Duel VGA Outputs on a new build

Peerzy · 4 Feb 2013 at 16:16

Right so built a PC for a friend with a collection of new and 18 month old parts. He has 2 PCs next to each other connected to a KVM switch that connects to 2 monitors.

Before this build everything was VGA, so 2 PCs both output 2 lots of VGA signal to the KVM switch (4 VGA inputs total) which then outputs 2 lots of VGA to the 2 monitors.

New PC has an Powercolor Radeon HD 5450 which has VGA, DVI and HDMI out. He is able to use the VGA connection to output to 1 of the monitors but using DVI to VGA converters does not output to the second monitor.

I've ready this is because the card (and most cards) can only output 1 lot of analogue at once.

What is the cheapest way round this, replacing the KVM switch with a 4 port DVI one would cost about £100 and then he would also have to upgrade his other PC.

Can you get graphics cards with 2 VGA outputs?

What about using the 5450's VGA and a USB to VGA output - would that work?

Can you buy special powered converter boxes that will actually change the signal to VGA as I understand a DVI to VGA adaptor just changes the connection and not the signal.

How about something like this:

Search for 'HDMI to VGA Audio Video Converter 1080P - UK Plug' on the rain forest site.

Peerzy · 4 Feb 2013 at 20:45

Bump

Gav_881 · 5 Feb 2013 at 00:27

There are active DVI-D to VGA converters on the market but they tend to cost about £70 and have varying reviews. Does the PC have an onboard GPU you can use for the second output?

I would bite the bullet and upgrade to DVI/HDMI as your only going to hit the same issue when you upgrade PC2 in the future

tres_kun · 5 Feb 2013 at 08:30

You might find that you need the dvi to vga adapter from that card you are using
I had in the past similar problems with adapter and video cards
What is a KVM switch and its purpose is unknown to me or i will just indicate to plug the monitors directly in the video card
The 5000 series has support for 3 monitors out of the box

Peerzy · 5 Feb 2013 at 22:08

Gav_881 said:
There are active DVI-D to VGA converters on the market but they tend to cost about £70 and have varying reviews. Does the PC have an onboard GPU you can use for the second output?

I would bite the bullet and upgrade to DVI/HDMI as your only going to hit the same issue when you upgrade PC2 in the future

Can you use the onboard GPU VGA and graphics card at the same time? Upgrading his KVM switch and monitors to DVI / HDMI would cost a lot at the moment.

tres_kun said:
You might find that you need the dvi to vga adapter from that card you are using
I had in the past similar problems with adapter and video cards
What is a KVM switch and its purpose is unknown to me or i will just indicate to plug the monitors directly in the video card
The 5000 series has support for 3 monitors out of the box

We tried with the correct adapter, it's because the card can only output 1 analogue signal at once. The card might be able to handle 3 monitors but not in the way we need it to.

Orcvader · 6 Feb 2013 at 01:01

Peerzy said:
Can you use the onboard GPU VGA and graphics card at the same time?

What board has he got? Usually all you need to do is enable the onboard in the BIOS and install the drivers, then you can use both.

ubersonic · 6 Feb 2013 at 09:59

My advise would be to sell that 5450 and get one that supports dual VGA, or even better get the type with a single DMS-59 connector like so:

That way you have dual VGA today, and dual DVI for tomorrow.

Peerzy · 6 Feb 2013 at 10:02

ubersonic said:
My advise would be to sell that 5450 and get one that supports dual VGA, or even better get the type with a single DMS-59 connector like so:

That way you have dual VGA today, and dual DVI for tomorrow.

Any idea the name of that connection? I'm struggling to find a card with that connector on it.

Orcvader said:
What board has he got? Usually all you need to do is enable the onboard in the BIOS and install the drivers, then you can use both.

Just remembered this is a no go, the on board graphics don't work for some reason (hardware issue).

Peerzy · 6 Feb 2013 at 10:02

Double post.

Armageus · 6 Feb 2013 at 10:24

Peerzy said:
New PC has an Powercolor Radeon HD 5450 which has VGA, DVI and HDMI out. He is able to use the VGA connection to output to 1 of the monitors but using DVI to VGA converters does not output to the second monitor.

I've ready this is because the card (and most cards) can only output 1 lot of analogue at once.

Assuming the DVI Port on the 5450 is a DVI-I rather than a DVI-D (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface) then it definitely can do VGA with a passive DVI-VGA adapter that you already have, I have done this on several ATI Cards over the years, X1900XT, HD4350, HD5670, HD7850.

Peerzy said:
Right so built a PC for a friend with a collection of new and 18 month old parts. He has 2 PCs next to each other connected to a KVM switch that connects to 2 monitors.

Before this build everything was VGA, so 2 PCs both output 2 lots of VGA signal to the KVM switch (4 VGA inputs total) which then outputs 2 lots of VGA to the 2 monitors.

Not come across a KVM like this before, majority of KVMs I have used allow e.g. 4/8/16 inputs, but even if they offer 2 Outputs, they are normally for 2 different outputs.

May be simpler to change to 2 individual KVMs with 2 or 4 inputs on each, and 1 output.

e.g. PC1 VGA1 and PC2 VGA1 on KVM1, connected to MONITOR A
and PC1 VGA2 and PC2 VGA2 on KVM2, connected to MONITOR B

2 Buttons to change, and the keyboards/mice would obviously need to be plugged into the same KVM, but generally simpler and easier to replace than what sounds like a specific multimonitor kvm

Peerzy · 6 Feb 2013 at 10:36

Armageus said:
Assuming the DVI Port on the 5450 is a DVI-I rather than a DVI-D (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface) then it definitely can do VGA with a passive DVI-VGA adapter that you already have, I have done this on several ATI Cards over the years, X1900XT, HD4350, HD5670, HD7850.

Will check what DVI Port it is, at the moment though using one of these:

Doesn't work.

Armageus said:
Not come across a KVM like this before, majority of KVMs I have used allow e.g. 4/8/16 inputs, but even if they offer 2 Outputs, they are normally for 2 different outputs.

May be simpler to change to 2 individual KVMs with 2 or 4 inputs on each, and 1 output.

e.g. PC1 VGA1 and PC2 VGA1 on KVM1, connected to MONITOR A
and PC1 VGA2 and PC2 VGA2 on KVM2, connected to MONITOR B

2 Buttons to change, and the keyboards/mice would obviously need to be plugged into the same KVM, but generally simpler and easier to replace than what sounds like a specific multimonitor kvm

Hmmmm that KVM situation could work, but I think that'll still come out more expensive than the HDMI to VGA powered converter I mentioned earlier.

EDIT: That still doesn't solve the getting a 2nd VGA output out of the new PC though.

Armageus · 6 Feb 2013 at 11:10

Peerzy said:
Will check what DVI Port it is, at the moment though using one of these:

Doesn't work.

Specifically when looking at the dvi side of your adapter, or indeed your 5450, does it have the 4 analog pins C1-C4 in the wikipedia article I linked earlier, as that picture doesn't look like it, although hard to tell (although hard to tell as the 4 analog pins are usually recessed slightly around the long flat pin.)

If it doesn't then it can't possibly carry analog. If it is only the adapter then you can get another for a couple of quid, otherwise as mentioned before the 5450 would need replacing.

ubersonic · 6 Feb 2013 at 11:57

Peerzy said:
Any idea the name of that connection? I'm struggling to find a card with that connector on it.

DMS-59 I think, or just DMS, quite popular on low profile cards.

This thing has two of them lol http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=BG-004-KF&groupid=595&catid=683&subcat=

Peerzy · 6 Feb 2013 at 12:01

Armageus said:
Specifically when looking at the dvi side of your adapter, or indeed your 5450, does it have the 4 analog pins C1-C4 in the wikipedia article I linked earlier, as that picture doesn't look like it, although hard to tell (although hard to tell as the 4 analog pins are usually recessed slightly around the long flat pin.)

If it doesn't then it can't possibly carry analog. If it is only the adapter then you can get another for a couple of quid, otherwise as mentioned before the 5450 would need replacing.

According to the website for the card:

DVI Output Dual Link DVI-I x1

So I guess that's fine, the converter was the same one used in a previous PC so assume that is DVI-I as well, but he's going to check.

ubersonic said:
DMS-59 I think, or just DMS, quite popular on low profile cards.

Looking into it, most are low profile. He was after a 1GB card that's normal size and they appear to be about £60+.