Dual monitors not working

[bull3tmagn3t]

I have a ATI 6870 and I can't get my second VGA working.

I plug both monitors in and only one of them works, so I try switching the plugs, but this time now the monitor that was working is now not, and vice versa. I my second VGA output is not working, is there a way to test this? I think i pretty much have... which is crappy because I just got this card a month ago.

[Elexar]

maybe you should enable it in your videocard control panel

I never used ATI before but it happened with my nvidia card as well - had to enable it in the nvidia control panel first (which is p. obvious actually)

[Kuiper]

What Elexar said, check the ATi control panel.

[bull3tmagn3t]

Nope, i click detect displays and nothing happens, i also try it in windows still doesnt work.

[iiansdead]

Turn off your computer and only plug a monitor into the VGA, and turn on your computer. Does the BIOS screen (aka ether computer manufacture logo or motherboard logo) display on the screen?

[Kogitsune]

The 6870 has a DVI-D port and a DVI-I. You have to run the vga connector on the DVI-I port with an adapter and the other monitor has to be run on the DVI cable.

[bull3tmagn3t]

[QUOTE=Kogitsune;29456539]The 6870 has a DVI-D port and a DVI-I. You have to run the vga connector on the DVI-I port with an adapter and the other monitor has to be run on the DVI cable.[/QUOTE]

So what you're saying is that my card can only use one VGA port at a time? What's the point of having two?

edit: Wait are you saying that both VGA ports are different?? This DVI-D and DVI-I i am unaware of what you speak of. I shall google.

[Kogitsune]

[QUOTE=bull3tmagn3t;29471161]So what you're saying is that my card can only use one VGA port at a time? What's the point of having two?

edit: Wait are you saying that both VGA ports are different?? This DVI-D and DVI-I i am unaware of what you speak of. I shall google.[/QUOTE]

The 6870 has two DVI ports on the back, along with an HDMI and some Display Ports as well. One of the DVI ports is DVI-I, which means that it is in integrated mode. It supports both analog ( VGA ) and digital ( VGA ) as output modes. You could use a dvi cable with an analog adapter or probably patch a VGA at both ends with DVI adapters.

The other DVI port is DVI-D, which is digital only and will not drive a VGA-connected monitor. If your monitors support both DVI and VGA connection, then get a single DVI cable for one monitor and run mixed, which is what I do since I don't have two DVI cables available currently.

There's pretty much nothing you can do aside from replace either the card or your monitors if they don't support DVI connections. You might be able to purchase a special adapter that is actually a converter, but those tend to be pretty pricey.