16 Replies Latest reply on Sep 23, 2018 7:08 AM by willbott

Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected

dericwadleigh Dec 31, 2016 10:07 AM

I am running the following in a custom windows 10 desktop.

Sapphire Radeon R9 290x 4gb.

AMD fx-8150 octacore.

ASUS Crosshair V Formula motherboard

800w Rosewill power.

16gb Corsair ram.

The problem I am having is whenever I'm doing something that uses the video card, this started in the last two weeks or so, the screen will randomly refresh. Takes 1~3 seconds and interrupts whatever I'm doing. It's the same thing that happens whenever a new monitor is being plugged or unplugged. I investigated this and found that I have a third monitor connected that doesn't exist. The computer thinks its plugged into the empty displayport on the video card. It is listed as a generic non-pnp monitor and has a default 640x480 resolution even though there is nothing there. I've used DDU to cleanse all monitors and drivers related to it. Then I reinstalled only the drivers via the AMD website, mainly the Radeon settings app in the screenshot. The 'ghost' monitor immediately came back. I don't know what else to do at this point. I cleaned the inside of my computer, blew out all the ports, made sure there was no foreign matter possibly causing it.

What do?

sRMdBhC.jpg 822.9 KB

Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected

redfury Dec 31, 2016 3:17 PM (in response to dericwadleigh)

1.Let's suppose your Ghost monitor has number 1(your picture is not good quality)
2.Open up display's (right click desktop background and select screen resolution). Click on the #1 display (it has a 1 on it) until it has a blue border to ensure it is selected. Under "multiple Displays" drop down menu select "Remove this display". Click OK or Apply. You should now see only two Displays at the top near "detect" and Identify" buttons.
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- Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected
  
  dericwadleigh Jan 1, 2017 10:55 AM (in response to redfury)
  
  I don't know what you mean about bad quality, it's a full size screenshot. I can see that the extra monitor is clearly number 1. Anyway, I'm running windows 10, so the right click menu has display settings. It's already set to disconnect that display but that doesn't remove it from the menu. In any case, that doesn't solve the issue anyway because the problem is that it's disconnecting and reconnecting, interrupting whatever I'm doing when it does so.
  
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  - Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected
    
    redfury Jan 1, 2017 2:15 PM (in response to dericwadleigh)
    
    Assign your display 2 as main and try to delete display #1 again
    Pay no attention to number of monitor on picture - it is just example
    
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    - Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected
      
      dericwadleigh Jan 2, 2017 9:46 AM (in response to redfury)
      
      This would go immensely faster if each comment I made didn't take an entire day to get moderated and posted.
      
      Anyway, please presume I know something about computers here and speak accordingly. I have already tried every setting on my computer and I've done absolutely everything I can think of to disconnect or otherwise delete it. Obviously this extra monitor is not my main display and there is no setting to delete it. The only thing remotely close is under Multiple Displays is 'disconnect this display' which was the absolute first thing I did. I've also gone under the AMD settings to try and remove it. I've gone under device manager and tried both disable it and uninstall it. The onboard video card is already disabled in the bios to ensure there isn't anything coming from that. I have used DDU to uninstall absolutely all video drivers and monitors/displays. Then I reinstalled ONLY the AMD video driver directly from the AMD site. This is why I have come here with this question. Nobody else I have asked knows what to do and I can't think of any other setting I am missing. This only popped up in the last two or three weeks and the only thing I can come up with is that an update to the AMD drivers is what's causing this. I'm about to go try and update to the beta drivers to see if that makes any difference... though I am doubting it will.
      
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      - Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected
        
        Hardwood Jan 2, 2017 10:35 AM (in response to dericwadleigh)
        
        One more thing.
        Device manager/view/show hidden devices. Anything excessive in the monitors section?
        
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        Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected
        
        dericwadleigh Jan 3, 2017 9:46 AM (in response to Hardwood)
        
        Yea, actually. There's like six hidden monitors. What is up with that?
        
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        Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected
        
        redfury Jan 3, 2017 10:27 AM (in response to dericwadleigh)
        
        Perhaps it is monitors(nonexistent), that were deleted by you in device manager .
        
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        Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected
        
        Hardwood Jan 4, 2017 7:54 AM (in response to dericwadleigh)
        
        I think windows remembers all devices that have been attached to the computer. It's possible those monitors were used in setting it up and/or testing it and maybe other situations. Normally it's not a big deal but your problem is special and I've never heard of such a thing.
        Here's hoping newegg helps.
        
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      - Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected
        
        redfury Jan 2, 2017 12:49 PM (in response to dericwadleigh)
        
        The presence of a "non-PNP" VGA monitor is detected by just sensing electrical load on the RGB/HV outputs, so a faulty driver chip or short-circuited board can cause misdetection. If this is the case, having the video card replaced will fix the problem.
        1 of 1 people found this helpful
        
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        Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected
        
        dericwadleigh Jan 3, 2017 9:46 AM (in response to redfury)
        
        Yea... I was worried about that. Gonna have to get ahold of Newegg to fulfill the extended warranty on it.
        
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Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected

doiiue Nov 21, 2017 12:19 AM (in response to dericwadleigh)

Exact same issue but using a Sapphire R9 Fury Nitro.
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Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected

levi Apr 20, 2018 1:39 AM (in response to dericwadleigh)

Exactly same issue with RX580! (see this AMD Support subreddit discussion for my full post and another guy's same issue).
Just for the record, my specs:
Computer Type: Desktop, custom build
GPU: Sapphire Radeon RX 580 NITRO+ OC 8GB GDDR5
Screen: AOC 2275W (single screen; tried HDMI and DVI)
CPU: Ryzen 7 1700X
Motherboard: MSI X370 Gaming Pro Carbon
RAM: 2x16GB G.Skill Ripjaws-V DDR4 2400Mhz
PSU: SeaSonic 660W 80+ Platinum SS-660XP2
Operating System & Version: Windows 10 with all latest updates
GPU Drivers: 18.3.4 (when issue started appearing - upgraded from something in the 17.X.X from a few months back)
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Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected

willbott Sep 21, 2018 10:56 AM (in response to dericwadleigh)

Hi guys

Did you ever find a solution to this? I have the same issue!

Cheers for any help

Will
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- Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected
  
  dericwadleigh Sep 21, 2018 3:10 PM (in response to willbott)
  
  I fixed the problem by plugging the monitor into the display port slot by
  using an HDMI to displayport converter. For some reason having the second
  monitor plugged into the second HDMI slot was causing the issue.
  
  TBH, I've since moved onto an Nvidia card. I advise you do the same because
  AMD has become hot garbage in recent years.
  
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  - Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected
    
    willbott Sep 22, 2018 10:09 AM (in response to dericwadleigh)
    
    Hi there
    
    Thank you so much for this information. I'll give that a go - but will also
    take your advice and switch to Nivida too.
    
    Cheers
    
    Will
    
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Re: Sapphire R9 290x - Nonexistent 3rd monitor detected

willbott Sep 23, 2018 7:08 AM (in response to dericwadleigh)

Hi there

For anyone looking at this - I found a solution for my particular issue with the Ghost/Phantom monitor on my R9 280X. I'd tried everything but no joy until I did this.

My monitor was connected with a DVi to VGA adapter. I bought a mini Display port to VGA adapter and this has completely fixed the problem. Needed a restart then it was all good to go - no more guosg second monitor.

I have no idea why this worked but it did.

Cheers

Will
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