Two Monitors, One Output slot

Hi There,

I have a techy question to which I'm not sure if there is a possible answer. I have inherited a second LCD monitor for my desktop and upon wiring it all up I have discovered my graphics card has one output port. Is there any way I can have two monitors in use without having to install another graphics card with two ports?

As you can see from the pics attached I do not have any further space to plug in the cable as shown.

Any ideas if there is a way to get both monitors working without having to take the Machine to pieces? :confused

Thanks

 

You can get a powered splitter, but that will display the same image on both screens. It wont stretch the desktop across the two.

Unfortunately I don't believe it's possible without a second graphics card

 

Actually, does it have this connection on the back?

http://pix.crutchfield.com/kb/hd_connectors\dvi_connector.jpg

 

Hi there,

Thanks for your response, unfortunately the only available ports are the parallel one and the other output device only. I have had a look at the powered splitters as you suggested on this link http://www.pccables.com/cgi-bin/orders6.cgi?action=Showitem&partno=01620&rsite=01620 although does the following text mean it would display a different image on one screen than the other

The reason I ask is that I often play a game and I would like to have the internet showing on the other screen if possible.

 

Well the description sounds great, and a USB to VGA adapter sounds like it would certainly work how you want it too. The image and price on that website worries me though, what they show is a SATA power splitter for inside a PC. That is not what you want! I also wonder how the device receives the display information without having some sort of connection to your graphics card. Have a look for an proper image or more professional looking webpage (i'll look as well) and we'll see if we can work it out

 

Thanks for your help Michenko, I just picked the first website I came across to see what exactly a power splitter was.

 

Tom's Hardware have reviewed one here: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/add-a-monitor-usb,1054.html

Their conclusion is; If you're looking for a way to expand your desktop space on a standard PC though, we would recommend choosing an additional PCI card instead. Just make sure it is compatible with your existing graphics hardware. Suitable graphics cards can be found starting at $30 and provide smooth displays that aren't held back by any bandwidth limitations.

 

Thanks for the assistance, Doesnt look like there is any easy fix without taking the PC to bits

 

It's not as hard as you think. What is make and model of your PC?

 

Hi Geezer,

There are also video cards with two outputs. They usually come with drivers to do what you want. XP also has the driver. My #1 and #2 machines both have cards with the two outlets. I have tested them and they work well but, really have no use for it any more.

Luck, Jim

 

The answer is simple... Just buy whichever one of these adapters that suit your needs:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10104

Some are a lot higher in quality than others. The boxes which carry their own power cord are the best since they amplify the signal to keep it strong.

 

It is an Acer Aspire T180 with 1GB ram running on Vista.

 

Superstar, will that allow you to spread the desktop across two screens? Because the powered splitters that ive used before just transmit the desktop onto EACH screen, ie what one screen does, the other one copies

 

So will this allow me to play a game on one screen for example and have the internet or my desktop shown on the other screen?

 

If superstar gets back to us and it can't work how you want it too, the good news is that your PC has a PCI 16x slot inside, which means you can swap graphics cards with no major hassle.

This is one that i'd recommend; http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/512M...m800MHz-GDDR2-GPU450MHz-16Cores-DSub-DL-DVI-I

It won't take up too much power, and it will fit perfectly with whats already installed on your PC. You will only have to install graphics card, then install drivers, and your ready to go!

 

These work well..
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0290180
for $40 bucks can't be beat.

 

No, it won't.