Dual screens at work - graphics cards

[cava83]

Hi people,

What PCI-E cards do you buy at work for dual screens?

Our old machines had AGP, so they where quite easy and cheap to get, but new machines I have bought only have digital outputs and our monitors are analogue.

Most are around £30 + but just need cheap basic ones to enable dual screens.

Thanks,

G.

 

[Andy.]

We use 3450s. Had some problems getting the right model to fit inside the Dell Optiplex chasis though.

 

[martynh]

We use Nividia NV 290 cards although they are about £100 rather than £30.

 

[mag1caltrev0r]

...but new machines I have bought only have digital outputs and our monitors are analogue....

Presumably you're referring to DVI connectors? In which case, why not use DVI-VGA convertors which are only a couple of quid. Otherwise, most cards have dual output now so just buy anything. The card is likely to come with a DVI-VGA convertor as well

 

[cava83]

We use analogue monitors.

The new machines have 2 outputs;

1)VGA
2)DVI-D (only carries a digital output)

So, any DVI-VGA adaptor will work, however, as the card outputs only a digital signal from the DVI output, it will not work on an analogue monitor.

Hope this makes sense.

Presumably you're referring to DVI connectors? In which case, why not use DVI-VGA convertors which are only a couple of quid. Otherwise, most cards have dual output now so just buy anything. The card is likely to come with a DVI-VGA convertor as well

 

[Darren S]

We use analogue monitors.

The new machines have 2 outputs;

1)VGA
2)DVI-D (only carries a digital output)

So, any DVI-VGA adaptor will work, however, as the card outputs only a digital signal from the DVI output, it will not work on an analogue monitor.

Hope this makes sense.

That's weird? Unless the the analogue part of the card (such as the connector) is fooked? It should happily work in both analogue and digital. A good 80%+ of our dual screen setups use a VGA and DVI conenction.

D.

 

[cava83]

Darren,

Thanks for your reply.

The output looks similar to this (not actual product) >

As you can see, the digital output is only a DVI-D, so it only carries digital, other cards on the DVI can normally take analogue as well which have the flat pin and the little pins next to it.

 

[Darren S]

Ahhhhhhh! I see what you mean now - a fecker, isn't it?! We have a few HP/Compaq SFF desktops at work with the DVI-D and VGA ports on the rear. I 'think' that we got a DVI-D specific cable to do the job, but I know where one of those PCs is at work, so I'll check tomorrow.

D.

 

[Darren S]

Hi Gabi,

I checked the PC in question and it uses a DVI-D single link cable. I recall from last time that these are pretty difficult to come across, though they do exist. PC World Business do them, though way too long (and expensive!)

http://www.pcwb.co.uk/catalogue/item/STARMK24

edit - the 3m version....

http://www.pcwb.co.uk/catalogue/item/STARMK22

D.