Triple Monitor Setup (Connected To 1 Pc)

[Farang0tang]

Anyone out there using 3 monitor setup?

If yes, do you recommend an internal card or external box?

Appreciate any Pros & Cons? Prices? Thai supplier?

Have seen online a MATROX external device for connecting up to 3 monitors (Amazon.uk around GBP 245 !!!!)

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/gxm/th2go/

Then numerous graphics cards, but only found dual versions - before getting bogged down searching and confused.

Most cards I found had the standard VGA , with a second DVI or HDMI output.

But does that mean you can only use one or the other - or can you use both at same time?

Cheers

[Farang0tang]

Forgot to add:

If I cant find a triple - I will go for just a dual solution.

[Farang0tang]

Then, there's the 3 x indivdual cards option!

[Nagatus]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=ati+graphics+card+with+3+connected+monitors&l=1

"Expand your visual real estate across up to three displays with revolutionary ATI Eyefinity Technology.^1"

[Farang0tang]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q...ed+monitors&l=1

"Expand your visual real estate across up to three displays with revolutionary ATI Eyefinity Technology.^1"

WOW! Thanks Nagatus.

But I should have mentioned that my setup is required for FX trading system.

Me thinks perhaps that piece of gear would be a tad overkill! Plus looks way too expensive.

[dave_boo]

Farang0tang;

there's a whole bunch in the 50-75 USD range....although you want to make sure that you get one with DVI/VGA/HDMI versions; not the Display Port version otherwise you're going to need an adapter.

**edit**

So sorry, here's the link.

Edited December 1, 2010 by dave_boo

[garyh]

What are you planning to use it for? If it is gaming forget the external device.

[temo1051]

Forgot to add:

If I cant find a triple - I will go for just a dual solution.

I am using the Matrox Triple Head 2 go digital version with a dual digital video card in my computer. I use this fro trading stocks and the setup works well. I bought the Matrox at a shop in Pantip. It was a small shop and I dont remember the name but I found it by doing an internet search of shops in Pantip that sold the Matrox. I have been using this system for over a year now and I have not had any problems and would reccomend it as an inexpensive alternative.

[Farang0tang]

Farang0tang;

there's a whole bunch in the 50-75 USD range....although you want to make sure that you get one with DVI/VGA/HDMI versions; not the Display Port version otherwise you're going to need an adapter.

**edit**

So sorry, here's the link.

Thanks dave_boo

Quite supprised how cheap those cards are!

Seems the external device will be way more expensive.

So, leaning towards one card with multiple output solution.

[Farang0tang]

What are you planning to use it for? If it is gaming forget the external device.

Require it for forex trading.

But dont rule out maybe a tiny bit of gaming.

Curious to know why you say to forget the external device?

[Farang0tang]

What are you planning to use it for? If it is gaming forget the external device.

Require it for forex trading.

But dont rule out perhaps a tiny bit of gaming.

Curious to know why you say forget the external device?

[Naam]

What are you planning to use it for? If it is gaming forget the external device.

Require it for forex trading.

But dont rule out maybe a tiny bit of gaming.

Curious to know why you say to forget the external device?

forex trading ok, gaming no can do.

[Farang0tang]

Forgot to add:

If I cant find a triple - I will go for just a dual solution.

I am using the Matrox Triple Head 2 go digital version with a dual digital video card in my computer. I use this fro trading stocks and the setup works well. I bought the Matrox at a shop in Pantip. It was a small shop and I dont remember the name but I found it by doing an internet search of shops in Pantip that sold the Matrox. I have been using this system for over a year now and I have not had any problems and would reccomend it as an inexpensive alternative.

You are running 5 monitors?

[Farang0tang]

sorry - recount, probably 4

[danbradster]

I have 3 monitors. 2 graphics cards, one card has a dual output connector.

[Farang0tang]

What are you planning to use it for? If it is gaming forget the external device.

Require it for forex trading.

But dont rule out maybe a tiny bit of gaming.

Curious to know why you say to forget the external device?

forex trading ok, gaming no can do.

Thx Naam. Gaming isnt important.

Just so long as it displays my candles in the desired direction.

[Farang0tang]

I have 3 monitors. 2 graphics cards, one card has a dual output connector.

What operating system?

Do the cards have to pass some compatibility test for them to work together?

Or is it all controlled by some add-on software?

[innerspace]

Easiest way would be 2 graphics cards with dual outputs.

Have to be careful though, most graphics card drivers will support 2 monitors, but not all will support 4 monitors even with 2 dual monitor cards.

You also want to have matching graphics cards and a motherboard that supports multiple cards.

Many motherboards will support 1 high speed card and several low speed card, which may not run 2 graphics cards.

Best bet would be take your PC to a computer center and get the staff to show you it working before paying, that way they will make sure they sell compatible parts.

At most, 15,000 Baht for 2 good graphics cards and a new motherboard - you could get it for about 6,000 with average cards and no motherboards upgrade.

[Farang0tang]

Easiest way would be 2 graphics cards with dual outputs.

Have to be careful though, most graphics card drivers will support 2 monitors, but not all will support 4 monitors even with 2 dual monitor cards.

You also want to have matching graphics cards and a motherboard that supports multiple cards.

Many motherboards will support 1 high speed card and several low speed card, which may not run 2 graphics cards.

Best bet would be take your PC to a computer center and get the staff to show you it working before paying, that way they will make sure they sell compatible parts.

At most, 15,000 Baht for 2 good graphics cards and a new motherboard - you could get it for about 6,000 with average cards and no motherboards upgrade.

Thanks. Good idea.

As i will be upgrading my PC at the same time, will ask to see it working first.

Cheers

[bkksw]

There are many ways to do this. If you're just running data for stock you can concentrate on several areas.

1. The conventional wisdom is: If you're not gaming then you don't need an expensive or powerful card. This is true, however.. with more power and memory the card will 'render' screens faster. If you monitor the same screens this won't be important. But if you refresh or render different screens often then this becomes very important.

2. ATI's new Eyefinity cards from the 5000 series on up can run three monitors per card. Some of their cards will run six. However, one of the three cards MUST be a displayport connection. If you're just running data.. then three matching (I wouldn't mix monitors for various reasons, the idea is to enhance your productivity not distract from it) display port cable monitors would give you the best results. It would be different if you needed three color profiled monitors for imaging.

3. Buy a dedicated stand that holds the three monitors. A good stand will have VESA 100mm or 200mm arm mounts and the monitors must be compatible. The main arm will be curved at an ideal angle to bring the monitors together in the best way possible, so that at a certain distance your eyes might move, but not your head. You don't want to be turning your head if at all possible. NEC and some other companies have published studies on multiple monitor use which will help you look at this from a productivity viewpoint.. and they're enlightening. Really worth the read. Most people just start adding monitors without much thought and then don't find them as useful as they could be.

4. As much as possible, stick to the same brand of video cards. In other words, don't mix/match brands or models in the same box. Video drivers are very powerful and are responsible for the lions share of computer troubles.. running two brands of video card drivers is just asking for problems. Running two different cards can result in issues as well, you need to be careful which cards you put together, which versions of DirectX, OpenGL, etc they run.. and that they don't conflict. Often, Adobe software is a good example, two different video cards work well with everything else but a certain applications.

I personally use two color profiled image monitors side by side for image processing. This is my old setup which shows the idea.. my new setup is much the same but with different monitors. If you include the 50" plasma I'm actually running three monitors. But because none of my monitors are displayport I have one very powerful video card to run both imaging monitors, and a cheap 600 baht video cardwith HDMI outputs to run the 50" plasma.

[seancbk]

I have just finished putting together a 3 screen system for a finance client in Hong Kong.

Because of time constraints we went with an ATI card which has 4 ports (2 x DVI, 1 x HDMI and 1 x Display Port).

The monitors were all 30" Dell's and supported DVI, HDMI and Display Port.

Its important to note that with ATI eyefinity (certainly the card we used) if you want to run 3 screens, one of them will have to be using the display port, this is something that ATI don't make very clear so make sure you have a monitor that has display port capability.

Had we had more time to order a different card, I would have gone with one of the Matrox range. I used to always use Matrox Millenium cards to drive triple screen setups. For finance uses the Matrox cards are perfect and reasonably priced.

Whether you can find one of the Matrox cards here is another matter (and the Millenium is I believe a discontinued model)

Good luck.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q...ed+monitors&l=1

"Expand your visual real estate across up to three displays with revolutionary ATI Eyefinity Technology.^1"

WOW! Thanks Nagatus.

But I should have mentioned that my setup is required for FX trading system.

Me thinks perhaps that piece of gear would be a tad overkill! Plus looks way too expensive.

[seancbk]

If you are going to upgrade your computer (and assuming its not a laptop) then another suggestion which you might consider is to put a simple dual head card in the new PC, connect 2 monitors to it and 1 monitor to the old machine, then use Multiplicity ( www.stardock.com/products/multiplicity/ ) to control both PC's

This has the advantage of sharing the work over 2 CPUs, having a fallback in case one machine fails, being cheaper and even allowing you to have more than 3 screens easily.

Its also very handy as you can keep all your old files on the old PC and have easy access to them.

Sean

Thanks. Good idea.

As i will be upgrading my PC at the same time, will ask to see it working first.

Cheers