Wanting two monitors displayed on the cheap.

Wig

I need to have 2 monitors on at the same time.

I have ASRock mothernoard and at the back is the connector for the mouse, the keybord, the printer, and there is a 9 pin one with a symbol of a monitor - unused

There is also a graphics card with a single VGA connector currently the monitor is connected to this one.

What is that built-in 9 pin motherboard connector for? If monitor, what sort of plug is that? And can I run a second monitor from that socket?

I have another grapic card currently not installed it has a VGA connector and a round connector which looks like -but is not the same as- a PS/2 mouse connector.

Could I run two monitors from the second graphics card? And what is the round connector called/for?

Or last resort could I install both graphics card and do it that way? Just realised both graphics cards are AGP and only 1 AGP slot.

santer_2

Another graphics adaptor can be added to the system, and the existing card can be kept.

http://www.geeks.com/techtips/2005/techtips-AUG18-05.htm

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=using+two+monitors&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a

MattHawkins

Download CPUZ.

It will give you the model of your motherboard and then you can get the user manual via Google. This is the best way to confirm what the socket is.

I suspect if it is only 9 pin it isn't a monitor port.

Hammyman

Seconded. 9 pin is a serial port. 15 pin (three rows) is a VGA.

Wig

Mother board manual calls it a serial port com1

They put a picture of a printer next to the printer port a picture of a keyboard next to the kb port & a picture of a mouse next to the ouse port, so why is there a picture of a monitor next to the serial port?

Also Just realised both Graphics cards are AGP and only 1 AGP slot.

MattHawkins

I think it is a throwback to when serial connections were used to connect PCs. The symbol is probably trying to represent a "terminal". Not much use these days!

The other option is find a cheap AGP card with two connectors on it. May be able to pick one up on ebay but make sure it is the correct AGP version.

System

If you want the same display on more than one monitor Play.com have this 8 port expandview video switch for £3.99

mttylad

Get a cheap PCI video card (Not PCIE) to display on a 2nd monitor, OR get a new cheap AGP card with 2 outputs.