[SOLVED] USB-C instead of a real video card

mozga628

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May 9, 2012
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I currently have a g7 monitor connected to an Asus GTX1080 STRIX video card. This monitor is for gaming and uses everything the card can give...
i am interested in adding a second monitor (without sacrificing performance of the G7), but given the prices of video cards right now, my options are slim.
if i purchase a USB-C controller can i connect a USB-C monitor directly to it or is there something i am missing? the extra monitor (1080p) would be used for ventrillo, web pages, email, etc. (nothing demanding)
 
Solution
The only way to get USB-C with a video output on a desktop is to get a Thunderbolt card with USB-C output, like this one. However, the kicker is that it uses one of the video card's outputs as a sort of passthrough... which is the only way USB-C can output video in the first place.
Type-C DP alt-mode and Thunderbolt are two ways to do it.

The oldest way to get video output from any USB though is to get one of those ~$60 frame buffer devices which are little more than a basic VGA adapter with modern outputs. The CPU or GPU does all of the rendering, writes the final output to the frame buffer on the USB device and the USB adapter pumps that frame out to the monitor for autonomous refresh. Might not be great for video or...

DSzymborski

Titan
Moderator
A bit confused about the question. Why not just connect it to the 1080 also? Using web pages and email requires about nothing in terms of GPU power. What USB-C controller are you talking about? While that can be used for an external GPU, if there's a USB dongle that is a real GPU by itself, that's definitely the first time I've ever even heard of that.
 
The only way to get USB-C with a video output on a desktop is to get a Thunderbolt card with USB-C output, like this one. However, the kicker is that it uses one of the video card's outputs as a sort of passthrough... which is the only way USB-C can output video in the first place.

So as the others have mentioned, if you need more video outputs for a desktop, the only way to do it is to add another video card. However, considering you didn't mention your CPU, if you have an Intel LGA 115X or 1200 CPU, you can just use the iGPU instead,

EDIT: Upon looking at the reviews and such, it appears the card I linked is compatible with certain motherboards. But the point still stands.
 

InvalidError

Titan
Moderator
The only way to get USB-C with a video output on a desktop is to get a Thunderbolt card with USB-C output, like this one. However, the kicker is that it uses one of the video card's outputs as a sort of passthrough... which is the only way USB-C can output video in the first place.
Type-C DP alt-mode and Thunderbolt are two ways to do it.

The oldest way to get video output from any USB though is to get one of those ~$60 frame buffer devices which are little more than a basic VGA adapter with modern outputs. The CPU or GPU does all of the rendering, writes the final output to the frame buffer on the USB device and the USB adapter pumps that frame out to the monitor for autonomous refresh. Might not be great for video or games but should be more than good enough for mostly static extra outputs.
 
Solution

mozga628

Distinguished
May 9, 2012
79
3
18,545
Type-C DP alt-mode and Thunderbolt are two ways to do it.

The oldest way to get video output from any USB though is to get one of those ~$60 frame buffer devices which are little more than a basic VGA adapter with modern outputs. The CPU or GPU does all of the rendering, writes the final output to the frame buffer on the USB device and the USB adapter pumps that frame out to the monitor for autonomous refresh. Might not be great for video or games but should be more than good enough for mostly static extra outputs.

this isn't the answer i wanted, but it is the answer i needed. you explained it perfectly, thank you.
my hope was an alternative to purchasing a video card...