Video card with easy 3-monitor support...

[othersteve]

Hey all,

Got a pretty basic question for you that I am sure I should know the answer to.

One of my customers needs a video card that supports three video outputs simultaneously. Two of the displays are monitors and the third is an HDTV. Ultimately he wants to be able to extend the desktop between the two monitors and use the TV (which is across the room) as an occasional third display.

Here are the inputs/resolutions on the displays:

• VGA + HDMI, 1080p
• DVI, 1280x1024
• HDMI (tv), 1080p

What's the cheapest card he can get to easily support this?

Thanks very much for the help! This just isn't a question I get very often, and I want to be sure I recommend something that works.

 

[Knightsman]

There isnt a cheap way to do this right.

Get these:
http://www.amazon.com/Nyrius-NAVS500-Wireless-Transmitter-Receiver/dp/B005H3AU1Y

Then two of these:
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-...1352341713&sr=8-14&keywords=NVIDIA+GeForce+GT


But he needs a motherboard that can take it. Most cards are two output cards, and more than that, and your paying out the wazoo.

 

[othersteve]

Thanks for the reply.

Phew. There is no affordable way to make this work with, say, a cheaper Eyefinity-enabled card (see: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121442)?

 

[Knightsman]

It doesn't look like it supports 3 monitors. I could be wrong

 

[PC Ops]

You want to check out AMD Eyefinity technology. Most recent AMD Radeon HD cards support this and are very affordable (not the high-end cards of course). Take a look at the 5000, 6000 & 7000 series. For instance the Radeon HD 6850 which you should be able to find for a price between $150 & $200. Cheaper cards like the 5770 or 6770 also support Eyefinity. You might need cable adapters but these are easy to find.

Hope this helps

EDIT: just noticed the 4rd post where you mention Eyefinity yourself...
Anyhow I still think this is the way to go.

What exactly is 'affordable' in this case? Because I wouldn't go as cheap as possible in a multi-monitor setup. The 6670 card you you mention costs $90. Is that too much? For a multi-monitor setup I'd go for a card with a 256bit memory bus width like the 5850 and higher or the 6850 and higher, etc. The budget cards have 128 bit memory width which do fine in a single monitor setup, I haven't seen them in action in a multi-monitor situation though. If you're going for a 128bit card, make sure it has GDDR5, not GDDR3.

 

[SuffolkComputers]

I recently built a workstation for monitoring CCTV feeds, it has three monitor support and uses this card. sapphire HD6450 . Works out of the box with three monitor support.

 

[othersteve]

I really appreciate the replies guys.

I don't think he's willing to spend a lot on it. This may have just gotten slightly more interesting however. He says he has a powered VGA splitter on hand (who has one of those on hand?), but now the problem is the only two outputs on the current card we have to work with is HDMI and DVI.

I suggested if he had another 1080p monitor also "on hand" (LOL) that we could replace the 4:3 aspect secondary display with that, then duplicate the secondary display picture to the HDTV using the VGA splitter (which he would be okay with). Then we'd have two different picture outputs (1 via HDMI to Monitor 1 and 1 via DVI >> VGA >> 2xVGA to the second monitor and HDTV), both 1080p. I think.

 

[kwest]

I built a system for a client with 4 24" and two 42"monitors with eyefinity and it works well.

Cheap solution is two $40 cards. I have done this before also and it works. Let him know he can add a fourth monitor later if he wants

Good luck

 

[othersteve]

I built a system for a client with 4 24" and two 42"monitors with eyefinity and it works well.

Cheap solution is two $40 cards. I have done this before also and it works. Let him know he can add a fourth monitor later if he wants

Good luck

No need to Crossfire them, just any two $40 Eyefinity cards will work?

 

[kwest]

I have done it before with two different cards to in different port types as well. No need to buy eyefinity.

 

[othersteve]

You guys rock. Thanks again for the help.

 

[fixedbynerds]

I have done it before with two different cards to in different port types as well. No need to buy eyefinity.

Agreed, I have used 2 different cards in different slot types. This was done with very cheap cards since graphics performance was not an issue.