Display port to dual link dvi, or hdmi to dual link dvi for 144hz

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mudjerel

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Nov 18, 2017
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Is it possible to achieve 144hz through a passive or active dp/hdmi to dvi adapter? I have a monitor that accepts 144hz through dual link dvi, and only 60hz through hdmi. The graphics card I have is the strix gtx 1080, which has one dvi, two direct ports, and two hdmi, which since it is a relatively high end gpu, I'd like to assume it's capable of outputting 144hz through the hdmi. I am using the dvi slot on the gpu to connect to the dvi slot on the monitor, but I would like to add two more of the same monitor. I am wondering if it is possible to be able to run 144hz on all three monitors if I can connect the other two by hdmi/dp to dvi adaptors.

My reasoning is hopeful and would like to think that it is possible. Since if the display port is capable of 144hz, and the dual link dvi on my monitor is capable of 144hz, the adaptor should be able to retain the 144hz right? Or would there be any mysterious loss in digital signal?

If anyone can confirm that they were able to do it, I would be extremely grateful!
 
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Not reliably, you can use active DisplayPort adapters (only specific ones) but they are finicky and should only be used as a last resort; if you don't have the monitors yet then buy something with DisplayPort.

My reasoning is hopeful and would like to think that it is possible. Since if the display port is capable of 144hz, and the dual link dvi on my monitor is capable of 144hz, the adaptor should be able to retain the 144hz right? Or would there be any mysterious loss in digital signal?

For passive adapters you will be limited to 60 Hz at 1080p. It doesn't matter that "DisplayPort is capable of 144 Hz", because there are no DisplayPort signals involved. Passive adapters "work" by having the DP port send out DVI signals to...
Not reliably, you can use active DisplayPort adapters (only specific ones) but they are finicky and should only be used as a last resort; if you don't have the monitors yet then buy something with DisplayPort.

My reasoning is hopeful and would like to think that it is possible. Since if the display port is capable of 144hz, and the dual link dvi on my monitor is capable of 144hz, the adaptor should be able to retain the 144hz right? Or would there be any mysterious loss in digital signal?

For passive adapters you will be limited to 60 Hz at 1080p. It doesn't matter that "DisplayPort is capable of 144 Hz", because there are no DisplayPort signals involved. Passive adapters "work" by having the DP port send out DVI signals to begin with. Only limitation is of course the DP port can't physically morph into a DVI port to allow you to plug DVI cables in, which is what the adapter is for; the adapter doesn't "do″ anything really, it is only there to change the shape of the port so that you can plug a DVI cable into the DP port which is sending DVI signals.

However since a Single-Link DVI port has 19 pins, DL-DVI has 25, and a DP port has 20, you can see why having the DP port send DL-DVI signals is not possible. Therefore DP to DVI passive adapters only exist for Single-Link DVI.

The same applies to HDMI, which is effectively an extension to the DVI standard rather than a different interface, and the 19-pin HDMI Type A connector that we use is the redesigned version of the Single-Link DVI port and thus cannot output Dual-Link DVI signals. The HDMI Type-B connector ("Dual-Link HDMI") is the redesigned Dual-Link DVI port; while the HDMI specification does define the Type B connector, it has never actually been used, so we use Type A ports only, which are only capable of sending Single-Link DVI signals.

To get DL-DVI you would need to send the original signal in the DisplayPort format, and use an external device to receive and decode the DisplayPort signals and transmit an equivalent DL-DVI signal, which is what an active adapter does.

Later versions of HDMI achieve higher bandwidth beyond Single-Link DVI by increasing the signaling frequency rather than adding additional data channels as DL-DVI does; since it uses a different approach, again an active adapter would be required to receive the HDMI signals and transmit an equivalent signal in the Dual-Link DVI format. These don't exist becuase there is low demand, because HDMI to Single-Link adapters satisfy almost all needs.

Using a DP to DL-DVI active adapter won't result in loss of image quality, but it may sometimes result in loss of image altogether; active adapters often have a lot of issues especially associated with waking up when turning off or sleeping the computer or the monitor, and you may spend a lot of time unplugging and replugging the adapter trying to get it to reacquire the signal. Two such adapters would be pretty awful. Like I said, I only recommend them as a last resort for people who already have the monitor and are too late to return it. If you still have the option to return it, let alone the option to not even buy it in the first place, I strongly recommend not buying a 144 Hz monitor with no DP port intending to rely on DP to DL-DVI active adapters. If you can just buy something with DP, then buy something with DP, that's my advice.

But if you really want to, you can use this...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DYRQXMK?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
 
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Dec 26, 2019
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@Glenwing - I created this account just to thank you for your detailed reply - i have just acquired a crazy Hazro monitor that's built like an absolute tank with it being built entirely of metal... it's dual link DVI and all i have at the moment is a passive DP>DVI adaptor i was using for my previous secondary monitor (an old Dell 24" Ultrasharp 1080p)... I'm not getting any picture on the Hazro and I think your post has explained exactly why. I think my solution to this will be to install one of the older GPUs with DVI ports i have lying around just to drive that screen... got a 1Gb 560 i could use, should do the trick if it's just a second monitor? One way to find out I guess.
TLDR: Thanks for your post it helped me a lot
 
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