Cheapest route to 4 digital outs
Hi, just finished building my 2600K system, and i need to connect 4 monitors, 3 of them at 1920x1200, and 1080 for the last one.
I am using my old system's 4650 right now, with just two DVI outs. I have been thinking about getting a pair of passive XFX 5450s
I will not be doing any gaming, just audio and video editing, and silent operation is welcome.
So the questions here are:
Can you suggest a cheaper method to get to 4 monitor outs?
Will a pair of passive GPUs cause any heat issues in my small case?
the system is housed in a Silverstone TJ-08B, and i am running only stock fans.
Thanks for reading
Re: Cheapest route to 4 digital outs
Quote:
Originally Posted by
moriaty
Can you suggest a cheaper method to get to 4 monitor outs?
Sort of... Keep your 4650 and get one rather than two 5450s :p
Quote:
Originally Posted by
moriaty
Will a pair of passive GPUs cause any heat issues in my small case?
As long as they're low power, two 5450s or 4650+5450 for example will be fine.
Re: Cheapest route to 4 digital outs
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DDY
Sort of... Keep your 4650 and get one rather than two 5450s :p
Yes, haha! i did thought of that, but id rather have two of the same, as XFX has been dodgy when working with other GPUs. I had no luck using the 4650 with an older x1650.
Also, 2nd hand 4650 on ebay go for £25 - £35, so if i sell mine i may cover the cost of one 5450, and even more!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DDY
As long as they're low power, two 5450s for example will be fine.
Cool, thanks for the reply
Re: Cheapest route to 4 digital outs
Quote:
Originally Posted by
moriaty
... I had no luck using the 4650 with an older x1650. ...
That's because they use different driver models: the X1650 isn't officially supported by ATI's Win 7 driver, you need to use the old Vista driver, which I guess may cause problems for the 4650.
If you can find a reputable etailer who'll stock it (or order it in for you) you could try a Sapphire Flex HD 5670, which will support 4x DVI monitors with one HDMI - DVI adapter and one active DP - DVI adapter. You could try ringing round the usual sapphire stockists - ebuyer, scan, dabs, novatech, ccl etc. and ask if they can order you one specially. It might be a little more expensive than two low end cards, but it would remove any of the compatibility issues you're worried about.
And of course the final option it to shop around for a HD 4650 to match your current one, either new or second hand.
Re: Cheapest route to 4 digital outs
Thanks jim, wasn't aware about the X1650 support issue. The 5670 looks interesting, but id rather enjoy a fanless design. And as getting a second 4650, looking on ebay i can find 5450 cheaper than the former, so for me it makes more sense to sell my 4650 and get a pair of the others.
