Replies to post #30051 on Dream Machine

[Bruce A Thompson]

Depends on the motherboard.

That version video card runs about $70 and uses a PCI-E slot. If your mobo has a second PCIE slot, you could buy a second identical card and run 4 monitors.

Open the case and look to see if the mobo has a second slot, same color and size, like the one your current video card is in.

[Cowboy]

You might want to call Dell's service support line and ask them. All of ATI's graphic cards are manufactured by other companies and some have different requirements as to what needs to be done...

Have you tried the various combinations to see what works and what does not?

I would assume you have tried each of the three different outputs individually and they all work..next would be when two monitors are plugged in covering all combinations, then connect the third...does one of the first two drop out?

All of the specs that I checked from the different manufactures for your model all say you can connect three monitors...so there must be a way in order to do so.

I know when I setup my system my graphics card said it would support three monitors but then I found out later that in order to use the mini display port connection for the third monitor I had to include external power and then I found the power adaptor would cost more than installing another card so I just bought another card and took care of the situation.

[Cowboy]

lol I just had one of those "DUH" moments....most Dell motherboards have monitor support on board...if this is your case then that would be your third monitor connection.

Do you have a VGA or DVI or both type connections on your motherboard?

If so then connect your lowest resolution monitor to that and your higher end moniors to your Radeon 5670...each monitor can be setup to its resolution specs via display properties.

[Cowboy]

Ok...here are some thoughts...I looked up your motherboard with your service code...and the motherboard does not support Video...so back to your card.

Did you get a couple of Y cables with your machine? One would have been a DVI connector with two VGA connectors and the other a DVI on one end with two DVI's on the other.

If so then you have a dual link DVI port which would support two monitors and then you could possibly use the HDMI as your third monitor port.

It might not work since both cards are listed for dual monitor support....anyway its worth a try.

I'm not sure about mixing different types of cards in one machine(Bruce would probably know) but you do have other card slots avaliable...your exsisting card uses the only PCI Express x16 slot but you also have one PCI Express x8 slot and three PCI Express x1 slots and one standard PCI card slot.

Anyway thats all I could find....

Good luck

[momentum-rich]

i promise not to remind you that i brought this up prior to your purchase =)

I am surprised however that you can get the DVI and HDMI both working and not VGA + HDMI or VGA + DVI. normally its one or the other digital plus the analog that work. but this depends on what your trying to do, extended, stretched, mirrored displays.

you mentioned you were using vga cables and dvi to vga adapter, do you not have a DVI cable? I would borrow or buy a dvi cable and try it first with 1vga cable, 1dvi cable, 1 hdmi cable. granted i dont think it will work but in the end your better off with the dvi cable.

no you aren't screwed, luckily the board has a second pci express slot.

you do not need an exact matching card to make it work either but i would get an ati 5*** series card, the 5450 is the cheapest i think. pay attention if you need a low profile card.. if its the slim case you do.

the 5450 and 5670 will run on the same driver and catalyst control center.