Does my graphics card supports dual monitors???

[icp222]

Last October... nearly a year ago now come to think of it... I brought my Sony Vaio PCV-RS246. The graphics card in it is a GeForce fx5200 but I am not sure which make it is. I want to have dual monitors... One at 1024x768 and one at 1280x1024. Is my graphics card capable of this? What make is it?

Have to make decision quite soon whether to invest in second monitor... Many thanks...

[pre]

Look at the back of your PC where your monitor cable is plugged in. If you have two similar ports you can (although one might have square white connectors - ie DVI - and not VGA in which case you'll need a DVI->VGA adaptor if your second monitor isnt DVI). Or if you goto the settings tab in display properties you'll see two monitors there if you can have dual-display with your particular card.

[icp222]

Thanks - I knew I had DVI-I and VGA, and that I could plug in two at once... but I didn't know whether that meant I could deffinitely have two monitors, at two resolutions?

Ty.. anyone else confirm this?

[SilentDeath]

You should be able to use two monitors, with ati cards you can use dvi-i with a convter to vga, letting you use two crt's or a crt + tft without it.

Different resolutions can cause problems if your intending to play games... but with a fx5200 I wouldnt want to play games anyway

[icp222]

I am in the process of updating everything - give me a break! Could I not run two tft's then?

[bmh.01]

You could but there would probably be a picture quality difference between the two as one would be connected via dvi and the other d-sub.

[icp222]

Yeah, I am not too fused about this, as one will be apart from the other... I.e. one wall mounted to act as a tv, the other on my desk. I just want to make sure both can run at different resolutions?

[pre]

If you goto settings tab and select the second monitor you'll notice you can adjust the resolution/display size to your heart's (well whatever's attached limits) content.

[icp222]

I can't see a section for a second monitor before I connect it can I?? My friends laptop gives you the menu, but is that just because it's a lap top??

[SilentDeath]

if your card supports two monitors it should show two screens in Display propertys->Settings
With ati cards anyway.. I dont know how nvidia cards work with dual.

[icp222]

Nah it doesn't.. but I have seen alot of people saying they have got 2 working on an fx5200... The only thing is though no-one says what make their cards are. Does anyone know if the same applies for all fx5200s?