How many displays can i run?

Hey everyone

This is one thing i am actually not sure about....at all, but the quick question really is,

How many displays can i run,

Is it possible to have LCD, VGA Out and HDMI going at the same time?

 

so you want to set up 3 monitors > your laptop lcd in the middle with two monitors at each side, one hooked via VGA out from the laptop and one hooked via HDMI also from the laptop? I'm not sure this would work.

You may be able to use the two independant monitors together and extend the desktop picture across the two. But I haven't really tried it.

 

Well laptop left, tv middle monitor right, basically with each of them interfaces, i did try it however i could only run two independantly, so im wondering if there is a way to get around this.

Cheers for the response.

 

I think the limitations involved center around your graphics card and it's drivers as to what can be run. There are, however, external solutions like a Matrox DualHead2Go or TripleHead2Go. I'm not sure if you can still use your laptop LCD if you're using one of those, though, I just know they exist and not their exact capabilities.

 

You'll only be able to drive a total of two displays, internal or external, without something like that DualHead2Go or TripleHead2Go.

 

I do believe there are a few laptops out there that state they can drive displays from each output at the same time (dvi & hdmi) but the vast majority can only send out 1 at a time.

Like Greg hinted at though, there are devices like the TripleHead2Go that can help you. it takes one output and turns it into 3, I think it only works as a SLS though (single large surface)

A much cheaper option than that is those USB --> VGA adapters you can find them for like $40 or so but it comes at a price. Resolution generally not as high as the TH2G, its not fast enough to play a movie or game on the 2nd screen, and I think it uses your cpu to decode it so a really slow machine like a netbook probably wont work well.

However if its for something like office work, web work, things like that the usb adapter is a very valid and reasonable way to do it. I plan to get one for my computer at work.

 

Hmm, an interesting idea. But not practical. What would you want to do this for? In any event, multiple monitors are possible with a daisy change from monitor to monitor.

Still, I've never tried it with a computer so it's just a guess. In any event, it would seem possible if one output is digital and the other analogue.

 

Not really possible to daisy chain them like that since a computer has to communicate with the monitor not just output a video like other devices. It will be possible with the next revision of display port though.