3 or more monitors with only two ports on PC?

J

jamesblue

I like the idea of stacking or even having three monitors.

But I only have two ports coming out of the PC.

By adding a video card, I only substitute the original two ports on the motherboard for the ones on the video card. And actually, if you install a video card you do potentially have to take memory from your PC to run the cards (despite the vid card having its own memory), so this can slow your system.

Currently, I have the following:

1. Samsung 245BW, 24 inch (can rotate, but currently set at horizontal)
2. Samsung 204T, 20 inch rotates vertical.

Here's a front view. Imagine a DVI and VGA port coming out of the back.

How do I get three monitors on my desk? Or even better stack them (assuming I cant get a rack) and still have them all run through my two video outputs (1 VGA and 1 DVI)?

Thanks.
 

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I think there's a little box you can get that will let you use more monitors than what your video card will support. I forgot the name, but I will search for it.

It's not a splitter. Splitters display the same image on both monitors. This one had an input that you connect to your vid card output, and then on the other side it had two outputs, thus letting you use two monitors from only one vid output on your vid card.

Hypothetically you could use that plus the other output on your vid card and have 3 monitors.

Let me see if i can find it. It was pretty expensive, tho, like more than a new vid card with more outputs would be.
 
Unless you're using an older motherboard, don't worry about the memory. Sometimes installing a new card disables the motherboard video. If that doesn't happen then one new card with DVI and VGA ports will suffice. If the motherboard port is disabled, then install two cards. Don't install cheap cards. They don't have to be the top shelf ones, just not the $49.95 models.

Btw, most cards come with a DVI-to-VGA connector if you need it.
 
Quote from jamesblue:

"...I only have two ports coming out of the PC....
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2? Never heard of having more than 1.

What brand and model computer do you have?
 
Quote from inandlong:

Btw, most cards come with a DVI-to-VGA connector if you need it.
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Just make sure it's DVI-I (integrated) and not DVI-D (digital).

My first video card had a VGA out and a DVI-D out. I didn't know there were different kinds of DVIs, so I bought a DVI-VGA converter for it, and it didn't fit. The DVI-D pins are slightly different, and it's a true digital signal that can't be converted to analog (VGA). So in order to use two monitors, I had to replace the video card. Neither of my monitors had DVI inputs (this was in 2004 when DVI was expensive, and I didn't want to pay $3-400 for an LCD monitor with DVI input).

Actually tho, every other video card I've ever seen has had a DVI-I output on it. Basically, if a DVI-VGA converter fits, then you have DVI-I and not DVI-D.
 
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