UltraAV B087B-007B DisplayPort/DVI-D Dual-Link Adapter Score: 88% Developer: Accell Device Type: Video

Function: UltraAV B087B-007B DisplayPort/ DVI-D Dual-Link Adapter fit a very particular need for me. Put simply, I wanted a third monitor. My Radeon HD 5870 graphics card features a pair of DVI ports, an HDMI port and a DisplayPort. Unfortunately, with any combination of the DVI and HDMI ports, only two monitors can be used. With a bit of research, I found that the card does support a third monitor if you use the DisplayPort. Before this card, I had not even given the new plug a second thought. After all, I don’t have any monitors with a cable like that coming out of it. I also found that I couldn’t use any old DisplayPort to DVI converter, I needed an active converter, something that had to do a bit more work than simply cross some wires. The easiest way to identify an active converter is to see if it requires power. Enter Accell’s UltraAV DisplayPort/DVI Adapter. Plugging the USB cable into the back of my machine, the DisplayPort side of the adapter to my machine and my third monitor’s DVI cable to the UltraAV Adapter and my triple-monitor setup was complete. As an added bonus, the V087B-007B model comes with a separate cable that lets you plug the adapter into a device with a Mini DisplayPort, which means newer laptops can be easily hooked up to a monitor with little to no effort.

Performance: While I wasn’t able to test UltraAV B087B-007B DisplayPort/ DVI-D Dual-Link Adapter’s claims to handle 3D video, every other aspect of the hardware seemed to work as advertised. My current setup contains two DVI-based monitors and a TV that uses the graphic card’s HDMI connection. While both of my monitors use Dual Link DVI-D connections, I did dig up another monitor I had laying around that had a Single-Link connector and saw that the UltraAV Adapter worked just as well. All-in-all, I feel generally satisfied not only with how well the adapter handles the conversion and grants me my extra monitor, but also how easy it was to set up and get running.

Features: Powered By Your Computer’s USB Port Secure Fitting Convert to a Mini DisplayPort Connector Using the Enclosed Adapter Up to 10.8Gbps Throughput Over 4 Lanes (330MHz total Pixel Clock Rate) Supports DVI-D Dual-Link Resolutions to 2560x1600@60Hz or 1920x1080@120Hz for 3D Monitors Supports DVI-D Dual-Link or DVI-D Single-Link Monitors Engineered for a Fast and Easy Setup No Software to Install Contains Active Protocol Converter

Drawbacks & Problems:: The only real problem I would have with UltraAV B087B-007B DisplayPort/ DVI-D Dual-Link Adapter is its price. Currently the adapter will run you almost $110. That being said, it’s a cheaper option than getting a second, or more powerful, graphics card that can support more monitors. The only other time that I see the need for this device to be necessary is if you’ve already gotten a new graphics card and it doesn’t actually have any DVI ports on it. Short of finding a monitor that supports the DisplayPort, a product like this will be necessary. In the end, the question of the device being cost prohibitive relies on your own situation. Interestingly enough, you can actually buy the Mini DisplayPort adapter and the normal DisplayPort adapter separately. That being said, it looks like the regular DisplayPort adapter runs the same amount as the UltraAV B087B-007B DisplayPort/ DVI-D Dual-Link Adapter, so you will be getting the Mini adapter free.

-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications AKA Chris Meyer

Minimum System Requirements: Any device with a DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort   Test System: Windows 7 Ultimate, Intel i7 X980 3.33GHz, 12 GB RAM, Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card, DirectX 9.0c

Related Links: UltraAV DisplayPort/ DVI-D Dual-Link Adapter Official Home Page Buy UltraAV B087B-002B DisplayPort/ DVI-D Dual-Link Adapter at Amazon