Best graphics card for triple monitor office setup?

[XLNC]

I currently have two 20" Dell 2007FP monitors at work, running from a HP Z400 workstation with a Quadro 4000 graphics card. I'd like to add a 30" U3011 monitor to it. Primary uses are office apps and VMWare. No CAD work or gaming.

What's the cheapest/best graphics card that supports triple monitor setup? Can I add a second card to run the third monitor, or do I need to get a single card to run all three monitors?

 

[T_Yamamoto]

If you have an SB or IB processor, you can run one monitor off of iGPU.

Then just get a super cheap GPU then run two off of that.
(Gt610)

 

[Cerb]

A used Quadro NVS 4x0 would do (such as a 440), with new cables adapting to DVI, as another option (everybody seems to sell them with VGA cables, if they include any at all).

Sadly, they want you have to spend real money to be able to use all the connectors on any given card. A GT 640 would be around the cheapest new Geforce that could do it (and a HDMI->DVI adapter), and it's either a 7750 or 7770 over on the Radeon side of things.

 

[readymix]

i am using 2x24" & 1x19" on a gts450 for the former and a nvs295 for the latter.

 

[Automaticman]

If you have an SB or IB processor, you can run one monitor off of iGPU.

Then just get a super cheap GPU then run two off of that.
(Gt610)

This should work, but on our Dell office pc's, there is no BIOS option to allow both the IGP and a dedicated card to be used together. The option for the IGP is either disable or auto (which just disables it when a dedicated card is detected). My Asus board at home would work just fine like this.

Not sure if the OP's HP will allow both at the same time.

 

[XLNC]

The CPU is a Xeon W3550. I checked on the back of the PC, there's no VGA/DVI output option from the motherboard. I'm assuming this means even if this proc is SB/IB class, it still wouldn't matter as the MB doesn't support using the integrated GPU.

So can I just add a cheap second card in addition to the Quadro 4000? Or do I need to get a single triple-monitor capable card like the GTX 640/Radeon 7750.

Thank you for all of your responses.

 

[Automaticman]

ah, so the W3550 is a socket 1366 part which is pre-sandy bridge (replaced by SB-E). These did not have an integrated GPU (I don't think 1366 boards ever supported IGPs at all).

Does the motherboard have a free pcie x16 slot? If so I don't see why you couldnt get a cheap Nvidia card to run a third monitor, as long as you don't need to run anything graphically intense on it. If you only have 1 pcie slot then you are stuck getting a new card altogether, but it doesn't really sound like you are putting that Quadro to work anyway.

 

[mfenn]

I don't see why you need another card. Your Quadro 4000 should have three display outputs: two DisplayPort and one DVI-DL. Just hook up the U3011 to whatever port is free (it has both DisplayPort and DVI).

 

[frozentundra123456]

A used Quadro NVS 4x0 would do (such as a 440), with new cables adapting to DVI, as another option (everybody seems to sell them with VGA cables, if they include any at all).

Sadly, they want you have to spend real money to be able to use all the connectors on any given card. A GT 640 would be around the cheapest new Geforce that could do it (and a HDMI->DVI adapter), and it's either a 7750 or 7770 over on the Radeon side of things.

I was really peeved when I found I could not use a vga cable with my 7770 to connect up an old second monitor. In order to use 2 monitors, I had to get an HDMI cable and use an adapter, along with the DVI output.

I am also not sure you can use the igpu output with a discrete card. Our computers at work have low end discrete cards in them, and the vga output does not work. Maybe you could get both to work simultaneously in the BIOS, but I am not touching that on a work machine.

 

[Cerb]

Current IGPs work fine (2xGT210, 1xSB-IGP on Win7 Pro). Nehalem-gen won't exist, much less work .

Hmm, good catch by mfenn. I was thinking just of the limitations of the 2007FPs.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Oh yeah, remembered our Z400 computers used for drafting were pre SB. I'd just check if you have an open x16 lane first before considering anything.

 

[XLNC]

I don't see why you need another card. Your Quadro 4000 should have three display outputs: two DisplayPort and one DVI-DL. Just hook up the U3011 to whatever port is free (it has both DisplayPort and DVI).

I checked the specs for the Quadro 4000 on NVidia's site, and it says "Active Display Channels" is only two.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/product-quadro-4000-us.html (Under specifications)

I also checked the PNY Quadro 4000, and it also says "Number of Displays Supported" is two.
http://www3.pny.com/QuadroPDFs/PNY-Quadro-4000-EN.pdf

I checked the motherboard, and there is an extra PCI-E slot, but I'm unsure if it's x16. Would it matter if it's x4 or x8? I will not be running anything graphically intensive.

 

[Automaticman]

I checked the motherboard, and there is an extra PCI-E slot, but I'm unsure if it's x16. Would it matter if it's x4 or x8? I will not be running anything graphically intensive.

Well, the main thing is that it is x16 mechanically (the physical size of the slot). It may be x8 electrically (which would not be a problem), but I suspect that it is x16 as well due to the 1366 socket.

x4 and x1 are physically smaller ports that you will have a hard time finding a GPU to fit,

 

[XLNC]

Well, the main thing is that it is x16 mechanically (the physical size of the slot). It may be x8 electrically (which would not be a problem), but I suspect that it is x16 as well due to the 1366 socket.

x4 and x1 are physically smaller ports that you will have a hard time finding a GPU to fit,

Good to know. Since it seems like I can use a cheap NVidia card to run the third monitor, I'll see if our IT guys have any unused cards laying around. Else I'll buy something cheap to run the third monitor.

Thanks to everyone for the information.

 

[Automaticman]

One thing, I would stick to an Nvidia card just to avoid having to deal with multiple drivers.

 

[Cerb]

One thing, I would stick to an Nvidia card just to avoid having to deal with multiple drivers.

Quadro, in that case, not mere an nVidia card. An Quadro and Geforce can work side by side, but you'll have different drivers, not much different than if the other one was a Radeon.

 

[XLNC]

That's a good point. It appears our IT guys might have an extra Quadro FX 1400 somewhere. I'll try that first.

 

[Automaticman]

Quadro, in that case, not mere an nVidia card. An Quadro and Geforce can work side by side, but you'll have different drivers, not much different than if the other one was a Radeon.

I was hoping the unified driver would cover a Quadro, but was too lazy to look it up.

 

[mfenn]

I checked the specs for the Quadro 4000 on NVidia's site, and it says "Active Display Channels" is only two.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/product-quadro-4000-us.html (Under specifications)

I also checked the PNY Quadro 4000, and it also says "Number of Displays Supported" is two.
http://www3.pny.com/QuadroPDFs/PNY-Quadro-4000-EN.pdf

That's referring to the fact that the card only has two TMDS transmitters and thus can only handle two TMDS-style displays (e.g. DVI and HDMI). Native DisplayPort displays like the U3011 do not have this restriction.

 

[XLNC]

That's referring to the fact that the card only has two TMDS transmitters and thus can only handle two TMDS-style displays (e.g. DVI and HDMI). Native DisplayPort displays like the U3011 do not have this restriction.

So what you're saying is that I can run the U3011 off the DisplayPort, and run the two 2007FP monitors off DVI, all from the Quadro 4000? I don't have a DisplayPort cable handy, but I can get it from monoprice if this will work.

 

[Ayah]

So what you're saying is that I can run the U3011 off the DisplayPort, and run the two 2007FP monitors off DVI, all from the Quadro 4000? I don't have a DisplayPort cable handy, but I can get it from monoprice if this will work.

correcto.

 

[mfenn]

So what you're saying is that I can run the U3011 off the DisplayPort, and run the two 2007FP monitors off DVI, all from the Quadro 4000? I don't have a DisplayPort cable handy, but I can get it from monoprice if this will work.

Yes, use native DVI for 2007FP #1, DP->DVI for 2007FP #2, and native DP for the U3011.

 

[XLNC]

Yes, use native DVI for 2007FP #1, DP->DVI for 2007FP #2, and native DP for the U3011.

I tried this, but it wouldn't work.

It detected all three monitors in NVIDIA control panel, but it only allowed me to select two of them. Attempting to select a third displayed a balloon tip which said "This GPU supports up to two displays."

I added a Quadro FX 1400, but it didn't help. The NVIDIA control panel detected both cards, and all three monitors. I selected them all, and hit apply, at which point nothing happens, and the third monitor becomes deselected again.

A bit frustrated/disappointed at this point. It looks like I'll be needing a card that can support three monitors. Thoughts?

 

[Automaticman]

I added a Quadro FX 1400, but it didn't help. The NVIDIA control panel detected both cards, and all three monitors. I selected them all, and hit apply, at which point nothing happens, and the third monitor becomes deselected again.

That's odd, I don't know why that wouldn't work. Did you try in both the Nvidia control panel and the windows display settings dialogue? And you were setting all of the monitors to extended display?

The easiest cards to work with might be the Sapphire Flex cards, those cards can handle 3 DVI/HDMI cards without any active displayport adaptors.

 

[Termie]

I'd go with this HD6770 for $84AR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150661

It's the minimum to get all the connections you need built in, and given your issues so far trying out various adapters, I'd say better to be safe than sorry.

BTW, I would not recommend this for gaming due to its use of DDR3 memory.