Two VGA monitors, 1 DVI-I input for Extended Display

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nickza

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Here is a question for you Hardware guys.

I have a low profile graphics card with 1 x HDMI port and 1 x DVI-I inputs, and two monitors, both with VGA connectors.
I want both monitors to connect to the DVI-I via a splitter of some sort, BUT, the catch is I want the pc to recognize the two monitors individually because I want to use it as an extended desktop.

There are DVI-I MALE to 2 VGA FEMALES cables, but the only one i have found is to duplicate the signal, and windows only sees 1 monitor.

This has been done on an OLD connector (cant remember what it was called), but it looks like a DVI input but its not, but I cannot find a graphics card that has that old connection anymore, only DVI-I.

I dont want to use little convertor thingys because they are over R1000 for HDMI to VGA.

Quadro graphics cards are out of the quesiton as they are R1500 and up.

Also, the graphics card is a low profile card, hence the VGA falls away. So i cant use the VGA for one monitor and a DVI-I - VGA adaptor for the other.

All in all, i want to plug a DVI-I cable into the graphics card, which then has two VGA cables coming out of it, and pluging into the pc monitor cables.

I have literally exhausted every option, literally, EVERY OPTION. Called Cable Link and every other cable company in Johannesburg, and no one can do it or is willing to do it.

I am prepared to get a company to make up a cable that allows this to happen, just dont know what to use (connectors) and how to set it up.

A beer goes to anyone who comes up with a solution to my problem.
 
Last edited:
DVI-I has only one analog output - so you would need an active converter to do what you want to do...
 
ponder said:
Is there not internal header you can extend with a ribbon cable to the outside?
Click to expand...

Interesting... can you explain?

The VGA is connected via ribbon when we have to detach due to the low profile. Is there a way to extend it to the outside of the case, or below that PCI slot? Never knew that was possible?
Still, we will have to use a connector for the DVI (DVI-I to VGA adaptor), which gets stolen.

The reason I am being a pain about this is because it is for over a hundred machines... hence, we are trying the cheap and nasty way.
 
nickza said:
Interesting... can you explain?

The VGA is connected via ribbon when we have to detach due to the low profile. Is there a way to extend it to the outside of the case, or below that PCI slot? Never knew that was possible?
Still, we will have to use a connector for the DVI (DVI-I to VGA adaptor), which gets stolen.

The reason I am being a pain about this is because it is for over a hundred machines... hence, we are trying the cheap and nasty way.
Click to expand...

I've done what he mentioned,if your PCs have backplates for a 2nd Slot you could fashion a secondary vga connector into that,or failing that,somehow pass the second VGA cable inside the case and from there connect to the Ribbon extender. There is NO FATHOMABLE way to get 1 output to recognize 2 screens no matter how frenetically you may pray for it that I can think of...
 
What Model graphics card is it?

Also which one of the following does your DVI port look like?

If its any of the Single link ones, then you're SOL basically.. cos the port doesn't have the required bandwidth or signalling to support 2 seperate video images.

277px-DVI_Connector_Types.png
 
B.O.F.H. said:
What Model graphics card is it?

Also which one of the following does your DVI port look like?

If its any of the Single link ones, then you're SOL basically.. cos the port doesn't have the required bandwidth or signalling to support 2 seperate video images.

277px-DVI_Connector_Types.png
Click to expand...

It is a Nvidia GeForce 210, and i believe it is a DVI-I Dual Link

There is NO FATHOMABLE way to get 1 output to recognize 2 screens no matter how frenetically you may pray for it that I can think of...
Click to expand...
It can be done with a DMS59 connector, but i cannot find graphics cards that have a DMS59 input.
The current setup is with a graphics card that as a DMS59 port, and a DMS59 to 2 VGA splitter which can pick up two monitors, hence extended display.
 
nickza said:
Interesting... can you explain?

The VGA is connected via ribbon when we have to detach due to the low profile. Is there a way to extend it to the outside of the case, or below that PCI slot? Never knew that was possible?
Still, we will have to use a connector for the DVI (DVI-I to VGA adaptor), which gets stolen.

The reason I am being a pain about this is because it is for over a hundred machines... hence, we are trying the cheap and nasty way.
Click to expand...

The ribbon cable plugs into the header on the card and is then taken to a blanking plate with a vga connector on it or you can drill file the existing blanking plate and ad it there is space permits.
 
1x hdmi-vga converter and 1 dvi to vga converter should do the trick..
 
We'll need the exact model number of the card you're playing with.....
then we can go have a look at the tech specs etc...

You might find that there aren't enough TDMI's to support dual signals over analog interfaces....

But Astroturfs idea SHOULD work in theory.... and the HDMI - DVI/VGA convertors aren't that expensive anymore... I bought an active HDMI-VGA convertor for about R350 from Prophecy..
 
B.O.F.H. said:
We'll need the exact model number of the card you're playing with.....
then we can go have a look at the tech specs etc...

You might find that there aren't enough TDMI's to support dual signals over analog interfaces....

But Astroturfs idea SHOULD work in theory.... and the HDMI - DVI/VGA convertors aren't that expensive anymore... I bought an active HDMI-VGA convertor for about R350 from Prophecy..
Click to expand...

http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_210_us.html
 
Another choice will be to find a graphics card that has two vga ports... Impossible?

Sent from my GT-P7100 using MyBroadband Android App
 
New?

Without a doubt....

But a card with a VGA and DVI... not impossible yet.
 
Update.

I went for the leadtek px8400. I think its called that. Has two plates, one for the main card, low profile, the other for the VGA.

Thanks for the help!

Sent from my GT-P7100 using MyBroadband Android App
 
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