vga - What cable do I need for this port?

07
2014-07
  • Omar EL Mandour

    I have tried to plug a monitor to a Dell computer into the VGA slot and I have received this message : This computer has an add-in graphics card, but the monitor is plugged into the integrated video connector. To attach the monitor cable to the add-in graphics card...

    After a quick search, it seems I need an adaptator that I do not have (not a DVI one, I have already tried) maybe for this slot but I do not know what this port is for: Link: http://i.stack.imgur.com/9E392.png

    enter image description here

    Thanks in advance

    • Answers
  • heavyd

    That's a "dual DVI" port.

    You need an adapter that splits it into two separate DVI or VGA adapters. Be careful, honestly this is a poor design and can put stress on the graphics card if you aren't careful where you lead the cable.

    Below is the DVI version but there's a dual DVI to VGA version as well.

    enter image description here

    The other port is an 7-pin variation of the S-Video port.

    Regarding your message, many business (GX, Optiplex) Dell desktops won't let you use the integrated VGA with the graphics card together. Not sure why this is (not enough PCIe lanes to support both in the chipset maybe?)


    • Related Question

    display - Can you use a DVI-VGA Adapter on a monitor instead of a video card?
  • Joel Coehoorn

    I suspect the answer to this is "no", but here goes:

    I have a monitor with inputs for DVI and VGA. I want to be able to share this display with two computers (one at a time, of course) that both have VGA only. I also have a DVI->VGA dongle that came with a video card that's in a different computer.

    Can I connect this dongle directly to the DVI port on the monitor so that I can connect both VGA computers? I'd rather not resort to a kvm.


    • Related Answers
  • David Spillett

    No, you'll need to use the KVM option or buy a couple of VGA extension cables and manually switch between the two (bring the two monitor ends of the extensions and the PC end of the monitor's table up to you test and hold them there with something like http://lifehacker.com/5499838/binder-clips-as-cable-catchers-redux%5D and just plug the monitor one into the right extension when you need to). You might find a cheap 2-machine KVM with the required cables doesn't cost much more than a couple of plain VGA extension cables though.

    A DVI->VGA "converter" doesn't actually convert any signals at all. Most DVI ports on graphics cards also carry the analog RGB signals needed by a VGA monitor along side the digital signal lines (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface for relevant pinout diagrams) and all the adaptor does is connect these pins to the right pins of the VGA port. So unless your monitor can accept the reverse (analog signals through its DVI input), which I doubt many (if any) do, this does not work the other way around.

  • Tom Wijsman

    Nope. The DVI-->VGA dongle is actually "DVI-I" to VGA. The "I" representing that the DVI port has the analog signals needed to convert to analog VGA.

    Since the Monitor doesn't produce a signal (analog or otherwise) they only have DVI-D ports on them ("D" being 'digital-only'), so you won't even be able to plug the dongle into the port (the spade is the wrong size, and there will be 4 extra pins on the dongle (these are the analog signal pins).