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Question

Need display port advice / help please!

Mar 11, 2018 7:20PM PDT

I just don't know anything about display ports and need advice / help.

I am buying a used computer. I have a choose of two. The one has a Nvida Quado K2000 (built in 2013). It has a DVI port and two Display ports.

Sooooo ..... I need to get Diplay ports to VGA .... how?

I did a quick search on the web ... a few adapter but non list 1600 x 900 (which is what both of my monitors are).

Does anyone make an adapter that does this or is the card useless to me or ?????

Also, I was going to use the DVI to HDMI .... it looks like this is just a passive adapter ...is that right?

Thanks .... Mike

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
Are you sure?
Mar 11, 2018 7:57PM PDT
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need at least two monitors ...
Mar 11, 2018 8:03PM PDT

I have been using dual monitors for about 20 years now ... could not imagine life without this!

Even if I used a cheap adapter for one of the adapters, I would still need a display port to VGA for the second monitor.

Thanks so much ... Mike

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Off to Amazon.
Mar 11, 2018 8:06PM PDT

See what's for sale. Be sure it's on amazon prime so you can return it if you can't make it work.

Frankly I never use these. We just get the usual 99 or less buck second display.

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none list 1600 x 900 on Amazon
Mar 11, 2018 8:13PM PDT

I actually looked before asking here.

Seems to be two types ... adapter and active.

All of them list a maximum resolution ... and some actually list resolutions ... but not a single one lists 1600 x 900.

Maybe it is set buy what the card can do ... but I want to be sure of this and not get stuck. I want to make sure I can get he computer to do 1600 x 900 with some kind of adapter or it is not worth buying this computer with this video card.

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Sometimes things are just not made.
Mar 11, 2018 8:24PM PDT

1600x900 is quite an odd display. Doesn't sound like any of the standards today.

Let's be clear. Adapters cost money. Displays cost too. But to do this right, it will likely take a new display.

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And that is what I am trying to find out ...
Mar 11, 2018 8:32PM PDT

If this card does not work (or I can't get an adapter for it) then I may as well spend $50 less and drop in the card (nvida GT630) that I am using now.

This is a 5 year old computer ... I don't want to drop a lot of money into it. The computer is going to cost around $350 now ... I did a bunch of checking and for an i7 4770 with 8 or 16 gb ... this is the going rate.

I don't want to go throwing another $200 into this.

I just don't have the money ... that is why I am buying a used computer and not a new one.

Thanks .... Mike

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200?
Mar 11, 2018 10:18PM PDT

I rarely spend that much on a workplace GPU or display.

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One gpu and two monitors
Mar 11, 2018 11:10PM PDT

I have not priced a gpu in a long while ... guessing $100 ????

And say $100 per monitor ... so $200

I have a "real" tight budget ... just hand not thought about buying new monitors. These I have came from a recycle center ... $5 each. They work great.

The computer I found has a video card in it but as I said, it has two display ports and one DVI. I just got to get from the display port to vga at 1600 x 900 and I will be all set.

There is another computer for sale with no video card. What card can I get cheap that will power my two 1600 x 900 monitors?

Thanks .... Mike

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Why two monitors?
Mar 12, 2018 9:39AM PDT

According to what I could find out about the GPU it appears to have VGA signals on the DVI port. There are no less than 5 DVI port configurations and this appears to be the one with the analog and digital lines.

As to what card why not the one you know works?

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excatly what I decided to do ....
Mar 13, 2018 8:52AM PDT

Exactly!

I had to decided between two computers that were exactly the same but one had more memory and one had a video card.

I opted for the one with more memory.

I will use my old video card till I find one at a good price that will support all my monitors.

Thanks so much .... Mike

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Answer
Monitors
Mar 12, 2018 8:37PM PDT

What input ports do these 2 monitors have?

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No two alike ...
Mar 13, 2018 9:00AM PDT

I am using an old dell and and old gateway that I got for $5 each at a recycle place.

They are both 1600 x 900

One has a vga and a dvi ... the other a vga and hdmi

The cards I saw all had dvi connectors on them. This is why I wanted to make sure I could get from dvi to vga ( or dvi or hdmi) with a cheap converter (say under $20) and not have to spend a lot more.

I opted to buy a used computer with no video card ... now I need to find one.

I am thinking about an nvidia GTX 750 ... they seem to be going for about $50 ... but I need to make sure they will support three monitors (well two monitors plus I like to feed my TV with it ... we don't have cable so I use it to watch a lot of youtube on the tv).

Thanks .... Mike

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THREE MONITORS?
Mar 13, 2018 9:28AM PDT

The complaints about this card and in fact many cards to get THREE MONITORS fill the internet.

Two are usually fine but you wanted it to work with old VGA monitors and ran into a virtual brick wall and tar pit of issues.

Now 3 monitors? Just me warning you off. I've yet to see a 3 VGA monitor setup on today's cards.
This is Unicorn Hunting at its finest.

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sorry ... two vga and one hdmi ....
Mar 13, 2018 9:41AM PDT

Sorry ... two vga at most (maybe even a vga and a dvi) and a tv set (hdmi).

Is there a better card I should be looking at?

I am not a gamer.

This is going into a 5 year hold HP Z230 i7 4790.

I am "guessing" what I can do is use a cheap adapter to get the DVI to vga (connector has the cross cut in it) ... got from dispayport to dvi with a cheap connector and use the hdmi into the TV.

I just want to make sure I can actually run all three at once. It seem some cards can and some can not.

Again ... I just took a "guess" at this card. I am running a GTX 630 right now that only supports two monitors.

I am wide open to suggestions.

Mike

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I don't know of any current card today that has
Mar 13, 2018 9:59AM PDT

2 VGA and one HDMI. You are unicorn hunting. If there is some old card, it's something I won't note because it's not a sure thing you can find one.

Check out if you can add your current card to what this PC has. You know your current card does fine with these displays. So pop that in for these displays and use the other card for the HDMI work.

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Monitors
Mar 13, 2018 9:49AM PDT

You started out with 2 monitors and now your up to 3 monitors.

Adapters can be a hit and miss type thing.

I would just stay away from those if possible.

Assuming your tv uses hdmi that's one port on the gpu.

Now you need a gpu that also has a vga and a dvi port.

That way you can connect all 3 monitors with no adapters.

I suspect you will need to go backwards a little to find that combo.

Shop around and see if you can find a gpu with the needed ports and within your budget.