What all is involved with hooking up a 2nd monitor?

Do I just plug it in?
Do I need a special video card or something?

Laptop or desktop?

Laptop has a built-in external VGA output. Plug and play. Resolution available will be limited by the power of the card.

Your desktop,if it has a dedicated video-card, should have enough card to handle it.
Using an integrated video solution (embedded in the motherboard)? Need a new card.
Can you play any 3D games (Counter-Strike, etc.) on it?
Any Card from the GeForce3 / Radeon 8500 or better will handle it.

Using an integrated video solution (embedded in the motherboard)? Need a new card.
Can you play any 3D games (Counter-Strike, etc.) on it?
Any Card from the GeForce3 / Radeon 8500 or better will handle it.

************************************************************************************

Youre speaking greek to me. Remember, Im a tech moron.

Its a desktop. Ive never tried to play 3D games on it. I dont even know how to check and see what video card I have. Im not at home right now to look at it. Do all computers made in the last couple years even have 2 places to plug in monitors?

Not necessarily. You'll need to look at the back.

Or if you remember the model number of the computer, we could find the specs online.

It is likely that you'll need a new video card. The cheapest I can remember that was decent and could handle two monitors was about $50. The best way to is checking the back of your computer to see if it has two video connectors (it could be DVI and one VGA) and if it does then right click on your desktop and then click on properties. Go to settings and check if there is two monitors, one "active" color and the other looking like...well OFF. The color is degraded in that one. If you can see that you are ready to go. Just click on "extend the desktop to...something" and you are ready to go.

OK, Im home now. I have an HP Pavillion a1560n

After Googling VGA and DVI, apparently I have a VGA and only one of them. So I guess I need to get a new video card? Whats a decently cheap one that will handle 2 monitors?

I basically only use this computer for poker, surfing the net, doing bills..etc. I don tplay games or anything lik that on it.

Do I just get the card, put it in, plug in mew monitor ans whammo...Im in business? Can a dufus install it?

Im very good installing / builidng / fixing things...just not computers.

The good news: You have (according to the HP site) "One PCI Express x16 graphics" slot.

That means almost anyplace you go to buy a card will have one available.

I found a couple of really cheap ones:





All will do 1280X1024 on 2 monitors no problem and should! be able to do 2X 1600X1200

If you want to shop around a bit, just watch out for:
Cards that use shared memory:


You can install this yourself, just power off the system, locate the PCI-express slot =
it is the only slot in your system different than the others.

Gently but firmly insert card.

You may have to enter your BIOS to tell it to use the card instead of the onboard graphics.

We can help walk you through it if needed.

Edit: you will have to install the drivers too. Your card will come with a disc.

I installed a new video card in my comp having never done anything like that before. Its not difficult but you do have to open the computer up and pull out the old card and replace it with the new one. There is potential to fuck shit up, but not that likely. If you dont want to order it online then look at best buy/circuit city ads because they have sells on different cards pretty much every week. Anyone that supports 2 monitors will work. Pretty much the more expensive (msrp) it is the better it is but even cheap ones should suffice. Also there is different cards made for different types of slots. (according to low dough) your comp has PCI express x16 so make sure the video card is made for that kind of slot.

Heres the link to the instructions i used to install mine:
http://peripherals.about.com/od/videogr ... deocar.htm

also.. if you dont want to install it youself you can take your comp into best buy or circuit city and they will install the card for $20 i think. I looked into it cause i thought I might mess up my brand new comp but decided to do it myself anyways.