Minor tech rage.
This fancy video card I bought, in its infinite wisdom, put a DVI-D port on there. One DVI-I port, one HDMI port, and this DVI-D port.
So I've been playing form factor whack-a-mole for a week or two now trying to get a second monitor hooked up. Just as simple as buying a VGA to DVI-D adapter or cable right?
WRONG.
There are so many fucking formats for video display, and possible combinations, that one of them is inevitably rare. Guess which one? So that was a waste of time looking for it physically in a store. And no, they didn't have VGA --> HDMI either.
So I go to Newegg. Find the adapters I need. I buy a DVI-D --> VGA adapter. I buy a DVI-D cable, because I think it came with the adapter. And then, just to be on the safe side, I buy a VGA--> HDMI adapter too.
The DVI-D stuff shows up first, since the VGA --> HDMI adapter is literally coming from across the world.
I plug it all in, get Ultramon installed....
Nothing. Windows sees it and can identify it, but the monitor gots no signal.
To Google I go. And LO AND BEHOLD, I read that DVI-D is a purely digital format (that's what the D stands for, dumbass.) It's the kind of thing a simple adapter won't cut it. No. I need a fucking converter box between my PC and my monitor. Some users tell magical tales of reinstalling their Nvidia drivers and it starting to magically work, but maybe that was a different issue.
Jesus. I learned more about video formats today than I ever cared to. And while I get they think a high end video card should have a direct to TV slot...why the fuck does it come at the expense of just of a dual function slot? DVI-I stands for integrated. If I have to choose between an ultra specific format, or a flexible one, I'm going to go with flexibility.
I guess this is one of those things I'd have realized if I a) knew more and b) had done more due diligence during my build. Hopefully either my PC or my monitor doesn't give me any shit running out of the HDMI port.