GTX970, looking for help... to save my sanity.

[TerrorForce]

Dear sers/madams,

 

I come with a cry for help, my sanity is in the balance. Your forum came highly recommended by the biggest vendor in the country, when in dbout; Linus Tech Forums. Lemme describe the issue I'm having:

 

History:

Had a 24" Samsung LCD monitor hooked up through HDMI and a Samsung 27" TV as my secondary which was connected through a Denon AVR with DVI, as time went along I upgraded the secondary to a new TV (1080p 42" plasma) and another (4k 55" OLED, nov last year). So I had to swap the 24" to DVI and connect the TV through HDMI to have use for 4k on the telly. No problems! Come december, the ol' faithful 24" gives out (backlight) and instead of repairing it I chose to upgrade my monitor as well. Got a U28E590 Samsung budget 4k display, hook it up through DP and that's when the assault on my sanity started... 

 

The issue:

Since getting an up to date monitor I had to hook it up through DP, the telly HAS to go HDMI, as DVI (nor DVI to HDMI cables) doesn't support 4k or 1440wide at the required Mhz. But all 3 monitors had signal issues. It came to light that DP is a little bit troublesome, as it disconnects from the PC when you turn the monitor off. This is where all 3 monitors had different behaviour but also overlapping issues.

 

The constant remained Windows 10 in combination with a NVidia GTX 970, the new monitor would be primary.

The Samsung: Could have the Samsung (DP) on, turning TV (HDMI) on would work too. Turning off the Samsung would also end display on the TV, turning off the TV shifted all content back to the Samsung. Sometimes it would randomly shift display to the TV and the Samsung would have no signal, Samsung would not show up in NVidia Control as hooked up either and the TV would become the new primary, unplugging power & DP, restarting and plugging back in would help. Didn't wanna display using a DVI->HDMI cable either.

The Asus: Won't display unless the other screen is active too, other than that didn't have any issues. DVI->HDMI cable worked too.

The LG: Won't display unless hooked up through DP or HDMI as the only monitor (so no DVI->HDMI), period. As soon as I hook up monitor #2 to the other, I get a "no signal". Hooking up an older monitor through DVI, this monitor on HDMI, it works fine. (but obviously can't use the full power of both screens)

 

Send the first 2 monitors back, assuming it was a technical issue, as NVidia support deemed my card as functioning properly and windows didn't know of any such issues, and as Samsung & ASUS were unsure, I just returned those. With the 3rd monitor in front of me right now, I realise it must be an issue with Windows or the GPU, as the cables & monitors have been replaced several times over with different brands whilst issues remain.

 

Local support? No solution. "Call the manufacturer's tech support"

Vendor support? "We'll take it back and give you store credit"

Manufacturer of Displays? "No such issue known, return to vendor if you're displeased"

Manufacturer of GPU? "We can't find any issues with your card and it's not a known problem"

Internet forums? "change EDID to a local file, download wizmo, update vbios, get a DP 1.4 ready monitor (too expensive for me) etc", tried it all, hasn't worked so far.

Microsoft? "I'm afraid I don't have any reports on any such issues, we'll investigate further if we get more reports on the matter".

 

My train of thought is that unless absolutely necessary I refuse to get a new graphics card, but at this point I'm fearing the way to go is get a new one with 2x HDMI 2.0 out and hook both monitors up through HDMI while I bide my time while the industrial world un-f*cks displayport. Is there anything you could recommend I try? Are any of you able to get such a setup (GTX900 series with dual display DP & HDMI) running?

 

Thanks for your time reading this and considering my issue.

- Jay

[DiamondShark286]

don't know a ton about display port but this is the second post where i have seen problems(here is the other one: https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/725902-ghosts-in-my-monitors/). if you bought cheap cables I would try going for a litle more expensive ones like $10-20 it also could just be cheap displayport decoders that don't work right I would just go for a display port to hdmi converter if new cables doesn't work you should still be able to get 4k.

 

[User1868]

Just to get this right: You switch between monitors using only one at a time?

Are all the displays powered by 1 outlet? (are they getting enough power from the wall?)

Check GPU manual on how you can have displays plugged in (for using more than one display at a time you need to use specific outputs on the GPU for it to work)

[stconquest]

My best guess is that the HDMI and DP (or a combination of outputs) will not work simultaneously.  I am just bumping, I won't be here for the day.

[TerrorForce]

35 minutes ago, Tb428 said:

don't know a ton about display port but this is the second post where i have seen problems(here is the other one: https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/725902-ghosts-in-my-monitors/). if you bought cheap cables I would try going for a litle more expensive ones like $10-20 it also could just be cheap displayport decoders that don't work right I would just go for a display port to hdmi converter if new cables doesn't work you should still be able to get 4k.

 

Ser, the ASUS & LG cables are VESA certified (a high standard which has supposedly been performance tested). I'll have to shop online for a VESA certified cable, I'll report back if this fixes the issue.

 

26 minutes ago, User1868 said:

 

Just to get this right: You switch between monitors using only one at a time?

Are all the displays powered by 1 outlet? (are they getting enough power from the wall?)

Check GPU manual on how you can have displays plugged in (for using more than one display at a time you need to use specific outputs on the GPU for it to work)

 

Ser, 

1. I use both screens, mostly just 1, occasionally simultaneous. The secondary is a television, which I watch movies & series on (as display for PC). When me & the misses are both home, she'll often be watching something on the telly (which I've downloaded or streaming netflix through the PC) and I'll be working on my monitor.

2. PC is powered off 1 outlet, monitor #1 on another outlet, TV is 5m over in yet another outlet.

3. ASUS Strix GTX970 manual says that my setup is possible.

 

20 minutes ago, stconquest said:

My best guess is that the HDMI and DP (or a combination of outputs) will not work simultaneously.  I am just bumping, I won't be here for the day.

Ser, previously on both other monitors I had display on both most of the time, but the silly bastards would only have a signal if both monitors were turned on (so either both had a signal or neither), making it impossible to use just 1 monitor. This wasn't always the case tho, hence my descend into madness.

[stconquest]

3 minutes ago, TerrorForce said:

Ser, the ASUS & LG cables are VESA certified (a high standard which has supposedly been performance tested). I'll have to shop online for a VESA certified cable, I'll report back if this fixes the issue.

 

Ser, 

1. I use both screens, mostly just 1, occasionally simultaneous. The secondary is a television, which I watch movies & series on (as display for PC). When me & the misses are both home, she'll often be watching something on the telly (which I've downloaded or streaming netflix through the PC) and I'll be working on my monitor.

2. PC is powered off 1 outlet, monitor #1 on another outlet, TV is 5m over in yet another outlet.

3. ASUS Strix GTX970 manual says that my setup is possible.

 

Ser, previously on both other monitors I had display on both most of the time, but the silly bastards would only have a signal if both monitors were turned on (so either both had a signal or neither), making it impossible to use just 1 monitor. This wasn't always the case tho, hence my descend into madness.

3 displays, two are 3840x2160 and the last is 1920x1080.  All are hooked in at the same time.

 

If each display works fine when the GPU is driving it and no others, one at a time, then you have found a limitation of your GPU:  trying to use three displays off of those outputs is probably causing the issue.

 

Best of luck, I know you can figure it out.

[arbellason55]

It's probably a problem with windows not wanting to play nicely with different display types.

[TerrorForce]

4 minutes ago, stconquest said:

3 displays, two are 3840x2160 and the last is 1920x1080.  All are hooked in at the same time.

 

If each display works fine when the GPU is driving it and no others, one at a time, then you have found a limitation of your GPU:  trying to use three displays off of those outputs is probably causing the issue.

 

Best of luck, I know you can figure it out.

Secondary is a LG TV through HDMI at 3840x2160, primary has been changed 3 times now, hooked up through DP (1920x1080 to Samsung 3840x2160, to a wide ASUS 3440x1440 & now another 3440x1440 from LG). Each monitor works standalone, correct. ASUS & NVidia lists a 3rd monitor as a possible limitation, however I'm using 2.

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence, I wouldn't be here however if I had any faith in figuring it out myself... we'll keep trying and otherwise throw more money at it *cries a little*

 

7 minutes ago, arbellason55 said:

It's probably a problem with windows not wanting to play nicely with different display types.

Very possible, Microsoft claims that bollocks though and offers no support. As i can't really upgrade my windows version, I've changed monitors for a 3rd time now and the GPU is up to date (vBIOS & drivers) but upgrade-able... is it time to get another GPU?

[arbellason55]

2 minutes ago, TerrorForce said:

is it time to get another GPU?

Well if you have the money it would determine if that is indeed the problem. Best excuse to get a new gpu i have ever seen .

[TerrorForce]

2 minutes ago, arbellason55 said:

Well if you have the money it would determine if that is indeed the problem. Best excuse to get a new gpu i have ever seen .

No return policy and no guarantees it'll work is holding me back, else I'd have tried that too by now. Trying another VESA certified cable is next. I've always been very content with Nvidia cards and they've never given out on me, if this was the GPUs fault I'd be sorely disappointed and a little bit heartbroken and I'd have trust issues whilst ordering a new 1000 series... not to mention a lack of financial means to feed my family for the rest of the month.

[arbellason55]

You've got one of those problems that happens once and takes a lot of tinkering with random things to figure out. Kinda like the time a skyrim enb fried my psu for absolutely no reason. I wish you luck.