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Quad video card assistance

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Theo2k

Technical User
Dec 19, 2002
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Greetings,

Trying to setup a workstation that will support 4 external monitors. I would like the first to be my primary and everything else 2,3 and 4. Does any of you have any video cards in mind that would support such a setup?

Thanks,

Theo
 
kind of depends how large your budget is:

Nvidia has their Quadro series of GPU's that offer four or more outputs.
for around 450 bucks.

But you may be able to make a cheaper setup if you use 2 of a lower end card with only 2 outputs each.

Also what kind of outputs are you looking for? DVI? HDMI? VGA?

Also what kind of power supply do you have, as that will definitely impact what cards you can put in.

----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
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Theo,
What kind of applications are you using? How high are the resolutions that you need on each monitor?

For basic needs, the cheapest solution may be a pair of Nvidia GeForce 9500 GT cards that each have 2 dual-link DVI outputs. These cards can be had for under $70 each. On the AMD side, you can get the Radeon HD 5670 (just be sure to look close for a brand that includes the DisplayPort adapter to DVI, otherwise that will run you another $20-30 to buy it separately).

For professional graphics, there's a wide range of options depending on your resolution and application needs. Unless you are using a high-end 3D graphics application, it wouldn't be cost-effective to go this route with prices starting at $150 per card all the way up into the thousands.

In regards to ATI's Eyefinity, you're still talking about the number of outputs on the card itself. The cheapest ones I've seen with 4 or more outputs were over $300, and that was for a gaming card. Not sure that's cheaper but it is convenient.

~cdogg
"All generalizations are false, including this one." - Mark Twain
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