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New PC setup with 3-4 Monitors

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  • Computers
  • Monitors
  • Graphics
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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August 2, 2013 12:15:39 AM

Hi people,

I'm helping out somebody I know with getting a new computer. One of the main features they want to have is the ability to hook up a minimum of 3 monitors, possibly 4.

This person is not interested in using these monitors to do any type of gaming, it is purely for business. We have decided that for the applications he needs to run that having one of the Quad i5's and 8GB RAM would be more than sufficient for him.

My question now being... how do I set him up with 4 monitors?
My problem being that any of the computers we are looking at, the motherboards have 1 VGA input, 1 HDMI and 1DVI input. He doesn't want to use VGA if possible so that means somehow linking up 4 monitors between 1 HDMI and 1 DVI port.

Using more than 2 monitors is a new experience for me as I personally just have my main monitor plugged into a DVI and a secondary coming through the VGA port.

What are our options here? Can you split either HDMI or DVI using splitters? Do we need to get a (non gaming) discreet video card? Also is the integrated graphics on the Intel CPU's able to handle 4 widescreen HD monitors?

Any thoughtful suggestions or insight would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Asher

More about : setup monitors

August 2, 2013 12:38:47 AM

Well, I have never attempted to do a triple monitor setup via onboard or integrated graphics. However, let's assume it does work and as you mentioned it is strictly for business related work, then you would connect 2 monitors to the dvi and hdmi as they are the same signal. Then, you would need a VGA to HDMI connector to plug in the 3rd monitor.


As you mentioned, I would advise you to get a video card as it would be much easier and much more convenient. For example the Radeon 7770 has 2x DVI and 1 HDMI which would allow you to run triple displays without a converter. It also has a display port which you can use a converter again if he finds it necessary for a fourth monitor.
August 4, 2013 6:49:25 PM

iampein said:
I would advise you to get a video card as it would be much easier and much more convenient. For example the Radeon 7770 has 2x DVI and 1 HDMI which would allow you to run triple displays without a converter. It also has a display port which you can use a converter again if he finds it necessary for a fourth monitor.


I don't know much about Radeon cards, being more a Nvidia person myself. However after checking out the Radeon 7770, I'm a little concerned this might be a little too expensive for just a purely business, no gaming setup.

How would a really low end card such as the Nvidia GT 610 do? Seeing as we just need the ability to run 4 monitors without any fancy eye candy, would this work if I was to set the integrated/on board graphics as the primary drivers and run the card as a secondary?

This also bring to mind a separate thought for my own personal setup. Thinking now of my own gaming PC, not the one we're building.

If I set my integrated graphics as the primary drivers and my video card as secondary, then ran my main monitor I play my games on off the video card... Would this still run my games using the graphics card's gaming awesomeness and would it take the strain and heat off the card by letting the CPU, not the GPU run the second monitor?
!