Motherboard has one HDMI port but supports three monitors. How can it?

07
2014-07

Badgerspot

I am looking at an Asus motherboard and it says :

Integrated Graphics Processor 
Multi-VGA output support : HDMI/DVI-D/RGB ports 
 - Supports HDMI with max. resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz
 - Supports DVI-D with max. resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz
 - Supports RGB with max. resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz
Maximum shared memory of 1024 MB
Supports Intel® InTru™ 3D, Quick Sync Video, Clear Video HD Technology, Insider™
Supports up to 3 displays simultaneously

Having read the manual it's not clear if the three monitors it supports are {1 HDMI + 1 DVI-D and 1 RGB} or {3 HDMI covering the 4096*2160 area}.

I'd ideally like to support three HDMI monitors (without buying a graphics card), ie, to get the 4096 * 2160 split over two or three monitors with HDMI .

I'm noting looking to do any gaming, I just want a really good home set up for web dev and general computing. As I'm not going to be gaming I'd rather not get a separate graphics card.

Am I unaware of an obvious trick to support three monitors from a single port? Or do I have to get a graphics card to support multiple monitors via the same interface? Or (given that I have only one monitor at present) aim to get the subsequent ones over different interfaces? Although I have read that using a VGA port with a modern monitor is a waste of time.

Answers

Sickest

Multi-VGA output support : HDMI/DVI-D/RGB ports - Supports HDMI with max. resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz - Supports DVI-D with max. resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz - Supports RGB with max. resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz Maximum shared memory of 1024 MB Supports Intel® InTru™ 3D, Quick Sync Video, Clear Video HD Technology, Insider™ Supports up to 3 displays simultaneously

Based on this information, yes it can support 3 monitors, 1 connection from the HDMI, 1 from the DVI-D and 1 from the VGA Port.

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Not all from 1 hdmi connection. And if using a VGA is a problem, get a VGA to DVI converter.

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edit: if you really want a full DVI/HDMI with upto 4 monitors I'd recommend looking into higher end stand alone video cards that normally support 2 dvi, 1 hdmi, and 1 display port. Or other combinations that don't include VGA.

Related Answers

Zds

I've got a Gigabyte motherboard with DVI, D-SUB and HDMI onboard and I know that doesn't allow use of HDMI and DVI at the same time.

From looking at the manual for your motherboard (which is available from the QVL page at http://www.asus.com/Product.aspx?P_ID=EbXqq06yxpJwlABf ), the same is the case for your motherboard. You can use DVI and D-SUB at the same time, or D-SUB and HDMI at the same time, but not DVI and HDMI.

DVI and HDMI are variants of the same standards, or HDMI is a superset of DVI. Unlike DisplayPort they also require a separate clock per each connection, meaning there is a hard limit to amount of DVI/HDMI connections you can use at once. On most discrete cards the limit is 2, on integrated graphics it varies.

Avery Payne

This is a very specific function of your motherboard. While I can't speak for the ASUS unit you are using, I can tell you that I have seen mixed results with HP units. Some support driving two monitors, others force you to pick one and stick with it. You'll definiately want to consult your BIOS manual for more info. If in doubt, and you just really need to have more screen space (but not the gaming prowess of a GPU), either get a card with multi-monitor support, or get one of those new USB-Video driver boxes (they're fairly cheap).

JumpingPA

it depends on the number of provided sync clocks. Most common is 2 out of all provided connectors, one digital and one analog. But there are also solutions out there where either only one output at once is supported or two out of all available.

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Motherboard has one HDMI port but supports three monitors. How can it?