Topic: Multi Monitor display.

[Reno]

What would i need to do to set up a three monitor setup on one machine using new hardware. I haven't been keeping up with some of the newer strides in video card hardware lately. It use to be you needed multiple video cards and a bios that could be set to recognize both at the same time. But nowadays most video cards are agp and theres only one agp slot.

[Simon]

I know that Tony has a three screen set up, but not sure if it's the same sort of thing you are referring to.  I know there is a setting somewhere in Display Properties, with monitors 1 and 2, but I don't have much time at the moment, and can't remember exactly where it is!  Sorry that's not much help - hopefully Tony will spot this later, or someone else who knows about these things.

[Tony]

You rang  



Hi Bob,

Simon is right, I do indeed have a three monitor set up. But I could run four monitors if I wanted, I have two dual view graphics cards. You can enable or disable any mixture of monitors via > Control Panel> Display>Settings tab.

I have run three monitors using three individual graphics cards in the past. The computer I had before my current home built one was a bog standard Compaq with on-board graphics, and no AGP slot, so I just popped in a couple of PCI graphics cards. There is a special sequence of installation the additional cards when wanting to us on-board graphics as part of the set-up. Basically on-board graphics,does not like sharing the video signal, so you have to "make it have it" :roll:

 If you want to do it at reasonable money, without braking the bank, buy on Ebay.

I use Matrox DualHead graphics cards, as Matrox have long been recognised as market leaders in the field of multiple monitors as used in the Financial Markets Industry. I use one AGP and one PCI graphics cards, hence I have a 4 monitor option if I require.

You can get 32MB Matrox four head graphics cards dirt cheap if you want. That's 8MB per monitor, it all depends what you want to use the monitors for. But if you go for one of these cards, they have two digital  connectors and must come with the two "splitter leads" converting each connector to two D-Sub connectors = 4 monitor analogue connections.

I myself use a Matrox G450 DualHead 32MB AGP card and a 32MB PCI card. Both have two D-Sub analogue monitor connectors on each card. But there  are DVI choices...128MB TripleHead cards,  whatever you want really......http://tinyurl.com/b4pkc



I'm here if you have any additional questions.......I might not answer them but I am here
 

[Reno]

A customer came in the other day asking about buying a computer capable of a multi monitor display. I knew the adapters and video cards were out there i just didn't know the specifics. Thank you tony.