How many displays are supported & what do the Graphics card connections look like on Dell Precision Workstations Manufactured in 2012?

This article will help you determine the components you will need to successfully connect your displays to your Dell Precision Workstation (PWS). The increasing capabilities of these systems has brought a greater level of complexity to what used to be a simple process, hooking up you monitor. Older systems had Video Graphics Array (VGA) and Digital Video Interface (DVI) connections an those types of connections have existed for a couple of decades. Today we have new connections that have more complex requirements to function properly. This article will bring some clarity to these new requirements.

The next most common graphics connection is the Dual Monitor Solution (DMS-59).  This is the "Original" dual display graphics configuration, the DMS-59 connection has a connector referred to as a "Dongle" the on one end connects to the DMS-59 connection, and on the other end has 2 - DVI or 2 - VGA connectors for 2 displays.  All DMS-59 connections must have the dongle to connect to a display(s).

Then next connection available for graphics is DisplayPort (DP). DisplayPort is one of the newest types of graphic card connections approved in 2006. It is a high resolution digital plug and play connection that can also carry an audio signal.  It shares some characteristics with High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) another connector released in 2003.  HDMI is not currently used in Precision Workstations. The preferred connection for a DisplayPort™ graphics adapter is a DP to DP cable connected to a display that has DP in connections.  There are dongles that allow for connection to older "Legacy" connections on displays.  "Legacy" connections include DP to VGA, DP to DVI and DP to HDMI. Some of these dongles are classified as "passive" and do not always work in advanced configurations. Other "Active" DP dongles are designed to work with multiple display options such as the AMD "Eyefinity" solution allowing 3 up to in some cases ix (6) displays on a single graphics card.

The last connector we will discuss is the Very-High-Density Cable Interconnect or VHDCI. This connection, like the DMS-59 utilizes a dongle to connect up to 4 displays to single graphics adapter via 4- DVI connections or 4-DisplayPort connections.

The Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) 2270 and the NVIDIA Quadro NVS 300 cards are available in the PWS T1600, T1650, T3600, T5600 & T7600 Precision Workstations. These cards require the DMS-59 dongle we referred to earlier and normally can connect to 2 VGA or 2 DVI displays.


DMS-59 Graphics Card Connection                DMS-59 Dongles

The Dell PWS T1600 is equipped with an on-board option for graphics. Intel GMA graphics which have the ability of dual display output via 1-VGA and 1-DisplayPort connection built into the motherboard. The PWS 1650 is the follow-on to the T1600 and is equipped with 2-DisplayPorts and a VGA connection. 

 
DisplayPort & VGA Graphics     DisplayPort VGA adapter            DisplayPort DVI Adapter            DisplayPortCable

The AMD FireMV and the NVIDIA Quadro NVS 295 graphics cards have 2 DisplayPortconnections. These cards are found in the T3600, T5600 & T7600 Precision Workstations.

Dual DisplayPort Graphics            DisplayPort  VGA adapter            DisplayPort DVI Adapter            DisplayPort  Cable

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Currently, only the NVIDIA Quadro 600 has this port configuration. found in the T1600, T3500, T3600, T5500, T5600, T7500, T7600 and R5500 Precision Workstations. This card support 2 displays.


DVI & Display Port Connections        DisplayPort VGA adapter            DisplayPort DVI Adapter            DisplayPort Cable
 

These cards include: AMD FirePro V4800, NVIDIA Quadro FX 580, AMD FirePro V5800, NVIDIA Quadro FX 1800, AMD FirePro V7800, NVIDIA Quadro FX3800/4800. These cards are found in the T3500, T5500 & T7500 Precision Workstations. The NVIDIA Quadro 2000/4000/5000/6000 graphics adapters are found in the T1600, T3500, T3600, T5500, T5600, T7500, T7600 and R5500 Precision™ Workstations. NVIDIA cards with this port configuration can only display on two (2) of the three (3) ports at any time.  The AMD cards are "Eyefinity" certified and can display to up to 3 displays provided at least one DisplayPort™ connection is either a DP to DP cable or an "Eyefinity certified" active adapter to a VGA or DVI connection.

        
Various DVI & Dual DisplayPort  Connections



    DisplayPort  VGA adapter            DisplayPort DVI Adapter            DisplayPort  Cable
 

The AMD FirePro™ V7900 found in the T3500, T3600, T5500, T5600, T7500, T7600 Precision™ Workstations can display to up to 4 displays as long as at least 2 of the DisplayPort™ connections are either a DP to DP cable or an "eyefinity certified" active adapter to a VGA or DVI connection.


Quad DisplayPort  Connections         DisplayPort VGA adapter            DisplayPort DVI Adapter            DisplayPort Cable

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The NVIDIA Quadro NVS 420 has a VHDCI dongle with either 4 DVI or 4 DisplayPort connections. It is available in the PWS T1600, T3600, T5600 & T7600 Precision Workstations.


VHDCI Graphics Connection                VHDCI DiplayPort Dongle    VHDCI DVI Dongle                DisplayPort Cable

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