3 or 4 monitors, and suggestions for my config

[zammster]

Hi all. I'm looking for 3 or 4 displays, whichever is easier given my PC configuration.

Here's what I have:

Dell Optiplex 960
8GB Ram
core 2 duo
ati radeon HD 3450 (occupying PCI-e 16x)

1 open PCI-e 1x
2 open PCI
1 occupied PCI-e 16x (see ati above)

Windows server 2008 64-bit

The ATI card is a splitter only dual display card, which I currently have hooked into to 20" lcds. I have another 19" display that I'd like to get hooked up. They are all DVI input LCDs

Anyone have any suggestions how I can upgrade or change my config to support more than just two monitors? I tried a newer nvidia card but the ati and nvidia chipsets do no play together in windows 2008. I then got a radeon m9200, but of course the OEM catalyst drivers don't support 64bit anything.

I'm sort of stuck. If it would just be best to get a single PCI-e 16x quad-out card, I might have a problem. I saw there is a quad ATI but it requires two molex power adapters to make the thing run, and I checked my box, there are no open molex.

I feel like I'm never going to get this extra monitor in use.

Thanks so much!

 

[Guest]

I've been at this for the past 48 hours researching non stop. There is a video card you can get from dell that runs about 450 bucks. I can put together a quadcore with sli video cards for that much.
Now you can also look into a thing called eyefinity, those video cards are about 220 dollars.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129141&cm_re=eyefinity-_-14-129-141-_-Product
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102809

which connects 4 sli monitors. The thing is your power supply can't handle anything near those and you'd need to upgrade it.

the systems I have here are two 960s running windows 7 64 pro and 64 ultimate and neither of them supports multiple cards and again PSU is still an issue.

the only way to do it is to get the dell video card, that isn't available yet which will double the price of the PC. Windows XP may allow you to install a PCIE and pCI video card and run them at the same time, that is also an option but windows 7 doesn't allow for multiple video card drivers to be ran.

 

[paperfox]

Any 5000 series card will support 3 outputs so depending if you want to game on all 3 or just use them to support the monitors for internet browsers and such you do not need to spend as much.

If you are not gaming you could get two PCI cards and not use the PCIE slot to get 4 outputs, but you will need to look at your PSU to make sure it can handle two cards.