dv9500t - Dual External Monitors - Need Help Please!!!!

Ok, here's what I'm trying to do...I have an HP Pavilion dv9500t laptop, and I want to set up dual 20" external LCD monitors and NOT use the laptop screen. I am running Vista with a 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS graphics card (I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure this is the card I have installed). I have a VGA port, an HDMI port, but no DVI port. Obviously, I can hook up one monitor through the VGA port, but how can I possibly hook up a second monitor? Plus, I would obviously rather use a DVI connection instead of the VGA connection. I'm not a computer expert by any means, so I don't really know what I'm talking about, but these are two options that I keep finding that look like they could help me... http://www.villagetronic.com/vtbook/index.html and http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/products/dh2go/home.php . Do you know anything about either of these two products? I don't think the Matrox will help me because it will only support 1280 x 1024 resoultion per display, and I want to keep 1600 x 1200 per display. The VTBook looks like it might be what I need. Do you know of any other options, like a docking station or something else? Am I at least on the right track here, or do I need to look in a different direction?

 

I'm not sure if it will let you have two external screens from the video card, but if it does, you can buy dvi-hdmi cables for next to nothing, then use VGA and HDMI

 

That's the problem - I need to know before I buy the two monitors that the laptop will be able to support both! I need to research the video card to see if it will support a monitor from the HDMI port as well as the VGA

 

i dont think you can have two outputs at once

 

oh no, that's not what i wanted to hear...i assume you mean two "external" outputs at once? i can still use the laptop screen and an external monitor as one display, correct?

 

yeah you can use the laptop and 1 external at the same time
you can't use two external at the same time

 

even using this...?

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/products/dh2go/home.php

have you tried two external monitors? i'm kinda confused as to why it wouldn't work assuming the graphics card supports it...

 

anybody else have any ideas?

 

I can't see why this wouldn't work (with the http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gx...dh2go/home.php website you showed), simply because it doesn't rely on your video card to be able to display 2 external monitors, it does the work. I would say go for it, because after reading this and seeing that it works with the 8600m GS card, I would say it works. I mean what more do you need that their own website saying that it will work with the 8600m GS card? And even if you have the 8400m GS it will still work.

Anyways, if you still don't feel comfortable buying it call them and ask them yourself, but from my experience in technology and what I've seen on their website, it will work fine.

 

i just realized something - i have the 8400m GS, NOT the 8600m GS. also, i need to keep 1600 x 1200 resolution per display for what i am trying to do...the matrox will only support 1280 x 1024 resolution per display. i have messages all over the nvidia forums and so far I have gotten no respones from anybody. surely somebody out that has tried a dual external display using this computer/graphics card. at least, i hope!!

 

I'll keep an eye out, but situations like yours is why I always say go with the best config you can get when you are purchasing a laptop, especially the graphics, because you can't upgrade a lot on laptops.