Computer Help!

[yoyoyoyoyoyoyo]

I have a dell Inspiron 530s that im trying to hook up two monitors to. The graphics card is a radeon 3450. I thought it was possible to use two monitors, one connected on the DVI port (on the graphic card) and the other on the VGA port (mother board). The problem is, I can only use one chipset at once. Is there a way to use both chipsets at the same time?

 

[(naw)mcx]

Get a converter, and just use the 3450, much easier.

 

[yoyoyoyoyoyoyo]

i just wanted to see if there was a way before i go out and spend some money. right now i have a DVI to VGA adapter. so im just going to buy a HDMI to DVI adapter. I hope it works.

 

[(naw)mcx]

i just wanted to see if there was a way before i go out and spend some money. right now i have a DVI to VGA adapter. so im just going to buy a HDMI to DVI adapter. I hope it works.

They are cheapish, I mean, I get mine free with the card!

 

[WizardStan]

you have an onboard card with VGA out as well as an extra card which has DVI out?
You should have no problem, depending on your OS. You'll probably need to make the onboard the primary, but it should just look like 2 different video cards. Windows XP and Ubuntu can handle that.

 

[yoyoyoyoyoyoyo]

you have an onboard card with VGA out as well as an extra card which has DVI out?
You should have no problem, depending on your OS. You'll probably need to make the onboard the primary, but it should just look like 2 different video cards. Windows XP and Ubuntu can handle that.

yes, I have tried to do this. I have windows vista and it will only let one or the other be in use, but not both. I have read that vista doesnt let two different kinds of chip set run at the same time. Maybe this is the case here.

 

[WizardStan]

Ahah. Microsoft apparently made a design decision that multiple video cards needed to use the same driver. This is totally different from how they did it before, which allowed each video card to run off a totally different driver. Most likely this was part of their "DRM IS GOD" scheme, but I can't confirm that.
Basically you're SOL if the video cards are different. If they were the same you would be fine.

 

[nubie]

You want to run 2 monitors, your video card has 2 outputs. Just forget about the onboard video.

For $5 you can get an entire 6 foot long cable that will connect your HDMI port to a DVI monitor.
CODE

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10231&cs_id=1023104&p_id=2404&seq=1&format=2



I of course prefer the real cable with VGA on one end and DVI on the other (only if your monitor has a removable cord with a VGA port)
CODE

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10209&cs_id=1020905&p_id=600&seq=1&format=2



By the way, HDMI is a digital only format, you cannot get VGA from the HDMI port. DVI is a combined spec, DVI-I is Analog or Digital, and DVI-D is Digital only.
CODE

http://www.interfacebus.com/Design_Connector_Digital_Visual_Interface_DVI_Bus.html


QUOTE

The DVI-I connector may be used with a VGA connector by way of an adapter, while the DVI-D [Digital only] is not compatible.


(when are they going to fix the freaking links on this forum?)