Connecting multiple monitors.

[quotidian]

I'm trying to google for this but I'm getting confused between it and hybrid crossfires and stuff like that.

Basically can you connect a second or third monitor to one of the motherboards video outputs instead of the graphics card.

The problem is I want to use a second proper pc monitor instead of my tv but it only has a VGA slot of the back of it, whereas my tv ran off the hdmi output.

So I'd want to hook it up like so:

GC VGA -> 1st Monitor
Mobo VGA -> Monitor 2

and then possibly;

Mobo or GC HDMI -> TV, although I might just use my tv for my games consoles and raspberry pi only.

Edit: The card is an AMD 7850 and the mobo is a Gigabyte D3H-Z77
Thanks

 

[quotidian]

Anyone?

 

[quotidian]

Dont confuse yourself with Hybrid Crossfire or even the Virtu software that likely came with your motherboard.

Basically treat the motherboard as if it was a separate graphics card:- it has 3 outputs although I think only 2 are usable at once. The DVI-D and HDMI on the motherboard cannot be converted to VGA even with adapters, so basically you can only run 1 of your VGA monitors from this.

With the 7850 depending on what connectors you have will determine what you can do. My 7850 has a DVI-I, HDMI and Displayport, so you could do DVI-I->VGA adapter, and then plug the HDMI direct into the Graphics card.

Personally I always try to plug as many connections into the Graphics card before using the Motherboard onboard graphics as the ATI Software tends to deal with multi-screen and TV Out much better.

Ok I can do GC DVI -> VGA adapter -> Monitor but the second monitor only has a VGA connection so I tried plugging it into the mobo vga but it didn't detect it?

Do I need to install some software or something?

 

[quotidian]

Yes you will need to install the Intel Video drivers from your motherboard CD, or presumably from intel.com




May be a simple enable setting, or may be a setting specifying priority, in which case may need to be set to Onboard first instead of PCI-E/PEG/Addin Card.




Definitely not - I am running 3 screens on another Z77 board, 1xVGA screen connected to DVI-I port of 7850 via adapter, 1x DVI Screen connected to 7850 with DVI to HDMI Cable and remaining VGA Screen connected to Motherboard VGA port.

Thanks, I needed to enable the IGPU in the bios for it to work, doh!

Its working quite well with 2 but would the 7850 be able to handle another monitor?

I've got 2 x 1680x1050 and then 3rd monitor would either be 720p or 1080p (I've got 2 spare lcd tvs)

 

[quotidian]

If it's for normal desktop usage the 7850 is fine for up to 6 screens.

Even for DVD playback on one of the screens? Games I suppose are ok as they black out the other monitors?