Using HDMI to VGA connector for second monitor

[tornados2111]

I have a 7870 with 1 DVI port, 1 HDMI and 2 display ports (as far as I remember that's what it's called). I use the DVI for my main monitor but I want to connect a second VGA monitor. Can I get a HDMI to VGA connector to put the HDMI side into my graphics card and VGA into the monitor? I read that my graphics card needs some sort of signal converter and I have no idea what that means. Anyone help?

[MrSuperb]

Can you please be more specific which GPU and which monitors you have.

[tornados2111]

Can you please be more specific which GPU and which monitors you have.

This is my graphics card http://www.msi.com/product/vga/R7870-2GD5T-OC.html

 

I don't really know how to describe the monitors. My main DVI monitor is a hanns g but I guess you're asking about the second monitor since that's the one I need to connect. It's an old 4:3 hp monitor. The model is HP L1906 if that helps

[MrSuperb]

Ok, to avoid any active converters I would connect the 2nd monitor via a passive DVI-I to VGA adapter or cable and connect the LCD via a HDMI-DVI cable/adapter or DP-DVI cable/adapter

 

 

GPU > DVI-I > Adapter/Cable > VGA > HP Monitor

 

AND

 

GPU > HDMI > Adapter/Cable > DVI > Hanns G

or

GPU> DP > Adapter/Cable > DVI > Hanns G

[smeek]

I tired something like this before. You'll have to get hold of a VGA cable and not convert the digital signal to analog - for some reason AMD/Nvidia cards have some funky issues with stuff like that. 

[SMURG]

For all intents and purposes, you cannot convert HDMI to VGA. HDMI is a digital standard, VGA is analogue. In order to convert you would need an active (powered) signal converter, which are both expensive and sub-optimal generally.

Like MrSuperb says, avoid active converters and use the DVI-I (interlaced analogue and digital) to connect your VGA monitor. If you ask me, all GPU outputs should be DVI-I.

[tornados2111]

I game competitively on my main hans g (DVI) monitor. is there any minuses of using a HDMI or display port instead of a DVI?

 

Another thing is will I have any problems with the HDMI trying to send audio to the monitor whereas I want to use my headphones instead?

Thanks for the help

[MrSuperb]

I game competitively on my main hans g (DVI) monitor. is there any minuses of using a HDMI or display port instead of a DVI?

 

Another thing is will I have any problems with the HDMI trying to send audio to the monitor whereas I want to use my headphones instead?

Thanks for the help

 

If you use a Displayport-DVI adapter the DP puts out a real DVI signal.

Also HDMI-DVI shouldn't.

 

The only problem that might come to my mind, is that if your Hanns G monitor would use a Dual-Link-DVI input (e.g. 1440p resolution , 120Hz, etc.)

[tornados2111]

Sorry but could you elaborate? Is that a bad thing and how would that affect the usage of the monitor? Would there be anyway in switching to something like a monitor profile with the right res and refresh rate?

[mgsstar]

Sorry but could you elaborate? Is that a bad thing and how would that affect the usage of the monitor? Would there be anyway in switching to something like a monitor profile with the right res and refresh rate?

I used a HDMI to DVI cable on a 7950 and I had no problems with it. It displayed the correct resolution and the right refresh rate. So I don't think it will affect the monitor if you are using a VGA adapter. If it doesn't get the res correctly, you could change the res and refresh rate via the graphics card control panel.

[coen113]

i have exact the same situation. you need to get a HDMI to DVI adapter, and put you main monitor on there, and get a dvi to vga adapter. problem solved

[SMURG]

Right, I'll just try to sum up the 3 standards, excluding DisplayPort because it's expensive and ultimately unnecessary here. I don't profess to be some kind of expert on the matter so correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I'm aware:

HDMI is digital (so can only be easily converted to/from DVI), with a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1200 at 60Hz. The only other noteable feature is that it will also carry sound to onboard speakers if you're into all that.

VGA is analogue only, so it cannot be converted to/from a digital standard without one of the aforementioned and to-be-avoided active converters, again supporting a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1200 at 60Hz.

DVI comes in several flavours; DVI-A which is analogue only and cannot be converted to digital, DVI-I which uses an interlaced analogue and digital signal and is therefore almost universally convertable, and DVI-D which is exclusively digital and cannot be converted to analogue. DVI can also be either single-link or dual-link; dual-link being the standard which supports resolutions in excess of 1440p and at 120Hz (see this image if you want to see which version(s) you have: https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQIkAU0yvd5nj_OLEHgfNPX9Xy-4RQiaMtarV1ivQyolrAtZDnm). This is what MrSuperb was getting at when he said it only really matters if your monitor uses 120Hz refresh rate or a resolution above 1080p.

To reiterate, HDMI, VGA and DVI are all basically the same if you are using a monitor which runs at a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080, with a refresh rate of 60Hz. Anything above that and you will need to use a dual-link DVI connection in order to make full use of your monitor. It's not about changing display settings, it's about the maximum throughput each standard supports.

 

To answer your question about having "problems" with HDMI sending sound to the monitor, you can disable any onboard speakers in the sound options and plugging in headphones should override it by default anyway. If you have no speakers in your monitor, it just won't send any sound (especially if you convert to DVI, which doesn't send sound anyway) so you'll be fine.

[Joshyy]

You can get a DisplayPort to VGA adapter, (I've been using one for over a year) they work quite effectively. 

[tornados2111]

To reiterate, HDMI, VGA and DVI are all basically the same if you are using a monitor which runs at a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080, with a refresh rate of 60Hz. Anything above that and you will need to use a dual-link DVI connection in order to make full use of your monitor. It's not about changing display settings, it's about the maximum throughput each standard supports.

I just want to be completely sure on this. Both of my monitors are less than 1080p at 60Hz, so HDMI, VGA and DVI should all be the same? So therefore if I get a cable to go from my HDMI to my VGA second monitor it should work? This seems a bit conflicting with the other things you have said but I must have misinterpreted!

 

PS. Either way I found it was cheaper to just get 2 adapters anyway than 1 cable.

Again, just to be sure what I'm getting into I'll link what I'm buying so I can verify with you guys.

 

http://www.adverts.ie/peripherals/dvi-to-vga-adaptors/347644

(the picture is wrong) but it says it's DVI-A to VGA. DVI-A is analogue and so is VGA so this should work properly. Put the DVI side into graphics card,  VGA cable into adapter and monitor and it should work, correct? Any problems with compatibility of DVI or are there literally just less pins, but all the exact same so they can still fit? Just wanna make sure ya know

 

Next is making HDMI go to my main monitor which is DVI.

http://www.adverts.ie/cables/hdmi-male-to-dvi-female-adaptor/1512101

So here is an adapter, the HDMI side into the graphics card, and the DVI cable from the adapter to my main monitor. Correct?

 

Thanks for all the help guys and sorry for so many questions I just know I can make a mistake on my own here :S

[tornados2111]

anyone?

[R4STABAN]

Your graphics card *should* have a DVI-I port (which card is it?), this means integrated - it has analogue capabilities integrated.

 

That's the only port you can run a passive adapter to vga from. (I.E DVI->VGA cable or adapter)

 

HDMI and DVI can have passive adapters to switch between eachother.

[tornados2111]

Your graphics card *should* have a DVI-I port (which card is it?), this means integrated - it has analogue capabilities integrated.

 

That's the only port you can run a passive adapter to vga from. (I.E DVI->VGA cable or adapter)

 

HDMI and DVI can have passive adapters to switch between eachother.

It's this card http://www.msi.com/p...0-2GD5T-OC.html

[SMURG]

I just want to be completely sure on this. Both of my monitors are less than 1080p at 60Hz, so HDMI, VGA and DVI should all be the same? So therefore if I get a cable to go from my HDMI to my VGA second monitor it should work? This seems a bit conflicting with the other things you have said but I must have misinterpreted!

 

PS. Either way I found it was cheaper to just get 2 adapters anyway than 1 cable.

Again, just to be sure what I'm getting into I'll link what I'm buying so I can verify with you guys.

 

http://www.adverts.ie/peripherals/dvi-to-vga-adaptors/347644

(the picture is wrong) but it says it's DVI-A to VGA. DVI-A is analogue and so is VGA so this should work properly. Put the DVI side into graphics card,  VGA cable into adapter and monitor and it should work, correct? Any problems with compatibility of DVI or are there literally just less pins, but all the exact same so they can still fit? Just wanna make sure ya know

 

Next is making HDMI go to my main monitor which is DVI.

http://www.adverts.ie/cables/hdmi-male-to-dvi-female-adaptor/1512101

So here is an adapter, the HDMI side into the graphics card, and the DVI cable from the adapter to my main monitor. Correct?

 

Thanks for all the help guys and sorry for so many questions I just know I can make a mistake on my own here

HDMI to VGA will not work because HDMI is digital and VGA is analogue. I meant that it doesn't matter in terms of your experience with the monitor since all 3 connections are capable of 1920x1080 at 60Hz.

 

Your graphics card *should* have a DVI-I port (which card is it?), this means integrated - it has analogue capabilities integrated.

 

That's the only port you can run a passive adapter to vga from. (I.E DVI->VGA cable or adapter)

 

HDMI and DVI can have passive adapters to switch between eachother.

^ This. You probably have DVI-I which is not compatible with DVI-D or DVI-A (they use slightly different connectors as per the image I linked before). DVI-I can be converted to VGA because it uses both analogue and digital signal.