Question Monitors only have HDMI, GPU has 1 x HDMI and 3 x DP, but adapters hang my PC, any alternatives ?

[PlayerDot]

I have two old monitors that serve me well. They both have a VGA and HDMI and pretty much nothing else. My GPU is no longer cutting it, but the new GPU (XFX RX 6800 XT) I'm planning to buy only supports
1 x HDMI and 3 x DisplayPorts.

So far I tried using DP-to-HDMI adapters (HDMI comes from display to adapter, DP plugs into PC), but they prevent my system from posting and keep it in a permanent RAM checking state. I tried two different ones off Amazon and refunded them both. Link 1, Link 2,
Current parts

What can I do without having to buy a new monitor?

 

[hedwar2011]

It's odd that a dongle or adapter would cause your system to no-post. What GPU do you have currently?

 

[PlayerDot]

It's odd that a dongle or adapter would cause your system to no-post. What GPU do you have currently?

RX 580, but this also happened with a RX 6500 XT when I thought my GPU was defective and ordered a replacement.

 

[hedwar2011]

RX 580, but this also happened with a RX 6500 XT when I thought my GPU was defective and ordered a replacement.

It's not likely that the source is the dongle or adapter then if it happened with two different types on two completely different GPUs.
1) Are you certain it is indeed no-posting? What indicators are you seeing that make you think it is a true No-POST situation happening?
2) Could it simply be not showing the display and need to have the input changed on the monitor itself?

 

[PlayerDot]

It's not likely that the source is the dongle or adapter then if it happened with two different types on two completely different GPUs.
1) Are you certain it is indeed no-posting? What indicators are you seeing that make you think it is a true No-POST situation happening?
2) Could it simply be not showing the display and need to have the input changed on the monitor itself?

Well the reason I'm assuming it's the adapter is because without the adapter it works normally. It only prevents my system from booting if I connect a display using a DisplayPort-To-HDMI cable. I don't remember if I tried it on the CPU's integrated graphics, but I'd rather not try.

With "no post" I mean that my motherboard's LEDs indicating the boot status gets stuck on "DRAM" or something like that, indefinitely. It never reached the GPU check LED indicator, and it never fully booted while the monitors were connected with the adapter. This was true for both monitors.

 

[boju]

Link to DP to Hdmi cable adapter?

These adapters aren't bi-directional, so it must specify Displayport to Hdmi, not the other way around.

 

[Glenwing]

What happens if it's connected after the system is already booted?

 

[DSzymborski]

Well the reason I'm assuming it's the adapter is because without the adapter it works normally. It only prevents my system from booting if I connect a display using a DisplayPort-To-HDMI cable. I don't remember if I tried it on the CPU's integrated graphics, but I'd rather not try.

I'm a bit confused here. Why would you rather not try? It's very basic troubleshooting, it's like checking your gas cap if your check engine light suddenly comes on after you gassed up your car. Assuming you have integrated graphics, of course (there's no info provided about anything other than the GPU). How are you determining it's a RAM checking state at which it's freezing; do you have a POST code?

And as Boju notes, it has to be specifically be an HDMI-to-DP adapter or you'd have as much luck plugging in a long strand of spaghetti.

 

[Glenwing]

And as Boju notes, it has to be specifically be an HDMI-to-DP adapter or you'd have as much luck plugging in a long strand of spaghetti.

For this situation it is DP to HDMI that is needed, not HDMI to DP.

 

[PlayerDot]

Link to DP to Hdmi cable adapter?

These adapters aren't bi-directional, so it must specify Displayport to Hdmi, not the other way around.

link to one of them. Couldn't find the other one. I haven't tried this in 3 months, so I'm not sure where I left them lying around.

I'm a bit confused here. Why would you rather not try? It's very basic troubleshooting, it's like checking your gas cap if your check engine light suddenly comes on after you gassed up your car. Assuming you have integrated graphics, of course (there's no info provided about anything other than the GPU). How are you determining it's a RAM checking state at which it's freezing; do you have a POST code?

And as Boju notes, it has to be specifically be an HDMI-to-DP adapter or you'd have as much luck plugging in a long strand of spaghetti.

Build link. My motherboard has a few"Post Status Checker" LEDs on it that it sequences through before it boots. CPU > DRAM > VGA > BOOT. So maybe saying it "does not post" was wrong - it does not "boot", it never gets past the DRAM post status.

What happens if it's connected after the system is already booted?

If I remember right, it works as normal. I would need to find the adapters and try again to be sure.

The reason I'd rather not is, well, obviously there's a lot of scaremongering about how easy it is to damage or destroy these components, so if there's some faulty grounding or a connection that should not be there, I'd be worried about the consequences. Sadly I could not test what happens if there's a direct DisplayPort connection, since I don't have any displays that support DisplayPort.

 

[DSzymborski]

link to one of them. Couldn't find the other one. I haven't tried this in 3 months, so I'm not sure where I left them lying around.

Build link. My motherboard has a few"Post Status Checker" LEDs on it that it sequences through before it boots. CPU > DRAM > VGA > BOOT. So maybe saying it "does not post" was wrong - it does not "boot", it never gets past the DRAM post status.

If I remember right, it works as normal. I would need to find the adapters and try again to be sure.

The reason I'd rather not is, well, obviously there's a lot of scaremongering about how easy it is to damage or destroy these components, so if there's some faulty grounding or a connection that should not be there, I'd be worried about the consequences. Sadly I could not test what happens if there's a direct DisplayPort connection, since I don't have any displays that support DisplayPort.

You might need to consider bringing it to a shop then. Components aren't that easy to break, but it's something basic that might need to be done.

 

[hedwar2011]

You might need to consider bringing it to a shop then. Components aren't that easy to break, but it's something basic that might need to be done.

I agree with DSzymborski at this point.

 

[PlayerDot]

I ended up finding one of the adapters, plugged it in while it was running... and it was fine. I shut down my PC and connected my monitors with the DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapters, and it worked fine again.

Now I'm even more confused.
But... are there actually any alternatives if the issue persisted, besides getting the system checked?

 

[geofelt]

Why not connect one of your monitors to the integrated adapter on the motherboard?
You will have to install the intel graphics adapter driver.