Question Help determining how much monitor my GPU will drive?

accurate

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Jul 29, 2008
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I'd like to replace a 24" monitor in my dual monitor setup with a 32". I need to figure out how much monitor I can drive with my existing Graphics card. Please ask if more details of my rig are required. Currently running

Benq WQHD|GW2765HT
HP 24fw

One monitor I liked had a review that said 'As long as your PC can drive ______________, this monitor will work well for you'. Thus this thread.

Is there any way you can read below and then say 'You should be able to drive up to _______ resolution' or give me a set of spec parameters that I should aim for? Remember I'm driving two monitors. Thanks for any help with this. If the answer is 'Wait till you upgrade your computer and get a new graphics card', that'll be understood.



dxdiag shows this info on my card

Name: Intel(R) HD Grahics 3000
Chip Type: Intel(R) HD Graphics Family
DAC Type: Internal
Approx Total Memory: 1760 MB
Display Memory (VRAM): 128 MB
Shared Memory: 1632 MB
 

VirtualLarry

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Uhm, you've got Intel onboard video, mate. That's good enough for 2D display / Windows Desktop purposes, and watching some online videos mostly (H.264 encoded, not so much VP9, that came later with Kaby Lake / 7thGen Core Media Decoding support). I'm guessing that you're on Sandy or Ivy Bridge?

If you have multiple mobo video outputs, you probably can drive a pair of monitors off of that, @ 1080/1200P 60Hz, but don't count on being able to drive a faster refresh rate or higher resolution off of an Intel iGPU.

I *HIGHLY* recommend, that if you're going to upgrade your screen(s), consider upgrading to a discrete GPU as well. (I think AMD has just better color and picture quality over HDMI 2.0(b), myself.)

Recommend (at a minimum) a Radeon RX 5600XT (around $320 @ close to MSRP), or if you still need a DVI-D port, a GTX 1650 Super with a DVI-D port, maybe a GTX 1660 / Super / Ti if you can find one with a DVI-D port as well. (Maybe an MSI Ventus OC?)

Edit: Scratch that, you probably already DO have a GPU installed, if you are driving that Benq @ 2560x1440, AND another monitor.

"2560x1440 QHD(WQHD) "

You need to dig a little deeper into what GPU that you have, whether it's AMD or Nvidia.
 
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accurate

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VL, thanks a lot for the detailed response. I did some digging. Neither Belarc nor System Information return any specifics on this mobo. I got this rig from a guy I've bought many rigs from - I think he used Lenovo corporate surplus rigs as a basis. So I ran the BIOS code from the Belarc result (LENOVO 9HKT58AUS) through Google and got

this information

It seems to say 'ATI Radeon HD5450'

Does that make sense? Anyway this is more than I had yesterday! I'm off to try and figure out what I could drive with that 'card' (assuming that that's what's in this; would you say it's a good bet that the BIOS code returns the right information)? BTW I looked inside the rig and the two monitors are definitely running off the video outputs on the mobo. Strangely (to me anyway) there's no DVI output, only D-Sub and HDMI, so that's what I'm using.


Belarc.jpgNo mobo info.jpg
 

VirtualLarry

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BTW I looked inside the rig and the two monitors are definitely running off the video outputs on the mobo. Strangely (to me anyway) there's no DVI output, only D-Sub and HDMI, so that's what I'm using.
Interesting. Is the 2560x1440P LCD monitor running at that res? Or is it running at 1920x1080P? I didn't realize that Intel HD3000 graphics integrated with the CPU can drive a 1440P monitor off of the mobo ports, since it's not HDMI2.0-compatible.

You're going to probably want a GPU then, if you upgrade to a larger monitor that is higher res.

What resolution were you planning on for the 32"? 4K UHD? 1440P? Or just 1080P? (1080P on 32" is a tad bit blocky, for gaming. But you don't want to do much gaming on an Intel iGPU anyways.)

You could get an RX 5500XT 8GB card, those are around $220.

BTW, there's no D-Sub on modern cards. So see if the monitor that you have connected via D-Sub can take a different input, like DVI, HDMI, or DisplayPort.
 
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Leeea

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BTW, there's no D-Sub on modern cards.

It is easy to get converters. Nearly all DVI ports support converting directly to VGA passively:
https://smile.amazon.com/DTECH-Fema...ords=dvi+to+vga+adapter&qid=1609120291&sr=8-4
these tend to work very well in my experiance.

For a few dollars more you can do display port to vga (these are active adaptors):
https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=display+port+to+vga&ref=nb_sb_noss_2


You can even get adaptors to convert displayport 1.4 to hdmi 2b. This is useful because for a time hdmi on video cards only supported 4k60hz non-hdr, and with the right display port to hdmi adaptor a person can use the same video card to drive 4k60hz /w HDR. This is the one I am using:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B6ZOMIS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
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VirtualLarry

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It is easy to get converters. Nearly all DVI ports support converting directly to VGA passively:
No, they don't. Polaris and Pascal and newer, all deprecated VGA signalling.

Edit: This was largely done, to eliminate "the analog vga hole" in their digital display signal copy-protection schemes.
 

accurate

Junior Member
Jul 29, 2008
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Once again, thanks for taking the time, I think I have a sense of the right answers now.

Interesting. Is the 2560x1440P LCD monitor running at that res? Or is it running at 1920x1080P? I didn't realize that Intel HD3000 graphics integrated with the CPU can drive a 1440P monitor off of the mobo ports, since it's not HDMI2.0-compatible.

Yes, In Settings-->Display, I see that the BenQ is indeed running at 2560x1440. The HP is running at 1920x1080.

BTW, there's no D-Sub on modern cards. So see if the monitor that you have connected via D-Sub can take a different input, like DVI, HDMI, or DisplayPort.

The HP unit is the one that's going to get retired (and it doesn't have any other inputs - clearly a price point offering from HP but it was decently reviewed and cheap). I'll keep the BenQ and add a nicer 32".

So it seems that the easiest safest way to go is to upgrade to a GPU card, but then I slide further down the slope. Will the rest of the architecture in my rig be good enough to take a nice Graphics card? Or is it time, after 4 years with this rig, to just upgrade the whole thing. Problem is, this rig is running just fine for me.

This should be fine to take one of the graphics cards you're mentioning, shouldn't it?

WIN 10 Pro
Intel Core i7-2600K 3.40 GHz
16Gb RAM
I think it's Quad Core
 
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Leeea

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I need to figure out how much monitor I can drive with my existing Graphics card.

I think your running Intel HD 2000 GPU with 1xDisplayPort and 1xVGA/dsub.

Your DisplayPort supports max 2560x1600
Your VGA support likely will not work beyond 1920x1080.

There is a nice review of it here:

-------------------------------------

In the end it likely won't matter as I'm replacing the one that's running on D-Sub.

All of the cards I linked to below support a max of 2 monitors. They can be used at the same time as your mainboard ones (although the mainboard ones will still be slower). Which means you could have 4x monitors total: 2x from your mainboard iGPU (integrated), and 2x if your new dGPU (discrete).

-------------------------------------


Will the rest of the architecture in my rig be good enough to take a nice Graphics card?

Graphics card upgrade... That chipset supported both PCIe and PCI, so odds are you have at least 1 PCIe slot.

Odds are your power supply is anemic. Both the cards below use about 35 watts.

For something cheap, the GT 710:
https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?N=10000...001314 600486270&Order=1&LeftPriceRange=1+100

To get vp9 (strongly recommended) and 4k @ 60 Hz, you need at least a GT 1030:
https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?N=100007709 601297382 8000&Order=1

The 1030 is worth the extra money. It supports 4k at 60 Hz*. It also supports vp9**. Vp9 is used for hardware video decoding for you tube and elsewhere, which is a superior viewing experience.

*the 710 only supports 4k at 30 Hz
**AMDs equivalent does not support vp9.


 
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accurate

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I think your running Intel HD 2000 GPU with 1xDisplayPort and 1xVGA/dsub.

First of all, I really appreciate the time you took to put this together. Thanks. So check out the attached. Running Belarc Advisor, I see that it says 'Intel HD 3000'. Would this change your calculations significantly or is it basically the same?

Which means you could have 4x monitors total: 2x from your mainboard iGPU (integrated), and 2x if your new dGPU (discrete)
Really? That would be great! If adding a GPU card means I can run 3 monitors, that's what I want to do.

It supports 4k at 60 Hz*. It also supports vp9**. Vp9 is used for hardware video decoding for you tube and elsewhere, which is a superior viewing experience.
I did some reading last night and I absolutely want to have both 4K and vp9. So I'm going to do whatever it takes to upgrade this rig to that spec.

Graphics card upgrade... That chipset supported both PCIe and PCI, so odds are you have at least 1 PCIe slot.

Odds are your power supply is anemic. Both the cards below use about 35 watts.

I've attached pics of my PSU and the inside of my PC. Looks like I have two of the longer white slots, one short black one and one long black one. You can see that a WiFi card is in the short black one and a USB card is in the bottom white one. Can you say if this PSU will need an upgrade?

Once again thanks a lot for the help
 

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Leeea

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First of all, I really appreciate the time you took to put this together. Thanks. So check out the attached. Running Belarc Advisor, I see that it says 'Intel HD 3000'. Would this change your calculations significantly or is it basically the same?
Most likely the same. :)

Really? That would be great! If adding a GPU card means I can run 3 monitors, that's what I want to do.
Happy days!

I put my 4k tv + my 1440p monitor on my GPU, and plug my last monitor into my mainboard all the time.

I did some reading last night and I absolutely want to have both 4K and vp9. So I'm going to do whatever it takes to upgrade this rig to that spec.

It is worth it. :)

I've attached pics of my PSU and the inside of my PC. Looks like I have two of the longer white slots, one short black one and one long black one. You can see that a WiFi card is in the short black one and a USB card is in the bottom white one. Can you say if this PSU will need an upgrade?

Once again thanks a lot for the help

That is a quality aftermarket PSU. Definitely better then OEM, someone upgraded that. 430 watt is lower midrange, but as long as you keep your load below its rating, keep the dust out, it will last you decades. Vastly superior to the chinesium typically found under the hood.

You have a 120w CPU + most likely less then 50 watts for the rest of your system. That leaves you with 250 watts extra, which you will want to keep some in reserve. You should be fine with any graphics card 200 watts or less. If you need to be sure, buy a kill-o-watt meter and verify.

The long black slot is your PCIe slot, you will install your graphics card in that one.

The short black slot is a PCIe express slot.

The white slots are the old PCI slots.


Odds are with GT 1030 card I originally suggested, you would have to remove your wifi card.


Here are low profile GT 1030 alternates* that will let you keep your PCIe express wifi card:
https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?N=100007709 601297382 600050349 601303640 1100858365&Order=3

When they say "Recommended PSU: 300W", they mean they want you to have a 300 watt or better power supply.
This is likely a good choice:
https://www.newegg.com/msi-geforce-gt-1030-gt-1030-2g-lp-oc/p/N82E16814137139?Item=9SIA2F85S27347

*these were not on my original list because they are 3rd party sellers selling through new egg. I normally try to buy direct from Newegg. However, now that I look I see these are better cards then what I originally linked ( hdmi + display port on these).


If you decide to do something nicer, on the AMD side you do not get full vp9 until your rx 5000 series or better. Nvidia is very random, you need to look up each model number separately*. It is not until the rtx branding that all nvidia cards supported vp9.

*Ex: the GTX 1050 only partly supports vp9, equivalent to AMDs 500 series. However the GTX 1050 Ti apparently supports full vp9. Nvidia is like that, annoying.
 
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accurate

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That is a quality aftermarket PSU. Definitely better then OEM, someone upgraded that. Odds are with GT 1030 card I originally suggested, you would have to remove your wifi card.

My guy here has always built me nice rigs at really great prices. If I have to remove the WiFi card I assume I can get one that goes in one of the other slots. However, I'll look at the low-profile option you showed me. I need the WiFi card in order to use my phone as a control surface for my music transcription software.

So it looks like I have a plan! Reasonable outlay for the card and it look like the rest of my hardware will do. Thanks very much for all the help.
 

accurate

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I may have to start another thread. I'm now down the rabbit hole of which monitor to buy.

One question here - is it true that if I go with the MSI card we talked about above . I need to get a monitor that is either G-SYNC or else a ' G-SYNC compatible FreeSync display'? For example I was looking at the BenQ EX3203R (not 4K I know) but reviewers said they weren't happy with the 'G-SYNC' fix. I don't plan to do any gaming on this monitor, if that matters.

PS - I read this and I think it's highly unlikely to be an issue if I buy a monitor that's not specifically G-SYNC with the card mentioned above? Especially if I'm not gaming?
 
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Leeea

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For example I was looking at the BenQ EX3203R (not 4K I know) but reviewers said they weren't happy with the 'G-SYNC' fix. I don't plan to do any gaming on this monitor, if that matters.

If your not gaming, I would suggest it is worth it get 4k at 60 hz.

I have a 1440p at 144hz gaming monitor at 32 inches (a C32HG70), while it is great for gaming, it is noticeably inferior to 4k on the desktop. Small fonts on white backgrounds are its kryptonite.

g-sync is a gamer only feature. Even for gamers it is not as important as people make it out to be. As Gideon indicated, ignore the gsync, gsync compatible, and freesync feature. Avoid TN (Twisted Nematic), those are gamer only displays with poor blacks and poor viewing angles.

VA panels are kind of a mid-range, with IPS being superior.

How much money do you have in the till for a monitor? (you stare at your monitor every day, it is worth it to get a good one)


suggestion: If you have $600, maybe a Sony XBR43X800H?:
(although pick it up from best buy or walmart or something, way easier to return if issue)

if you want to save some money, perhaps a $330 LG 43UN7300PUF?
(again, buy locally if you can)

if you want to spend more money, there is always the LG CX OLED:
oLed are the best, but keep them below 80% brightness to reduce burn in. Also, enable the windows screen saver. They also have excellent response times that make them acceptable for computer gaming.

or are you looking for something smaller?

It might be possible for you to call ahead and get them to bring it outside the store so you do not need to go inside and roll the dice on covid.
 
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accurate

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If your not gaming, I would suggest it is worth it get 4k at 60 hz.

I have a 1440p at 144hz gaming monitor at 32 inches (a C32HG70), while it is great for gaming, it is noticeably inferior to 4k on the desktop. Small fonts on white backgrounds are its kryptonite.

VA panels are kind of a mid-range, with IPS being superior.

Okay, I'm really sorry to make you go through this again and again but just to clarify, I can drive a 4k monitor at 60Hz with the MSI card we talked about earlier right? I look at a lot of small fonts on white backgrounds so that's a real consideration for me. I was looking at the C32HG70

How much money do you have in the till for a monitor? (you stare at your monitor every day, it is worth it to get a good one)

I'm evolving. I usually spend around $300-400 but I'm thinking this time I'll pop for more. I'm spending way more time in front of the screen now for work.

if you want to spend more money, there is always the LG CX OLED:


oLed are the best, but keep them below 80% brightness to reduce burn in. Also, enable the windows screen saver. They also have excellent response times that make them acceptable for computer gaming.
Interesting, so these are TV sets! Obviously they're just panels inside housings, so I shouldn't be surprised that I can use them like monitors, but I don't know if I can fit something like that into my work space at the moment
 

Leeea

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Okay thanks. I'm just waiting on confirmation that the MSI card above will drive 4K/60 HZ and I'll start looking.

HDMI (Supports 4K@60Hz as specified in HDMI 2.0b)
DisplayPort (v1.4a)

The Display port max res is not advertised on the MSI website, but appears to be:

Without DSC (most common):
4K @ 120 Hz*, 5K @ 60 Hz, 8K @ 30 Hz
*naturally, 4k @ 60 Hz would be supported also

With a display that supports DSC* (less common):
8K UHD (7680 × 4320) at 60 Hz or 4K UHD (3840 × 2160) at 120 Hz
*DSC = Display Stream Compression

You can see it tangently referred to on Nvidia's website ( https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/graphics-cards/gt-1030/specifications/ ) where it claims 8k @ 60 Hz.


Regardless, a TV is likely to have an HDMI port, and since you are less concerned with response time (not a gamer), that may be the best picture per $ option.

Interesting, so these are TV sets! Obviously they're just panels inside housings, so I shouldn't be surprised that I can use them like monitors, but I don't know if I can fit something like that into my work space at the moment
For someone who is not concern with computer gaming, the TVs slower response time is a bit of a non-issue. They also typically have a computer gaming mode (sometimes called clear action) which does black frame insertion, which I leave on all the time even when not gaming.


Something around 32"? I suggest the LG 32UD99-W
exceptionally clear text
excellent color reproduction


if you are looking to drop to a 27", perhaps a S2721QS:

or perhaps a good but more economical 32":
 
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Leeea

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Great stuff Leeea, thanks again. Love that BenQ EW3270U for my needs.

Thank you :).

I have two more thoughts:

Consider purchasing a colorimeter*. Combined with the free and opensource software ( https://displaycal.net/ ) they make it somewhat easy to calibrate monitors. Do not install the manufacturer's software.

The results on this can vary. For example, on my new C32HG70 I did not notice a difference. However, on my older HP S2231, it was a noticeable improvement. But it became spectacular on older crap monitors. Even an older user** with poor vision was delighted, noticing an massive improvement with his online jigsaw puzzles.

*Displaycal specifically recommends x-rite i1 display pro, colormunki display, and spyder4/5:
I have a spyder5express I bought for $140

**yes, I was so delighted with my new toy I ran around inflicting it on every monitor I could get my hands on.

Hopefully last thought:
I personally feel the SDR experience on Windows 10 desktop is superior to the HDR experience. It is different in games, but for desktop I leave my display in SDR mode. Part of the problem is when in HDR mode I turn the brightness on the monitor down to 40%.


------------------------

edit: I did some poking around, and colorimeters are over priced at the moment. Might be best to wait on that.
 
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accurate

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I personally feel the SDR experience on Windows 10 desktop is superior to the HDR experience. It is different in games, but for desktop I leave my display in SDR mode. Part of the problem is when in HDR mode I turn the brightness on the monitor down to 40%.

edit: I did some poking around, and colorimeters are over priced at the moment. Might be best to wait on that.
Now that's interesting about the SDR/HDR. I've never really been in front of an HDR image on a desktop monitor. I'll make sure to check out both. As I get (way) older my eyes seem to be a bit more sensitive to brightness, not sure if that's backwards from most people but that's how it feels.