Connecting Alienware 17 laptop to a monitor with 144hz help

Can someone please take all the work out for me and tell me exactly what I need to buy?

I am finding out that I didn't know all i needed to know about cables. I recently purchased a Acer GN246HL monitor and didn't think anymore then a HDMI connection would allow me to use it's 144hz and 3D display. But after trying to connect the 3D glasses to it I noticed that the display wouldn't go past 60hz. So learning that HDMI cables don't pass 60hz.... though i am really really confused about this as why would they work for tv's to display content like a 3D Blu-ray player which needs to go to 120hz but can't do that with a computer? Well hooking up the monitor to a laptop through DVI I learned that DVI had no problem reaching the 144hz. So now I have the question of how to get my laptop to connect to it and now learning about the mini display port and that I need a. Dual Display DVI cable, and talking to dell they picked out this VisionTek Active Mini DP to DL-DVI Adapter Cable : TVs - LED, Internet TVs, Plasma Flat Screens, 3D, 4K & Smart TVs | Dell and said that's all I need but looking at reviews this thing gets really bad reviews, and it won't go beyond 16 bits?

Anyhow I am just totally lost and need to know what is my best option?

 

You need a mini-display adapter for your HDMI cord. The mini-display port is the only port that supports 120Hz/3D.

Update: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...-laptop-monitor-144hz-help-3.html#post9846546

 

But wouldn't a DVI cable just be the best way to go now? So wouldn't one of the Mini displayport to DVI cables work better?

 

The difference between DVI and HDMI on laptops is negligible at best. HDMI is basically DVI quality these days.

I would just stick with an HDMI -> Mini-display adapter. Won't make much of a difference at 1080p, anyway.

 

3d bluray is only 48hz.

You need an active converter for displayport to HDMI/DVI if you want 120hz 1080p I believe.

 

I already ordered what you recommended thanks a bunch J.Dre!

but so then how about this Meaker http://www.amazon.com/Accell-B087B-...2&keywords=active+display+mini+display+to+dvi
I think i want to try and aim for the full 144hz that the monitor can do.

 

If you want to be sure of greater than 60hz then I'd go for the DVI-D option cable. The technology of the display miniport IS DVI-D with audio also carried.

The blu-ray/3D you mention is actually only 24hz @ 1080i so a HDMI connection may not carry the extra Hz you need for NV 3D. Dell support also pointed me to that type of adaptor when I wanted to buy a 120hz 3D capable display for an M18x I had at the time. He also pointed me to an Nvidia tech paper that stated 'Only Dual Link DVI is supported for 3D output'.

I use a miniport to HDMI myself for my 3D TV but was disappointed with the terrible latency 24hz (3DTV) creates!

Good luck.

 

I guess if you add each separate eye, but the on-screen Hz shows as 24hz .

That one states Single link, you'll need Dual link to get the higher refresh rates (as meaker said)



Edit 2: OK, This is the type you need: http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Plated-DVI-D-Ferrites/dp/B007NJ0S1W/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_y]Amazon.com: VisionTek Active Mini DisplayPort to DL-DVI Adapter Cable for Mac and PC (900640): Electronics

And the cable: Amazon.com: Cable Matters Gold Plated DVI-D Dual Link Cable with Ferrites 6 Feet - 4K Resolution Ready: Computers & Accessories

 

That's the one dell linked to as you said they did for you too. But as said it might be only one review but it's not a good review... I already ordered it but kinda backed away by that review.

 

You need dual-link? I wasn't aware of that.

 

Yeah, only one review but probably accounts for why it's so cheap compared to all the others?

I do not know what the 'Active' bit does but it was not specified in the NV doc. Only a dual link DVI-D cable. Maybe like this: Amazon.com: BuyCheapCables 6ft Gold Plated Mini DisplayPort (Thunderbolt Port Compatible) to DVI-D Dual Link Cable (6'): Computers & Accessories

@J.Dre, I believe so, I'll try to track down the specs NV sent me...

Here it is...

Snip from 3D Vision doc:

 

Mini-DP to DP.

 

That applies to laptops, though? It seems that is referring to a desktop setup.

 

Yes it is a desktop and I wanted to use an external emitter. I was told that as the 18 does not have a dvi port it cannot be used. I wanted to buy the desktop kit emitter and a 120hz external monitor. It was later I discovered that the DP port is exactly the same technology as dual-link DVI-D and can supply the sync information. A couple of M18x users confirmed they got true NV 3D at 120hz only over the DP connector (with a desktop emitter to use the NV glasses).

The HDMI only carries refresh rates based on the handshake response of the monitor, and most(if not all?) HDMI connections only report the 2D/3D refresh rates for TV's, NOT the actual capability of the monitor panel . Probably because the main use of the HDMI port is for connecting a console?

I'd be happy to hear that is can be done over HDMI but I seriously doubt it .

 

I wish I had my old AW 17 still with the 120Hz monitor so that I can test it. I never did purchase an external 120Hz monitor because I never needed one.

 

Yeah, I can't actually prove it as I only use my DP to HDMI for my 3D TV. Although it has a 400hz panel there is no input to bypass the 3DTV's smoothing technology that converts the poor 24hz signal received into a watchable display. Watchable? Yes. Playable? Not even close .

It is definitely a possibility that HDMI could be used to supply non-standard refresh rates but NV specifically exclude it. The only time I have seen a non-standard sync rate over HDMI is with Crysis 3. It has it's own built in 3DTV side-by-side converter. When I tested it I got 60hz at 1080i - a totally unsupported combination that no other game (using 3DTV Play) can do. In effect it was playable at that res with low latency but still nowhere as good as individually supplied frames of 3D Vision. Upshot was it proved that under the right circumstances a driver (in software) could supply non standard refresh rates over HDMI.

 

I don't care about sound as I'll use a headset for that.
But I'm going to assume there is no way i'm going to get 144hz 1080p and 64bit?

 

Should work over the DP but not the HDMI. The card supports all resolutions up to 4K as far as I know so it's all down to what you connect. 4K is probably over HDMI but may have a limited refresh as it's a TV standard.

 

With my ROG swift monitor I have it hooked up through displayport, with a USB emitter I could enable 3d mode. That setup works fine.

 

OK So I got that active Mini display port to dual link dvi-d adapter. I figured everything should just be plug and play but... i'm getting nothing. Is there away I'm supposed to activate using my mini display port?

 

I don't know I'm afraid. The 'active' bit (as I said earlier) is something I know nothing about, but I'll research it and see what it does.

All you should need is a cable; DP miniport on one end, Dual-link DVI at the other. Maybe that 'active' bit is a problem?

Meaker is using one, what model bro?

Edit: After reading this : Active vs. Passive Displayport adapters *the truth* it's all as clear as mud to me! Seems 'active' contains a converter to use the analogue VGA signal supplied over digital as well as pure digital? Wickipedia made my head spin, haha.

Active should always work and passive may work seems to be the general opinion. Looks a suck it and see dependent on the monitor's capability. All I can say with certainty is my passive Mini-DP to HDMI works exactly the same as HDMI to HDMI. I was hoping I could get better refresh rates having been told that only the DP output on the AW could drive a 120hz monitor - but no (and that's probably a limitation of the TV anyway) .

Not a lot of help I'm afraid, obviously a very confusing subject ...

 

I told you not to get that adapter. HDMI to MINI-DP is what you need.

This is the one you want to get: http://www.amazon.com/Accell-B086B-008B-2-UltraAV-DisplayPort-Adapter/dp/B00DOZHL82

 

You need an active adapter to cope with dual channel DVI basically, passive adapters are single channel, that's the easiest way to think of it.

 

And I did until I read all that stuff (and found straight cables stating Mini-DP to Dual-Link DVI-D). Seemed to me that Active was needed for DVI-I and DVI-A devices to interlace the VGA Analogue signal?

Wish I had a high Hz monitor to play with....

Which DP to Dual Link did you use? Sounds like a winner for the OP .

 

Ok sorry, I haven't had any time but i still seem to need to deal with this problem.
So Like I last said the DVI thing Dell suggested doesn't work through the Mini Displayport I was thinking it was just a button I needed to push to get the display port to activate or something i needed to download.
But as I also mentioned I bought the Mini displayport to HDMI that J.Dre suggested and the mini display port DOES work with this however it isn't allowing past 60hz.
So there doesn't appear to be a minidisplayport so i'm going to see if i can still contact Dell and return that Active DVI thing they suggested and told me would work.

Still I think i should ask you Meaker exactly what do I need to buy?

 

You bought this one and it doesn't work?

http://www.amazon.com/Accell-B086B-008B-2-UltraAV-DisplayPort-Adapter/dp/B00DOZHL82

It clearly says it supports up to 120Hz.

 

I didn't get that one, i got the original one you listed in your first post Amazon.com: C&E Mini_Dis-HDMI-CB6 Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter Cable, 6 feet: Electronics it's not american so it took a while to get here, but decided i needed to wait until i can test and see if any of them worked before I got anything else.

But I did put an order in for the accell one you listed.

 

Ah, yeah... The original I listed wasn't dual-link. I should have removed the link, sorry about that.

The Accel one should work. I mean, it says 1080p 120Hz or 4k.

 

Got the other one today and despite what is said on amazon.com there the packaging even says it won't do past 60hz through the computer and it doesnt.