I recently found a flat screen 17' monitor for cheap and would like to run a dual monitor set-up. How hard is this to do. If someone could suggest a cheap video card for the 2nd monitor, I dont think my Geforce 4600 can run dual monitors. Is anything else needed besides the monitor and 2nd video card? ATI Radeon 9200 128MB Video Card seems like a good cheap one.

Doing this I can play a game on one screen and being on 2ngt for the other correct. Thanks guys.

Originally posted by DarkEclips96
I recently found a flat screen 17' monitor for cheap and would like to run a dual monitor set-up. How hard is this to do. If someone could suggest a cheap video card for the 2nd monitor, I dont think my Geforce 4600 can run dual monitors. Is anything else needed besides the monitor and 2nd video card? ATI Radeon 9200 128MB Video Card seems like a good cheap one. Doing this I can play a game on one screen and being on 2ngt for the other correct. Thanks guys.

if you have two outputs on your vid card, you can run dual monitors. it may only replicate your primary display though, you will want to check into that. if you have to buy a secondary card, it will probably be a pci card of some sort depending on your setup. im guessing you are running windows, it is easy to run dual display in windows.

as far as the games thing, some games will minimize when they are not the primary window, but in theory, yes, you could run a game and 2gnt at the same time. some games just do not like to share and will not play right unless they are the active screen. a game isnt like having a web browser and winamp open, the game has its own "world" that it lives in and the computer might need to switch out of that world for you to use a different window.

My nvidia card has 2 outputs, you just need to get an adapter to turb the signal into vga.

I would just spend the money and purchase 1 good video card.

holy shit I didn't even know a 4600 existed or that it could play games at all. Just get a 6600GT and play on one nice monitor.

Its a Geforce4 Ti4600. That graphics for warcrafts are really good on it too, and I run it with other programs too no problem.

Hey blizare, where can I find an adapter to do this, I would like to try it with a spare monitor before I go purchase another one. Thanks.

i think he is referring to a digital output to vga converter. you can get them at radio shack, probably best buy, fry's electronics, etc. just depends on what you got in your area.

Originally posted by Diceman19
i think he is referring to a digital output to vga converter. you can get them at radio shack, probably best buy, fry's electronics, etc. just depends on what you got in your area.

Yup, or you get one free with a new video card :P

Originally posted by Blizare

Originally posted by Diceman19 i think he is referring to a digital output to vga converter. you can get them at radio shack, probably best buy, fry's electronics, etc. just depends on what you got in your area.

Yup, or you get one free with a new video card :P

normally yes. :D

dual monitors rock. got my WOW goin on my main 19" and webbrowsing/chatting/etc goin on the other. i've got a ATI All-In-Wonder 9600xt btw. it was a nice card in it's day (almost 2 years ago) but it's starting to show it's age. i've actually got my tv hooked up to another output from the card which is pretty cool. i have a lot of movies just saved on my 500gb (2x250 sata raid) so i just play them on the tv from the computer. you can even still be doin stuff on the computer at the same time.

TWO MONITORS IS GREAT FOR WATCHING PORN

also the main reason i needed dual monitor support is b/c i do some home recording/audio work. you run out of desktop space real quick when you've got a million tracks/mixers/sequencers/synths etc running at once. 2 monitors make things sooo much easier. now i'm tempted to go for 3 though... }(

but yea if your card doesn't support dual output (for extended desktop NOT cloning) just get a semi-decent pci card. either that or if your current card is AGP and you're planning on upgrading more than just your vid card, buy a mobo w/ agp AND pci-e support. then get a nice new pci-e card for your main and use your old agp for the 2nd monitor. umm actually double check on whether both slots can bused for separate vid cards on those hybrid mobo's... i've never looked into using them like that :p