I have a Dell Optiplex 380 that I need to get a dual monitor display set up on. We tried using a VGA Y-cable but all it does is clone the display instead of extending it to the second. The computer doesn't identify a second monitor so it makes sense that it clones the display. Is the graphics card the issue or the cable?

If I need a new graphics card, what do you suggest? I don't need to use it for anything but displaying spreadsheets on two monitors. No games or HD media.

If there is another thread about this topic, I apologize. Post the link here and I'll go look in that thread.

6/1/2012 10:47:42 AM

A Y cable will only clone the display.

You need a graphics card with dual outs, or a display port (or other connector) that will allow 1 output to be used with a cable with 2 "dongles" for lack of a better word.

6/1/2012 10:54:30 AM

any suggestions on a cheap card?

6/1/2012 11:12:29 AM

Do your monitors have VGA and DVI options? If only VGA you'll have to find a DVI->VGA converter. I've got a bunch of them lying around.

Something like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130602

6/1/2012 11:26:48 AM

they have both connections

6/1/2012 11:38:58 AM

$20 after $20 rebate and $5 off promo code EMCNDNJ76

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102882

6/1/2012 11:57:57 AM

thanks for the help guys

[Edited on June 1, 2012 at 11:59 AM. Reason : I'm ordering the sapphire]

6/1/2012 11:59:03 AM

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This may be a dumb question, but is there any way to get 3 monitor (1 laptop, 2 external) support for my laptop? Dell M4500, NVIDIA Quadro FX 880M, W7. I know the graphics card supports 2. I use a dock that has dvi & vga outs; there is a vga out available on the laptop itself, but that apparently gets turned off when the computer is docked. I'm assuming vga to usb dongles are still garbage and resource intensive? any other options?

4/9/2014 1:48:19 PM

If you don't need fast 3D graphics support, the USB video outputs that work very competently for 2D work, and can do non-accelerated 3D.

I have a friend running 4 external monitors simultaneously from his laptop to play online poker with. It never even hiccuped, and ran them at their native resolutions.

[Edited on April 9, 2014 at 3:42 PM. Reason : ]

4/9/2014 3:41:01 PM

Yeah Ivy Bridge was the first chipset to allow three monitors. I've got 2 external 24"s on my Dell dock (two DVI outs) and then the internal monitor. I've done it with three external monitors (2 dvis + 1 vga) and the laptop monitor off. With older chipsets you need some type of USB solution.

4/9/2014 4:01:28 PM

I run AutoCAD Civil 3D daily. Not always doing 3D modeling, but I think enough that USB may be a bad solution.

4/9/2014 4:53:25 PM

You really need three monitors running AutoCAD? Can't you just have two running AutoCAD then get a third USB monitor for email/browsing/etc?

4/9/2014 4:59:08 PM

Eh, yeh, I guess that would work. thanks

4/9/2014 10:10:09 PM

sweet; vga to usb working quite well. productivity ++

4/11/2014 11:01:45 AM

Alright, maybe y'all can help me out. I just purchased an MSI R9 270 to replace my old 4890. It has four outputs (2 DVI, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort) and have 4 screens connected (2 23" monitors on DVI, 1 HDTV on HDMI, 1 Cintiq tablet on DisplayPort). All of the screens work, but I can only have 2 live at a time. What I really want is to clone my display from my primary monitor to the Cintiq and then just have an extended display to the HDTV. But Windows 7 is pretty adamant I can only have 2 displays active at a time. Any ideas?

4/13/2014 6:48:35 AM

Sounds like the video card can only output two monitors at a time. What's the chipset on the motherboard? Might be able to run another one from there.

[Edited on April 13, 2014 at 2:53 PM. Reason : s]

4/13/2014 2:53:00 PM

^No video output from my mobo.

4/13/2014 5:32:51 PM