Multi-Monitors

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Hilmarhd

Weaksauce
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
100
Hi guys, I've been searching on the forum, on how to set up multi-monitors , but I haven't been able to find one so I'll start my own thread.

Is it possible to have more than 2 monitors with only one GPU?
 
Any GPU today will handle two monitors, so long as it has two plugs (DVI+VGA, DVI+VGA, HDMI+DVI, you get the idea). To run three or more screens, though, you need a second card- not running in SLI (nVidia) or Crossfire (ATI).

What's more, just about any modern motherboard with integrated video will let you keep its outputs enabled alongside a plug-in card, so long as the drivers are compatible. For example, my AMD 780G motherboard can run two monitors, and I can run two more if I plug in a Radeon- even something low-end.
 
Can it be a random Video card or does it have to be the same one you already have?
 
i was having the question as you, after doing a bit of research, i found out that the saphire 4850x2 card can support up to 4 monitors.

And to your answer your question, no they don't have to be the same cards since they are not going be SLi or crossfired.
 
If you are running Vista, you need to keep the same type of card. So if you have an ATI one, buy another (same goes for nVidia). With XP, it really doesn't matter.
 
To run only 2 monitors, you dont even need a really high-end card. I've got a 7600gt XXX running my 22in and my 19in.

But, like Blue_fox said, in vista, to run more than 2 monitors (w/o mobo video) you need the same card with the same drivers.
 
I'd like to point out that for Vista, you do want something running on PCI-E. I got myself a PCI bus GeForce 6200 128MB (since I have only one PCI-E x16 slot) to run a third monitor and it's slow and causes problems. Moving windows is noticeably laggy, not even Flash video runs properly on that screen and when trying to run OpenGL games even on the primary graphics card (8800GT) it has non-existant framerate unless you disable the 3rd monitor.

Two monitors on the 8800GT work perfectly fine.
 
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