Cheapest Possible GPU With 3-Monitor Capabilities

We're just experimenting with multiple monitors at my work and found out the GPU upgrade we gave our computer couldn't display more than two monitors at one time. What is the cheapest video card out there that supports at least 3 monitors?

(Don't even ask what the heck we're doing haha).

This is the motherboard. It's no gaming tower by any means, but right now we've got a cheaptastic Zotac GT 610 in there, which we might have to return now (unless we're not going to do our 3-monitor experiment).

Thank you!

An old Radeon 5770 will do it, but you'll need either a DisplayPort monitor, or, an active Displayport converter.

I'd just look at cards with displayport, starting with the cheapest ones, then double check the specs.

Ha, check it out - the 5450can do it.

EDIT: ^^^ beat me to it.

Any AMD HD5xxx, HD6xxx, or HD7xxx series of cards have Eyefinity. Whichever of these cards you find that has 3 physical ports will support 3 monitors. The cheapest HDx450 will likely suffice.

You can also consider getting a USB to DVI/VGA adapter if performance is of no concern.

Thanks for the suggestions and ideas so far, guys.

I was honestly a bit surprised that a 600-series card (may it be a very puny and cheap kind) couldn't display 3 monitors at once. Though, it was only like $60. I'll have a look at local PC shops in town to see if they have those 5xxx cards.

I've never dealt with any display port setups or USB configurations. All we've just been doing with this GT 610 is jamming it up with monitors. Two are VGA, one of which we got a VGA to DVI adapter for (so one's just VGA to VGA, the other VGA to DVI). Then there's the third monitor but we only had a spare HDMI port left on the card, which we couldn't get converted (VGA to HDMI). We dug around in our building and found a DVI monitor so we got a DVI to HDMI cable. That way we had all 3 monitors hooked up... and then found out the GPU could only display two!

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gt-640-review,3214.html

gt640 or above it seems.

Displayport is the key. Which means that you either need a Displayport capable monitor, or, an active displayport to DVI converter.

I don't think it's possible to convert HDMI to VGA (common parlance of 15 pin D-SUB). Which is weird, as you can convert HDMI to DVI. Completely separately you can convert DVI to VGA. But if you try and daisy chain from HDMI into HDMI/DVI converter then DVI/VGA converter, it no go.

If the CPU's have integrated graphics you can run one monitor off of that and the other 2 off of any stupidly cheap GPU.General_X

Hmmm, well the thing is, I had to uninstall the integrated graphics driver in order to get any picture from the new GPU. So now with the onboard drivers uninstalled, I can't get a signal when plugging in another VGA. Can I simply reinstall the integrated graphics and use the VGA port on the motherboard? Can that at all work? I mean, would the NVIDIA control panel detect all 3 monitors that way even though one of them wouldn't even be plugged into the GPU?

[QUOTE="General_X"]If the CPU's have integrated graphics you can run one monitor off of that and the other 2 off of any stupidly cheap GPU.Amster_G

Hmmm, well the thing is, I had to uninstall the integrated graphics driver in order to get any picture from the new GPU. So now with the onboard drivers uninstalled, I can't get a signal when plugging in another VGA. Can I simply reinstall the integrated graphics and use the VGA port on the motherboard? Can that at all work? I mean, would the NVIDIA control panel detect all 3 monitors that way even though one of them wouldn't even be plugged into the GPU?

yes it would work fine, I've done it.

I'm not sure about the nvidia control panel seeing the other monitor though, I can't remember.
Windows will see it ofc.

also install the latest intel drivers from their site, don't count on windows.

[QUOTE="General_X"]If the CPU's have integrated graphics you can run one monitor off of that and the other 2 off of any stupidly cheap GPU.Amster_G

Hmmm, well the thing is, I had to uninstall the integrated graphics driver in order to get any picture from the new GPU. So now with the onboard drivers uninstalled, I can't get a signal when plugging in another VGA. Can I simply reinstall the integrated graphics and use the VGA port on the motherboard? Can that at all work? I mean, would the NVIDIA control panel detect all 3 monitors that way even though one of them wouldn't even be plugged into the GPU?

Interesting...

Hmmm...

So I should be able to redownload/reinstall the onboard driver from the motherboard's website without it affecting the already installed NVIDIA drivers? ... and plugging in a third monitor would simply just expand the desktop even more just like how the second monitor does it?

Interesting...

Hmmm...

So I should be able to redownload/reinstall the onboard driver from the motherboard's website without it affecting the already installed NVIDIA drivers? ... and plugging in a third monitor would simply just expand the desktop even more just like how the second monitor does it?

Amster_G

Thanks for all the suggestions. However, I'm going to be holding off on trying all these things as it's looking like Operation Triple Screen is shutting down. We'll manage with just the two monitors. We don't even need two but we just found some spare monitors in the building so we wanted to give them a try. A couple of the guys installed Flight Simulator X on the computer and desperately wanted to see it on 3 monitors, knowing our computer is really just a work station, not a gaming rig. So $60 came out of someone's pocket and I ran out with it to buy this GT 610, which will be taken out of the computer at some point today to be returned to the store.

Thanks for all the suggestions. However, I'm going to be holding off on trying all these things as it's looking like Operation Triple Screen is shutting down. We'll manage with just the two monitors. We don't even need two but we just found some spare monitors in the building so we wanted to give them a try. A couple of the guys installed Flight Simulator X on the computer and desperately wanted to see it on 3 monitors, knowing our computer is really just a work station, not a gaming rig. So $60 came out of someone's pocket and I ran out with it to buy this GT 610, which will be taken out of the computer at some point today to be returned to the store.

Amster_G

Getting a little nerdy are we xD

:P We were just that bored haha. I just went around grabbing the parts and let them sort out the in-game multi-monitor setup.

While it looks like you've stopped there are a few other bits to watch out for.

PSU - when we tried upgrading some Dell Optiplex at work we found out the PSU was severely limiting - they put in 150 / 165 / 200W PSU into many of the desktops we looked at - perfectly adequate for running the PC as it came supplied from the factory, but hopeless for adding a reasonable graphics card - which usually state they require a 400W minimum. You would also need to check the PSU for suitable PCI power connections, as again they may have only been shipped with what the basic spec required.

onboard graphics - heavily dependent on the manufacturer and BIOS. Some will only allow you to use EITHER onboard graphics OR dedicated graphics card, but not both - the usual hiccup in trying to get 3 monitors to work where 2 are from the graphics card and one from onboard.