FM1 & multiple displays

[Krill_]

I just put together a new rig with an Asus F1A75-M + A4-3400, and much to my chagrin have discovered that (apparently) the vanilla FM1 boards do not support dual displays using the DVI and HDMI port....only using the DVI or HDMI + d-sub, which won't work for me. Wanted to have a monitor on the DVI with the HDMI running out to an HDTV.

Anyway, I've searched high and low for info on this, whether it's a mobo limitation or limitation with the APU graphics. There are a few FM1 boards with displayports, and various claims of people using dual digital displays on newegg reviews (not betting on those)...I would just really appreciate clarification here so I can decide whether to live with what I have or beg newegg for a return and get a different mobo.

Overall I really like this this little A4-3400 chip and would hate to have to torpedo it right away. Just doesn't make sense that my little X120e notebook with an E-350 can run the display + an HDMI out to a TV perfectly while this can't.

 

[87dtna]

If I recall, it did work if I set up the HDMI as the secondary and DVI as primary. When I had HDMI as primary it made the screen small for some reason, I swapped and it worked fine as secondary. Weird.

But I had a Gigabyte A75m-ud2h and an A8-3850.


Why can you not use the D-sub anyway for your secondary? Just get an adapter...?


But just the fact that I've done it, means it's not a chipset or APU limitation. Probably an Asus thing, I boycott them for a reason and only started buying ASrock once they seperated.

 

[Krill_]

Using the d-sub on my monitor, the image is not centered and distorted...was the same way using the d-sub out on my E-350 notebook.

It looks like I can RMA the board to newegg even though it was bought as a combo, and I've looked at the Gigabyte A75m-ud2h. If you could confirm that this chart from the bit-tech review of the ud2h is accurate, it would be most appreciated!

 

[RGone]

Asus Website: AMD_Socket_FM1/F1A75M specifications.
Note *1: HDMI and DVI-D cannot work simultaneously.

 

[87dtna]

^Looks like it's just an Asus thing.

Yeah I've used the DVI and HDMI together, I always run 2 monitors and I did it for 100% sure on the UD2H.

 

[RGone]

I too believe it varies by mobo. There are at least a couple of models of the Asus F1A75-M. Now a Pro model etc. One of the other models probably has the switching circuit to allow HDMI/DVI.

 

[Krill_]

That solves the mystery then! Thanks guys.

Here's what tripped me up from the specs on the Asus page...



The way they word it it kinda looks like you can use DVI + HDMI, or d-sub + DVI or HDMI...oh well hopefully newegg just lets me RMA it without much hassle. I guess since 99% of builders that are going to do multiple displays will use a discreet card, they just don't spend much time on this stuff.

 

[RGone]

Yes correct english would have been "Dual independent displays support with HDMI, DVI and D-Sub. AMD Dual Graphics technology support. THEN to get the actual working configurations, you would have to dig up another page of specs.

 

[RGone]

Asus has come with even newer models but here is an earlier model with HDMI/DVI since it has no VGA port the DVI becomes a primary and not the VGA.

 

[Krill_]

Ahh...well my last experience with an Asus board was a mixed bag. Now it makes sense why the displayport boards are more expensive if they do something with the HDMI / DVI switch to reach a price point, because you can manually select the output in the EFI between the two, and trying to hot plug the HDMI in while the output is set to DVI causes both to stop functioning.

Anyway thanks again for the help; I literally could find nothing on the topic of Llano + multiple monitors anywhere. Just built this as a holdover for Trinity (three monitors they say!), and of course there had to be at least one surprise.