Recommend a Dual Monitor Graphics card

projectgtr

i am looking to upgrade my Dell Vostro 200 to a dual monitor setup. I am not looking to play games at all its really just for extending my desktop for multi tasking, so im looking for a graphics card to suit my needs, onboard graphics do more than enough for me so im not looking for anything spectacular, price wise im looking at the lower end, older cards are not a problem.

Looking on komplett i see cards like
http://komplett.ie/Komplett/product/ZKB_01COM/10_GRPCARD/02_AGP/productdetails/10023019/ASUS_AH4650_DI_1GD2_Graphics_adapter_Radeon_HD/90_C1CN40_L0UAN0KZ/default.aspx

am i right in thinking if it has dual DVI out puts that it will suit my needs??


Sorry for all the questions last time i bought a graphics card was a few years now

marco_polo

Careful, you have selected an AGP card there but the Vostros use a PCI Express slot I would be near certain. If it is a slim version then you may need a low profile card as well.

Aside from that you are looking for pretty well the cheapest card with the correct video output ports (2XDVI I presume?)

Something more like this would be in order (Full profile PCIe)

The low profile version PCIe is 10 extra

These are just example shop around for the cheapest card (pretty well any NVidia or ATI with the right ports will do), but you shouldn't have to spend more than about 30 tops.

lmimmfn

Yeah according to trusted reviews its PCIE - http://www.trustedreviews.com/pcs/review/2007/08/29/Dell-Vostro-200/p3

doesnt the ATI X1300 Pro that it comes with have dual DVI outs?

Personally for what you want it for i wouldnt bother getting a new card, i would pick up an old second hand gfx card on adverts.ie for 30-40euro( even cheaper if you can find one thats rubbish for games )

projectgtr

Thanks for the replies guys

sorry guys i didnt even realize AGP was still being sold, I have the Vostro tower so no need for a low profile card thank god. I thought of the secondhand route this wouldnt bother me at all but its getting the info on these cards that can be trouble, am i right in thinking that once it has dual dvi that it can run 2 dvi monitors at once in an extended desktop?

projectgtr

marco_polo wrote: »

Careful, you have selected an AGP card there but the Vostros use a PCI Express slot I would be near certain. If it is a slim version then you may need a low profile card as well.

Aside from that you are looking for pretty well the cheapest card with the correct video output ports (2XDVI I presume?)

Something more like this would be in order (Full profile PCIe)

The low profile version PCIe is 10 extra

These are just example shop around for the cheapest card (pretty well any NVidia or ATI with the right ports will do), but you shouldn't have to spend more than about 30 tops.

The card you posted has one HDMI and one DVI output are you sure these can be used at once

cml387

One with VGA and DVI will do too.That's what I use.

projectgtr

cml387 wrote: »

One with VGA and DVI will do too.That's what I use.

But will all cards that have VGA and DVI output on both at the same time? in that case 95% of cards will do??

cml387

projectgtr wrote: »

But will all cards that have VGA and DVI output on both at the same time? in that case 95% of cards will do??

True.Best to check the spec. first.

projectgtr

hmm even more confused now, from what i can take i need a dual DVI card no??

projectgtr

ok i think i just sorted this twin head DVI XFX ATI Radeon HD 4650, cheap enough too, why is it so hard to find a twinhead DVI??
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...=56&subcat=938

Cuddlesworth

projectgtr wrote: »

ok i think i just sorted this twin head DVI XFX ATI Radeon HD 4650, cheap enough too, why is it so hard to find a twinhead DVI??
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...=56&subcat=938

Because HDMI, Display Port and DVI are all interchangeable through adapters.

marco_polo

projectgtr wrote: »

The card you posted has one HDMI and one DVI output are you sure these can be used at once

I must facepalm myself , forgot to even look at the connectors. For pretty well any card with two ports, both can be used at the same time for extended desktop regardless of what type they are (vga, dvi,hdmi etc), and as Cuddleswoth says there is no adapter that can't be got if the card price is right but the output ports don't quite suit.

If you get something second hand for a tenner that will do the job all the better. The problem with buying new is that is is all but impossible to get anything older than 1-2 generations ago at best hence I suggested the 4350. There are tonnes of other cards from the past 3-4 years that could do the job you need just as well if you can source them (1/2/3XXX series ATIs, 7/8/9XXX Nvidias)

projectgtr

marco_polo wrote: »

I must facepalm myself , forgot to even look at the connectors. For pretty well any card with two ports, both can be used at the same time for extended desktop regardless of what type they are (vga, dvi,hdmi etc), and as Cuddleswoth says there is no adapter that can't be got if the card price is right but the output ports don't quite suit.

If you get something second hand for a tenner that will do the job all the better. The problem with buying new is that is is all but impossible to get anything older than 1-2 generations ago at best hence I suggested the 4350. There are tonnes of other cards from the past 3-4 years that could do the job you need just as well if you can source them (1/2/3XXX series ATIs, 7/8/9XXX Nvidias)

you dead right, but i dont want a beast of a card from a few generations ago thats gonna want its own power supply i made that mistake when building my last pc, i had to pull my PSU out for a beefier one.Gonna have a quick look on adverts and ebay now, what do you think of the card i posted? seems a reasonable price and has dual DVI plus its new