PC with one VGA port, 1 display with VGA port and 1 display with VGA port and DVI/D port - What's needed for Extended Display?

[Julie_42]

Hi Everyone!!!!

I have an HP Compaq CQ5500Y computer/PC with Windows 7 Home Premium using a NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 graphics card. I have only one VGA port on the PC for a display. I have one monitor with a VGA port and a DVI/D outputs and another monitor with only one VGA output. I am trying to use two monitors as an extended display, not a mirrored one.

I know only enough to be able to find out this information, lol...and my soon to be ex-boyfriend (little does he know, lol) is no help at all. I need this for my course work and I have only $12.00 on an amazon gift card balance and do not want to purchase a splitter or something of that nature and end up with either a mirrored screen or something that doesn't work entirely. I need to be able to extend my display onto a second monitor and was wondering if anyone could tell me what I need for a cable to make this happen without the frustrations of buying a cable with the little money I DO have and it end up not accomplishing what I'm trying to accomplish.

PLEASE HELP!!!

Julie 🙂

 

[alexoiu]

Hi,
For DVI-D to VGA you'd need an active converter. Something like
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=dvi-d+to+vga+active

 

[k1114]

I think you read it wrong alexoiu. The gpu has vga and you can't go backwards on adapters, not to mention the monitor has vga. Anyways, with only 1 port, that will only run 1 monitor. There are 2 options, either buy a gpu or use a usb adapter but that uses the cpu which will be quite a strain on such an old low end cpu. Unfortunately $12 isn't really enough for either option.

This is the pc. http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02131097

 

[Julie_42]

Hi,
For DVI-D to VGA you'd need an active converter. Something like
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=dvi-d+to+vga+active

Hi!!!

The PC has a VGA port.......I have two monitors....one has a VGA port only, and the other has a VGA port AND a DVD/D port, so my second monitor has both the VGA port and the DVI/D port. My PC has only the one VGA port to use. I can use the VGA port on both monitors to get an extended display, but my PC only has the one VGA port.

I'm wondering what I'll need to accomplish having both monitors in extended display mode and NOT mirrored display mode. So I don't necessarily need to convert the DVI'D port to VGA, because that particular monitor also has a VGA port in addition to the DVI/D port, and the other monitor has only the VGA port. My PC only has the one VGA port as well.

I was only listing what my monitors have for ports. I'm assuming it's going to be a solution using the VGA ports on the monitors because I only have the one VGA port on my PC.

I just have no idea what kind of cable I need or if my video card is compatible for extended display use. I read on Amazon that many of the VGA splitters only accomplish a mirrored display function, and I do not want to waste my money on something like that because it' would completely defeat the purpose of having a second display as far as my needs are concerned.

Thank you for taking the time to get me that info! Maybe the clarification will lead us in another direction? 🙂

 

[bignastyid]

Since you only have 1 video output you are not going to run 2 displays in extended desktop mode. Cheapest option would be to add a video card. The motherboard has a 16x pci-e slot for a video card, but you may need to upgrade the PSU as it is only 250w and not a good one either as it has a weak 14a 12v rail. The only other option is a Matrox dualhead2go and those are $200+ and would span 1 large resolution over the monitors.

 

[alexoiu]

I think you read it wrong alexoiu. The gpu has vga and you can't go backwards on adapters, not to mention the monitor has vga. Anyways, with only 1 port, that will only run 1 monitor. There are 2 options, either buy a gpu or use a usb adapter but that uses the cpu which will be quite a strain on such an old low end cpu. Unfortunately $12 isn't really enough for either option.

This is the pc. http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02131097

Yes, my bad. Thank you for noticing it.

 

[Julie_42]

Since you only have 1 video output you are not going to run 2 displays in extended desktop mode. Cheapest option would be to add a video card. The motherboard has a 16x pci-e slot for a video card, but you may need to upgrade the PSU as it is only 250w and not a good one either as it has a weak 14a 12v rail. The only other option is a Matrox dualhead2go and those are $200+ and would span 1 large resolution over the monitors.

Hi! So my options are very limited in other words? Even with only the one VGA port on my PC, I can't use a splitter that will give me an extended display? I don't know why I thought I could....jeesh....so there's no other options using my existing setup to make an extended display possible?

Thank you for taking the time to look into this.

 

[Julie_42]

Since you only have 1 video output you are not going to run 2 displays in extended desktop mode. Cheapest option would be to add a video card. The motherboard has a 16x pci-e slot for a video card, but you may need to upgrade the PSU as it is only 250w and not a good one either as it has a weak 14a 12v rail. The only other option is a Matrox dualhead2go and those are $200+ and would span 1 large resolution over the monitors.

Hi! So my options are very limited in other words? Even with only the one VGA port on my PC, I can't use a splitter that will give me an extended display? I don't know why I thought I could....jeesh....so there's no other options using my existing setup to make an extended display possible?

Thank you for taking the time to look into this.

 

[k1114]

The only splitters that will work are those like the matrox which is $150. It makes both monitors show as 1 big monitor on windows. This is because vga is only a single stream and why other cheap splitters just duplicate.

The cheapest usb adapters are ~$15 and work by emulation, using the cpu as a graphics output.

The cheapest gpus you will find are ~$30 although if you go to a local electronics thrift shop, they may have cheaper stuff. The issue would be knowing what gpu is going to be low enough power for your psu.

 

[bignastyid]

Since you only have 1 video output you are not going to run 2 displays in extended desktop mode. Cheapest option would be to add a video card. The motherboard has a 16x pci-e slot for a video card, but you may need to upgrade the PSU as it is only 250w and not a good one either as it has a weak 14a 12v rail. The only other option is a Matrox dualhead2go and those are $200+ and would span 1 large resolution over the monitors.

Hi! So my options are very limited in other words? Even with only the one VGA port on my PC, I can't use a splitter that will give me an extended display? I don't know why I thought I could....jeesh....so there's no other options using my existing setup to make an extended display possible?

Thank you for taking the time to look into this.

A cheap splitter will clone the monitors. A usb to dvi or vga adapter will work but they do tend to have a little lag.