Graphic Cards Graphics card for dual monitor setup

A

ajayr

Contributor
Hi all,

We recently got nine Lenovo M71e machines for our office with the following config:

* i5 2400 processor

* 4 GB RAM

* Integrated Intel HD graphics (DVI-D and VGA connectors)

* 96 GB SSD

* 500 GB HDD

* DVD-RW

* 280 W PSU

Since we have many VGA monitors lying around, someone had the idea to setup dual monitor display in the new systems. Unfortunately since the integrated graphics card has DVI-D port (digital only), we could not connect a second VGA monitor (even with an adapter).

Thus, I am looking for an entry level graphics card with the following requirements:

* Capable of dual monitor support (VGA + DVI-I)

* At least 1280 * 768 resolution in both monitors (preferably Full HD)

* Plays reasonably well with Linux (Some developers use Linux)

* Budget max Rs. 2500 but cheaper the better

* Does not require PSU upgrade (current PSU = 280 W)

* No gaming / no movies

Thanks!

- Ajay.
 
thegatekeeper said:
Sapphire hd6450 1gb ddr3-2.6kFlipkart: Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 6450 GPU (1024 DDR3): Graphics Card

It has 1xVGA DSub Output,1 x DVI Output Out, Yes x Dual Link DVI Out, 1 x HDMI Output Out,which is suited to your requirement.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, this card contains only a DVI-D (digital only) connector (at least according to this pic): http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Sapphire/HD_6450_Passive/images/outputs.jpg

and hence cannot be connected to a VGA monitor using an adapter.

What I require is a DVI-I port: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/DVI_Connector_Types.svg

DVI: Digital Visual Interface - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Get a dvi-d to dvi-i converter and get hd6450 or Get hd5450-2.1k Flipkart: Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 5450 GPU (1024 DDR3): Graphics Card
ajayr said:
Unfortunately, this card contains only a DVI-D (digital only) connector (at least according to this pic): http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Sapphire/HD_6450_Passive/images/outputs.jpg
and hence cannot be connected to a VGA monitor using an adapter.

What I require is a DVI-I port: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/DVI_Connector_Types.svg

DVI: Digital Visual Interface - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Click to expand...
 
thegatekeeper said:
Get a dvi-d to dvi-i converter and get hd6450
Click to expand...

This would not work, DVI-D is digital only and the VGA monitor would accept analog signal only. To hook up these two, you need an active converter, not a simple adapter.

thegatekeeper said:
Get hd5450
Click to expand...

How do these cards compare with the HD 5450?

ZOTAC Nvidia GeForce GT 210 1GB: ZOTAC Nvidia GeForce GT 210 1GB With 3+2 Years Warranty | eBay

MSI ATI RADEON HD 4670 512MB DDR3: MSI ATI RADEON HD 4670 512MB DDR3 128-bit HDMI / DVI / VGA PCI-E Graphic Card | eBay (Will this card work with my 280W PSU)?

Also would these cards be an "upgrade" over the integrated Intel HD graphics?
 
Thanks a lot friends, we got a GT 520 for testing. I just installed it in one of our systems and it works fine. We will continue testing for a few days to check in case there are any problems.
 
^I'd say you're cutting it too close. It's not a question of "if the card will run with that PSU", but "will it power the card (and other hardware) reliably" in the long run.

Not to mention the extra headroom that accounts for capacitor aging and low efficiency.

I would recommend at least a good 350W PSU to comfortably power the card and the other hardware. Isn't very expensive either and a sensible investment for the system.

There is a reason why manufacturers put up an approx. wattage requirement for video cards and Nvidia recommends a 300W PSU as the bare minimum.
 
thetoxicmind said:
^I'd say you're cutting it too close. It's not a question of "if the card will run with that PSU", but "will it power the card (and other hardware) reliably" in the long run.

Not to mention the extra headroom that accounts for capacitor aging and low efficiency.

I would recommend at least a good 350W PSU to comfortably power the card and the other hardware. Isn't very expensive either and a sensible investment for the system.

There is a reason why manufacturers put up an approx. wattage requirement for video cards and Nvidia recommends a 300W PSU as the bare minimum.
Click to expand...

You are right, but replacing the PSU is not an option as of now. The systems are from Lenovo and we cannot just replace the PSU without having warranty issues. So far, the GT 520 is not giving any problems, we will continue testing for a month before ordering more cards.
 
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