Do I need a new power source and video card to run dual monitors? I know my motherboard supports dual monitors?

by Karen Roe

I only have 1 VGA port, and no DVI to plug into. Best Buys says I also need a better power supply and, of course, a dual graphics card. Any Help appreciated. This is the information from my computer’s profile that I reckon is necessary to make a determination:

Operating System System Model
Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3 (build 2600) Dell Computer Corporation Dimension 4600i
Enclosure Type: Mini-Tower
Processor a Main Circuit Board b
3.00 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4
16 kilobyte primary memory cache
1024 kilobyte secondary memory cache Board: Dell Computer Corp. 0F4491
Serial Number: ..CN4811147F03J6.
Bus Clock: 800 megahertz
BIOS: Dell Computer Corporation A12 08/26/2004
Drives Memory Modules c,d
249.99 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
136.73 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

Lite-On LTN486S 48x Max [CD-ROM drive]
Philips DVD+RW DVD8601 [CD-ROM drive]
3.5″ format removeable media [Floppy drive]

Generic STORAGE DEVICE USB Device [Hard drive] — drive 3
Generic STORAGE DEVICE USB Device [Hard drive] — drive 2
Generic STORAGE DEVICE USB Device [Hard drive] — drive 1
Generic STORAGE DEVICE USB Device [Hard drive] — drive 4
WDC WD2500JS-75NCB3 [Hard drive] (250.00 GB) — drive 0 3326 Megabytes Installed Memory

Slot ‘CHANNEL A DIMM 0′ has 256 MB
Slot ‘CHANNEL B DIMM 0′ has 1024 MB
Slot ‘CHANNEL A DIMM 1′ has 1024 MB
Slot ‘CHANNEL B DIMM 1′ has 1024 MB
Community Drive Volumes

c: (NTFS on drive 0)249.99 GB136.73 GB free

Network Drives
None detected

Controllers Show
Standard floppy disk controller
Primary IDE Direct [Controller] (2x)
Secondary IDE Direct [Controller] (2x)
Standard Dual Direct PCI IDE Controller (2x) Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller [Show adapter]
DELL E2209W [Monitor] (22.0″vis, s/n F180G9291MTL, February 2009)
Bus Adapters Multimedia
Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller
Standard Universal PCI to USB Host Controller (4x) SB Live! 24-bit
Unimodem Half-Duplex Audio Device
Communications Additional Devices
Conexant D850 56K V.9x DFVc Modem

1394 Net Adapter
Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection
primary Auto IP Address: 192.168.1.2 / 24
Gateway: 192.168.1.1
Dhcp Ma?tre d’h?tel: 192.168.1.1
Physical Address: 00:11:11:2A:55:E5

Networking Dns Ma?tre d’h?tel: 192.168.1.1
OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller
HID-compliant consumer control device
HID-compliant device
USB Creature Interface Device (2x)
List MX850 ser Network
Olympus C 750 UZ Digital Camera
HID Keyboard Device
Microsoft USB IntelliMouse Optical
USB Composite Device
USB Mass Storage Device
USB Root Hub (5x)
Sorry, I don’t know near as much about hardware as I do software. What I assume is the power supply says 250 watts max. Best Buys said it would cost me $ 200.00-$ 300.00 for the record card and the power supply. Are they trying to rip me off? At persons prices I’ll wait and buy a mainframe. If I see a record on how to install the parts, I can do it for myself. That’s how I get all of my repairs done. If I can get the parts for $ 150.00 or less, I’ll do it for myself.
I’ll stop bugging you after this. This is integrated record, so when I place the new card in will I have to disable or remove any software, or will Windows see the new card disable the ancient one?

Answer by Urdnot Grunt
How may maybe you maybe list all that info and somehow place out your power supply? Anyways, since you do only have 1 port as you said on your record card, you will need a new one. As long as your power supply is around 400 watts at least you should be excellent to run dual monitors though. Best Buy was probably just trying to get you to buy their shit.

Answer by ʞɔıɯ
it’s pun that you question if you need a new power supply but nowhere do

you list what power supply you already have.

but my guess is you don’t need a new power supply and I wouldn’t

place any more money into that ancient a system than I had too

Answer by aviatingamateur
According to Dell Support, your Dimension 4600 has an AGP record card slot. http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim4600/en/4600i/sm/specs.htm#1119251

You CANNOT buy just any record card– Your computer cannot accept a PCIExpress 16x record card that is standard today (your machine has no PCIExpress).

You MUST stick with an older AGP card. This card should work with your machine, and since it draws very small power (does not require an additional molex power connector), it should work with your existing power supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102851 It has two DVI-I jacks (will also work with VGA, using a DVI-I-to-VGA adapter) and supports dual monitors.

Hope this helps.

EDITED TO ADD:

Never, EVER buy computer parts from Best Buy. They mark up their prices WAY over what internet retailers like Newegg charges, and their advice are questionable at best.

The HD4650 AGP record card I linked to for you draws under 50 watts under full load– It was one of the most power-efficient record cards of its generation. It will work just fine with the existing PSU in your Dell. And that card costs just $ 80 at Newegg.

As far as installation goes, most AGP computers will automatically disable the onboard when an AGP record card is inserted. If that doesn’t happen, you will need to go into BIOS and exchange the graphics option to initiate the AGP graphics card first, rather than the onboard. Very simple to do. Then you boot into Windows and install the drivers CD that came with the record card.

Know better? Place your own answer in the comments!

What if a company chose to design a completely new DSLR with a 35mm sized sensor with the later features:

1) Only three modes: Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and full Manual control.

2) User or Auto controlled white balance.

3) A screen just to check your results. No “Live View”.

4) The ability to exchange ISO at will just as you can with your current digital camera.

5) Custom lens mounts. This is the biggie. You may maybe order the body with any mount you wanted. List FD or EF, Olympus OM or 4/3, Minolta SR or A, Nikon F, Pentax K, Leica M or their SLR mount or any additional mount you can reckon of. All features and functions of the lens would be supported so if you ordered the body with an FD or SR or OM or K mount it would be meter-coupled just as it was when it was used on a 35mm camera like the Pentax K1000 or List FTb or Minolta XE-7 or Olympus OM-1.

Of course there would be licensing issues with all the different lens mounts offered and the newer auto focus mounts might be impossible to offer. Still, I reckon its an fascinating thought.

Sounds pretty far-fetched doesn’t it? Remember, it was once considered impossible for a heavier than air machine to glide. The VCR was once considered cutting edge technology. “Pong” was once the record game leader.
EDIT: Never said it would be simple. Also, by having a custom mount calculated for each manufacturer you eliminate the problems associated with flange to sensor dimensions. This DSLR with a List FD mount would have no need for bulky, cumbersome adapters. The FD mount lens would glue just as it did to an FTb.

I forgot about the smaller image circle of the 4/3 lenses so Nikon’s technology that lets you use a DX format lens on their FX size sensor would need to be licensed. Who knows – maybe we’d have something comparable to the ancient 1/2 frame 35mm film cameras.

Answer by a
You would have to have a large assortment of mount spacers.

Many models and their lenses have different distances from the rear lens element to the film or sensor. So mechanical mount compatibility is only one aspect of the mount. Optical compatibility is another aspect, and it impacts the optical design of the entire lens.

Well of course you may maybe have a lens on rails that may maybe go back or forward to simulate any lens to film distance, but then that would add weight and bulky size. Then nobody would want to carry it.

Answer by SgtPepper
Exactly my thoughts ! This is what most of us need in DSLR cameras. One addition I want is a spot meter to go with it.

(Really Leica M9 provides the same satisfaction that you might be looking for but then it’s not a DSLR and it doesn’t support innumerable lens mounts).

In my DSLR, the things that I fiddle around with are -
Modes – M, A, S.
White balance
Flash mode- ttl or commander
Exposure compensation when using A or S mode
Screen to check the results and to view the levels at times.

I rarely increase my camera’s ISO.
I have never bothered to use the advanced autofocus modes that are now provided in innumerable bodies.
I don’t fiddle around with image processing menus since I always post-process.
There are a hundred things in the menus that I know exist but I never use them.

I do hope someone hears you.

Answer by Perki88
Even without the lens business I’d be permanent on line for it!

What do you reckon? Answer below!

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this is me before a live audience guitar while life filmed on my new Record Camera Fe47 olympus Fe-47 Fe 47 olympus Fe-47 olympus Fe-47 olympus Fe-47 olympus Fe-47 olympus Fe-47 olympus Fe-47 olympus Fe-47 Harvest Olympus has a long history in camera and lens design. In 1936, Olympus introduced its first camera, the Semi-Olympus I. The first really innovative camera series from Olympus was the PEN models, launched in 1959. Half-frame format, allowing 72 pictures of 18 × 24 mm format on a standard 36 exposure roll of film, made PEN cameras compact and portable for their time. Olympus OM Lenses The PEN system design team, led by Yoshihisa Maitani, later made the OM system, a full frame professional 35 mm SLR system calculated to compete with Nikon and List’s bestsellers. The OM system introduced a new trend towards more compact cameras and lenses, life much smaller than its competitors and presenting innovative design features such as off-the-film (OTF) metering and OTF flash automation. Ultimately the system built-in 14 different bodies, approximately 60 Zuiko-branded lenses, and numerous camera accessories. Olympus Quick Flash camera But, Olympus did not go into the autofocus market in the way their competitors did, ultimately leading to their decline as a maker of professional film camera systems[citation needed]. The company is a leading manufacturer of digital cameras, with a large range of compact digital cameras. Olympus is the designer of the Four-Thirds System standard …