Building a multiple monitor computer, or adding more than one monitor to your existing computer...

Many people think running more than one monitor off of one single computer seems like a magic trick, but it really isn't very hard. I hope to convince you of that in this page. First, you need to understand one basic principle: a computer needs a video card to operate a monitor. If you are running Windows 2000 Professional, or Windows XP (Home or Professional) then you are ready to put a second or third video card in your computer, or perhaps a dual card or quad card... maybe 2 quad cards like I did, to power 8 monitors off of one computer. (The link to pictures of what I have built is at the top of this page.)

To do this, you need to be comfortable with removing the case from your computer so you can get in and see the motherboard and put the new video cards inside. You need to be OK with plugging the card(s) into the slots. This isn't hard, and if you haven't done it yourself, chances are that you know someone who has.

Let's start with some photos:

Photo 1: This is a typical motherboard layout that you will see once you open the case of your computer. Obviously, yours will not be exactly like this, but it'll probably be similar.

See the empty slots there? The ones inside the white oval? These are the white and black plastic rectangles that are sitting on the green motherboard. These slots hold the cards that give your computer some essential (and optional) functions. The white slots (there are 6 of them in this photo) are called PCI slots. See the single, short black rectangular slot that is above the white slots? That is an AGP slot. The single, long black slot at the bottom is an older type of slot that is not used much at all anymore. It is called an ISA slot. Don't worry about it, you probably will never need to use it, if your motherboard even has one.

Video cards that we use to add multi-monitor capabilities to our trading computers are either PCI cards or AGP cards. Now remember, you only have one AGP slot, so don't go buy 2 AGP dual monitor cards and think you are going to put them in one computer. It won't work. You'd need one AGP dual monitor card and then one PCI dual monitor card (in that scenario). That's the important "big picture" idea to understand here - to add more than one monitor to a computer, we just add video cards. The video cards fit in the slots. We get one AGP slot, so we can add one AGP card to the computer, unless that slot is already taken. Once the AGP slot is filled, we then add PCI video cards and put them into the white plastic PCI slots.

For example, on my computers (click here to see them) I have 2 different scenarios to run the 11 monitors off of the 2 computers.

On my main workstation (which powers 3 monitors), I run a dual video card that is an AGP style card. So it goes in the single AGP slot, and since it is a "dual" card, it powers 2 monitors. Then I added a single PCI style video card and I put it into the top PCI slot. That powered the third monitor. All of the cards were made by Matrox Graphics.

On the 8 monitor tradestation, I don't run any AGP cards. The AGP slot sits empty. But I do run 2 PCI Quad video cards. Each quad card powers 4 monitors, so by running 2 of them, I get to power 8 monitors. These 2 quad cards sit in the top two PCI slots on the motherboard.

This is the type of quad card that I run:

Here is a close-up of just the card itself:

I have found that it is best when running multiple video cards in one computer to run all of the same manufacturer's cards. For example, all of my cards are Matrox cards. I wouldn't run an ATi card along with a Matrox card in the same computer if I could help it. The reason being: video drivers. All video cards have software that runs them. This software is called a "video driver". It has been my experience that when you are putting more than one video card into a single computer, the video drivers of competing video card manufacturers may not get along well together on the same system. So it works better if all the video cards are from the same manufacturer. Don't mix them up. You may be able to get it to work if you do, but your odds are better if you don't mix the manufacturers.

There are 2 types of video connectors, analog and DVI. If you have flat panel LCD style monitors, chances are you can use either type of connector and be fine. DVI may be preferable if you do a lot of high end graphics, but for QCharts, either DVI or analog will do fine. If you have the "old fashioned" CRT (glass tube) monitors like I do, then you get to use analog connectors.

Once you decide on which cards to use and what combination, you install them into your slots, connect your monitors, power up the computer and install the video drivers. (This is somewhat over-simplified, but I don't have space to cover all of the details here about video driver installation. It's not hard, but if you have questions, feel free to contact Bill.)

Mulitple monitor video cards:

Dual cards:

Matrox G450 Dual head

ATi Fire series cards

Quad cards:
Matrox QID-E128-LP - this is the new low profile quad PCI-e card from Matrox. It is native at x16 PCI-e speed.

Matrox G200MMS - this is an older card that is no longer produced, but is available used online. Drivers are not available for Microsoft Vista or Windows XP 64bit for this card.
Matrox G450MMS - this is the currently produced PCI card.
ATi Fire series cards
Colorgraphic Xentera GT

Here are some more multiple monitor links (for desktop or tower computers):

http://www.multiplemonitors.org/  
Specs on many multi-monitor video cards 
http://www.realtimesoft.com/multimon/ 
http://www.mcmcse.com/win2k/guides/multiplemonitors.shtml 
http://www.pcmech.com/show/video/796/ 
http://www.pcworld.com/resource/video/video.asp?vid=4&pref=2  This has a video to watch about setting up a dual monitor system. Just wait out the ads - the video is worth it.
http://www.digitaltigers.com/ 
http://www.pixel-ignition.com/pimulti-mon.html 

There are also some options for adding multi-monitors to notebook computers:

http://www.vtbook.com/

http://www.maxivista.com/

http://www.trittontechnologies.com/products/TRIUV100.htm

http://www.digitaltigers.com/sidecar.shtml

Mutiple Monitor display software

review from a student:

HOME  |  ROCKET  |  REMOTE ACCESS  |  ASK A QUESTION  |  QCHARTS FAQ  |  QCHARTS HELP