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gpu for 3 monitors for work only

unwashed potato!

unwashed potato!

unwashed potato!

Soldato
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have made a thread about this before but as it didn't work out figured i'd make another

i need a gpu that will allow for 3 monitors to be connected, currently have one connected by dvi and another by vga, and the third can connect by either of these or even hdmi if needed.

fairly certain i've got a pci-e slot, though if anyone knows this aea i'm sure they can see from the thread linked which slot i've got.

the card doesn't need to be powerful to play games, just enough to use 3 monitors for work, e.g. emails, browser, video playing etc.

had a problem that i bought a second gpu before and my psu couldn't cope (think it's a 450w) so this needs to be taken into account.

lower priced the better and happy to buy second hand
 
Dont you need a display port output for 3 monitor eyefinity?

1.AMD Eyefinity technology works with games that support non-standard aspect ratios, which is required for panning across multiple displays. To enable more than two displays, additional panels with native DisplayPort™ connectors, and/or DisplayPort™ compliant active adapters to convert your monitor’s native input to your cards DisplayPort™ or Mini-DisplayPort™ connector(s), are required.
Click to expand...

from here
 
just to be clear you've seen this line bru...

the card doesn't need to be powerful to play games, just enough to use 3 monitors for work, e.g. emails, browser, video playing etc.

i wont be playing 1 game across all 3 screens
 
Mammalian said:
just to be clear you've seen this line bru...

the card doesn't need to be powerful to play games, just enough to use 3 monitors for work, e.g. emails, browser, video playing etc.

i wont be playing 1 game across all 3 screens
Click to expand...

Will you be gaming on one screen at all?

A budget would help
 
I know the OP only wanted didn't want to game, i was just going by what it says on the AMD site. If I'm wrong then its my bad, but as far as I can make out from what it says on the AMD site, for 3 screen use you need a display port output on the card.

Anybody have a non display port card running 3 screens just to clarify this for the OPer...?
 
Bru is right. A single AMD card can only run 2 DVI/VGA/HDMI screens and the third needs to be run on the Displayport output - this is not dependant on running Eyefinity/separate desktops/gaming, it's to do with the cards only having 2 clock generators and only Displayport not needing one.

A quick flick through OcUK's range and it looks like the cheapest GPU with a Displayport output is the Sapphire 6670 at £75: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-261-SP&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat= and you'll also need to buy an Active Displayport to DVI adapter (about £20).

One question though, does your motherboard have 2 PCI-E slots by any chance (not counting the short PCI-Ex1 slots)? If so, you could go for 2 5450's, run 2 screens off one and one off the second card. So long as you don't run the cards in Crossfire mode, the ports on the second card will still work. The power consumption will be less than a single 6670, and it will only cost you £40-£50 in total rather than £95 for a single card solution.
 
Just remembered a slight caveat to my last post, there is a single AMD card that can run 3 DVI/HDMI/VGA screens from one card, and that's the Sapphire "FLEX" range. But seeing as the only one OcUK stock is the 6950 at £225, didn't think it was worth mentioning for this situation! :)
 
Hi,

I'm running 3 monitors with an Quadro NVS 450. They are expensive cards (£400+ retail) but can be picked up cheap'ish on the bay (I paid about £55 for mine).

The NVS 450 containes 2 8400GS chips, it's not fast by modern standards (it will play Company of Heros on low graphics!), however will play HD video and are low powered 35w.

If your motherboard had 2 PCI express you can pick up 2x NVS 295, these go for nothing on the bay, I picked up some clean pulls from Dell workstations for sub £20 each. The NVS 450, is in effect 2 NVS 295 cards on the same card.

http://www.nvidia.co.uk/object/product_quadro_nvs_450_uk.html
 
What card have you got atm?

If you have a spare pci slot I'd look for a PCI(not pci-e) card to go with you current card.

Something like a GeForce 6200 256MB for Nvidia
Radeon Hd 5450 for ATI
Both are availble with DVI.

The idea is you get one that uses the same drivers as your current card.

You my have to look on certain 2nd hand sites as OC don't stock them.
 
atm the card i have is an ATI Radeon HD 5570
i did buy a GeForce 8400GS that sat next to it from a suggestion on here that this would work but i could never get both cards to both play, i have to take one out and put it in the main slot so sent the 8400GS back. It was thought that perhaps my 400W couldn't power both cards so little nervous to buy a second card and have the same issue.

the motherboard i have is an A8R-MVP
 
You can get a 5570 with Displayport that can run three monitors. However, you will need to buy an adapter to either DVI or VGA, but these are only ~£20. Try find a second hand card, but I have no idea how much they are at the moment. From brand new I can see some that are ~£80 which seems a bit much for a 5570...
 
will just one 5570 work with the adapter as i have a 5570 atm in my machine but no adapter. can you link to a picture of what the adapter would look like?

my 5570 has dvi, hdmi and a vga slot
 
Last edited:
Mammalian said:
will just one 5570 work with the adapter as i have a 5570 atm in my machine but no adapter. can you link to a picture of what the adapter would look like?

my 5570 has dvi, hdmi and a vga slot
Click to expand...

In this case no. The card needs a displayport in order to drive the third monitor as Confused Stu has explained above.
 
The DP adaptor: search for "active single link Display Port adaptor" or "active single link min-display port adaptor" (depending on what connector the card you get has).

If you don't need it for gaming, the suggestion above to get an old PCI (not PCI express) graphics card might be the cheapest. You can run multiple cards alongside each other, and each can drive up to 2 monitors.

Failing that, any AMD 5000/6000 card with a DP output or mini-DP outfill will do, from a 5450 on up. For these you will need the adaptor. I know there were 5450s and other low end cards with DP output, but I can't find any now. So, it might be tricky to find a cheap card.
 
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