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So last week my boss decided, for whatever reason, that he was not happy with his single 24inch screen at his work desktop. Mind you, all he does it watch youtube videos and go over the company statistics. No gaming, no graphics, nothing.

So after setting him up with a second monitor, he came to me and said he wanted four total. I tried talking him out of it, since he does not have the desk space nor will that many monitors increases his productivity considering what he does, but he will not budge. He wants four monitors.

Here is the problem. His computer was designed specifically to deal with the stuff I explained above and nothing more. Nothing intensive. He seems to think I can magically make the computer output to four monitors, but I explained to him that at best we would just throw another card in and hope it works (it has two PCIe ports). I attempted it and the two cards didn't play nice, so I had to return the one. I looked into replacing the card outright but he was taken back when I told him a low power card that will output to four monitors would be $800. He thinks I can get one cheaper, which I explained I could, if his power supply was not 150W.

It's so very frustrating. At this point I think I am just going to recommend he get a new computer, but I was hoping to save some money for the company (I want a bonus this year, darn it)

Buy two USB display adaptors and be done with it. They won't be great, but they'll definitely handle youtube and work tasks.

http://www.newegg.com/USB-Display-Adapters/SubCategory/ID-3046

Interesting. That may work. Thanks.

Update: Had one laying around I totally forgot about, was able to plug it in and get the third monitor up. So far so good. Sadly he has no more USB ports for a second one. Will likely have to get him a hub. Either way this should correct my issue without much cost. Thanks again.

Just put two cardboard boxes with a printout of a windows desktop pasted to the front of both. He'll never notice the difference.

Etch a Sketch.

Ooh, or go for super expensive, and buy AirParrot, and then an apple TV for each monitor. Then he can even mount them on the wall off the desk and make them even more obviously useless!

AMD FirePro 2460, perhaps? They are only about $200-250 or so. Also, they only draw about 20W max.

EDIT: It looks like the 2450 may work also, but you'll need an octopus worth of cable either way. The 2450 uses slightly more power (up to 32W) but will be more compatible with non-DP displays.

Either way, you're probably going to have to have at least Win7 for proper display, so if he's running XP on his machine, he's probably not going to be able to do more than 2 monitors, no matter how he goes about it.

--Patrick

Sigh.

So now have the three insanely large monitors setup on his desk, with no room to put the forth because of how large they are. I ask him where he wants the forth, he looks at me, eyes kind of glazed, and says...

"You know this might be okay, the three are already giving me a headache."

The fourth one goes on your desk, of course.

ScytheRexx said:

"You know this might be okay, the three are already giving me a headache."

Click to expand...

Ooo, you know I hadn't thought of that.
Give him all 4 monitors...but then set them to 4 different refresh rates.

--Patrick

I wouldn't have room on my desk for it. I already have a two monitor setup with one of the large one and a small little LCD TV that I use for testing out DVDs I make.

On the bright side I am getting a new computer out of this. I got approval to replace two of the last systems we have here that use XP, and I am using that clearance to get myself a nice beefy computer that I will swap out with my older Win7 system. Too bad I can't take it home.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA3BG16C7862

If he still insists.