Help with connecting another screen to my pc

[daddycool]

i've just got the one standard built-in-graphics vga slot on my pc. it's a work pc so doesn't have to run video or games, just email on one screen for example, and office on another.

can i use a dual vga splitter cable? or do i need a graphics card with two vga slots?
i've got about four half height slots on the back.

thanks

 

[H182]

GFX card with two outputs needed.

 

[SC03OTT]

GFX card with two outputs needed.

I don't think that's true. People at my work have splitters with two monitors.

 

[Gareth]

GFX card with two outputs needed.

Not necessarily, a second video card (Single VGA) will do provided you have a spare slot inside the computer, which odds are you will have.

 

[daddycool]

so i can use vga on a graphics card in tandem with the vga built into the motherboard?

which would be better, a graphics card or using a splitter?

 

[H182]

I don't think that's true. People at my work have splitters with two monitors.

Just the design of the card, it has one physical output but the splitter that comes with it allows two. Wouldn't work on a bog standard output I don't think.

You can try using a gfx card in tandem with the one built in, but it depends on the PC, some automatically disable the built in one when an additional card is installed therefore it cannot be used. If you need to buy an additional card anyway for the price I'd just buy one with two outputs, I think nearly all come with at least two anyway.

 

[welshname]

People using a splitter for 2 monitors must have the same picture on each monitor.

 

[Nickson]

I don't think that's true. People at my work have splitters with two monitors.

Just the design of the card, it has one physical output but the splitter that comes with it allows two. Wouldn't work on a bog standard output I don't think.

You can try using a gfx card in tandem with the one built in, but it depends on the PC, some automatically disable the built in one when an additional card is installed therefore it cannot be used. If you need to buy an additional card anyway for the price I'd just buy one with two outputs, I think nearly all come with at least two anyway.

People using a splitter for 2 monitors must have the same picture on each monitor.

I am pretty sure these are not standard graphics cards.
I have seen them before, cannot remember the name of them for a life of me.

Looks like a standard DVI plug but the pins are different, but splits to 2 x DVI and allows the desktop to be extended onto the second monitor.

Probably more expensive than a second or new GFX card to be honesttt!

 

[welshname]

I am pretty sure these are not standard graphics cards.
I have seen them before, cannot remember the name of them for a life of me.

Looks like a standard DVI plug but the pins are different, but splits to 2 x DVI and allows the desktop to be extended onto the second monitor.

Probably more expensive than a second or new GFX card to be honesttt!

Meh. i have 3 monitors and a laptop on my desk at work. it honestly makes life much much easier.

 

[Nickson]

Meh. i have 3 monitors and a laptop on my desk at work. it honestly makes life much much easier.

You seem to have missed the point

I was not saying don't get another monitor, I was saying the "splitter" route is probably worse and more expensive, and to go down the second/new graphics card route.

I run 2 monitors at work, definitely recommend it haha.

 

[welshname]

You seem to have missed the point

I was not saying don't get another monitor, I was saying the "splitter" route is probably worse and more expensive, and to go down the second/new graphics card route.

I run 2 monitors at work, definitely recommend it haha.

Think you missed mine too lol. i was saying "Meh" to the splitter option and preceeding to boast the benefits of multi display arrangements.

My boss has always laughed at me for it, saying im just being a nerd. When i was away for a week her machine went down so i told her to use mine.

Needless to say she now has 2 monitors and tells everyone how good it is.

 

[SC03OTT]

I am pretty sure these are not standard graphics cards.
I have seen them before, cannot remember the name of them for a life of me.

Looks like a standard DVI plug but the pins are different, but splits to 2 x DVI and allows the desktop to be extended onto the second monitor.

Probably more expensive than a second or new GFX card to be honesttt!

I just had a snoop around the back of a PC at work. Yeah you're right, it's a splitter that goes into the DVI port, and splits to two VGA ports. Like below:

 

[Nickson]

That's the ones!
Its not DVI though, the pins are completely different!
The ones I have seen also split to 2 x DVI though

Cannot remember for the life of me the name of the connection!!

 

[daddycool]

these then, assuming i have a pci-e socket

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ATI-Radeon-HD...TV_Cards_TW&hash=item256529631b#ht_500wt_1202

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nvidia-Quadro...TV_Cards_TW&hash=item3f085e1531#ht_2546wt_952

 

[Darren S]

I just had a snoop around the back of a PC at work. Yeah you're right, it's a splitter that goes into the DVI port, and splits to two VGA ports. Like below:

Those connectors are usually proprietary to the make & model of the graphics card - such as Matrox with their old Millenium cards and nVidia with the Quadros. Nothing wrong with that of course, but just something to be aware of.

D.

 

[Steven103]

This is the connector y'all are on about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMS-59 It's not DVI and it's not VGA, though it does look similar. You can't use a dedicated GFX card + integrated GFX unless you've got "hybrid crossfire" enabled motherboard & GFX card - which you almost certainly won't have. Make sure you do have a PCI-e x8/x16 sized slot and not just a PCI or AGP.

That nVidia card is ancient but specifically designed to be used in workstations. The ATI card on the other hand is relatively new but is designed for home use. Given your budget you really can't be needed the specialist benefits the nVidia card is offering, so for that reason I'd go for the much newer (will be more energy efficient, probably produce a better picture, will be faster to render, still has driver support etc etc)



Q for others - do you need a DMS port to output two independant displays (i.e. extended desktop space) from a single. Or is DVI/VGA capable of doing that, as I believe Displayport is? Presumably, in a similar way to interlaced pictures, DMS shoves the data to the splitter in turn and the splitter has a filter, or the screen itself can interpret whether it's supposed to be screen one or two.

 

[H182]

these then, assuming i have a pci-e socket

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ATI-Radeon-HD...TV_Cards_TW&hash=item256529631b#ht_500wt_1202

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nvidia-Quadro...TV_Cards_TW&hash=item3f085e1531#ht_2546wt_952

Any of them will do the job yes.

 

[welshname]

This is the connector y'all are on about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMS-59 It's not DVI and it's not VGA, though it does look similar. You can't use a dedicated GFX card + integrated GFX unless you've got "hybrid crossfire" enabled motherboard & GFX card - which you almost certainly won't have. Make sure you do have a PCI-e x8/x16 sized slot and not just a PCI or AGP.

That nVidia card is ancient but specifically designed to be used in workstations. The ATI card on the other hand is relatively new but is designed for home use. Given your budget you really can't be needed the specialist benefits the nVidia card is offering, so for that reason I'd go for the much newer (will be more energy efficient, probably produce a better picture, will be faster to render, still has driver support etc etc)



Q for others - do you need a DMS port to output two independant displays (i.e. extended desktop space) from a single. Or is DVI/VGA capable of doing that, as I believe Displayport is? Presumably, in a similar way to interlaced pictures, DMS shoves the data to the splitter in turn and the splitter has a filter, or the screen itself can interpret whether it's supposed to be screen one or two.

AFAIK neither DVI/VGA will allow you to extend desktop as the computer doesnt see the second display independantly. it can only mirror the display (which ive never seen a point in)