I have 4 Samsung 193p monitors on one computer with a Matrox g450 quad card and a backup computer with 2 Samsung 970p's. The Samsung 193p's have two separate inputs for RGB and DVI connections the 970p's have only one.
What I want to do is use all 6 monitors on the first computer by adding a dual card and use this as my normal configuration. But I still want to be able to use 2 of the 6 monitors on the backup computer as needed (both computers running)and I would like to be able to switch back and forth without need to restart computers.
I am also thinking about using the same keyboard/mouse for both computers. If I do combine keyboard/mouse I am leaning towards a hardware solution not a software one as I am not sure I need the pro/cons of the software solution (i.e. firewalls and network, ethernet security issues, ability to drag drop etc).
Could I use 2 of the 193p monitors using the DVI's to connect one computer and the RGB's to hook up the other computer at same time and use a A/B switch or the monitors themselves to select which computer signal to use (without need for a restart).
Is their a easier way to do this or is it even possible?
To use same keyboard and mouse you need a KVM Switch - Keyboard, Video, Mouse. Clicky Now you wont really need the video part but its there if you need it.
Usually hit the scroll lock key 2 times real fast to switch computers.
As for the monitors. Try this:
Hook 2 of the 193p monitors upto the second computer with the normal vga cable. Hookup the dvi cables to the main computer. Hook up the rest of the monitors to the main computer.
There should be a button or something on the 193p monitors to select the input: vga or dvi.
Here is a really great post I found from a bulletin I posted. I was really
impressed so I thought I would repost here. I think it will really help you out:
Here is a great article section I found at Multi-Screens.com (A beginners introduction to Multiple Monitors)
The Three main ways to Setup Multiple Monitors
1) You can buy a pre-manufactured multiple monitor computer. The best place to purchase a multiple monitor computer is at:
Multi-Monitors.com. They carry a multi-monitor computer line called SUPER-PC that can support from 2 to 12 monitors.
2) You can get a USB to VGA Adapter, or USB to DVI Adapter that will allow you to add an extra monitor to your computer
via any USB2.0 Port. You can also add multiple extra monitors by using multiple adapters. This is a great option for viewing
documents, surfing the web, using Microsoft Office and many other business tasks. This is not a good option for intense
graphical situations such as HDTV, Blu-ray, Gaming and 3D / CAD Workstation applications. For those types of scenarios,
it is highly recommended that you purchase a high-powered multi-monitor workstation or a Matrox Dual or Triple Head2Go.
3) You can replace or add an extra video card to your existing computer, depending on how many monitors you wish to support.
Although this sounds easy enough, this is a rather complex solution for a beginner, especially when trying to find a compatible
graphics card. For this reason, I am going to write an entirely seperate post on that topic and will link to it here, very soon.
Once you have your multiple monitor system set up and ready to use, you will need to enable all of your monitors in
your “Display Properties” Control Panel. Here is a great link to a complete and animated walkthrough of how to enable
your multiple monitors in Windows.
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