I bought a VGA to DVI-D adapter, and it doesn't work. Any tips to get it to work?

[JhonConners]

I bought a DVI-D to VGA adapter for my VGA cable for my monitor, to go into the DVI-D port on my GPU.

I already have a DVI-I adapter to VGA for my main monitor and was setting up a second one with the extra DVI-D port and adapter.

I plug it in, both screens go black, so I test to make sure the adapter works, and it does not, I plug the VGA cable for my monitor into it, and plug it into my PC, and nothing, the monitor, nor my PC recognizes it as a monitor.

Does this mean the adapter is just dead and I have to buy a new one, or is there some trick I can try to get it to work?

 

[Paul NZ]

It has to be an active adapter

 

[Wolfshadw]

DVI-D carries only a digital signal.
DVI-I carries both an analog and digital signal.
VGA is only an analog signal.

DVI-D requires an active conversion from a digital signal to an analog signal. A simple adapter will not work.

-Wolf sends

 

[JhonConners]

Wait what......
How do i make this an active conversion then... Do I need one of those expensive $40 converters?

 

[JhonConners]

Wait so what is a VGA to DVI adapter for if it cannot be used as a video adapter?!?!?!??!?!?!!

 

[Wolfshadw]

A DVI-I to VGA adapter works as you would expect it to.
A DVI-D to VGA adapter, I'm sorry to say, is for people who don't know too much about this stuff. Basically, they're rip-offs.

Unfortunately, you will need to purchase a active converter. Something like this should work for you.

-Wolf sends

 

[JhonConners]

Oh.... well then. Thanks for the help though!

 

[JhonConners]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/startech-com-6-hdmi-to-dvi-d-video-cable-black/2780053.p?skuId=2780053

Would this work? Or is it just a rip off like the others?

 

[Wolfshadw]

I thought you were trying to connect to a VGA input.

Maybe you should clarify what exactly you have. What the the model number of the display and what is the model number of the graphics card?

-Wolf sends

 

[JhonConners]

On my gpu, I have a DVID, DVII, HDMI, and DP

but the second monitor I have only connects using a DVID OR VGA (i already have a vga cable so I wanted just a cheap adapter, but this cable would work...

 

[JhonConners]

So would that DVID to hdmi cable work?

 

[Wolfshadw]

Yes. That HDMI to DVI-D cable should work for you.

-Wolf sends

 

[JhonConners]

Okay. Thank you.

 

[JhonConners]

So if the cable works, does that mean that regular adapters will?

 

[Wolfshadw]

Again:

HDMI carries only a digital signal.
DVI-D carries only a digital signal.
DVI-I carries both an analog and digital signal.
VGA is only an analog signal.

The problem comes when you're trying to connect a digital output to an analog input (or vice versa). Regular adapters do not work as they cannot convert the digital signal to an analog signal. If you're going from digital to digital, no problem. If you're going analog to analog, no problem. If you're going from digital to analog, you need an active converter.

-Wolf sends

 

[JhonConners]

Oh ok. Thank you.