Multiple Monitors

Chomeur

I would like to extend my desktop onto three monitors. I know that my existing graphics card (ATI Radeon Express 2000) can support more than one monitor because I can see three monitors displayed when I view Settings under Display Properties. My existing screen has a (blue) VGA attachment. So can I just buy two SVGA Monitor Cable Splitters (e.g. http://www.amazon.co.uk/SVGA-Monitor-Splitter-Cable-Male/dp/B0009N1MY6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1291199679&sr=1-1) and two further VGA screens? Or will that leave me with the same thing duplicated on each screen?

Hammyman

It'll duplicate it. My graphics card has two connectors on the back. I have a monitor on each. I can then choose whether to clone the screen or extend the desktop.

JasX

you'll need a graphics card capable of supporting 3 independent monitors and a separate cable for each (no splitting will be involved).

Basically you need a graphics card (or linked pair capable of this) with 3 sockets on the back.

...you might also need to juggle monitors with different IO a bit as most standard triple cards have eg 2x DVI and a third HDMI socket so you'd need monitors that between them could take each take one of the available sockets

ChiefGrasscutter

I also recommend Display Fusion to manage the wall paper across the monitors (assume you donwnload a triple monitor wallpaper image) and sundry other functions as well. (ultramon is the other software - more expensive and aimed at the professional -city dealers etc who need many different screens)
You will need to adjust the colour balance of each monitor to match - even 'identical' monitors have different apparent colours when used.
I run a two monitor system: there are previous threads on this subject.

AHAR

I think you'll need an [STRIKE]ATi[/STRIKE] AMD card with Eyefinity (i.e. 5000 series or higher) to run 3 monitors from 1 card. Check carefully which connectors/adapters you'll need for your monitors.
I think that the latest NVidia cards, even with 3 outputs, still only allow use of any 2 at one time.

Chomeur

Thanks for all your advice. I'm a bit confused, because this article http://www.proptraders.net/multiple-monitors-for-trading/ recommends a single head graphics card (Matrox) that apparently works with a DVI splitter. So I was wondering if my graphics card could do this also, but from your answeres, no. Perhaps the Matrox is something different, and anyway it's quite expensive.

Maplins have suggeted I buy this http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=226648 which has a DVI, VGA and HDMI port. So I'll also need to buy a DVI and a HDMI monitor. It seems funny to be using three screens all with different interfaces, but I guess that's just the way you get these things done. Also it would be nice to be able to just have one cable which I split at the monitor end rather than three cables from my computer to my monitor, but it doesn't sound as if that's possible.

epninety

It's a while ago, but if I remember correctly my old Matrox 200 card supported three monitors, despite only having 2 DVI ports. One DVI port had a splitter plugged in to drive two VGA connectors. I only tried it out once or twice, two large monitors was all I needed at the time.

[Deleted User]

AHAR wrote: »

I think you'll need an [STRIKE]ATi[/STRIKE] AMD card with Eyefinity (i.e. 5000 series or higher) to run 3 monitors from 1 card. Check carefully which connectors/adapters you'll need for your monitors.
I think that the latest NVidia cards, even with 3 outputs, still only allow use of any 2 at one time.

Correct.

The only graphics card that support more than 2 monitors will be either professional cards (Matrox/Nvidia Quadro) or ATI Eyefinity cards. It ISN'T cheap though and usually works best to grap a cheap PCI Graphics Card from ebay/Maplin and use two cards concurrently.

Even if the graphics card has 3 outputs, odds are only 2 will work together unless its an eyefinity one then you will require an eye wateringly expensive ACTIVE DISPLAYPORT > DVI converter or a very posh displayport enabled monitor.

Chomeur wrote: »

Thanks for all your advice. I'm a bit confused, because this article http://www.proptraders.net/multiple-monitors-for-trading/ recommends a single head graphics card (Matrox) that apparently works with a DVI splitter. So I was wondering if my graphics card could do this also, but from your answeres, no. Perhaps the Matrox is something different, and anyway it's quite expensive.

Maplins have suggeted I buy this http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=226648 which has a DVI, VGA and HDMI port. So I'll also need to buy a DVI and a HDMI monitor. It seems funny to be using three screens all with different interfaces, but I guess that's just the way you get these things done. Also it would be nice to be able to just have one cable which I split at the monitor end rather than three cables from my computer to my monitor, but it doesn't sound as if that's possible.

To sum up, the Matrox will do the job, but its quite expensive. Grab a cheap PCI graphics card (NOT PCI-E or AGP).

Chomeur

[quote=[Deleted User];39001332]. Grab a cheap PCI graphics card (NOT PCI-E or AGP).[/QUOTE]

PCI-E = PCI Express? Why don't I want this? The card Maplins have recommended me is PCI-E and indeed most cheap graphics cards seem to be this. If it should be PCI then Amazon comes up with this http://www.amazon.co.uk/PNY-Technologies-nVIDIA-GeForce-Graphics/dp/B001ZZXY98/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1291309004&sr=1-1 which has VGA and DVI. I would then use it with my existing VGA graphics card. But I'm not quite clear as to why I should get a PCI card.

bengalknights

I think you maybe able to install the catalyst software from amd and extend it that way using display manager if its supported on your graphics card.

ChiefGrasscutter

Chomeur wrote: »

PCI-E = PCI Express? Why don't I want this? The card Maplins have recommended me is PCI-E and indeed most cheap graphics cards seem to be this. If it should be PCI then Amazon comes up with this http://www.amazon.co.uk/PNY-Technologies-nVIDIA-GeForce-Graphics/dp/B001ZZXY98/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1291309004&sr=1-1 which has VGA and DVI. I would then use it with my existing VGA graphics card. But I'm not quite clear as to why I should get a PCI card.

I THINK it's something to do with not being able to use both PCI-E slots on the PC (the first graphics card will be using the PCI-E slot) at the same time so the second card HAS to be in the the PCI slot...........even though the second pci-E slot is free.
But please wait to see whether my memory on these matters is right - others far more expert than me on this forum may correct me.