Apple adapters active or passive

[Plumpeken]

Hi I am trying to add a 3rd monitor to my setup. But I need an active mini displayport to DVI converter because AMD cards need you to have at least 1 displayport being plugged into a monitor. So I was wondering if the Apple mini displayport to DVI adapters are active or passive.

 

Thanks,

[Xineas]

They are passive. It's just a passthrough with a different connection at the end.

 

Their Mini DisplayPort to VGA and Mini DisplayPort to DUAL LINK DVI would be an active adapter.

[Plumpeken]

 

Just now, Xineas said:

They are passive. It's just a passthrough with a different connection at the end.

 

Their Mini DisplayPort to VGA would be an example of an active adapter.

Are all mini displayport to vga adapter active? And if I got a apple mini displayport to VGA it would work to implament a 3rd monitor?

 

Thanks for the reply.

[Xineas]

Just now, Plumpekin said:

 

Are all mini displayport to vga adapter active? And if I got a apple mini displayport to VGA it would work to implament a 3rd monitor?

 

Thanks for the reply.

As long as the screen does not have a resolution higher than 1920x1200 at I believe 60Hz refresh.

Apple says it should be so: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204149

Scroll down to list item 10 an 11.

[Plumpeken]

2 minutes ago, Xineas said:

As long as the screen does not have a resolution higher than 1920x1200 at I believe 60Hz refresh.

Apple says it should be so: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204149

Scroll down to list item 10 an 11.

Does an adapter need to be active to convert displayport to vga? So could I buy any mini displayport to vga adapter and know that it's active?

 

Thanks

[Xineas]

8 minutes ago, Plumpekin said:

 

Are all mini displayport to vga adapter active? And if I got a apple mini displayport to VGA it would work to implament a 3rd monitor?

 

Thanks for the reply.

I believe they should be, yes. There probably are some manufacturers that make passive ones but I have not seen them. VGA is an analog signal and Mini DisplayPort/DVI/HDMI etc are digital. So a Mini DP to VGA always has to convert digital to analog signal and thus should be active, not passive.

[Plumpeken]

Just now, Xineas said:

I believe they should be, yes. There probably are some manufacturers that make passive ones but I have not seen them. VGA is an analog signal and Mini DisplayPort/DVI/HDMI etc are digital. So a Mini DP to VGA always has to convert digital to analog signal and thus should be active, not passive.

Ok, thank you.