Recommended Graphics Card for 4x Monitors? Eyefinity?

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kenkeniff

628 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 88

#110956 20-Oct-2012 17:04

Hi, is someone be able to give me some advise on some PCIe x16 Graphic Cards that would support 4x DVI or VGA monitors?

It's required mostly for viewing virtual machines, remote desktop, light multimedia work (YouTube, Windows Media Centre, light video editing).

I'm struggling to get my head around AMD's Eyefinity etc where you can run multiple monitors of single DisplayPort? If that's the case how many DisplayPorts would I need for my setup?

(I'll also be running a projector off the integrated VGA port).

Thanks

vexxxboy

4336 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2072

#704078 20-Oct-2012 17:54

check out youtube for videos on how to set up AMD's Eyefinity and what cards you can use and see some amazing setups, i like the 3x 46" screens set up.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

RealityClash

192 posts

Master Geek

#704121 20-Oct-2012 20:18

Any AMD card with at least 2 Displayport/mini Displayport connections will allow you to hook up 4 monitors.

I myself currently have 2 monitors hooked up to my main HD6970 via the DVI ports (these 2 monitors could also be connected via VGA or HDMI instead) then my second 2 monitors are connected to the 6970's mini Displayport connectors, the second 2 monitors are actually VGA monitors but connect using VGA to mini Displayport adapters.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/components/video-cards/pciexpress/auction-524580444.htm

You could also do the same with DVI monitors for the second 2 monitors instead of VGA monitors but you'd then need to use active adaptors rather than the much cheaper passive adaptors that you can get away with using when connecting to VGA monitors (don't have a clue why this is but it's what I've read everywhere).

From what I've read you can actually connect up to 3 monitors to a Displayport connection with the right adapter but I've never come across one of the adapters myself and they would likely be rather expensive.

Another option is to get a couple of cheap Nvidia cards in SLI which from what I've been told would allow you connect up to four monitors using any combination of the available connections

kenkeniff

628 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 88

#704160 20-Oct-2012 22:06

Would a "Sapphire HD6450 1G DDR3 Video card , DVI+ HDMI + VGA" be able to run three monitors at once with the apps I need?

I also have a HDMI and DVI port on my Intel DH67BL motherboard which I will connect to my Projector and 4th monitor?

RealityClash

192 posts

Master Geek

#704192 21-Oct-2012 04:32

The standard HD6450 would be able to run 2 monitors max as far as I know, Sapphire does have a "Flex" version though which would allow you to connect 3 monitors with the 3 connectors available even though there isn't a displayport connector, Saphhire's entire Flex range enables you to be able to use 3 monitors without having to specifically use a displayport connector for the 3rd monitor which is quite handy...

http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/?cid=1&gid=3&sgid=1086&lid=1&pid=1414&leg=0

Zeon

3926 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 759

Trusted

#704221 21-Oct-2012 09:16

At work my motherboard has 2 DVI connectors and I put in a cheapie $60 Radeon 6450 (I think). 4 monitors works great with 2x 1920x1080 and 2x 1280x1024.

Speedtest 2019-10-14

kenkeniff

628 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 88

#704662 22-Oct-2012 15:56

Apparently the Intel DH67BL motherboard will only support one video output if another graphics card is enabled (i.e. DVI-I not HMDI) so here's my final solution:

I'm running my VGA projector off the integrated DVI-I port via a DVI-to-VGA adapter.

I'm running my 4x 20" monitors off an ATI FirePro 2460 PCIe x16 card via 4x miniDisplayPort-to-VGA adapters.

This setup works well for what I need.