Adding a 2nd monitor...

[snowbank]

Trying to add a 2nd monitor. My dad just had a computer guy add a chip to make my computer faster because it wasn't working and needed to be upgraded. I told him I was going to get a video card and get a 2nd monitor. He was worried that adding something could slow it down. Will putting on a video card slow anything down?

[holeplug]

Just make sure the video card you purchase supports dual monitors. I think most do now anyway but some of the older ones may not. Also if you are using 2 LCD monitors make sure the video card has dual DVI ouput or else you'll be stuck using analog.

[snowbank]

"Also if you are using 2 LCD monitors make sure the video card has dual DVI ouput or else you'll be stuck using analog."

What does this mean? I'm not a computer guy at all.

[bonanz]

LOL, sorry to laugh man, but My dad just had a computer guy add a chip made me crack up for some reason.

you may have onboard video (which is lame). if not you already have a video card and can replace it with one you want...what are teh specs of your computer? sounds like computers aren't your thing but either that computer guy is lame, or your computer is in really bad shape.

didn't i read you play in your school library once?

[snowbank]

"didn't i read you play in your school library once?"

hahaha. We're even, cause I just laughed too. Yes, I've been known to sit among librarians and bookworms alike, multi-tabling with about 4-5 people a day coming up and saying, "is that real money", or, "how do you concentrate with so many tables?" Ya, the internet in the dorms was terrible, a lil better now. I've been using my roomies until I get mine fixed, and my dad had a "computer guy" from work fix mine up. I guess he added a chip to make it faster as well, and my dad was worried about adding anything that would slow it down. Ya, I don't know much about computers, so anything you could tell me would be great.

[snowbank]

.

[mmbt0ne]

I just hooked up my second monitor. I run both of them off an old GeForce 4 Ti4400 card. It's nothing spectacular, and doesn't have dual VGI out, but that's a luxury I wasn't too concerned about. Yeah, one monitor might be a little brighter than the other, but I really don't care. A decent card is gonna cost you somwehere between $150 and $200 probably. From there, it's pretty easy to install, or have a friend who knows ANYTHING about computers install (that's what I did the first time). I hope that helped some.

[EliteNinja]

The cheapest way is to get one cheap AGP video card and an even cheaper 'old skool' PCI video card. You can stick 'em both in your computer and use 2 monitors.