Triple Monitor Setup

[[fr31ns]Karrde]

Trying to help my friend out here.  Long/Short he currently uses a dual monitor setup on a 6600GT and is looking to upgrade if he can get a triple setup.  His mobo only has one PCI-E slot so multiple GPUs is kinda not happening.

I was checking out the 9800 series, they appear to have 3 video connectors (2x hdmi, 1x dvi). Does this mean you can hook up 3 monitors or do they just provide different alternatives for 2 monitors?

Anyone got an answer? 

[rumsfald]

I am not familiar with the hardware, but a quick google suggests that it is possible

http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/3-m...a-9800-gx2

[[fr31ns]Karrde]

Thx rummy.  Considering he's a coder, he should be able to troubleshoot it since it obviously does work.

[CaffeinePowered]

Would it be possible to buy a cheap-o PCI video card for the third one, not familiar with using multiple video cards not in an SLI set up

[[fr31ns]Karrde]

He woulda done that, but with the hardware he uses and the way his mobo is, he can only use one slot.  So it has to be a one video card configuration.

[HeK]

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/produc...qidlppcie/

[at0m]

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/produc...qidlppcie/

If he's got enough cash to drop on a Matrox card, he should just build a new rig. It'd probably be cheaper, and he could actually use it for gaming and not just video editing / software development / CAD work.

[HeK]

Yes, but that is out of the scope of the question.

I really don't see why he can't just cram in some plainjane PCI video cards for $20 a pop.

[Wedge]

Yes, but that is out of the scope of the question.

I really don't see why he can't just cram in some plainjane PCI video cards for $20 a pop.

Karrde link=topic=3075.msg89987#msg89987 date=1244946425]
He woulda done that, but with the hardware he uses and the way his mobo is, he can only use one slot.  So it has to be a one video card configuration.

Not sure if that's actually a valid reason, but I can't imagine anything was made with support for something like that in mind unless it's supposed to work due to the natural architecture of whatever.

[HeK]

Well, the Matrox QID is $700...

Unless he has a mobo without any PCI slots, there shouldn't really be anything stopping him from plugging in an extra PCI video card. There should not be a resource conflict.