Dual monitors with integrated graphics?

[Addikt]

Good morning forum (on the western hemisphere, at least),

My question is simple, I have a desktop computer with integrated graphics and I am looking to add a second monitor, but I do not have any output for it? Is this as simple as installing a discrete card and having one monitor plugged into the on-board graphics, and one on the discrete card? Or should I be looking for a discrete card with dual DVI or DVI/VGA ports?

Thanks.

 

[Petey!]

Good morning forum (on the western hemisphere, at least),

My question is simple, I have a desktop computer with integrated graphics and I am looking to add a second monitor, but I do not have any output for it? Is this as simple as installing a discrete card and having one monitor plugged into the on-board graphics, and one on the discrete card? Or should I be looking for a discrete card with dual DVI or DVI/VGA ports?

Thanks.

Discrete card with dual ports. Some mobos like the H55 chipsets can do dual monitors on intergrated graphics but if you only have a vga port on the back of your monitor, you'll need a discrete card. Shouldn't be an issue tho since I'm pretty sure even the cheapest of discrete cards come with dual ports, usually dvi/vga though.

 

[Addikt]

So I should just disable the integrated graphics and use a discrete card with both displays hooked into that? The motherboard has the Intel IGP 3000 installed, could I not use this for one of the displays and a discrete card with 1 port for a second, or would this create problems with respect to drivers?

Also, will this IGP automatically shut off when a discrete card is installed, or do I have to disable that in the BIOS?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Depends on the motherboard. Some of them disable onboard graphics when you install a card. Some you have to either manually disable or keep using.

A dual-head video card is cheap and follows the K.I.S.S. principle, regardless of what your motherboard might decide to do when you install a card.