What are these called?

[UNICRONICUS]

And where can I buy them from? (I'm on about the 4 way connector block)

http://www.ciber-tec.d2g.com/objeto/3head2go.jpg

[DaveMayGTT]

matrox do an external block like that, check out there web page m8

[DaveMayGTT]

http://www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop/index.pl?prodID=B78522

Edit - Or this if you need VGA. http://www.lambda-tek.com/componentshop/index.pl?prodID=B52922

[UNICRONICUS]

Wow! :eek: I didn't realize they would cost that much! Cheers for finding it though, I can start fishing around for a good deal now, many thanks! :agree:

[Grunge]

I dont think thats too bad.. To buy a good new graphics card and all the other bits a bobs to run more screens your looking at alot more =]

[Shakes]

dunno if this helps but i have a dvi block that will allow you to run 3 monitors off one card, THAT YOU CAN HAVE FREE

[DaveMayGTT]

Is it just a splitter shakes?

[tiff_lee]

To do stuff like that the gadget is a Matrox Triple Head 2 Go and yes very expensive piece of kit.

What it does if I remember rightly is you have a single output from your graphics card at uber high or wide resolution to be around 3800 odd pixels then the matrox unit spilits this signal into three separate signals for three monitors giving you the widescreen effect.

There is a max output limit of 4000 pixels wide although I cant remember if that was a dx9 limitation but the old matrox unit definitely limited it to this as well.

A cheaper alternative is using SofTH which is a totally software based triple gaming solution needing one uber card and a second slave card which doesnt need to be anything special.

Check out the widescreengaming forum for some good guides or info, or just give it some google action.

edit:should really proof read

[Shakes]

yea its just a splitter, ive never used it as im running 2x nvidia 280 gtx sli'd giving me 4 dvi ports if needed, i just found it in my box of bits. so like i said its FREE so try it if it doesnt work you can kick it as hard as you like and it doesnt matter :laugh:
its basicaly a 2 way splitter but like i say it allaws you to have 3 monitors as you should have 2 ports on ur gfx card, this is it.
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.optimization-world.com/img/prod/DVI%2520Splitter%25201M2F.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.optimization-world.com/details/prodid/368.html&usg=__JDkiq4ZlCcTwxa96hHYaMw0j7dU=&h=300&w=300&sz=25&hl=en&start=30&um=1&tbnid=5-0vqB_umzNNmM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddvi%2B2%2Bway%2Bsplitter%26ndsp%3D18% 26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1G1GGLQ_ENU K330%26sa%3DN%26start%3D18%26um%3D1

[tiff_lee]

I'm afraid it isn't that simple.

That splitter you linked to will just output the same image to two monitors.

[Gymnast]

I'm afraid it isn't that simple.

That splitter you linked to will just output the same image to two monitors.

True, unless you have a compatible graphics card that can mimic two separate monitors through that cable. For example, a lot of the Dell PCs with dual-screen capability come with a single output on the graphics card and a cable like that to split the signal :)

[tiff_lee]

True, unless you have a compatible graphics card that can mimic two separate monitors through that cable. For example, a lot of the Dell PCs with dual-screen capability come with a single output on the graphics card and a cable like that to split the signal :)
Really you got a link to an example of that?

Shakes, just because you have sli and four dvi ports doesnt mean you can have an uber widescreen setup over four monitors nvidia cards/drivers dont work that way, well not unless they have drastically changed recently and i'm not aware of it.

Yes you could have muliple monitors connected to one card and extend your desktop etc but once you load a game it is soley on the primary monitor and if I remember correctly in sli mode there is only one output from the main card anyway?

[Gymnast]

Really you got a link to an example of that?

Sure, got one on my work PC. Dell OptiPlex 755 with ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT card

pics ...

2627 2628 2629

[tiff_lee]

Cool, so using that you could output a resolution of say 2560 x 1024 onto two separate monitors at 1280 x 1024 and play over the two screens fine?

[Gymnast]

Cool, so using that you could output a resolution of say 2560 x 1024 onto two separate monitors at 1280 x 1024 and play over the two screens fine?

Yeah, with the ATI Catalyst Control Centre software you could do either:

Run 2 @ 1280x1024

2630

Or run 1 @ 2560x1024

2631

:D

[tiff_lee]

Ah ha yes, you play alot of games on two monitors then?
I think that setup is the easy bit going triple screen is where it gets more complicated as drivers dont have the option, or does catalyst allow you to do that now?

[Gymnast]

To be honest, I hardly play PC games. I'm an IT Manager so I spend all day at the computer, the last thing I feel like doing when I get home is sitting at mine :) hence why my PC at home is so screwed lol

I still haven't got around to trying out triple screen, I know you can get USB adaptors that send a video feed to a monitor and if I remember correctly Windows XP can support upto 10 screens on it's own. Thought about this option as my PC is a desktop (so no space for another graphics card) but I don't know how good they are.

I'm sure the Catalyst Control will support 3+ screens :)

[UNICRONICUS]

Some good info here :agree:

Thanks to Shakes he's agreed to send his splitter thing to me so I can link up three monitors if needed, I'll find a way eventually...

[tiff_lee]

I still have my doubts you will get triple screen gaming that easily, otherwise matro would of gone bankrupt years ago.