Having only an HDMI and DVI port, can I have 3 external monitors on my desktop?

starwarsbookworm · Apr 20, 2017

I'm just looking to run three monitors on my desktop. I currently have two, and they work just fine.

I ONLY have an HDMI and DVI output which are both hooked up to their respective monitor.

My question is, can I add a third monitor via a splitter or adapter?

Specs are :
Desktop ACER
Intel i5
AMD Radeon R7 200 Series Sapphire/PC Partner 174B

I can't find the model name - I download speccy and look at my radeon settings and both just say "200 series"

My plan is to play games on one screen, maybe a movie on another, and just a browsing on the third.

I've heard of adapters, splitters and such and was just wondering if someone could clear it up?

From my research, this is what I've arrived at, and if anyone has any suggestions or improvements for a third monitor, i'm always open.
1. Use an USB HDMI adapter
2. Use an HDMI splitter/switcher (I think its switcher, I need these screens to be DIFFERENT)
3. Add an additional video card

If the answer is number one, is it worthwhile to add an adapter based on speed, convenience, cost? Would playing games be limited with it?

Additionally, I have the ports for a VGA and DisplayPort, however they are labeled as "disabled" (tape came when I bought it). Is there any way to enable these?

LowlySkeleton · Apr 20, 2017

You are limited to the number of ports on your graphics card. However, you can increase the amount by running more gpus. This would mean that your motherboard needs at least have more than 1 PCI-E slot AND supports SLI/crossfire.

I have a feeling your gpu is a R7 250 (judging from the rest of the name you provided)? This wouldn't be able to allow that many monitors running at 1080p. You might have to reduce your resolution for it to work well. You can also buy a better gpu that properly supports 3+ monitors at 1080p or higher. This might prove to be more practical than trying to look for a card to crossfire just to add another monitor and running all 3 at a lower resolution.

Also, the disabled ports are probably the motherboards integrated graphics, which is disabled since you are running off of a dedicated graphics card instead.

starwarsbookworm · Apr 20, 2017

LowlySkeleton :

Awesome, thanks so much for the help!

Just wondering, what would you recommend for a gpu in order to run 3+ monitors at 1080p resolution? Also best source to get one?

Would I need anything else other than a new gpu in order to get the 3+ external monitors?

LowlySkeleton · Apr 20, 2017

*Caution: Long explanation*
Running 3 monitors at 1080p, would be very close to running a single monitor at almost 4k.

You would need a gpu that has a high enough pixel rate to pump out all the pixels for 1080p on 3 separate displays. Your R7 250 has a pixel rate of 8000 Mpixels per second. If you think your gpu is doing well enough at 1080p right now for 2 monitors, we can estimate that you should look for a gpu that has a pixel rate of at least 12000 Mpixels per second. You would also have to make sure that the gpu is stated to support multi-monitor setups (which they do in most cases, so no need to worry).

According to nvidia's website, a GTX 750 should be able to support a 4 monitors and can handle a maximum of 4096x2160 at 60hz on a single monitor setup. Looking at its specs, we can see that GTX 750 has a pixel rate of 16320 Mpixels per second, which is more than 12000 Mpixels per second. This would mean that anything better than a GTX 750 would be your best bet.

You also want to be vary of how much Vram the gpu has. You would want more Vram to store all the buffer frames, and such, for all 3 monitors. At the very least, try looking for something that is 2GB, as your current gpu only has 1GB Vram. However, this more important only if you are gaming; watching a movie or browsing the web won't require much Vram.

You should not have to do much to get 3+ external monitors working. At most, you would have to go to your display settings and setup which monitor is going to be which display.
*Long explanation: End*

Buying new, the cheapest gpu that fits the bill would be RX 460:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Video Card: Asus Radeon RX 460 2GB Dual OC Video Card ($107.50 @ Vuugo)
Total: $107.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-04-20 22:47 EDT-0400

If buying new isn't your thing, you can also try looking for second hand GPUs. A GTX 750 or GTX750Ti would suffice already. Of course, these GPU's are able to play the best games at 4K...but it should get the job done for much more capably than your current R7 250 1GB.

A nicer gpu, providing a good bang for you buck, would be the RX580:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon RX 580 4GB Gaming 4G Video Card ($264.99 @ NCIX)
Total: $264.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-04-20 22:51 EDT-0400

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Having only an HDMI and DVI port, can I have 3 external monitors on my desktop?

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