Second monitor with a 9800xt

Hardware and technical stuff
1

So I’ve got myself a Radeon 9800xt. I’ve never done the multiple monitor thing, but I’ve found myself with 3 extra monitors and an urge to try it out. I don’t know much about this, but it seems like I read the 9800xt allows you to do multiple monitors with just the one card, that I wouldn’t need to have a second video card like I had always understood a multiple monitor situation required. Is this true?

If it is, how can I do it? The card itself only has one monitor port, although there is a second, different, squarish port on the card that I have no idea about. Your help would be appreciated.

2

All my Radeon cards have come with an adapter that fits over that squarish port so you ca hook up a monitor.

3

The second port is a monitor port. It’s called a DVI port, and can attach to an LCD display with a DVI input. The signal is purely digital in that case.

Graphics cards that have a DVI port usually ship with a DVI-to-VGA adapter dongle. If you don’t have it, you can buy one fairly cheap online or at computer stores. Then you can connect a standard VGA cable.

4

Thanks fellas! It probably did come with the adpater and I just ignored it since I didn’t know what it was or need it at the time…

5

I’m running with two monitors on my 9800 Pro at home and loving it. I often wish I had the two monitor setup at work.

From what I can tell, there’s no performance degredation, but then to be fair I haven’t really done any testing on that matter.

6

Of course, with the second monitor you’re bathing yourself in twice as much electromagnetic radiation, so when you die faster than the rest of us, those of us using only one monitor will laugh at your funeral.