Multimonitor workstation

[Tahir2]

Hey guys been asked by a friend to build a multi-monitor workstation.

Mainly to be used for work and e-mail but user needs the extra desktop real estate.
He already has a 19" monitor and does not need a beast of a system.

Cheapest eyeFinity graphics card with dual dvi's and displayport I have found is a 6670 for around £90. Can you guys do better? That graphics card is overkill as he is not a gamer.

Cheers for your input..

PS I am based in the UK and mainly buy stuff from eBuyer or Scan.

 

[Blazkowicz]

I believe the 6450 does three monitors already.
but you probably need a model where the vendor didn't cheap out and included displayport, that may be rare, very rare .
so I've read there :
http://www.sevenforums.com/graphic-cards/185976-3-monitors-hp2311-radeon-hd-6450-doesnt-work.html

for the rest of the system, you can go very cheap, celeron g530 or athlon X2 and 4GB memory, one nicety would be to include an SSD (maybe no hard drive) and here's a ridiculously powerful system.
good PSU, as this system should last for a decade.

an option would be to get an ASRock M3A770DE mobo, cheap, and drop two absolute lowest cost cards, that can drive four displays. could do a fun 2x2 grid, as with traders.

edit:
while looking around I've found this model, Sapphire HD 6450 Flex, if you can find it it's quite an interesting option.
http://www.homemedia.fr/actualites/6793-Sapphire-HD-6450-FleX-Eyfinity-sans-DisplayPort.html

 

[Rurouni]

Can't you use AMD with IGP + a cheap GPU? I never try it myself, but surely you can use IGP + GPU output at the same time.. . Can it?

 

[AlphaWolf]

Llano is going to be the cheapest solution. Dunno if you even need a discrete GPU.

<edit> make sure you get a motherboard with a display port (unless they all have them, I don't really know).

 

[Davros]

thats going to push the price up as you need a disaplayport monitor (expensive in the u.k) or an adapter
2xgf210 would cost £50 if you have the slots or use 1 if the cpu or board does gfx
2x5450 is also £50
or try and dig up an old pci card

 

[AlphaWolf]

I'd rather be putting money into better displays than into crappy graphics cards and display port adapters are like $7 at monoprice, but maybe they are £30 in the UK.

 

[Davros]

yes, you would but do you think the op who doesnt really want to be paying £90 for a graphics card would
as far as i can find so far a monitor without displayport costs about £100 a similar spec with displayport costs £170
ps: my adapter was £22

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Cheapest as mentioned would probably just be a Fusion based system + 1x cheap gfx card with at least 2 outputs (should be common). That would theoretically have the ability to support up to 4 displays I believe.

If they need more computing power for the workstation than any Intel system with integrated graphics + 1x cheap gfx card with 2 outputs would be fine. Win7 unlike Vista can support graphics drivers from multiple vendors.

Regards,
SB

 

[Tahir2]

I am going to look into the Fusion + gfx card setup see if that would be workable.

However it may be that a Llano chip with motherboard is close to just buying a Dual DVI 6770 and a displayport adapter.

As mentioned monitors that support displayport natively are pretty expensive currently so the adapter it would be. Found a Startech adapter on eBuyer for about £10 though.

 

[Davros]

you know thats a passive adapter, while i do believe they work for extended desktop (not eyefinity)
you should do some research to make sure
ask at http://widescreengamingforum.com/forum/
if anyone would know they would (make sure you make it known eyefinity aka Single Large Surface is not needed just extended desktop)

or if you dont want to take the chance and just get an active adatper
dp to dvi £17.50 (dp to vga is also available, note all dp to vga adapters are active)
http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/16708...0R-Active-Display-Port-DVI-Cable/Product.html

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Active versus passive adapters for DP should only affect the maximum resolution you can achieve I believe. Passive adapters being limited to 1920x1200 and below I believe, while Active allows you to go higher.

Regards,
SB

 

[Davros]

also you will not get eyefinity to work with a passive

 

[Malo]

The OP hasn't specified how many monitors are required. Does this person want 2 monitors, or 3?

 

[Tahir2]

Sorry about that - it is 3 monitors. Eyefinity or single large surface is not necessary but extended desktop across the 3 monitors is.

 

[Blazkowicz]

IGP + GPU is a good idea, you can use a 760G chipset + radeon 5450, that or an A4-3400 + radeon (cheapest Fusion, affordable enough though a bit overkill)