Need help in picking a PC and video cards that support 3 monitors

[MinMay]

Greeting,

I need your help in assembling a new PC at home at Dell.

Here's my requirements:

1. Support 3 monitors (just bought 3 Samsung 23inch monitors for under $200 each for those interested).
2. No gaming
3. Lots of applications display with all three monitors at a time (main reason for the new PC)
4. Internet usage
5. Finding the right video cards

What model should I buy?

And most important, what video cards (brand and model) should I be buying and how many cards?

Thanks in advance,

 

[The Ween]

May I ask why you need three monitors on one computer?

 

[darthviper107]

From what I understand if you buy two cards you should be able to connect two monitors to one card and then the third monitor to the second card. You wouldn't use SLI or crossfire though.

Try and look around on the internet for some guides, I'm not quite sure about this.

 

[MinMay]

I'll be working for Wallstreet

May I ask why you need three monitors on one computer?

 

[MinMay]

As the more I research, you're right that I need two cards. It looks like Precision model at Dell is the only route to support multiple monitors. Based on my configuration, it came out $2,000 without the monitors YIKES. So, I need to do more research to bring it down to $1500 or so...

Damn...that's a price of a Comiquette Predator

From what I understand if you buy two cards you should be able to connect two monitors to one card and then the third monitor to the second card. You wouldn't use SLI or crossfire though.

Try and look around on the internet for some guides, I'm not quite sure about this.

 

[lcummins]

The Precision line is their workstation line... probably a lot more than you need. The Optiplex line also supports multiple monitors; actually, I think all of their "business" lines support multiple moniters... it just takes the correct video card. There are cards out there that support more than 2 monitors; Matrox used to make them with support for 4 monitors on one card, so do some research and you can probably get what you need with just one card. That would be best because there is usually only one PCI-x slot in most computers, so the second card would have to be a normal PCI card and probably slower.

EDIT: Have a look here...

https://www.multiplemonitors.org/Pages%20-%20Hardware/Hardware%20-%20Multi%20head%20Video%20cards.html

...there are a lot of cards out there that support up to 4 monitors, but they are pricey!

 

[Deak Starkiller]

I hope it's cool to hijack this thread but I didn't want to create a new one just for one question so here goes. Does anyone have Left 4 Dead for PC? I have a video card question, I see the requirements to run it are 128 MB or more and should be compatible with support for pixek shader 2.0 (ATI 9600 or higher. Or, NVIDIA 6600 or higher) and I have a video card that is Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelorator X4500HD. I don't know d_ck about video cards, am I ok to run this game. Thanks!

 

[MinMay]

Feel free to hijack it

I have completed my custom PC with the help from the forum https://forums.slizone.com/ You should post your question(s) over there if you can't find the answer from this forum.

I love the PC :chew

Finally, my PC specs:

(3) Samsung 2333WS monitors $$650
(1) Intel i7 920 $$250
(1) EVGA X58 mobo $$295
(2) EVGA Nvidia 260 core 216 $$380
(1) Corsair 1000W HX $$228
(1) Corsair Dominator 6GB Triple Channel $$165
(1) Silverstone TJ10B-WNV case $$330
(1) Western Digital 300GB VelociRaptor $$225
(1) Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black $$105
(1) CyberPower 1500VA $$180
(1) LG DVD Writer $$25

System $$2183 + Monitors $$650 = $2833

 

[FelMar]

Feel free to hijack it

I have completed my custom PC with the help from the forum https://forums.slizone.com/ You should post your question(s) over there if you can't find the answer from this forum.

I love the PC :chew

Finally, my PC specs:

(3) Samsung 2333WS monitors $$650
(1) Intel i7 920 $$250
(1) EVGA X58 mobo $$295
(2) EVGA Nvidia 260 core 216 $$380
(1) Corsair 1000W HX $$228
(1) Corsair Dominator 6GB Triple Channel $$165
(1) Silverstone TJ10B-WNV case $$330
(1) Western Digital 300GB VelociRaptor $$225
(1) Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black $$105
(1) CyberPower 1500VA $$180
(1) LG DVD Writer $$25

System $$2183 + Monitors $$650 = $2833

Very impressive machine you got there

I'm still running a quad core...I might upgrade to i7 by the end of the year...
dam expensive

 

[Reinhardt]

There are no video cards that I am aware of that can support more than 2 monitors. Two video cards will do it.

 

[Skiman]

I cannot think of anything either for 3 monitors...

 

[MinMay]

FelMar, I must admit that the i7 is an impressive CPU. While I'm multi-tasking with multiple programs (Explorer, etc), the CPU changes from 0-1% usage throughout the time. Maybe I'm running x64 bit OS or maybe it's the memory, but damn this machine is very responsive in browsing the net.

Damn just thinking the money I just spent...I could have bought a CM Predator for $2000 and add 3 new Sideshow Premium Format to my collection hahaha

Overall, I'm glad I didn't buy a DELL machine. I have learned a lot in building this machine. I didn't even know that Windows x32 bit can only handle maximum 3GB of memory. I'll be damn....so I don't know why some of those pre-built machine includes 4GB memory on a Windows XP or Vista x32 bit operating system. Also, I didn't know SATA drives don't use those jumper like those IDE drives.

 

[FelMar]

FelMar, I must admit that the i7 is an impressive CPU. While I'm multi-tasking with multiple programs (Explorer, etc), the CPU changes from 0-1% usage throughout the time. Maybe I'm running x64 bit OS or maybe it's the memory, but damn this machine is very responsive in browsing the net.

Damn just thinking the money I just spent...I could have bought a CM Predator for $2000 and add 3 new Sideshow Premium Format to my collection hahaha

Overall, I'm glad I didn't buy a DELL machine. I have learned a lot in building this machine. I didn't even know that Windows x32 bit can only handle maximum 3GB of memory. I'll be damn....so I don't know why some of those pre-built machine includes 4GB memory on a Windows XP or Vista x32 bit operating system. Also, I didn't know SATA drives don't use those jumper like those IDE drives.

yea tell me about it...I've spent mad money on computers too! esp. this last one I have.
Here's a quick rundown-
core quad q9559 @ 2.83GHz
4.00 GB RAM
1K Antec power supply
2x nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS (sli)
Evga nForce 780i MB

btw- my system is 32 bit and recognizes 4.00GB ram...it needs to have Service Pack 1 in order to see all the RAM.