Quad Monitor Setup

PaddyBloggit

I'd appreciate some advice about adding one or two more monitors to my current system setup.

This is what I currently have:

• Dell Precision M6300 Laptop
• Dell Docking Station
• 2 x 22" Dell Monitors (UltraSharp 2208WFP 22-inch Widescreen Black Flat Panel Monitors) connected to the Dell Docking Station with a Matrox DualHead2GO.
• I have a number of two external hard drives and a Dell speaker system connected to the docking station.

Laptop Specs:

• Motherboard: Intel Core Duo CPU T9300 @ 2.50GHz, 4.00 RAM
• O.S.: Windows Vista Ultimate Service Pack 1, 32-bit Operating System
• Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro FX 3600M - version 7.15.11.6755 (Driver Date - 12/21/2007)

What am I hoping to do?

• I want to extend the number of monitors I can use to 4 (and failing that I will upgrade to a 3 monitor system).
• These are the monitors I'm hoping to get: 2 x Dell 22" 2209WA. The monitors I have on the system aren't available anymore and these are the ones recommended by Dell.

This is where it gets complicated:

Dell have told me that the following product will allow me to extend my desktop over 3 monitors but not 4 (they think):

Dell GeForce FX5200

• If I went with this would it work with the Matrox DualHead2GO that I currently have and extend my desktop over 3 monitors at the least cost possible?
• Could I buy three of them and with the Matrox DualHead2GO extend my desktop over 4 monitors (Dell thinks not and I think not)?

Radionics who are the sole distributors of Matrox products in Ireland have directed me towards this product: 4 way VGA splitter,350MHz but I don't think it will work. Will this work with 4 monitors?

It looks as if adding 2 extra monitors will be problematic. Adding 1 extra monitor can be easily achieved with the Matrox TripleHead2GO but I would prefer to use the DualHead2Go I have if at all possible be it with the 2 or 4 monitor setup (especially with the 3 monitor setup if I have to go that way). How adaptable are splitters?

My preference is to upgrade to a 4 monitor setup but I'll settle for a 3 monitor setup if that proves too difficult/costly.

What are my options?

Any advice you can give is appreciated.

Thanks.

Paddy

Edit: Came across this on another boards thread: VT MultiDisplay. Any use for what I'm trying to do?

elexes

i wouldnt build a multi monitor setup on a laptop . you would be better off with a desktop.


is this for a gaming setup ? simular to flight navigation programs ? or just a different desktop on each screen ?

should be easily setup . from what i remember you can do this with ati cards in crossfire mode and im fairly sure you can do it with nvidia cards.

ive never done it myself. but i do remember reading about 8 monitor setups a while back. ill see if i can find any info on it.

witnessmenow

Are you looking to have the same thing displayed on the four monitors or four seperate screens?


If its the latter:
Dealextreme have a USB to DVI adapter. I have no idea are they any good, i really doubt you could run games on them! Here is a review.

I guess you would only need to buy two, if you have a dual monitor setup running form the laptop already

Blazer

Yeah..what Matrox recommended to you only looks like it mirrors your desktop.

Few recommendations below

http://www.tech-faq.com/multiple-monitors-laptop.shtml

From what witnessmenow said the usb adapter is your best way to go (2 of them) in conjunction with your dualhead.
Of course you are going to see some slowdown over usb.
If this multi-monitor setup is for playing games you can forget about it..your setup just won't be able for it.
Desktop is the way to go for multi-monitor really.
Going quad-sli (will give you 8 monitors) (same for crossfire) while dual sli will give you 4 no probs.

Solitaire

There are several clones of the Gefen from different OEMs. Not sure which are available over here though.

One big problem with this solution is that its a software solution, so both additional monitors would be driven by the CPU. Not an issue in a modern desktop or one of those rare quad-core laptops but a low-end C2D is going to be hit and hit hard trying to display two 1650*1080 images (highest resolution supported is 1650*1080/1600*1200).

Needless to say this solution isn't going to work with moving images such as video - as all frames are rendered on the CPU that C2D would get caned.

PaddyBloggit

Thanks for the replies!

elexes:
No, this isn't for gaming. The setup will never be used for playing games.
I'm interested in web design, site creation and coding in general. I would just have the one desktop expanded over the 3/4 monitors. I work with WordPress a lot so I could have the site open on one screen, the dashboard on another, my imaging editor on another screen etc.

witnessmenow:
Four screens but just the one desktop .... a stretched desktop.
Thanks for the Gefen USB to DVI link. If two monitors work via the DualHead2Go and if I add one or two more monitors and connect them via USB won't I have difficulty getting them to work together so that I end up with one desktop? (If it worked though it would be a cheap solution to adding more monitors)

Sc@recrow:
That's what I want to do ... I want to mirror my desktop but stretch it out over the four monitors.

Solitaire:
Going by what you say ... the best compromise is to upgrade to a 3 monitor setup and not a four?

By the way when the laptop is docked ... the lid is closed and I work with a wireless keyboard and mouse ... so all my work is done using the multi-monitor display only.

The system will never be used for gaming so that might be a saving grace.

My options are:

3 Monitor Setup
Get the monitor from Dell, get a TripleHead2Go and do away with the DualHead2Go. This would cost me €351.14 for the monitor and €341.63 for the TripleHead2Go .... total ... €692.77 .. ouch just to add one more monitor. The TripleHead2Go is a crazy price ... could I buy the one monitor and use the USB to DVI adapter with it?

4 Monitor Setup:
2 monitors from Dell .... €690.12 and after that I haven't a clue where to go from there.


So where to next?
A larger working area is what I need. The idea of going for a 4 monitor setup is that if I'm adding on I might as well do it properly. I didn't think that the cost between a 3 or a 4 setup would be so great.

The TripleHead2Go price just to upgrade by one monitor is crazy. If I could get a 4 monitor setup then I wouldn't feel so bad about it.

Dell in recommending the Dell GeForce FX5200 had the attitude ... sure it's only €50 .... nothing ventured nothing gained. I don't want to buy a number of cables etc. only to have them lie obsolete in a box in the garage.

I emailed Matrox support ... a waste of time .... didn't even get a reply.

(The only 'safe option' I know will work is to get the TripleHead2Go and buy one monitor .... at almost €700.00 .... it's a lot for one extra monitor .... and the DualHead2Go becomes obsolete .... another ouch)

I can get the monitor(s) from Dell .... but after that like Manuel in 'Fawlty Towers' .... "I know nothing".

Thanks for the input thus far .... any more you can add that will help me sort out my problem would be great.

Solitaire

PaddyBloggit wrote:

could I buy the one monitor and use the USB to DVI adapter with it?

Certainly. Those things support extended desktops alongside existing graphics adaptors no problem. And just one of them would hopefully confine the CPU utilization to just one core on your CPU so if it loaded it heavily the other core wouldn't bog down as well. Then again the CPU utilization shouldn't be that severe unless you're working with moving/animated image(s) (as the CPU has to re-render for each different frame). Trick would be to confine "busy" sections of the desktop to the monitors hooked up to your Matrox

Dell have told me that the following product will allow me to extend my desktop over 3 monitors but not 4 (they think):

Dell GeForce FX5200

What. The. Hell?!?! What were they smoking when they thought that?! :eek:

I looked down the link and its a cable splitter. Description listed it for ATi only, title suggests nVidia only And its all academic as its designed for desktop systems with said graphics cards. Why on earth were they trying to give you one for your laptop?!

Even if you did have a mobile variant of said card and it did work then it'd be blocked either by the docking station or the Matrox you already have!

Going to have a bit of a look-see for some more USB software adaptors...

Solitaire

There are also USB graphics cards that render in hardware, but they're bulkier and pricier than software solutions.

A big problem I remembered during my trawlings: USB graphics adaptors are not suitable for use in multiples anyway, hardware or software. Simple reason - they all work on that same single overcrowded USB controller on your laptop's mainboard. Just one would choke it and slow down every other USB peripheral you have attached to the laptop and its dock; two on the same bus will choke each other and cause havoc with anything else on USB trying to send or receive data!

Edit: What's the exact spec of the M6300 you have? What's the onboard graphics like? And does it let you use both DVI and VGA simultaneously?

PaddyBloggit

Solitaire:
I'm on my fourth laptop with Dell and until this time around they've always given me great advice and what I've bought has always been perfect for my needs.

This time they haven't done anything to help me sort out what I need to extend the system. They told me they don't even stock the Matrox products and never had even though the DualHead2Go came from them the last time I purchased.

I reckon the most I can hope to do is upgrade to a three monitor system ... splurge for the Matrox TripleHead2Go .... cough ... splutter .... aagh and just get on with it.

You asked about the exact spec of the M6300 ... let's see:

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T9300 @ 2.50GHz
Memory (RAM): 4.00 GB
Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro FX 3600M
Gaming Graphics: 1791 MB Total available graphics memory
Dedicated Graphics Memory: 512MB
Dedicated System Memory: 0Mb
Shared System Memory: 1279MB
DirectX version: 10
Primary hard disk: 184GB Total
32-bit OS but 64-bit capable

When you ask about onboard graphics what do you mean?
Does it let me use both DVI and VGA simultaneously? I don't know.

Solitaire

PaddyBloggit wrote:

Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro FX 3600M

That's the bit I'm looking for

When you ask about onboard graphics what do you mean?

That bit just above this. Wanted to see which mobile graphics card was included with your M6300... turns out its one of the highest-spec ones.

Does it let me use both DVI and VGA simultaneously? I don't know.

No idea. Its usually the course of things with any desktop graphics card that has more than one output but we're in mobile territory here and even then I don't know if we'll have a conflict with the Matrox. Only way to find out... is to muck about with it. I'll do a bit more looking and see if anyone else has the answer.

EDIT: Just found the graphics info on the very first post in the thread. On the one line I seem to have skimmed over when speed-reading the post. D'oh

Anyway, in theory the 3600m is designed for two outputs (like most modern graphics cards) but you'd need to test them (and later alongside the Matrox) and see if you can get everyone working together happily. I doubt we'll be so lucky but you might already have a solution capable of supporting three monitors, with the Quadro's DVI going to one and its VGA feeding the Matrox and its two screens. You'd need a third monitor of some description to test the theory though!

PaddyBloggit

I reckon I should order the third monitor from Dell ... by hook or by crook it will surely work

.... hopefully as you say without having to buy the TripleHead2Go and get the Quadro's DVI (is that the same as the one that witnessmenow linked to?) .... and keep my fingers crossed!

Thanks Solitaire ... you're a mind of information and a great help!


If you come up with more .... you know where I am ....

PaddyBloggit

I've sent another email to Dell ... to another salesperson ... to see if I can get a better response.

Thanks to all who have contributed here.

Solitaire

Hopefully you won't need the USB graphics to get the third monitor working... might run straight off the laptop's DVI (I assume the Matrox is hooked up to the VGA? They usually are...) but you'll need to test it with a third monitor (of any description) before taking the plunge.

If the above did work you could run four monitors by adding the USB adaptor to the mix

PaddyBloggit

Thanks again Solitaire!

I took another look at the Dell Docking Station and the following connectors are free:

• S-video TV-out connector
• digital-video interface connector
• parallel connector
• serial connector
• 2 x PS/2 connectors
• USB connector for Dell Docking Bay

The docking bay also has a module bay.

I have a Samsung 19" Flat Screen TV (SyncMaster 932MW) next to my current set up and I've just discovered that it has a standard pc video connector slot, a DVI-D connector, a HDMI IN, Components slots for audio etc. and an EXT (RGB) slot.

Any possibilities here?

I see Lidl have a 22" LCD monitor tomorrow. How would the Lidl monitor compare with the Dell monitors I currently have?

Mine are UltraSharp. Are the Lidl monitors the same?

If they are compatible I was thinking of buying one, getting the cable (not sure which one) and hooking it up to the Dell Docking Station. If it worked I could try a second Lidl monitor and I'd have my 4 monitor setup.

1. What do you think?
2. What cable/cables do I need?
3. Is the Samsung TV of any use within the setup?

I'm waiting for a response from Dell and I tried Matrox for a second time but nothing yet.

Solitaire

Find a spare DVI cable (if you're using the DVI-out version of the DualHead you'll be using a couple of said cables already; you'll need a third for this) and plug it into the Samsung. Now plug the other end into that spare DVI port on your laptop. See what happens

Not sure about the quality of that Targa, certainly inferior compared to Dell but Dell often switch to mediocre OEMs for their monitors after they get good reviews for the original! :mad: That Targa's OEM is probably a basic Chinese mass-producer like ChiMei but it might be a HannStar if you're lucky. Not sure about how many rebadged HannStar monitors there are actually...

PaddyBloggit

Worth a shot Solitaire ... I'll move the DVi cable onto the Samsung to see what happens.

I'll pass on the Lidl monitors .... not much point wasting cash on an inferior product just because it's cheaper.

Just got a reply from Matrox (wow):

" Your only option to add additional monitors to your setup is to switch to a triple head. Before you do, you must make sure you have a compatible graphic card."

Here is a list of compatible graphic cards:

http://matrox.com/graphics/en/support/compatibility/gxm/resolutions/


I think my NVIDIA Quadro FX 3600M is on the list but could be wrong. They make no mention of more than three monitors.

I'm not at base at the moment but when I get home I'll try the Matrox DVI cable on the Samsung ...

thanks Solitaire!

PaddyBloggit

Right ... here goes ... an update:

Matrox told me that I can use a TripleHead2Go for 3 monitors and use a dvi cable to connect the 4th monitor directly to the dell docking station .... and that I should get my 4 monitors working together.

That being the case I should be able to hook a third monitor to the docking station and keep the dualhead3go and i've upgraded to a 3 monitor setup for about €400.

I wonder if I can use two dvi splitters with the matrox dualhead2go ...and connect 4 monitors where there were two connected before?

Dell rang back today ... anxious for a sale! I told them go off and sort my connection problem and then I'll buy!

Matrox here I come .... again!

Anymore thoughts on this?

Solitaire

Just try the 3-monitor setup with 2 on the Matrox and the last on the Quadro's DVI output and see if you hit any snags. If you need 4 you could still use a single USB graphics adaptor, cheaper than a Matrox TripleHead by miles. You'd sacrifice some CPU power though.

I wonder if I can use two dvi splitters with the matrox dualhead2go ...and connect 4 monitors where there were two connected before?

Not sure if any Matrox can support more than the number of connectors coming out of it at the beginning... it practically is a true (i.e. hardware) DVI-splitter in its own right.

ed_avis

I'd be interested to hear what you eventually did to get it working. I have an M6300 laptop with docking station and am in the same situation of wanting to run more than one monitor from it. One difference is that I've never been able to make it work with a PCI video card in the docking station (I suspect because of running 64-bit Windows 7 and 8 gigs RAM). So I am considering a Dualhead2go instead.

PaddyBloggit

I finally settled on the three monitor set up. I used the TripleHead2Go and it works fine for me on Windows 7 64 bit.

Re. the M6300 ... fyi .... there's a known fault with the display failing ... mine gave trouble ... warranty well expired ... Dell wanted €800 to fix the problem but when I quoted the 'well known fault' info they fixed it free of charge within a few days. The part they put in was a refurbished one as new wan't available but all going well since.

Any other questions re. the above don't hesitate to ask.

ed_avis

Thanks. Which model of TripleHead2Go do you use? The one with DVI input and DVI outputs? (I have a DualHead2Go, but it is an odd thing that requires VGA input even though the outputs can be DVI.)

Yes, I have had the video fail on my M6300 at least once and probably twice. I bought it used anyway so there wasn't any hope of getting Dell to repair it. (In fact, it started life as an M90 laptop and I upgraded it piece by piece to its current spec... but anway.)