My mobo has a PCI Express x4 (x8 Connector) spare currently and I need a low power useless graphics card to go in it to give me a 3rd output to power a 3rd 2407 dell screen - anyone know what i could drop into it to make this happen? (preferably nVidia)
You could put in a GT 520 or 430, PCI-E x4 slots have open backs so full size PCI-E cards will work, just with reduced speed or something.
If it is just displaying basic documents, web pages etc then they should be fine, assuming drivers work. It won't work for gaming across three monitors unless you SLI with the same card.
If the x4 slot doesn't have an open back, you can use a small pair of pliers to pry the end off or a small xacto knife to cut the end off.
Though you really want to make sure you get a card from the same vendor as the one you already have, ATI doesn't play nice with others, and nVidia's not a big team player either. Yeah it's possible to get a multi-vendor setup to work, but it's really not worth it.
Aye already running a semi decent 280GTX or something as the main card (it can do the stuff i need it to do) the other would really just to give me another DVI out. The motherboard is an S5000xvn - not sure what an openback slot would look like?
Well, the S5000xvn's PCI-E X4 slots aren't open back.. If you think your hand is steady enough, you should try what Mac_Trekkie suggested and cut off the end of one of them. Otherwise, you could probably put a PCI video card in one of the PCI-X slots..
Still make them? Nope. They're ass, worse than onboard Graphics in most cases, but you can definitely still get them.
If you just need basic output, a GT210 pci-e X1 card should be just fine. They can do dxva 1080p video as well, but not really much for 3D like gaming. You can get PCI still, like the GS8400, but usually cost more than the GT210 and WAY crappier.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Club-3D-GT210-PCI-512MB/dp/B004BU2WN8/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt this kind of thing? any chance they made one without a fan?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Matrox-MMGA-G550-32-MB-DVI-Out-PCI-Express-x1-low-profile-Graphics-Card-/270897437560?pt=UK_Computing_Computer_Components_Graphics_Video_TV_Cards_TW&hash=item3f12bedb78#ht_500wt_922
That definitely won't have drivers for Windows 7, isn't NVidia, so it won't play nice with his GTX 280, and without drivers won't be able to output more than 800x600, I think it is. Or is it 1024x768? Whatever, still too low to be particularly useful.
when it comes to cutting the back out, is it literally taking the tiny black edge from the rear of the slot away?
