Dual Monitor setup

  • Thread starter Thread starter The Time Traveler
  • Start date Start date
T

The Time Traveler

I am trying to find some information about running dual monitors. The
first one is Can you use two twin wide screen monitors? Second, I my new
PC has a video card with only one head. I have seen splitters on the web
can I use one of them or do I need a new card as well as the second monitor?
Thank You for your time,
Time Traveler
 
The Time Traveler said:
I am trying to find some information about running dual monitors. The first
one is Can you use two twin wide screen monitors? Second, I my new PC has a
video card with only one head. I have seen splitters on the web can I use
one of them or do I need a new card as well as the second monitor?
Thank You for your time,
Time Traveler
Click to expand...
No, a splitter will just give the same display on both monitors. You
need two seperate video cards, or a replacement wit two sockets.

Mike.
 
The Time Traveler said:
I am trying to find some information about running dual monitors. The first
one is Can you use two twin wide screen monitors? Second, I my new PC has a
video card with only one head. I have seen splitters on the web can I use
one of them or do I need a new card as well as the second monitor?
Thank You for your time,
Time Traveler
Click to expand...

I myself am interested in adding a second monitor and came across this info
from microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/twomonitors.mspx

It does address your question about video cards with just one connector.

Hope this helps.
 
I am trying to find some information about running dual monitors. The
first one is Can you use two twin wide screen monitors? Second, I my new
PC has a video card with only one head. I have seen splitters on the web
can I use one of them or do I need a new card as well as the second monitor?
Thank You for your time,
Time Traveler
Click to expand...

I suggest you get a new graphics card. Anything with only one out port
will probably be under-powered.
 
The Time Traveler said:
I am trying to find some information about running dual monitors.
Click to expand...

There isn't much to it really.
The first one is Can you use two twin wide screen monitors?
Click to expand...

What make and model.
Second, I my new PC has a video card with only one head. I have seen
splitters on the web
Click to expand...

I haven't, but I've never looked.
can I use one of them or do I need a new card as well as the second
monitor?
Click to expand...

Like one reply says, if you used something like that, assuming your
current card is cheap, performance would be the worst. So it might
also depend on what you want to do. Some people use two video cards to
drive one monitor. I drove two monitors with two different video cards
(various types) for 5-10 years. Currently I'm using a fast 7950GT to
drive two monitors. Since you already have one video card, you might
just want to buy another video card. Many new video cards have two
video outputs. But you wouldn't have to use both outputs on the same
card, you could still use both cards driving one monitor each.
I suggest going with NVIDIA for multiple monitors.

Using two monitors is not difficult with ordinary monitors and
ordinary video cards. But if you want to know for sure, you need to
consider the specific hardware. If you're going to spend a lot of
money on monitors, why not work it out with the salesperson?

Good luck and have fun.
 
John said:
There isn't much to it really.


What make and model.


I haven't, but I've never looked.


Like one reply says, if you used something like that, assuming your
current card is cheap, performance would be the worst. So it might
also depend on what you want to do. Some people use two video cards to
drive one monitor. I drove two monitors with two different video cards
(various types) for 5-10 years. Currently I'm using a fast 7950GT to
drive two monitors. Since you already have one video card, you might
just want to buy another video card. Many new video cards have two
video outputs. But you wouldn't have to use both outputs on the same
card, you could still use both cards driving one monitor each.
I suggest going with NVIDIA for multiple monitors.

Using two monitors is not difficult with ordinary monitors and
ordinary video cards. But if you want to know for sure, you need to
consider the specific hardware. If you're going to spend a lot of
money on monitors, why not work it out with the salesperson?

Good luck and have fun.
Click to expand...

Thank You John, I just bought a new PC with an Nvidia GeForce 7350 LE.
I'm not sure just how powerful it is.
TT
 
The said:
I am trying to find some information about running dual monitors. The
first one is Can you use two twin wide screen monitors? Second, I my new
PC has a video card with only one head. I have seen splitters on the web
can I use one of them or do I need a new card as well as the second
monitor?
Thank You for your time,
Time Traveler
Click to expand...

You can find some examples here:

http://www.realtimesoft.com/multimon/gallery.asp

Loads of fun:
http://www.realtimesoft.com/multimon/gallery_browse.asp?ID=663&date=desc&nummon=true&mon=desc

This is an example of a video card that can run four monitors.
It uses two GPU chips. Each connector carries two monitor signals.
External cables give access to the signals.

http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/std/sku=quadro.html

More commonly available features, are video cards with two output
connectors. Motherboards have enough slots, to allow a large number
of monitors to be connected. An SLI motherboard leaves room for
two high bandwidth video card slots.

Paul
 
Thank You John, I just bought a new PC with an Nvidia GeForce 7350 LE.
I'm not sure just how powerful it is.
TT
Click to expand...

It sounds like you might need a new graphics card anyway. Now might be
a good chance to learn about the innards of your PC, if you haven't
before. Sometimes you just can't get around spending money on these
things.
 
Back
Top