Easiest/Cheapest way to dual monitor?

[mikekp]

I've never done this before, so looking for some advice. I have a gateway DX4831, totally stock. I currently am running a 22" Samsung Syncmaster 2220wm monitor on there. I recently came into a spare 19" dell of some kind, and would like to set it up as a secondary monitor.

The setup on this computer seems to have a VGA out, and HDMI out. Neither of these can use HDMI, they only have VGA/DVI.

So what would be the cheapest route for me to get a 2nd monitor going here? I know I'll need another video card. Could I pull any old stock one out of an old computer and pop it in? If you're able to link me to some examples of what I could use (cheap!), that would be great.

Thanks!

 

[mikekp]

I've never tried using it because the monitors don't have that connection, but searching online it seems like a common complaint that people couldn't get the HDMI output to work. So I'm not completely share they're designed to work separately?

 

[mikekp]

I don't have the stuff at the bottom, just the stuff up top. This is a pic I just took, sorry its upside down.
http://imgur.com/usLUwBh
Whatever I've got I'm sure is 'onboard' I've certainly never added a graphics card.

 

[mikekp]

I would kind of like to be sure its going to work before buying things I may not be able to use. What would be a cheap video card option I could put in? I won't be doing gaming on this PC, if I do id just get a whole new setup. So the video card wouldn't need to do anything except provide me another connection.

 

[KevinAr18]

deleted

 

[mikekp]

Thanks, I'm ordering the DVI to HDMI converter. I have a TV with HDMI, and drug it over to the computer and used an hdmi cable to make sure it would dual monitor with the HDMI & VGA ports, and it did. The resolution was off, but I'm sure adjustable easier on an actual monitor. Thanks for the help!