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Anyone know if there is a graphics card like this...?

  • Thread starter Thread starter smr
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smr

smr

smr

Soldato
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Hi all,

Just wondered if there is a graphics card out there with two DVI outputs and one VGA or even three DVI outputs... someone I know wants to output to 3 monitors from one graphics card basically. None of the monitors have HDMI inputs so it will have to be either VGA or DVI and he doesn't play games so he doesn't need a powerful one really.

Thanks for any help.
 
no, but you can just get an adaptor cable to change from whatever the PC has to whatever the monitor needs
all of the latest gen cards have at least 3 outputs
 
Can I use a Dual Link DVI lead for the two monitors and then a VGA lead to the third monitor meaning all screens are hooked up?
 
one of 2 options :

1) use 2 from the graphics and 1 from onboard graphics (if the mobo has them)

2) card that has either 2 dvi and 1 displayport/mini displayport or 1 dvi, 1 hdmi and 1 displayport/mini displayport.

if you have 2 dvi and 1 hdmi your likely to only be able to use either 2 dvi or 1 dvi and 1 hdmi, NOT all 3.

smr said:
Can I use a Dual Link DVI lead for the two monitors and then a VGA lead to the third monitor meaning all screens are hooked up?
Click to expand...
not quite sure what you mean by using a dual link lead for 2 monitors ?

as i understand it dual link is just one monitor, it just allows higher resolutions (plus things like running 120mhz monitors).
 
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oc there is.....

with a HD 5000+ card you can have 3 or more, But you will be various adpaters

I have THREE on a Single 7970..

How?

3x DVI-D to DP adapters
 
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Search around for a 5450 Displayport edition. In order for a card to run the 3rd monitor, it must be a Displayport connection, and you will need an active adapter if you want to convert it to DVI/VGA.
 
Ok the three monitors all have just VGA or DVI out. So that makes it impossible yeah?
 
Yes. Without an idea on budget it is very difficult for anyone to suggest an actual card for you, but any of the current gen graphics cards support 3 monitors off one card.

they all have at least one DVI out, some have 2, and then they'll have 1 or 2 display port or mini displayport for which you can get an adapter to DVI

an nvidia 6850 is probably the cheapest card that will do what you want, when paired with the correct adaptor
 
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Ok thanks,

As long as I know it can't be done unless one of the monitors has display port on it, which I know none of them have, then that's ok...

It was more a "Can I" as opposed to "I will"... so I'll let him know, thanks for the help :)
 
That's why you're using the adapter. It turns the Displayport port into a DVI port. Then you can use a DVI monitor with it.
 
There appears to be a bit of a communication breakdown in this thread. Everyone is posting ways you can run 3 DVI screens from one graphics card and, smr, you keep responding that people are saying it isn't possible. :confused:

To keep it simple, all you need to run 3 DVI screens is one ATI card from the 5xxx series, 6xxx or 7xxx series. The card must have at least one Displayport output. Let's take this one as an example, as it seems to be the cheapest OcUK currently stock that will work, http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-268-SP&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1983
You would connect one screen to the DVI using a DVI-DVI cable. You would then connect the second screen using an HDMI-DVI cable (or HDMI-DVI adapter and a DVI-DVI cable). For the third screen you will need an ACTIVE Displayport to DVI adapter - PASSIVE won't work - and then use a DVI-DVI cable from the adapter to the screen.

Alternatively, both ATI and Nvidia cards can run 2 screens per card, so if your motherboard has the right slots you could run 2 cheap graphics cards, hook up two DVI screens to one, and the third screen running off the second card. If you want to run 3 screens off 1 card however, you will need either a Kepler-based nVidia 6xx series card, an AMD card from series 5xxx or later with a Displayport output and an Active Displayport-DVI (or VGA) adapter, or a Matrox TripleHeadToGo card as Purgatory suggested.

I previously had a 5870 that I ran three DVI screens from using DVI-DVI, DVI-DVI, DP-adapter-DVI. I currently run 3 screens from a 7970 using DVI-DVI, HDMI-HDMI, miniDP-adapter-DVI. I know the AMD set up works easily, hence I'd personally recommend that.
 
Ok thanks for the replies guys...

I've got some more information on the monitors... Two of them have VGA and DVI, the third one has only VGA - is it still possible to do this?

If not, my friend says that he is willing to buy another monitor.

If this can't be done with his current monitors and he has to get a third would I be better off getting one with a display port already or just DVI and VGA like his existing two?
 
Yes it is still possible (ffs) you just need a display port to VGA adapator instead of a display port to DVI (or you can run a DVI to VGA adapator which usually come free with graphics cards and then still use a display port to DVI adaptor)

display port monitors tend to be more expensive than the display port adaptor
 
Thanks, sorry for my ignorance, this is my first foray into multiple monitor set ups and it's about the only thing I'm not sure of with computers lol.

Apologies to bore you all but he's just asked the following (which I think is fine etc. with the graphics card software configuration possibilities?)


Thanks for the information.

At the moment my duel monitor system works on a monitor 1 & monitor 2 system, with me designating that monitor 1 is on the left and monitor 2 is on the right.

Most important is the fact that monitors 1 and 2 carry different information. So at the moment on start-up monitor 1 has my desktop whilst monitor 2 just carries a single folder.

I am assuming that the system proposed would allow for:

Monitor 1, monitor 2 and monitor 3 holding positions left middle and right as I look at the screens.

AND essential that all three monitors carry different information. So my desktop would be on monitor 2 in the middle and monitors 1 and 3 would be blank at start-up unless I moved folders onto them.

In other words there is no mirroring - each monitor holds its own unique information space.

Please confirm the above, as a third monitor would be of little value unless it was independent in its output of the other two monitors and instead simply copied or mirrored one of the other monitors.

I hope that the above is clear.

Otherwise all that you have written is good by me.
 
It's still possible. To explain it better I've drawn a diagram for you (with paint, feel free to laugh at my paint skills):

4N7ry.png


And to reply to his question, yes, as long as you've set it to extended mode in Windows, all three monitors will show different things and won't be a copy of another.
 
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