. But I thought you were using it for a 1440p 60 Hz monitor, so you don't need an adapter capable of 4K 60 Hz.

 

The adapters you linked support "4K 60 Hz" only by using YCbCr 4:2:0 subsampling, which removes 3/4 of the normal color information from the image. They will only support 4K 30 Hz in normal mode.

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52 minutes ago, Glenwing said:

Again, here are the types of DP to HDMI adapters:

 

Passive Type 1: 1080p 60 Hz

Passive Type 2: 4K 30 Hz / 1440p 60 Hz

Active: 4K 60 Hz

 

There are no passive adapters for 4K 60 Hz. But I thought you were using it for a 1440p 60 Hz monitor, so you don't need an adapter capable of 4K 60 Hz.

 

The adapters you linked support "4K 60 Hz" only by using YCbCr 4:2:0 subsampling, which removes 3/4 of the normal color information from the image. They will only support 4K 30 Hz in normal mode.

I need a DisplayPort (GPU end) to HDMI (monitor end) passive adapter for my 1440p60 monitor.

 

I am struggling.

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25 minutes ago, kingmustard said:

I need a DisplayPort (GPU end) to HDMI (monitor end) passive adapter for my 1440p60 monitor.

 

I am struggling.

There are specific product recommendations in the link I gave you earlier.

 

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/729232-guide-to-display-cables-adapters-v2/?output=DP&amp;input=HDMI

 

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35 minutes ago, Glenwing said:

There are specific product recommendations in the link I gave you earlier.

 

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/729232-guide-to-display-cables-adapters-v2/?output=DP&amp;input=HDMI

 

I thought you linked that earlier just to give general information; I wasn't aware there were recommendations in there.

 

It appears, in that topic, you are recommending the Plugable DPM-HDMIF (£10). I'll get that, then.

 

Thank you! :)

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 3/12/2019 at 6:26 PM, Glenwing said:

There are specific product recommendations in the link I gave you earlier.

 

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/729232-guide-to-display-cables-adapters-v2/?output=DP&amp;input=HDMI

 

@Glenwing I have my 1440p60 display connected via. the Plugable DPM-HDMIF (£10).

However, the issue isn't solved.

 

When Windows sends my displays to sleep, when I move the mouse, everything on the 1440p60 display still shifts to my 1440p144 display.

However, if I manually switch off the 1440p60 display, the windows don't shift (which is an improvement).

 

Any ideas?

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