how to set up three monitors with intel hd graphics 4400 and two ports

[Annette_14]

I am trying to set up 3 monitors but my CPU has only 2 ports VGA and DVI-D My graphics card is Intel(R) HD Graphics 4400 and my CPU is HP Pavilion 500-281 My main monitor only has a VGA port and is a Samsung S22D300, and my other two monitors are NEC MultiSync LCD 1770VX digital, they have both a VGA and DVI-D ports. I have tried pigtails, splitters, and a VGA to DVI-D adapter. Any help is greatly appreciated I need all three monitors for work, and two is not enough. I remotely troubleshoot and fix customers WiFi connections for my employer and connect through their VPN network.

 

[Luminary]

The only thing that comes to mind for me is getting a secondary computer dedicated for the third screen. A Raspberry Pi is cheap (about $50), and could be used for testing network connectivity to remote locations.

Not sure if that would suit your workflow, but it's at least one possibility.

 

[Annette_14]

I have my Employers VPN and Tools on my main computer. I do have a second computer but it is running windows 7 and doesn't meet my company's specs. How would I connect the two computers to display my tools, or should I just get a new graphics card.

 

[chemmajorp53]

Are you sure the port on the back of your computer is DVI-D and not DVI-I? If it's DVI-D You're SOL unfortunately with the integrated graphics. Your tower is big enough to install a graphics card, that's the route I'd go.

 

[Luminary]

"or should I just get a new graphics card. "

This really would be by far and away the most straight-forward solution if it is in your budget to do so.

 

[Annette_14]

Are you sure the port on the back of your computer is DVI-D and not DVI-I? If it's DVI-D You're SOL unfortunately with the integrated graphics. Your tower is big enough to install a graphics card, that's the route I'd go.

Yes the port is definitely DVI-D no extra pins around the slot plugin, and at first I had bought a DVI-I and found out it was a DVI-D. Any clear way to check and make sure I get a graphics card that is compatible with my current one, or should I just get a second one to match my current one?

 

[Luminary]

If you can tell us a little bit more about your hardware we'll be happy to recommend a suitable GPU replacement.

Is your PC pre-built? If so what is the manufacturer & model #?
If your PC is home-built, can you let us know the full specs of motherboard, CPU, etc.

 

[Annette_14]

The pc is pre built and it is a HP Pavilion 500-281 with the i3 3400 processor, and the current graphics card is a Intel(R) HD Graphics 4400, and 1tb hdd.

 

[Luminary]

You actually don't have a dedicated graphics card on that unit, Intel HD Graphics 4400 are the built-in graphics that come supported by your CPU.

It is always touch and go to recommend a dedicated GPU for a pre-built workstation like the one you have because the motherboard, internal space, and power supply could all be very serious issues. If the draw from the new GPU to too much for the PSU you could short the entire rig. If you don't have enough space for a dedicated GPU that is obviously also a problem.

The HP Pavilion 500-281has a 300W power supply, and I can assure you it isn't built to provide reliable power for even a halfway decent GPU. If you MUST try to upgrade your rig either of these cards would be by far and away your best bet, but please be aware that if you try to install these you will be running a very serious risk of damaging or even destroying your rig:

Zotac GTX 750ti
PNY GTX 750

Neither of these cards require extra connections to the power supply, BUT they still both recommend having at least a reliable 400W PSU in the system.

If it were me, I'd honestly just save the money to upgrade to a new desktop down the road that has the specs I need. You don't need to break the bank to find modern pre-builts with 3 screen support.

 

[Annette_14]

Thanks and I am also thinking of upgrading. There is a gaming pc I was thinking about with hdmi, dvi, and vga ports. probably need to upgrade my monitors also.

 

[Luminary]

You're most welcome, glad I could at least provide a few options. Cheers.

 

[Annette_14]

I am looking at a Cyberpower Gamer Ultra GUA510 Gaming Desktop, or a Lenovo H50-50 Desktop Computer. Any suggestions

 

[Luminary]

Looking at either of those I'm still only seeing 2 video ports because they are relying on dedicated graphics, so I'm not sure how either of them would help. Beyond that, I'd recommend staying away from Cyberpower, they are notorious for installing VERY cheap parts.

I'm not sure if you're in the market for building your own rig, but something like this would provide quite a lot more bang-for-your-buck:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H170-GAMING 3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($109.67 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($41.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 950 2GB FTW ACX 2.0 Video Card ($133.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($62.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.88 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($85.60 @ OutletPC)
Total: $676.58
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-10-17 20:11 EDT-0400

Not only would this build include a dedicated GPU and support for up to 4 monitors, but you could upgrade parts like the CPU and GPU incrementally to allow for very good gaming in the future. No matter what you look at, you'll pay a high premium for a pre-built over doing it yourself.

That said, some folks just don't want to be bothered, so if that is the case stick to a pre-built that has the correct number of display outs.

 

[Annette_14]

Thanks again and yeah I prefer building one myself.

 

[chemmajorp53]

Looking at either of those I'm still only seeing 2 video ports because they are relying on dedicated graphics, so I'm not sure how either of them would help. Beyond that, I'd recommend staying away from Cyberpower, they are notorious for installing VERY cheap parts.

I'm not sure if you're in the market for building your own rig, but something like this would provide quite a lot more bang-for-your-buck:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($110.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H170-GAMING 3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($109.67 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($41.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 950 2GB FTW ACX 2.0 Video Card ($133.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($62.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.88 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($85.60 @ OutletPC)
Total: $676.58
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-10-17 20:11 EDT-0400

Not only would this build include a dedicated GPU and support for up to 4 monitors, but you could upgrade parts like the CPU and GPU incrementally to allow for very good gaming in the future. No matter what you look at, you'll pay a high premium for a pre-built over doing it yourself.

That said, some folks just don't want to be bothered, so if that is the case stick to a pre-built that has the correct number of display outs.

why do you need that expensive of a motherboard for that processor? Seems like the money would be put to better use in an ssd.

 

[Luminary]

Simply for upgradeability later.

If you didn't want to provide much room for expansion you could bump-down a few of the items (motherboard, PSU, case), it just comes down to how much someone can spend and how long someone plans on keeping a rig. I typically only recommend builds that have solid upgrade paths for the future.