Best way to get 2 monitors

[solidsponge]

I have a mac pro at work, ancient july one dual core. It only has one DVI output, how can I get another monitor (not just clone of screen) on this thing? Will some sort of ebay adaptor work, recommendations?


(its this one http://everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_pro/specs/mac-pro-quad-3.0-specs.html but with a ATI Radeon HD 5770 in)

 

[tmagman]

time for a video card upgrade.

 

[jonnykk]

I have a mac pro at work, ancient july one dual core. It only has one DVI output, how can I get another monitor (not just clone of screen) on this thing? Will some sort of ebay adaptor work, recommendations?


(its this one http://everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_pro/specs/mac-pro-quad-3.0-specs.html but with a ATI Radeon HD 5770 in)

If you have a ATI 5770 in it that is meant for an Apple, it should have (2) Mini DisplayPort outputs as well as the DVI. There are Mini DisplayPort > "X" adapters available depending on what connections your other monitor(s) have.

Adapter Examples:

Mini DisplayPort > HDMI
Mini DisplayPort > DisplayPort
Mini DisplayPort > DVI

If your other display is older and doesn't have a HDMI or DisplayPort connections, then going with a Mini DisplayPort > DVI may be your best bet.

 

[solidsponge]

If you have a ATI 5770 in it that is meant for an Apple, it should have (2) Mini DisplayPort outputs as well as the DVI. There are Mini DisplayPort > "X" adapters available depending on what connections your other monitor(s) have.

Adapter Examples:

Mini DisplayPort > HDMI
Mini DisplayPort > DisplayPort
Mini DisplayPort > DVI

If your other display is older and doesn't have a HDMI or DisplayPort connections, then going with a Mini DisplayPort > DVI may be your best bet.

Ah brilliant it does have those! Excellent, I will try and get one of those. Im glad I asked as I thought they were thunderbolt ones haha. Thats great, I will go for mdp > dvi then.

(to other poster, cant get work to buy new card unfortunately nor a new mac haha)

Forgot to say, thanks

 

[paulrbeers]

Ah brilliant it does have those! Excellent, I will try and get one of those. Im glad I asked as I thought they were thunderbolt ones haha. Thats great, I will go for mdp > dvi then.

(to other poster, cant get work to buy new card unfortunately nor a new mac haha)

From a video standpoint, Thunderbolt and MDP are the same and the adapters are compatible. Just FYI.

 

[ActionableMango]

From a video standpoint, Thunderbolt and MDP are the same and the adapters are compatible.

Almost the same! You can't connect a Thunderbolt monitor to an MDP card.

I only mention this because every now and then someone thinks they can connect their Mac Pro to a Thunderbolt ACD but there is no way to do this, even with adapters.

 

[paulrbeers]

Almost the same! You can't connect a Thunderbolt monitor to an MDP card.

I only mention this because every now and then someone thinks they can connect their Mac Pro to a Thunderbolt ACD but there is no way to do this, even with adapters.

Good additional point. In the context of this thread looking at adapters to hook monitors up to MDP/Thunderbolt, they are the same.