Video card that adds two Display Ports and gaming (maybe)

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rcald2000

rcald2000

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Nov 3, 2009
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I friend of mine has a Lenovo pre-built desktop

specs: Intel core i3 / 3GB DDR / 1TB HDD / 120GB Samsung 840 EVO (2.5").

She has a 11 year old Dell non-HD LCD. I believe the resolution is lower than 1280 x 1024. My plan is to upgrade her to two 1080p Lenovo displays. The prebuilt does have a single VGA port and another port that I can't remember. I know that I could purchase adapters to use new displays, but I'd rather make her build cleaner by installing a graphics cards that natively support at lease two Display Ports.

Question: Please recommend a GPU does that not require external power, as I presume there is only a generic 300 watt PSU in this system. I'd like to skip the RX 460/560 model as there are many reports that they have problems with pre-built systems. This is not AMD's fault. The RX 460/560 presumes that all systems meet the 75 watt specs on the motherboard and many prebuilts don't. I'd like to keep this purchase to $50 max if possible, therefore I'm assuming that used is the best option. Below are the two monitors that I'll be buying and adding.

RtlzkLN.png
 
Solution
Wolfshadw
Pretty good bet with a pre-built system that the BIOS is locked down, but see if you can get into the system BIOS and check to see if there is an option to enable both analog (VGA) and digital (HDMI) outputs.

If possible, check to see if both work natively using an HDMI connection for one display and VGA connection for the other. Both connections should be native (no adapters). If they both work, simultaneously, then problem solved. If not, and there's no way in BIOS to activate both, then your only option would be to get a discrete graphics card.

The Lenovo H530 looks to be a standard desktop mid-tower, so a full height graphics card would almost certainly fit. The GT1030 suggested above would probably be a good solution as long as...
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dontlistentome

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Sep 5, 2016
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I think one of the advantage of display port is daisy chaining two or more displays off of one output. So I'd recommend you get a GT 1030. It's a low power demanding card(30W). You can get one with a display port output. Then you select monitors that allow for daisy chaining. You then run them off the one display port output of the 1030.
 
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rcald2000

rcald2000

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Wolfshadw: Lenovo H530 (desktop). Speccy screen shot below.

xKB7lHu.jpg


Display:

Lenovo 23-Inch FHD LED-Lit 16:9 Widescreen Monitor (65C8KCC1US)
by Lenovo
Link: http://a.co/fpDojjM

13thmonkey I was clearly mistaken about the the monitor's ports. According to Cnet, it only has VGA and HDMI. Ironically the onboard video of the computer is VGA and HDMI. I'm somewhat embarrassed that I posted this thread before fully researching.

dontlistentome I honestly didn't notice that you could daisy chain Display Port. I knew that was a thing you could do with Thunderbolt 3 and presumably older versions. I wouldn't mind trying that just for the heck of it.

Everyone, I'm not married to the idea of this specific monitor, but her two displays are this mismatch of resolutions and 10+ years old. I thought it would improve her professional life, if she could work cleanly off two new 1080p displays. I also thought that IPS would look better for working on documents. I'm open to any and all suggestions. Thank you.

 
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Wolfshadw

Wolfshadw

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Aug 3, 2006
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Pretty good bet with a pre-built system that the BIOS is locked down, but see if you can get into the system BIOS and check to see if there is an option to enable both analog (VGA) and digital (HDMI) outputs.

If possible, check to see if both work natively using an HDMI connection for one display and VGA connection for the other. Both connections should be native (no adapters). If they both work, simultaneously, then problem solved. If not, and there's no way in BIOS to activate both, then your only option would be to get a discrete graphics card.

The Lenovo H530 looks to be a standard desktop mid-tower, so a full height graphics card would almost certainly fit. The GT1030 suggested above would probably be a good solution as long as it has two digital outputs (DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI). Without an exact model number, there's no way to tell what outputs it does have, but assuming it has one of each, I'd probably go with a straight HDMI cable as well as a DisplayPort to HDMI cable and just use the HDMI ports for each display.

-Wolf sends
 
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Solution
rcald2000

rcald2000

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Nov 3, 2009
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Wolfshadw / 13thmonkey / dontlistentome

I updated the BIOS. Strangely I wasn't able to change the boot order from within the old BIOS until I updated to latest version. How very curious. Regardless, both the onboard VGA and HDMI ports do indeed output to both displays simultaneously.

Btw, the model that I'm interested in, just went on sale at Best Buy, so I'm very excited about the prospect of picking up a couple of them today (see below).

Lenovo - LI2364d 23" IPS LED FHD Monitor - Black
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-li2364d-23-ips-led-fhd-monitor-black/5203200.p?skuId=5203200

I sincerely appreciate the counsel of all three of you. You guys are the best.
 
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rcald2000

rcald2000

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Nov 3, 2009
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13thmonkey I had forgotten that was a thing. I recall that Lenovo ThinkPad USB 3.0 Docking Stations transmit input from the laptop via USB 3.0 and output through DisplayPort and HDMI. In your opinion, would it work and be cleaner to use USB port for both monitors? If so, and it's not too much to ask, could you make a recommendation for a specific device?
 
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