Dual Monitor Cable Setup Question: Display Port or DVI with Nvidia K4000

[ProtonX]

I currently have two new monitors with DVI and HDMI inputs. Each monitor includes an HDMI cable and DVI cable. My graphics card is a Nvidia K4000 which offers one single DVI input and two display ports. I've read that display ports are best to use for 3D modeling - not sure if this is true.

I'd like to reduce the amount of cables if possible. Should I go with:

2x hdmi to display port adapters so that there is one assigned to each display port in the graphics card?

A dual DVI cable running two monitors into the Nvidia's single DVI port?

Is there such thing as a dual display port cable with HDMI conversion?

I'm looking for the best cable option while reducing the amount of cabling ... while also offering the best graphics possible for the monitors. Trying to keep it as affordable as possible as well.

Acer H236HL bid 23" widescreen IPS White LED LCD DVI HDMI VGA 1920x1080 Monitor

Sound is not necessary, although I am planning on purchasing speakers (plugged into the motherboard's sound) for now.

Thank you!

 

[drtweak]

1) If the DVI port on the card is a DVI port and not a Custom Port that has a dongle with Two DVI's on it then hooking them both up to the DVI won't work unless what your trying to do is mirror them.

2) Yes they do make DP to HDMI adapters. The cool thing about HDMI, DVI, and DP is that as least on the Video side since they are all Digital you can use gender adapters no problem. Had a client who we got a Percision workstation with a Quado card in it. We got DVI to HDMI cable adapters and they work great. Another client we used HDMI from the PC in though the walls to the monitors (25 foot HDMI Cables) then used a DVI to HDMI gender adapter on the monitor since it only had DVI and VGA. Works great.

3) The reason why they recommend DP is because it natively supports 4K video and also Sound as well now. Yes HDMI also supports 4K but not Natavely though like DP. Its like with Apples PC's. Usually you see a DP for external monitor not HDMI or DVI. You use an Apple Cemina Display its though DP because of apple and their "Retina Display"

 

[ProtonX]

Thanks drtweak, I definitely don't want to mirror the monitors - just extend the displays so I have my graphics application on one monitor and various GUI tools on the other monitor. The adapters seem like the best (and cheapest) way to go. I suppose the plan will be to just buy 2 DP adapters, run an hdmi cable from each monitor with DP's on the end, then just plug them into the 2 DP ports on the card.

 

[drtweak]

Yup that should work without issue there. The cables are just HDMI on one end and DP on the other.

 

[k1114]

1) If the DVI port on the card is a DVI port and not a Custom Port that has a dongle with Two DVI's on it then hooking them both up to the DVI won't work unless what your trying to do is mirror them.

2) Yes they do make DP to HDMI adapters. The cool thing about HDMI, DVI, and DP is that as least on the Video side since they are all Digital you can use gender adapters no problem. Had a client who we got a Percision workstation with a Quado card in it. We got DVI to HDMI cable adapters and they work great. Another client we used HDMI from the PC in though the walls to the monitors (25 foot HDMI Cables) then used a DVI to HDMI gender adapter on the monitor since it only had DVI and VGA. Works great.

3) The reason why they recommend DP is because it natively supports 4K video and also Sound as well now. Yes HDMI also supports 4K but not Natavely though like DP. Its like with Apples PC's. Usually you see a DP for external monitor not HDMI or DVI. You use an Apple Cemina Display its though DP because of apple and their "Retina Display"

Just wanted to correct: 1) no such thing as a custom port but I know you are talking about dms59 which was widely used on pretty much every workstation card. Dvi being the most up to date connection at the time and needing multi monitor support made it the go to connection. 3) They recommend dp because 10bit color support. Hdmi does support it but it would depend on the version and it's easier to just suggest the newest and best connection which also has even more color space support. Hdmi 1.4 does support 4k/30 but most monitors are still 1.3. No one is hardly even using 4k because the limited selection and price. 2k is still where it's at for professional 10 bit monitors. Using an adapter would limit it to the other connection anyways and the acer monitor is not 10 bit so in the end dvi/hdmi/dp in this instance doesn't matter. Since you already have a dvi cable and dvi on the card and monitor, you could just go with 1 adapter.

 

[ProtonX]

So I guess in the end it comes down to buying 2 HDMI to DP adapters vs 1 DVI Y adapter that splits into two connections. I've been searching for a few and it looks like they are priced around the same if I shop around. Assuming performance is the same based on my monitor specs I guess it comes down to less cable/adapters to deal with.

Out of curiosity, is there such thing as a DVI adapter with 2 HDMI connections ... or is there no such thing?

Thanks!

 

[drtweak]

NO what k114 Is saying is use a DVI on one monitor that you have and just buy ONE DP to HDMI adapter for the other. No point in Buying 2 DP to HDMI adapters when you already have a DVI connection you can use. Again if its a standard DVI there is NO splitter that allows you to do dual screen. ONLY Mirror! The cable is is talking about is DMS59. There are a few others though but this one is the most common. Like a Nvidia Quador FX470. It has Two DMS59 Connectors which each one has a special cable that splits each one into two DVI this is because there are actually TWO DVI connections in that one DMS59 connection.

So just use the One DVI port you have (Most likely the PC will see this as the Main or Number 1 Monitor) and get ONE DP to HDMI adapter for the other monitor. Then if you want to add a third in the future you can just get another DP to HDMI adapter.

 

[ProtonX]

OK, got it. I'll order a single DP to HDMI. I also noticed they have also offer a DP to dual HDMI adapter. Would this result in a mirror as well?

 

[drtweak]

Yes. Anything that is from a single port off the video card to ANY kind of splitter will result in a mirror. Each port on the video card support only ONE screen regardless of how many you plug it into. Most Splitters out there just mirror it.

 

[k1114]

It will say in the description. The dp to dual hdmi actually make both monitors act as one. This is really just for all the dual head dp since they have the bandwidth to do so. But you don't want to use this because it causes a lot of issues for when you want to use anything in full screen.

 

[ProtonX]

Ok much appreciated - thanks guys.