Primary and secondary display on Asus P8Z77 series motherboard

[Gnu User]

Currently I am using an older computer with separate video card. Video card (Radeon) has vga and svideo out. In Windows display properties this appears as a primary and secondary display. This is how it must work. The primary VGA display receives the normal computer output, the secondary Svideo display is used by a video DJ program to transmit music videos to large screen projectors.

I am in need of replacing this computer with a newer, faster one. In looking at the lga 1155 based systems I see that the motherboards (such as the Asus P8Z77 series) have integrated graphics with various different kinds of video outputs.

My question is can the integrated graphics on the Asus motherboard be split into primary and secondary displays in the same way that the Radeon video card does. If so this would enable me to use the onboard graphics without the need of a separate video card. I had planned to make the VGA the primary display and the HDMI the secondary display and use an HDMI to Svideo converter to get what I need. I've looked through the motherboard manual but it doesn't go into that detail.

I realize that I could just buy a new video card that would fit this motherboard but why do that if it isn't necessary?

 

[slomo4sho]

You can have up to two displays using the HD 4000 integrated graphics. The P8z77 series all have a VGA, DVI, and HDMI out available with the higher end models also having a DP out as well.

Also, what are your system specs and what do you use the system for?

 

[Gnu User]

You can have up to two displays using the HD 4000 integrated graphics. The P8z77 series all have a VGA, DVI, and HDMI out available with the higher end models also having a DP out as well.

Also, what are your system specs and what do you use the system for?

As mentioned, the computer runs a DJ service and plays music videos. The DJ company keeps upgrading their software and the old computer is now too slow to run their application.

I've decided on the P8V77-V LE Plus with an i5 3550. They seem to fit into the sweet spot in terms of price and performance. From what you write it should do the job. Thanks.

 

[slomo4sho]

As mentioned, the computer runs a DJ service and plays music videos. The DJ company keeps upgrading their software and the old computer is now too slow to run their application.

I've decided on the P8V77-V LE Plus with an i5 3550. They seem to fit into the sweet spot in terms of price and performance. From what you write it should do the job. Thanks.

If you can, wait or Haswell or consider an APU alternative from AMD (the Richland APUs are due out in June as well).

 

[MyNewRig]

You can set Primary/Secondary displays from windows if you have more than one monitor connected to "ANYTHING" the thing is that you only get to tell windows what is the "Primary" display which it assigns the primary task bar and full screen apps to, all other displays are secondary and you can move apps to them selectively using your mouse,

Either you connect it to the motherboard and use the IGP (Which is now on the processor itself and not on the motherboard like it used to be in the past) or you connect it to a card, as far as windows is concerned it can detect all displays and allow you to select your Primary or Default display out of them regardless to where it is actually connected..

So yes what you want to do will work very easily and yes you can connect up to two monitors without any special tools or active adapters ..

Just one thing to note that you will not be able to get connectors like S-Video these days, so if you have a device that must use an S-Video input you will have to pay A LOT to convert VGA/DVI/HDMI to S-Video

 

[Gnu User]

You can set Primary/Secondary displays from windows if you have more than one monitor connected to "ANYTHING" the thing is that you only get to tell windows what is the "Primary" display which it assigns the primary task bar and full screen apps to, all other displays are secondary and you can move apps to them selectively using your mouse,

No problems there.

Just one thing to note that you will not be able to get connectors like S-Video these days, so if you have a device that must use an S-Video input you will have to pay A LOT to convert VGA/DVI/HDMI to S-Video

I've found one for a reasonable price. Do you happen to know what range of resolution is available on the HDMI? The manual mentions a maximum resolution but it doesn't go into what lower ones there are.