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July 25th, 2010 21:00

Integrated Video,GMA 4500 - Dual Montiors??

I recently purchased an optiplex 780 through our new sales rep.  I told her that I needed to be able to use two monitors with it.  In the past, we have always ordered this with our other rep.  The PCs came with one VGA port on the back and by attaching a Y cable (VGA to Dual VGA 1 VGA 2) I have been able to extend users desktops.  The new system didn't come with this type of cable. 

This new PC has one VGA port on the back.  If I connect one monitor, right click and go to properites I see  the 1 and 2 for monitors.  I asked the rep to send me a cable to use two monitors.  After several emails and phone calls trying to explain extended desktop, she sent me a VGA splitter - which shows me the same thing on both screens.  :emotion-9::emotion-40:

My first question is can the card I list below actually support extended desktop? 

320-7407

Integrated Video,GMA 4500,Dell OptiPlex 760,960 and 980

if it can what kind of cable do i need to get to connect the single VGA port on the back of my Optiplex to two monitors (VGA or DVI since the monitors i bought support both).

I have been about a week now trying to figure this out and i'm on the verge of buying another card at staples just to stop pulling my hair out!:emotion-8:

Thanks!

268 Posts

July 26th, 2010 08:00

TDANLEY74,

 

The GMA 4500 hardware IS capable of supporting two monitors. However, your Optiplex has only one monitor connector. There is NO cable or adapter in existance that can provide both signals out of one connector.

You will need to purchase an add-on video card with two connectors to get the functionality that you desire. If you are not a gamer, this shouldn't set you back any more that $50.

Masi_GC

268 Posts

July 26th, 2010 12:00

Hmm,

Funny, I don't see that card in the graphic card selector for any Optiplex. But the key is there has to be at least two connectors. They can be both DVI or one VGA and one DVI.

Most cards come with a DVI-to-VGA adapter or two.

No cable is going to help.

Masi_GC

24 Posts

July 26th, 2010 12:00

After talking to someone at Dell this morning I was told that I should buy a

256MB nVidia GeForce 9300 GE Dual DVI/ VGA and TV Out,Full Height,Dell OptiPlex,Customer Install (320-7997)

However, looking at the picture of that card it also only has one output?  So how can this work as a dual card if there is only one output?  I have other PCs in my office that have one card, one connector and I use a cable like this http://www.alancomputech.com/g9438.html Can I use that cable with the card above?

Thanks

2.6K Posts

July 26th, 2010 12:00

Note that I'm just working from a search, but I think what tdanley74 is talking about is a video card with a DMS-59 connector, not just plain VGA or DVI.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMS-59

If it's not a DMS-59 connection,  just plain VGA or DVI, then a splitter cable will not provide an extended desktop, only a mirror.

268 Posts

July 26th, 2010 13:00

Alexandra_p,

I wasn't aware of the DMS-59 before you pointed it out. However, I am certain that you won't find it on any commonly available graphic cards.

Anyways, the latest DisplayPort standard makes the MS-59 redundant. The new DisplayPort standard allows up to 3 displays to be daisy chained off of one, standard connector! Tdanley74 - ignore this chatter we are talking about new standards that haven't make it to mainstream yet (or maybe ever!).

Masi_GC

Community Manager

 • 

54.2K Posts

July 26th, 2010 16:00

tdanley74,

The Optiplex 780 came with two single monitor default choices -
onboard VGA Intel GMA 4500
addin DVI card

To get dual monitor support, you had to have purchased one of the following video cards -
256MB ATI RADEON HD 3450 (2 VGA /1 TV-out), Low Profile [add $64.00]
256MB ATI RADEON HD 3450 (2 DVI /1 TV-out), Low Profile [add $64.00]
256MB NVIDIA GeForce 9300 (2 VGA /1 TV-out), Low Profile [add $64.00]
256MB NVIDIA GeForce 9300 (2 DVI /1 TV-out), Low Profile [add $64.00]
256MB ATI RADEON HD 3470 (2 DP or 1 DP / 1 DVI), Low Profile [add $74.00]
512MB ATI Radeon HD 4550 (1 DP & 1 DVI), Full Height [add $74.00]
512MB ATI Radeon HD 4550 (1 DP & 1 DVI), Low Profile [add $74.00]
512MB NVIDIA Quadro NVS 420 (4 DP), Low Profile [add $489.00]
512MB NVIDIA Quadro NVS 420 (4 DVI), Low Profile [add $489.00]

My advice is to contact your Sales Account Executive and see what they can do.

1 Message

January 5th, 2011 15:00

Does anyone know if there is a way to get the 780 to use both the on-board and add-on graphics card at the same time?  The only options I have in the BIOS are for Auto and On-board.  Both options indicate that an add-on card will override the on-board card.  I have an Optiplex 320 and GX620 in the office that uses both the on-board and the add-on cards to extend the desktop to two monitors.  I tried to get this to work on another Dell (not sure the model) in the office and could not get it to work and had to buy a card with a second output to get dual monitors to work on it.  I would just add a spare card that I have around the office, but I only have a single PCIe card slot that is currently filled with my add-on card.  Is it possible to set this particular computer up so that it utilizes both the on-board and add-on cards?

268 Posts

January 6th, 2011 10:00

DB25,

Sorry, but it is not possible to configure any PC to use both the on-board video and an add-in graphics card at the same time. This applies to any brand, not just Dell.

Masi_GC

6 Posts

February 15th, 2011 06:00

I know its a bit late for a reply, but you only need to buy a Displayport to VGA or DVI cable to get dual monitor with the GMA 4500. I have several of these PC's and run and extended monitor using this cable.

May 3rd, 2011 15:00

Cut & Paste from the Optiplex GX780 overview page:  http://www.dell.com/us/en/slgov/desktops/optiplex-780/pd.aspx?refid=optiplex-780&s=slg&cs=RC978219

Powerful Technology: Get up to Intel®  Core™2 Quad processors, generous DDR3 memory options, dual-drive capability and integrated support for dual monitors.

Yes, you need the DP-to-VGA or DP-to-DVI adapter, but it should support dual display with the on-board GMA 4500 graphics.  There are dozens of issues posted here regarding problems with that, but very few answers...

 

46 Posts

April 5th, 2012 10:00

We have a different issue.  The display from the display port using the DVI cable only shows 640X480 minimum resolution under Win7 64 bit latest bios.  Any ideas on this problem.  We have three units and all three produce this problem.

Thanks

6 Posts

June 13th, 2013 12:00

There is no need to buy a discrete graphics card to use two displays in the extended format. 

My Optiplex 760 SFF came with a Dell DVI-D adapter card, connected to the spare PCI Express x 16 slot, and supports two monitors without the use of a discrete graphics card. In my setup, one monitor is connected to the VGA port and the other is connected to the DVI-D port on the adapter card. I am limited to 1280 x 1024 resolution but, for my applications, that isn't a problem. 

If one wanted to use three displays or achieve higher resolutions, that is another matter and would require the use of a discrete graphics card (such as Visiontek 900344).

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