Questions & Answers
Q. My computer came with a 17" CRT monitor but I want to replace it
with an LCD. For now, I do not want to replace the video card. What type of LCD should I
buy?
A. Since you have a 17" CRT, you should be looking for a 15"
LCD if you want roughly the same amount of screen space. You could go with an LCD that
strictly has analog inputs, but the best choice would be an LCD that has both analog and
digital inputs. This will allow you to continue using your existing video card while
giving you the ability to use your new LCD with any future systems that may come with a
pre-installed digital video card.
Q. I'm currently using a 19" CRT monitor and I want to add another
19" monitor exactly like the one I have to my existing system. I'm basically looking
for the cheapest solution I can find. So with that in mind, what would be the best video
card for me?
A. You should go with the Matrox G450 for analog displays or the G550
Dual Head DVI for digital output, the ATI Radeon 7500, or the Appian Hurricane, which is a
standard dual-monitor video card with analog outputs.
Q. After measuring my desk, I discovered that I only have room for three
19" CRTs. What solution exists for driving three monitors?
A. For triple-monitor configurations, the best video card would be the
Appian Jeronimo Pro, the Colorgraphic Predator Pro or ProMedia, or the Matrox G200 four
head, all of which is capable of driving up to four analog monitors. The Matrox G200 four
head and the Appian Rushmore can be configured to provide 4 head DVI output to 4 LCD
Displays. The only downside is that you still have to pay for that fourth monitor
capability even though you won't be using it.
Q. What are the key features to look for in a LCD Monitor?
A. Look for and compare Dot pitch. A Contrast Ratio of 400:1 or better is
desirable check for type of input analog, digital or both. And finally look for special
features you might desire such as a Black Case built in speakers and some LCD monitors
even rotate on their mounting for a landscape or portrait configuration. For traders we
like monitors either CRT or LCD that are designated for graphics work.
Q. I bought two 15" LCDs from EBAY but after receiving them, I discovered
that one is analog and the other is digital. What should I do?
A. You need the Matrox G200 MMS or the Appian Gemini DVI-I, which are
flexible, Quad monitor cards with DVI outputs that can drive two to four digital monitors
using analog monitors, or a combination of analog and digital.
Q. I just purchased a dual-processor machine with two hard drives, 1 GB
of RAM and Windows 2000. I want to build a four-monitor system for trading and I'm willing
to spend whatever it takes to get the best setup possible. What video card and monitors
would be best?
A. You should purchase four digital LCDs, preferably 16" or larger,
with DVI inputs. To drive those, you'll need a Matrox G200 MMS four head with TV Output,
or the AppianX 4- Port video card. The AppianX is a high-performance video card with DVI
outputs that is capable of driving four displays at extremely high resolutions. The and
the Appian Rushmore and the Colorgraphic ProMedia can be configured to provide 4 head DVI
output to 4 LCD Displays All of these are premium video cards and in our opinion the best
setups money can buy.
Matrox & Colorgraphics along with Appian provide multi-monitor display adapters of
high quality. Matrox & Colorgraphics like Appian offer a full range of video card
selections that support up to 4 monitors per video card with many options available such
as a video tuner and multiple input overlays. The Colorgraphics and Matrox cards may be a
lower cost alternative but the trader should fully evaluate the features available with
all the available cards. Below is a summary of the features of the three manufacturers
along with their respective website link and a link to another helpful website that
focuses on multi-monitor workstation configurations.
http://www.multiplemonitors.org/Pages%20-%20Hardware/Hardware%20-%20Multi%20head%20Video%20cards.html
Appian Graphics – WWW.APPIAN.COM
The Appian product line includes:
The Appian Rushmore™ - Drives up to four monitors from a single PCI
slot . Up to 64 MB RAM. Integrated DVI. Supports Windows NT 4.0, 2000 and XP.
The Appian Hurricane™ - Single-slot, dual-display graphics card
featuring a high-speed PCI or AGP interface and 32MB DDR RAM. Supports Windows® 98, ME,
NT® 4.0, 2000 and XP.
The Appian Traveler™ - A PC-Card adapter that enables
extended-desktop functionality on any major PC laptop model. You can attach a digital or
analog display or projector and still retain independent use of your laptop screen.
Supports native resolutions up to 1280 x 1024, dedicates 4MB of onboard RAM to your second
display, and ships with
Appian's patented HydraVision desktop management software. Operating system support
includes Windows 98 and 2000.
The AppianX™ - Single-slot, quad-display Xtended Desktop Solution,
with up to 64 MB SDRAM, two Appian AGX multi-display graphics processors, DVI-Integrated,
and Video-In capability. Bundled with HydraVision. Supports Windows NT 4.0, 2000 and XP.
HydraVision™ - Part of every Appian Xtended Desktop Solution,
Appian's patented, sophisticated, yet easy to use desktop management software solution has
everything you need to manage increased amounts of information across your desktop and
improve your productivity. To provide further control of the extended desktop, Appian has
developed
AppianXtras™, a suite of multi-monitor specialty tools designed to help you see and
do more."
Colorgraphic Video Cards – WWW.COLORGRAPHIC.NET
Matrox - WWW.MATROX.COM
Matrox G200 Multi-Monitor Series
The Matrox G200 Multi-Monitor Series (MMS), available with quad-DVI and quadanalog display
support and TV-tuner option, is the leading high-end multi-monitor solution for the
financial market and information displays. With incredible stabilityand reliability,
simple installation, robust drivers, DVI output, and a high level of support, the G200 MMS
is designed to satisfy the needs of traders at banking and financial institutions. All
Matrox G200 MMS SKUs are designed for PCI systems with 8 MB of SGRAM per channel, DVI,
and/or RGB output. Prices range from US $499-$799.
1. G2+/DUALP-PL - This dual-output graphics card is best suited for
financial users who are looking for a stable and reliable product with a dedicated
graphics chip and frame buffer per analog or digital output.
2. G2+/QUADP-PL/7 - This single-slot, quad-output card offers dedicated
graphics and memory per output, as well as support for both analog and digital output.
This solution is used extensively in financial, data control centre, air traffic control
centre, and public information displays.
3. G2+/QUAD-PL/TVE - In addition to offering the same features as the
G2+/QUAD-PL board, this version comes equipped with a PAL TV-tuner (Europe) that enables
TV input to be displayed on any of the screens in the multi-monitor set up; this feature
is especially useful for displaying financial news on TV.
4. G2+/QUAD-PLP/TVN - This version is the same as the G2+/QUAD-PL/TVE but
comes with an
NTSC TV-tuner for the North American standard.
Millennium G550
With a wide variety of display output options, the Millennium G550 is the most
comprehensive graphics solution for the high-end business desktop and 2D workstation. The
G550 Series also comes equipped with HeadCasting™ technology and Virtual Presenter so
ftware for 3D-delivered PowerPoint® presentations . Designed for AGP systems, this 32 MB
multi-display solution combines world-leading 2D image quality with extensive OS support.
1. G55+MDHA32DB - This mainstream graphics card offers advanced
dual-display capabilities with dual-RGB or RGB with DVI output support. The bundled
DualHead® software that powers the card and its multi-display capabilities makes this
card the most robust and feature-rich graphics solution for business. A TV-Out cable and
the Software DVD Player are available as an option.
2. G55+MDHA32DR - The retail version of the Millennium G550, this card
offers all of the above and includes the TV-Out cable and the Matrox Software DVD Player.
Millennium G550 Dual-DVI
The Millennium G550 Dual-DVI is the first and only single-chip graphics card designed to
fit into Low Profile or ATX systems, that lets you immediately benefit from dual-analog
output and easily upgrade to dual-digital output using the dual- DVI cable.
1. G55MADDA32DB - The only single-chip graphics card to support two DVI
outputs, this Low Profile (LP) card comes with both an ATX bracket (installed) and an LP
bracket. Standard dual-RGB cables provide dual-analog display capabilities, while the
optional dual-DVI cable* instantly upgrades the card to provide dual-DVI output. The
dual-DVI option is great for future-proofing IT investments when businesses upgrade to
digital flat-panels: it allows an easy upgrade path to support two DVI flat-panels using
the optional cable.
* Dual-DVI cable (DL-CAB-DVI) available at Shopmatrox.com.
Millennium G450 Series
Available in both 16 MB and 32 MB DDR versions, the Millennium G450 with DualHead® is the
base-model corporate card and provides high-performance, full-featured graphics for
mainstream and value business desktops.
1. G45+MDHA16DLXB - This base-model Millennium G450 AGP card is
constructed with 16 MB of DDR and dual-RGB output. It's the perfect solution for the value
business desktop.
2. G45FMDHP16DB - As the industry's first single-chip, dual-display PCI
graphics card, the Millennium G450 PCI is a feature-rich and affordable solution that
offers accelerated, high-quality 2D graphics for systems with baseline or non-upgradeable
AGP graphics, such as Intel® i810-based systems. As well, this solution caters to IT
professionals using PCI server systems.
3. G45FMDVP32DB - This latest version of the Millennium G450 PCI is fully
loaded with added productivity-enhancing features such as DVI output, double the memory
with 32 MB of RAM, and support for resolutions in DualHead modes of up to 1600 x 1200 on
both displays.
4. G45FMDHA32DB - With 32 MB of DDR memory, this version of the
Millennium G450 offers stability and performance for users working with 3D-intensive
applications such as CAD design. As well, it supports 1600 x 1200 resolution in 32-bit
color in multi-display mode.
5. G45FMLDVA32DB - The Millennium G450 DVI is a Low Profile graphics card
ships with a separateATX bracket for easy installation in either configuration. The
Millennium G450 DVI natively supports single-DVI output to a digital or analog flat-panel,
and ships with a dual-RGB cable for DualHead® output to two analog monitors.
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