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Video Card Recommendations

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Ken - NM9P
Ken - NM9P Member ✭✭✭
edited June 2020 in SmartSDR for Windows
I have a Lenovo Ideacentre K410 that has a good video card, but it only has outputs for one HDMI and one VGA/RGB output. I am currently running it with two monitors. But I want to replace my RF noisy 19" Dynex TV/Monitor on the RGB port with another Samsung 22 inch TV/Monitor with HDMI. SO I need to add or replace my video card with one that will drive two HDMI monitors. Any recommendations for something with adequate performance and won't cost more than the monitor! I am thinking in the $75 +/- category. AM I asking for too much? Or is there a good card out there that will work with my system? I have seen the link to the big list of video cards, but I get lost in it. Thanks.

Answers

  • K6OZY
    K6OZY Member ✭✭
    edited February 2017
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    The bare minimum is two Nvidia GTX 690 dual GPU video cards for QUAD SLI. That should only cost about $2000. I kid.., honestly anything current that is available from AMD or Nvidia in the $100 range has more than enough horse power to drive it. All modern GPUs can push the DirectX 10 requirements without much issue (so far). I can't say for sure after the other 4 Pan Adapters are turned on for the 6700. I am using a mix of older laptops and computers. New bare **** laptops that come with the Intel HD4000 or HD5000 chipset also work fine. I've used the following: Dell and Asus HD5000 2013 laptops 2011 MacBook Air (HD4000) W7 2010 MacBook Pro (GTX5xxM) 2012 Macbook pro Retina GTX 650M Custom PC with GTX 690 (OVERKILL!! My gaming PC running at 5760x1080 3 screens) Custom PC with GTX 570 Custom PC with 8800GT (very old) For exact links: AMD Chip: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127687 ($69 after rebate) NVidia Chip: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121643 ($89 after rebate)
  • Eric-KE5DTO
    Eric-KE5DTO Administrator, FlexRadio Employee admin
    edited February 2017
    Options
    If you can do with 1x HDMI and 1x DVI, then there are quite a few options. Something like this would work: AMD 6670: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102988 ($54 after rebate, S/H) I usually look on the low end of the Toms Hardware list as this is usually a decent ****/buck list for 2D performance. This is a good reference for comparing cards too -- see the hierarchy chart toward the end. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html A quick google shows that if you have to have 2x HDMI, it's going to cost over $100.
  • K6OZY
    K6OZY Member ✭✭
    edited November 2015
    Options
    The cards I linked for under $100 have 1 HDMI and two DVI. You can easily convert DVI to HDMI. The NV card supports 4 screens at once actually.
  • Dave - WB5NHL
    Dave - WB5NHL Member ✭✭
    edited December 2014
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    One caution - for video cards offering both HDMI and DVI along with other interfaces. OFTEN the HDMI and DVI are either/or. You can't drive both simultaneously. I am very happy with my 3 monitor setup that uses an AMD Radeon 7000 (built into CPU on motherboard) DVI, VGA and the Display port converted to DVI. Display port converter was cheap. Only caution was the Display port converter must be an active one, NOT passive.
  • Ken - NM9P
    Ken - NM9P Member ✭✭✭
    edited June 2020
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    Thanks, Guys. I will look into them. I looked at Amazon and DVI>HDMI and Display Port > HDMI adapter cables are not that expensive. I may be able to use them. I can't imagine ever using 4 screens at the same time, but 3 is a real possibility. One for the rig, one for logger/contester, and one for Digi &/or internet. But, who knows?
  • K6OZY
    K6OZY Member ✭✭
    edited February 2017
    Options
    Buy all of your cables from monoprice.com. Don't be overcharged!
  • Steve K9ZW
    Steve K9ZW Member ✭✭✭
    edited March 2017
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    Is there a good four (4) HDMI output option? 73 Steve K9ZW
  • K6OZY
    K6OZY Member ✭✭
    edited February 2017
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    Since DVI is easily converted to HDMI, you shouldn't confine yourself by looking for HDMI out only video cards. Matrox is famous for making multihead solutions. We use them at work in the Network Operation Center for eBay. http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/display_wall/mura_mpx_series/ But it would be easier to add two $100 cards and get 6 screens that way honestly. Just get a few DVI to HDMI converters and have at it.
  • philip.theis
    philip.theis Member ✭✭
    edited December 2014
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    Great discussion for reference. Should keep this thread around.
  • Neal_K3NC
    Neal_K3NC Member ✭✭
    edited November 2015
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    I would still prefer AMD/ATI graphics cards over nVidia or Intel Graphics. I haven't seen it mentioned here but the current Intel 4000 series graphics adapter built into Haswell CPUs IS NOT COMPATIBLE with SmartSDR. You will see sporadic madness (even though you will hear the radio in your headphones/speakers. I spent hours this week working on a system where nVidia was used but it just wasn't DPC compatible with running a SDR. nVidia makes good stuff but I suspect they are pushing every last molecule of performance out of it with their drivers and thats why they continually seem to introduce bad releases. It seems that you can be on a bad release, then nVidia will fix it and life is loverly, then the next driver release will breaka things agains. This doesn't seem to happen with AMD, their stuff just works. I agree I would not go below the 6600/7600 series of boards however! 73
  • AA0KM
    AA0KM Member ✭✭
    edited April 2017
    Options

    This is a often searched simple asked question so I thought I would help it out a little bit.

    The Flex recommends a Passmark Score of over 500+  number

    You can find your video card with the link below.

    http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/

    73 Jeff

    image

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