Cheapest graphics card that will output to 3 monitors.

[Combat squirrel]

As title, I hear the nvidias are capable of this from one graphics card, im not sure what models however.

Whats the CHEAPEST graphics card that will do this, and for infos, what card £150-200 will do this also ?

Thanks

 

[spixelspixel]

out of the box - sapphire 6770 flex

most amd 6 series series will do this though (with 1 active dp adapter)

 

[spoffle]

What are you using it for? If you just need 3 monitors for desktop use you can spend quite a small amount, but I don't think you can go nVidia for that, but I'd suggest this if you just need 3 monitors for desktop use.


http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-169-MS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1985

 

[spixelspixel]

forget what I said before, the cheapest is the sapphire 6450 flex. all amd cards except the sapphire flex series require you to buy an active adapter (around 30 pounds) to use a 3rd monitor on a single card.

 

[spoffle]

That depends on if you have monitors with displayport inputs.

 

[Combat squirrel]

Thanks for the input, BUT I already know all of these options, I currently use a 6970 and 5450 ATI card...but I want a single card solution and no trickery with active adaptors.

I am very aware the top end 680 series from Nvidia can out put to 3 displays using any available plug on the card (2 DVI, DP or HDMI etc), but I was wondering if any cheaper cards will do this also.

 

[spoffle]

I'm pretty usre you have to use a DP adapter with most cards, it's not trickery or anything it's just a technical limitation, you may as well just get one and use it with your 6970. I don't think 670s or 680s are any different.

I get not wanting to use them though, I have to use 2x of them to get my screens to work on my PC and I'd also rather not have to.

 

[Cleeecooo]

Thanks for the input, BUT I already know all of these options, I currently use a 6970 and 5450 ATI card...but I want a single card solution and no trickery with active adaptors.

I am very aware the top end 680 series from Nvidia can out put to 3 displays using any available plug on the card (2 DVI, DP or HDMI etc), but I was wondering if any cheaper cards will do this also.

The other NV 6XX cards do this too, every single one IIRC

 

[spixelspixel]

The sapphire flex cards are the only other option besides nvidia 6 series.

I can run 2 dvi and 1 hdmi for eyefinity with my 6870 flex, no adapters required.

 

[Combat squirrel]

Thanks so any 600 series then, what makes the flex different?

Yeah this limitation has been removed on the new cards.

 

[Cleeecooo]

Flex cards are basically designed for more monitors

 

[Orcvader]

Flex allows you to run 3 DVI/HDMI/VGA screens together without the need of an adapter. Only Sapphire does this since it's their idea. So yes, the cheapest will be the 6450 Flex.

 

[Combat squirrel]

Hmmm interesting question... The 3 monitors I use 1 is indeed a display port model, dell 30" and the other 2 are 24" and 22".... So I did try ages ago using display port cable, dvi cable and hdmi... But it didnt work, shapphires site says this is the 'only' way a normal amd card will do it and that flex offers more combinations etc.....

Eerrrr hang on a min, I tried this and it didn't work, have I missed something here?

 

[jonny512379]

i assume you don't have an onboard GPU, as you can usually use this as well as your 6970.

I manage to run 3 monitors on a 4850 (on DVI/HDMI) and the 3rd monitor is powered by the onboard GPU (VGA) (it wont be setting any benchmark records and is useless for most games, but it works fine for general work / internet use. i will never go back to ONLY 2 monitors! hope you manage to sort it)

Just an idea though.....

 

[Combat squirrel]

i assume you don't have an onboard GPU, as you can usually use this as well as your 6970.

I manage to run 3 monitors on a 4850 (on DVI/HDMI) and the 3rd monitor is powered by the onboard GPU (VGA) (it wont be setting any benchmark records and is useless for most games, but it works fine for general work / internet use. i will never go back to ONLY 2 monitors! hope you manage to sort it)

Just an idea though.....

There is an idea, yeah I have a ivy bridge i7 so will try that out tonight

 

[Festisio]

I'm going to necro this thread if I may as I have a similar requirement (except for 6 monitors) and this thread has been a great basis for my search.

Requirements: Have 6 screens (24" Dell UltraSharp U2412M 1920*1200) powered from 1 PC ideally.

This is not for gaming. it is to show 6 web browser based slideshows independent of one another.

I have found cards such as the firepro w600 which has 6 display ports but it's around £450 and I reckon this can be done for a lot less money.

Can I double check that if I got 2 of the MSI HD 6450 I could run 6 simultaneous independent screens?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-169-MS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1985

What I am concerned about is whether I could install these on a motherboard that has 1 x PCI-e x16 and 2 x PCI-e x1

One card would be in an x16 slot and one card would be in an x1 slot.

Would the card function properly in the x1 slot?

is there anything else I should be concerned about? looking to do this as inexpensively as possible.

 

[Confused Stu]

Two of those cards won't run 6 displays, I'm afraid. With AMD's 5xxx series and above, they have the ability to run 2 screens using DVI/VGA/HDMI and 1, 2 or more using DisplayPort. This is to do with DisplayPort not needing a clock signal output where the others do, and AMD graphics cards can only produce two clock signals in total. The 6450's you've linked to don't have DisplayPort outputs, so you are limited to two outputs at once out of the three on the card.

You can run DVI/HDMI/VGA screens from the DisplayPort outputs on a card, but you will need an ACTIVE adapter for this, not a PASSIVE one. Passive ones need the GPU to produce a clock signal (so using up one of the two you have available, even though you're using the DisplayPort output), Active adapters produce their own clock signal so the GPU still has it's two to play with.

The only exception to this is Sapphire's FLEX range, which allow you to use 3 screens running DVI/VGA/HDMI in addition to any running on DisplayPort outputs.

With Nvidia's cards, before the 6xx series came out you could run up to 2 screens from each card. With the high end 6xx series now being based on Kepler architecture, these can run up to 4 screens per card and can use any outputs the card has so you don't need DisplayPort or adapters. Need to check the card you're looking at though as some 6xx series are based on the older Fermi architecture that is still limited to 2 screens per card.

A graphics card designed for a x16 slot WILL work in a x1 slot, but as the x1 slot is shorter you will need to either use an adapter to get it to fit, or cut off some of the card/slot to make it fit (seriously, google for fitting a x16 card in a x1 slot). Also, check there aren't any components behind the x1 slot the card will foul when inserted. Also, the card will run much slower than in a x16 slot, but if you're not gaming it won't matter.

Cheapest option would be two of these:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-309-SP&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1985
Assuming you have two x16 slots, or a x16 and a x1 slot that you can cut the end off to make the second card fit (or cut the connectors off the card).

 

[Festisio]

informative reply thanks

will go for two of those and since the motherboards of all cheap PCs I'm looking at only have one x16 slot I will notch the back of an x1 slot and hope my cack-handedness doesn't **** anything up!