@TomSteel It would potentially depend on which GPU(s) control which output(s). The NVIDIA GPU I believe is limited to four displays max, and that's before considering bandwidth limitations, some outputs potentially being driven by a common source on the GPU and therefore not being usable simultaneously, etc. The Intel GPU if it's used at all in that system might allow more total displays, so if you have some outputs driven by one and some by the other, that might be helpful. You might want to open NVIDIA Control Panel and check the PhysX Configuration section, which shows a diagram indicating which GPU controls which ports. But sometimes you won't see them all unless you connect a display to the port of interest, in which case you might have to test each one. But even that wouldn't reveal if there are some outputs that can't be used simultaneously.
But the USB-C port (which also supports Thunderbolt) could be paired with a USB-C MST hub or a Thunderbolt 3 to Dual DisplayPort adapter in order to run 2 or even more displays just from that output. Or if your displays support daisy chaining, you could start a daisy chain from that port. Same goes for the DisplayPort output, which can also use daisy chaining or an MST hub to run multiple independent displays from a single output. But you still have to make sure that the total bandwidth requirements of the displays on that output fit within the bandwidth available on that port. So it depends on the bandwidth requirements of the displays you'd be connecting, but unfortunately you didn't specify anything about the displays you plan to run other than that you want six of them.
Chances are high that you will encounter either GPU display quantity limitations, bandwidth limitations, and/or simultaneous port usage limitations before you hit six displays driven directly by the system. In that case, a less expensive option would be to resort to "indirect display" technology such as DisplayLink -- not to be confused with DisplayPort -- but that has drawbacks I've written about in the post marked as the answer in this thread. The other option as mentioned above would be to get an eGPU enclosure, either one that uses Thunderbolt or the actual Alienware Graphics Amplifier, and run at least some of your displays off the desktop GPU you'd install into that enclosure, with the remaining displays connected directly to outputs on your system. If you can find a desktop GPU that supports six displays of whatever resolution and refresh rate you want to run, that would be ideal, but I don't know if that exists at least outside of workstation-grade GPUs like the Quadro lineup that cost a lot more than their GeForce counterparts.
Advocate using external GPU (eGPU) enclosure, or AGA enclosure as probably the best way to go about it. You did not say what 6 monitors, etc. are to be used, so unable to recommend external graphic cards to be used within your choice of enclosure.
Yeah I think it should allow the Alienware to use the external graphics as it’s technically thunderbolt certified so I’d try it and see how it goes? Then you can use the Mini DisplayPort on the laptop and the HDMI as the extra 2 cables for the 6 monitors.
All the GeForce RTX single video cards appear to support up to 4 monitors.
The best single video card for 6 monitors appears to be the VisionTek Radeon 7750 2GB GDDR5 6M 4k Monitor Graphics Card, 6 Mini DisplayPorts, AMD Eyefinity 2.0, PCI Express 3.0 Video Card, 7.1 Surround Sound (900614) currently being sold on Amazon Here.
You will have to check if your Aorus Gaming Box eGPU and its PSU will accept and power this video card.
Please share an update on progress, so that other users derive benefit from your experience. Thank you.
jphughan
9 Legend
•
14K Posts
1
August 19th, 2021 07:00
@TomSteel It would potentially depend on which GPU(s) control which output(s). The NVIDIA GPU I believe is limited to four displays max, and that's before considering bandwidth limitations, some outputs potentially being driven by a common source on the GPU and therefore not being usable simultaneously, etc. The Intel GPU if it's used at all in that system might allow more total displays, so if you have some outputs driven by one and some by the other, that might be helpful. You might want to open NVIDIA Control Panel and check the PhysX Configuration section, which shows a diagram indicating which GPU controls which ports. But sometimes you won't see them all unless you connect a display to the port of interest, in which case you might have to test each one. But even that wouldn't reveal if there are some outputs that can't be used simultaneously.
But the USB-C port (which also supports Thunderbolt) could be paired with a USB-C MST hub or a Thunderbolt 3 to Dual DisplayPort adapter in order to run 2 or even more displays just from that output. Or if your displays support daisy chaining, you could start a daisy chain from that port. Same goes for the DisplayPort output, which can also use daisy chaining or an MST hub to run multiple independent displays from a single output. But you still have to make sure that the total bandwidth requirements of the displays on that output fit within the bandwidth available on that port. So it depends on the bandwidth requirements of the displays you'd be connecting, but unfortunately you didn't specify anything about the displays you plan to run other than that you want six of them.
Chances are high that you will encounter either GPU display quantity limitations, bandwidth limitations, and/or simultaneous port usage limitations before you hit six displays driven directly by the system. In that case, a less expensive option would be to resort to "indirect display" technology such as DisplayLink -- not to be confused with DisplayPort -- but that has drawbacks I've written about in the post marked as the answer in this thread. The other option as mentioned above would be to get an eGPU enclosure, either one that uses Thunderbolt or the actual Alienware Graphics Amplifier, and run at least some of your displays off the desktop GPU you'd install into that enclosure, with the remaining displays connected directly to outputs on your system. If you can find a desktop GPU that supports six displays of whatever resolution and refresh rate you want to run, that would be ideal, but I don't know if that exists at least outside of workstation-grade GPUs like the Quadro lineup that cost a lot more than their GeForce counterparts.
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
1
August 19th, 2021 06:00
Advocate using external GPU (eGPU) enclosure, or AGA enclosure as probably the best way to go about it. You did not say what 6 monitors, etc. are to be used, so unable to recommend external graphic cards to be used within your choice of enclosure.
TomSteel
2 Posts
1
August 29th, 2021 01:00
Hi. Thanks for the input so far!
The screens I plan to use are some standard 1920 x 1080 27 inch asus monitors like this one:
https://www.asus.com/Displays-Desktops/Monitors/TUF-Gaming/TUF-GAMING-VG277Q1A/
an eGPU was mentioned, I have an Aorus Gaming Box GTX 1080 eGPU in my arsenal if that is of any use.
https://www.gigabyte.com/us/Graphics-Card/GV-N1080IXEB-8GD#kf
Thanks in advance
A51-06
5 Practitioner
•
3.1K Posts
0
August 29th, 2021 09:00
Yeah I think it should allow the Alienware to use the external graphics as it’s technically thunderbolt certified so I’d try it and see how it goes? Then you can use the Mini DisplayPort on the laptop and the HDMI as the extra 2 cables for the 6 monitors.
crimsom
7 Technologist
•
6.1K Posts
0
August 29th, 2021 10:00
Hi @TomSteel thank you for sharing update.
All the GeForce RTX single video cards appear to support up to 4 monitors.
The best single video card for 6 monitors appears to be the VisionTek Radeon 7750 2GB GDDR5 6M 4k Monitor Graphics Card, 6 Mini DisplayPorts, AMD Eyefinity 2.0, PCI Express 3.0 Video Card, 7.1 Surround Sound (900614) currently being sold on Amazon Here.
You will have to check if your Aorus Gaming Box eGPU and its PSU will accept and power this video card.
Please share an update on progress, so that other users derive benefit from your experience. Thank you.