# Will this graphic card combo work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 20, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450 "2012-02-20T20:03:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450/1 "2012-02-20T20:03:43Z")
I have a [Radeon HD 7550](http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/ati-radeon-hd-5000/hd-5770/Pages/ati-radeon-hd-5770-overview.aspx) plugged into my PCIe 16x slot. But it is limited to two active outputs out of the three connectors. I want to add a second card to add a 3rd monitor and have a single PCIe 1x slot available. I’m looking at a [pretty generic GeForce GT 520 card](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500233) to drive my HDMI TV at 1080P. Anyone had any experience using this combination, or one close to this? I tried an old PCI card, and it had artifacts. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450/2 "2012-02-20T22:09:45Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > I have a [Radeon HD 7550](http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/ati-radeon-hd-5000/hd-5770/Pages/ati-radeon-hd-5770-overview.aspx) plugged into my PCIe 16x slot. But it is limited to two active outputs out of the three connectors. That cannot be correct as the **5770** (to which your link goes - the 7550 isn’t out yet) supports Eyefinity. If you check the specifications tab on your link, you can see that it supports 3 displays on the 4 connectors. Or have you broken one? ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450/3 "2012-02-21T02:03:56Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > That cannot be correct as the **5770** (to which your link goes - the 7550 isn’t out yet) supports Eyefinity. If you check the specifications tab on your link, you can see that it supports 3 displays on the 4 connectors. Or have you broken one? Actually, I’m not sure of the exact card ID. The OS and ATI Catalyst software IDs the card only as a “ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series”, so I took a guess. It’s a red cased double width card with two DVI connectors, one HDMI and a 4th connector that I’ve not seen before. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450/4 "2012-02-21T13:06:25Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Actually, I’m not sure of the exact card ID. The OS and ATI Catalyst software IDs the card only as a “ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series”, so I took a guess. It’s a red cased double width card with two DVI connectors, one HDMI and a 4th connector that I’ve not seen before. That will be a DisplayPort connector. You need a DP to HDMI converter. See [here](http://www.ivojo.co.uk/component.php?pid=Extron_DPM-HDMIF) or [here](http://macrozon.net/products/133-displayport-to-hdmi-adapterconverter-active.aspx). Note that you’ll likely need an Active converter. ---
**Author:** ![TripleFail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@TripleFail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TripleFail)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450/5 "2012-02-21T13:11:12Z")
BTW you should specify what operating system you are running. Some OS allow 2 drivers to be loaded some don’t. I never tried it my self but I do know ATI driver tend to be more buggy and using Nvidia driver with ATI seems to be inviting trouble. I think the link below answers your question if you are running windows 7. > **[Multiple Monitors and Video Present Networks - Windows drivers](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/display/multiple-monitors-and-video-present-networks)** > > Multiple Monitors and Video Present Networks Though I think you should look for cheap ATI card to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450/6 "2012-02-21T20:28:27Z")
> [@TripleFail](#): > > BTW you should specify what operating system you are running. Running Windows 7 Professional 64-bit. > [@](#): > > Some OS allow 2 drivers to be loaded some don’t. I never tried it my self but I do know ATI driver tend to be more buggy and using Nvidia driver with ATI seems to be inviting trouble. I think the link below answers your question if you are running windows 7. > [Multiple Monitors and Video Present Networks - Windows drivers | Microsoft Learn](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/gg487363.aspx#EOC) > Though I think you should look for cheap ATI card to be sure. Good point, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450/7 "2012-02-21T20:36:43Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > That will be a DisplayPort connector. You need a DP to HDMI converter. See [here](http://www.ivojo.co.uk/component.php?pid=Extron_DPM-HDMIF) or [here](http://macrozon.net/products/133-displayport-to-hdmi-adapterconverter-active.aspx). > > Note that you’ll likely need an Active converter. Does the possibility exist that my card could drive three displays if I use the two DVIs and one DisplayPort, rather than the current which is one DVI and either the other DVI or the HDMI (if I plug in the HDMI, it disables the second DVI). ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450/8 "2012-02-21T20:42:23Z")
Any three should work ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450/9 "2012-02-21T20:45:39Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Any three should work No, I have three displays and while all three work, only two work at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450/10 "2012-02-21T20:54:19Z")
Three will work, but according to AMD, one display MUST use the displayport. So one of the monitors needs to support display port, or you’ll have to use a display port to DVI adapter. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450/11 "2012-02-21T21:48:17Z")
I opened my computer to check, and it is indeed a HD 5770. I have a VGA monitor hooked up to one DVI port, a DVI monitor hooked up to the other and an HDMI cable to my big screen. The last two are 1920 x 1080 and the VGA is 1360 x 768. And whenever I enable the big TV, it disables the VGA. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450/12 "2012-02-21T21:55:20Z")
Right. The spec for the 5000 series cards (and 6000 and 7000) is that to run eyefinity (3 monitors) one of the displays has to use the display port out on the card. This is because of the way the various ports communicate. Something to do with clock cycles, but I havent’ looked closely. So you can run two monitors on the DVI’s and HDMI ports (any combination), but the third display MUST be hooked up to the display port out. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450/13 "2012-02-21T22:07:13Z")
Thank you. I’ve ordered an active DisplayPort adaptor, and as soon as I get it, I’ll be set. I edit video, and I need to have one monitor for my timeline, one for my previews and one for the HD program. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450/14 "2012-02-22T00:39:48Z")
Sure sure, you just want to play Battlefield 3 with three monitors, admit it! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-this-graphic-card-combo-work/613450/15 "2012-02-22T02:32:59Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Sure sure, you just want to play Battlefield 3 with three monitors, admit it! > > 😉 Nah, I’m one of a handful of penis owners who does not do games.