Dual display port, or two graphics cards, or one graphics card and DVI to DP converter?

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Paul B

XenForo moderator
Staff member
I've gone mad and purchased a second Dell monitor to match the one I bought a few weeks ago.

I would like to connect them both via Display Port so I need to upgrade my ancient, low spec' graphics card.

I'm not sure whether dual display port cards are available. If they are I guess they're going to be expensive.

So presumably it would be cheaper and simpler to either get a single card and a DVI to DP converter or two cards.

I presume many of you have already been down this path so would be interested to hear what solution you opted for.

I don't need anything special. I don't do gaming so it's just general use.
The monitors are Dell UltraSharp 1920x1200 U2412M (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005JN9310) and my current nVidia GTS 250 1024MB is happily powering one Dell and another 24" Acer, via DVI and VGA.
Code: 
GPU processor:        GeForce GTS 250
Driver version:        331.58
Direct3D API version:    10
CUDA Cores:        128
Core clock:        738 MHz
Shader clock:        1836 MHz
Memory data rate:    2200 MHz
Memory interface:    256-bit
Total available graphics memory:    4095 MB
Dedicated video memory:    1024 MB GDDR3
System video memory:    0 MB
Shared system memory:    3071 MB
Video BIOS version:    62.92.7D.00.20
IRQ:            16
Bus:            PCI Express x16 Gen2

The card needs to be PCIe X16 2.0 compliant.

Edit: As has just been pointed out to me, at this resolution, Display Port probably isn't needed, so I could go dual DVI.
 
They are available. If you've got money to go through, I suggest a higher end card. The most you can afford. If you run dual monitor setups, say 24-27" (excluding IPS for latter), then you'll need a powerful card to provide enough frames if you game. If you don't, then a moderately priced card will work out.
 
A second monitor isn't a mad purchase at all! I suppose it seems a little excessive when you first do it, but after a few hours you wonder how you ever lived without it...
 
I will warn you now nVidia doesn't play too well with dual monitors depending on if you are running Win7 or Win8. The card should do you quite well, if you do have any questions or problems feel free to send me a message. I currently run a triple monitor setup of Dell U2410's and four nVidia GTX 680's (yea I game in my spare time lol). I do highly recommend looking in to Display Fusion as their software is great for multimonitor setups.
 
mistypants said:
A second monitor isn't a mad purchase at all! I suppose it seems a little excessive when you first do it, but after a few hours you wonder how you ever lived without it...
Click to expand...
I've been meaning to do it for a while - just never got around to it.

Clay Culver said:
I will warn you now nVidia doesn't play too well with dual monitors depending on if you are running Win7 or Win8. The card should do you quite well, if you do have any questions or problems feel free to send me a message.
Click to expand...
I'm running Win 7 and my current nVidia is happily running a Dell 1920x1200 and an Acer 1920x1080, via DVI and VGA.
Hopefully it should work fine.

Clay Culver said:
I currently run a triple monitor setup of Dell U2410's and four nVidia GTX 680's (yea I game in my spare time lol).
Click to expand...
That's mad! :D
Why four video cards with three monitors though?
Presumably two of them are linked?
 
Brogan said:
That's mad! :D
Why four video cards with three monitors though?
Presumably two of them are linked?
Click to expand...

Yes all three are linked so I have an effective screen resolution of 5760x1200 (each monitor is 1920x1200, 16:10 aspect ratio). As to four video cards, need that much horse power to game at that resolution ha!

Glad to hear that, you've had no problems so far. I have had quite a bit of issues with the triple setup and Win8 (moving taskbar among the biggest), hope it stays good in your world for you! :) Attached is what it currently looks like (there is a lot of work left to be done on the setup lol).

emp-jpg.101
 
OSS 117 said:
Edit: What case is that?!
Click to expand...

Corsair 900D.

And just to clarify now that I read my post again I use nVidia Surround to join all three monitors so Windows sees it as one giant monitor (with an effective resolution of 5760x1200). The reason for four cards is to push that many pixels while gaming. The Matrox cards are great don't get me wrong (used to use them back in the day and loved the fact they are Canadian), but they just do not have the horse power to do any gaming now days.

Slavik said:
Too much Nvidia in this thread.... its disgusting.
Click to expand...

LOL yes I am normally an ATi person, but some of the games I play on a regular basis are a part of the nVidia Way it is mean to be played program so I miss out on a fair bit of stuff like proper physX and some eye candy.
 
Yup, that too. I recently ordered some parts and put together a new computer. I just picked up two U3014s with dual 770GTXs to handle the video. Pretty happy. Still testing things.
 
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