[olug] dual head vid cards

[Jay Swackhamer]

The add-on cards will allow you to run both displays, but if you are  
going to be keeping the analog monitors, you will have to find a video  
card that has a DVI-I and not a DVI-D. DVI-I you can convert to analog  
DVI-D you cannot.

Running the onboard + an expansion vid card depends on the  
motherboard. Most of the stuff within the last six months 'should' but  
not positively work.

I'd plan on getting at least one digital LCD, and build a system with  
dual onboard video. Performance would be the same, but overall cost  
would be lower, and less power consumed.

How about get a single larger monitor?

Anymore, I'd prefer to have a TV as a monitor using HDMI, even a 720p  
will give you a decent resolution. Walmart has been selling 50inch  
720p plasmas for $500 or less. But 20inch LCD's on newegg are $140  
also...... but if he has/was looking to get a new TV, then i'd  
dual-purpose it.....

If you want the DVI-vga adapters, I'll look to see what I have, I used  
to have quite a few, and could possibly give you a couple. Most video  
cards had one included in the box.

-- 
Jay Swackhamer
Reboot The User
402-933-6449
http://www.reboottheuser.com
http://www.cafepress.com/rtu
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http://www.hotr.com


Quoting Obi-Wan <obiwan at jedi.com>:

> My 64-yr-old dad is about to buy a new, low end PC to replace his
> dinosaur.  The dino currently has two vid cards to power his two
> 19" CRT's.  Since neither existing vid card will fit in any new box,
> he'll need to buy a second vid card if he wants to keep the dual
> head setup (and he does).
>
> Here's my question:  Will most low end PCIe-16 vid cards like this one:
>    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127473
> which have one DVI & one VGA port allow you to run both ports
> simultaneously as side-by-side monitors, or do you typically just
> have to choose one port or the other (or mirror them)?  I've seen
> it done that way in the past, so I don't want to assume.  Dad runs
> lower screen res on those monitors (maybe 1280x1024), so the max
> resolution of the two combined is still within the limits of that
> card.
>
> If I do only get to run one port on that card, here's another question:
> Would I likely be able to run one monitor off the onboard video and
> the second one off a PCIe card, or does the PCIe slot override the
> onboard slot?
>
> This card is less than half the cost of a dual-DVI card (even before
> you buy the DVI-VGA adapters), but I'm wondering if he should get a
> $70 dual-DVI card anyway so he's ready when his current monitors die.
> This new PC will definitely outlast his monitors.
>
> --
> Ben "Obi-Wan" Hollingsworth                             obiwan at jedi.com
>    The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the
>      Giver of all good things, so if I stand, let me stand on the
>        promise that You will pull me through.  -- Rich Mullins
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