I own an older monitor that has only has VGA and DVI port and I want to connect it to my deck for daily use.
In theory this should be as simple as getting a DVI to HDMI converter cable and then connect to a dock that has a HDMI port, right? Or perhaps a DVI to display port adapter instead? I’ve read about people having trouble with DVI monitors so I checked multiple dock vendors and their statements boil down to “we don’t support it”, ie they don’t deny or rule out that it works but don’t want to give guarantee either.
Is anyone in a similar situation and can recommend a dock? I want to resolve the monitor situation first and then worry about additional stuff like USB ports, etc.
My monitor is a Samsung SMT 2333T (https://www.samsung.com/us/business/support/owners/product/2333t-series-2333t/)
Edit: I got it working and it was quite simple, here’s my steps:
- I checked the port at the back of my monitor (reference chart) which turned out to be DVI-I dual link.
- then I purchased a HDMI <–> DVI adapter cable which supports my monitor’s resolution (1080 p). This costs around 10 €.
- connected that cable to the official Steam Deck dock and my monitor and it works without any further setup
- while in the Deck’s Desktop mode you can go into the system settings --> display and make your external monitor the primary display. Primary means that your start bar is located there, new apps will launch on this screen by default, etc. In the same settings menu you can also turn off the Decks own display while the external one is connected. I do this because I can’t comfortably look at it anyway while it’s in the dock and also to save energy.
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Simple passive HDMI to DVI-D single link should work for this monitor.
HDMI 1.0 and DVI-D Single Link are electrically identical, so they just work.
It starts getting messy when literally everything else. HDMI to DVI-I (analog) is a no go without an active adapter, because HDMI simply doesn’t have analog signals so it’s got to be converted. Similarly, 1440p over DVI requires DVI-D Dual-Link which is also a no go without an active adapter.
My experience with my expensive DP to DVI-D DL has been poor and full of desyncs. DisplayPort is a packet-based protocol and apparently my Vega 64 has its timings just ever so slightly off and I get rolling black lines and artifacts. Fine on NVIDIA though, but my 1060 had native DVI so useless. I would avoid going through DP if you’re going to DVI.
Another thing with DisplayPort to HDMI: passive cables rely entirely on the source to be smart and be able to switch the wire protocol to HDMI. Not all devices and GPUs support that.
But, for your use case a simple passive HDMI to DVI-D SL should work fine.
HDMI and DVI-D adapters are easy to acquire and just work, assuming your monitor uses that and not DVI analog, but that should also work too. DVI doesn’t transmit audio so you’d need USB audio, Bluetooth or an audio splitter/extractor before the HDMI goes to the DVI adapter.
…cleanest (and cheapest) solution is a passive HDMI-to-DVI cable: the video signals are identical, so it’s a trivial conversion…
…i’ve used this connection (from several different cable manufacturers) on many rigs…
Make sure you get the right cable or adapter. There are a few different DVI standards, and they’re not all compatible with each other.
Also make sure it’s converting the right way, I discovered to my detriment that DVI->HDMI != HDMI->DVI!
I’d try a DisplayPort to DVI cable. HDMI to DVI might work as well, but docks usually have their own circuitry for HDMI, and most probably don’t implement DVI compatibility. DisplayPort is more likely simple passthrough (not sure though), and the Deck’s APU most likely understands DVI.
From the link you posted, it’s a 24" 1080p monitor, so probably not too expensive to replace these days. Check the total cost of any adaptors or converters you need before you buy, as you might find that it’s almost the same cost to replace the monitor.
An HDMI to DVI cable should work. I have a monitor that I connect to my PC using an HDMI to DVI cable that I can try tomorrow.
Tldr: you’re better off just buying a new monitor, and don’t go down the road paved with adapters and vague vendor promises. That way lies madness.
I’ve tried several combinations of docks and adapters, and if you do go that way, only get a dock which natively outputs something your monitor accepts and stay the fuck away from Targus, their display link implementation will add a whole new layer of frustration to your troubleshooting.
Adapters often require power, and sometimes the dock can’t supply that power in the long run. I have had setups work for 4months before suddenly a monitor dropping out randomly. As in working fine, then no connection and a few seconds later back online. After 3 docks and 4 sets of adapters, the only thing that worked was dropping the adapters and getting new monitors.
I’ll give the adapter a shot. One costs < 10 € and a good monitor is easily 200+ €.
This Dock works perfectly for me, also with an adapter to DVI.
That looks horrible and where did you find a picture of my setup?
I’m so sorry this hurts your eyes.
Honestly it’s not that bad, you can probably whack a few more dongles in there
“let’s me connect” = “let us me connect”
