Multi-Monitor Options

[Wyzzy Moon]

Hallo, 

I know that if you want to run 3 ( of more ) Monitors in eyefinity of surround you'll need a displayport because a card can only output 2 VGA/HDMI/DVI signals at the time.
But if you want to run 3 monitors but NO eyefinity of surround, just 3 monitors like how you run 2, 3 separate screens but on one pc at the same time.
Do you need displayport for that?
Because a lot of cards with, lets say, 2x DVI 1x HDMI and 1xDiplayport, can run eyefinity + one extra display.
So that extra display runs of a 4th port so your card CAN output more than 2 VGA/HDMI/DVI signals at 1 time..
I am confused...

1. Can i run 3 displays NO Surround or Eyefinity, just 3 displays without using dislayport ?

2. If i have 2 PCI-E slots with 2 realy cheap ( 30,- (like geforce 8400gs / Geforce GT210 ) graphic cards, no SLI or Corsfire. 
Can i run 2 display's of one card and one display of the other? 

3.  If question 2 is possible, can you use 2 differed card, like one geforce 8400gs and Geforce GT210 ( i have those laying around collecting dust ) in one system and run monitors of them?

This is the last thing I don't get, so plz answer!! :) 
TNX :)

WyzzyMoon

[ShadyHost]

uh, you can run 3 displays off one card that is Nvidia 600 or 700 series.

I am pretty sure 5000,6000,and 7000 series cards on AMD all support up to 6 monitors

So unless you are running integrated or some super old cards, you should be fine.

Get some cheap 660 on ebay/craigslist/amazon

Just re-read your post, My friend was able to run his main monitor off his 670, and then plug in the 460 I had in my closet and run another monitor off it.

so yes, you can mis-match cards on Nvidia I think.

[Wyzzy Moon]

tnx, so a 600, 700 of 5/6/7000 series can output 3 or more VGA/DVI/HDMI signals without using the displayports? 
So what linus says here only apply s to eyefinity of Surround? 
http://youtu.be/VC83UfTcUsU?t=33s 

[SubTract]

Edit: Broken / deleted

[SubTract]

Ok.

1. On AMD you must use DP to output 3 or more monitors fullstop. On Nvidia you need DP to use 3 monitors in surround, however as separate monitors they should work

2. You can output different monitors from different graphics cards.

3.Yes

 

For the following we're going to ignore VGA

(These are for single Graphics Card solutions)

 

AMD.

1 monitor: any 1 output.DVI, HDMI or DP

2 monitors: Any of the following combinations. DVI+DVI, DVI+HDMI, DVI+DP, HDMI+DP, DP+DP

3 monitors: Any of the following combinations. DVI+DVI+DP, DVI+HDMI+DP,DVI+DP+DP, HDMI,DP+DP, DP+DP+DP(Models with more than 2 DP outputs) 

4 or more(°) monitors: Any of the following combinations. DVI+DVI+DP(*), DVI+HDMI+DP(*), DP(*)

[Note that if you use the both DVI ports you can NOT use the HDMI port and if you use the HDMI port you can NOT use the second DVI connector]

 

* = multiple of that display type

° = only certain models of specific cards support more than 4 displays

 

nVIDIA.

1 monitor: any 1 output.DVI, HDMI or DP

2 monitors: Any of the following combinations. DVI+DVI, DVI+HDMI, DVI+DP, HDMI+DP, DP+DP

3 monitors: Any of the following combinations. DVI+DVI+DP, DVI+HDMI+DP,DVI+DP+DP, HDMI,DP+DP, DVI+DVI+HDMI(~)

4 monitors: (3 surround + 1 aux) DVI+HDMI+DP (Surround) & DVI (2[aux] (Someone correct me if I'm wrong here but I'm pretty sure the second DVI has to be used for aux)

 

~ = Non surround setup only

[Wyzzy Moon]

tnx! Realy helpfull!

So Nvidia does have the option to run 3 displays without using DP with DVI+DVI+HDMI(~)
But AMD doesn't have that option because you can only use 2 DVI/HDMI ports at the time?

Sould I go for AMD or NVidia if i want to run

- 3 1280x1024 screens in surround / eyefinity  ( maybe 1  1080x1920 display as separate extra monitor ) 
Or 
- 1 1080x1920 display with 1 1280x1024 screen on both sides as just 3 separate displays. 

Or are both options able to do that