Help me choose a video card that is good but not too good.

December 31, 2008 11:36 AM

I need a suggestion for a video card to create a dual-monitor setup for my assistant. I'm not as concerned with getting too little power in a card as I am paying for much more than I need.

The computer is a Lenovo A61. The specs sheet describes the current card as "INTEGRADED VIDEO AMD 690G." The processor is anAMD/ATHLON64X2 4400+AM2 PR. Her second monitor would be a 19" ProView.

All she does on this computer is use MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Outlook) and web.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Please let me know if I've left out any important data. Of all the technology I've purchased through the years, I've never had to shop for a video card before.

Thanks in advance.

posted by 4ster to computers & internet (13 comments total)

Assuming it has any kind of expansion slots at all - PCI of some type - anything at all will do. Make sure it has the right kind of output (VGA vs DVI), but to power a 19" tube for basic web/office use, you cannot buy a card that won't do what you want.
posted by Tomorrowful at 11:45 AM on December 31, 2008

Yeah, I've got an Intel integrated video card (GMA950?) that came with my little tiny Eee 901, and it has no problem driving the laptop screen (1024x600) and simultaneously a 24" 1920x1200 monitor. I'd first try just using the video card you have.
posted by orthogonality at 11:51 AM on December 31, 2008

Addendum: The video card in question must actually match the kind of available expansion slot; PCI != PCI-Express != AGP.
posted by Tomorrowful at 11:52 AM on December 31, 2008

I can't find the kind of expansion slot in the specs for this computer. How can I find this?
posted by 4ster at 12:17 PM on December 31, 2008

If orthogonality's suggestion doesn't work for you, rather than get a video card at all you might consider getting a Matrox DualHead2Go or TripleHead2Go. This will probably work with whatever card you already have - you can check compatibility online.
posted by me & my monkey at 12:19 PM on December 31, 2008

According to the specs on this page, that desktop already has a video card capable of driving two monitors. If there's only one physical out on the back of the case, you probably just need the appropriate dual-head cable.

Somebody else can probably point you to the appropriate cable... I have no idea what an ATI needs.

If you really want to buy a new video card, just about any gaming card made in the last five years is going to do what you need. Buy whatever nVidia or ATI (according to your preference) costs closest to $100, without going under.
posted by Netzapper at 12:28 PM on December 31, 2008

orthogonality, I'm guessing the computer is a Lenovo desktop with only one video output, so using the video card they already have isn't an option.

Tomorrowful makes a good point about it being important to buy a compatible card. This is probably the most confusing part of getting a new card (well, this and installing the drivers, which may or may not be tricky). I'd recommend finding the specifications of your computer, either in the manual or in a "order confirmation" email (where I usually have this stuff), or online if you can find the same model. That will tell you how many slots and of what kinds the computer has, total. Then open up the case, look inside, and see what's available. If you don't know what a slot is, it may be difficult to get your bearings. Bribe a friend's 16 year old kid to come over and help you, or call Best Buy's Geek Squad or something similar.

On preview: The number of expansion slots should be in the specs somewhere. This is a desktop, and not a laptop, right? You probably have at least four different slots, probably at least two PCI slots and perhaps an AGP or PCI-Express. (Of these, PCI slots are the longest-existing technology, and they haven't been obsoleted yet, so I'd be very surprised if you didn't have at least one available PCI slot).
posted by kprincehouse at 12:29 PM on December 31, 2008

This machine has a regular PCI, 1 PCI-E (x1), and a PCI-E (16x), so you're OK with many modern (and older) cards. Just avoid ISA and AGP and you'll be fine. You can get old regular PCI cards for less than $20, or something a bit more modern, possibly with multiple outputs so you can get extra CPU and RAM out of the machine by not using onboard video.
posted by rhizome at 1:10 PM on December 31, 2008

This is all you need.
posted by Liver at 1:30 PM on December 31, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

For light office apps, any PCI-E x16 graphics card below $40 will do you well (Liver's suggestion is a fantastic deal).

Some things to keep in mind:

1) A lot graphics cards have one DVI and one VGA output. You may need to buy an adapter to make the 2nd monitor connect, depending on its connection type.

2) If you go for a graphics card that has a heat sink instead of a fan, it may cause heat to build up inside your computer's case (come to think of it, any graphics card may cause this problem). If this happens, you may need to install a case fan (if your computer doesn't have one already -- and don't confuse the power supply unit's fan for a case fan) which you can buy for like $5 at Fry's.
posted by puritycontrol at 4:54 PM on December 31, 2008

Uh, wow. I had no idea you could get a 256mb card that cheap. The one Liver linked to is exactly what you want. Question answered.
posted by kprincehouse at 8:39 PM on December 31, 2008

Again, thanks everyone for your help.

I think I am going to try a VGA "Y" cable and see what happens, in case the Radeon card that is in the computer already can really support two monitors. Otherwise, I'll go with the card Liver suggests.

Again, thanks everyone, and happy New Year.
posted by 4ster at 10:50 AM on January 1

Hi everyone,

The VGA y-cable didn't work, so I'm going with Liver's suggestion. Thanks to all for your help.
posted by 4ster at 11:09 AM on January 9