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trouble connecting dual monitor in Dell optiplex GX620

Hi,
I have a 2005 Dell Optiplex GX620 mini tower with Intel 82945G chipset card in use. I only have 1 VGA slot in the back of the tower. I connected that to the VGA slot of 1 of the 2 DELL flatpanel display (1704FPT) and I connected the DVI input of the two displays together with a DVI cable and the weird looking USB like port on both displays is connected to the tower. But the second display is not recognized by the machine.
is there anything I should do to make it recognize the second display or should i buy a Y-cable and use the VGA input on the second display?
any help will be appreciated
thanks

tcicatelli

You should add a second video card to allow you to drive both screens. This will also give you the ability to extend the desktop across both screens.

sarnman23

ASKER

well i dont want to buy anything more if i can help it. i found out my chip does support dual monitors

tcicatelli

My mistake. Check out javascript:winopen('/content/topics/global.aspx/solutions/en/why_optiplex_dual?c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh','Main','WIDTH=595,HEIGHT=400,RESIZABLE=YES,SCROLLBARS=YES,TOOLBAR=YES,LEFT=0,TOP=20');

It describes the additional part you need. It shouldn't be expensive.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

tcicatelli

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Callandor

The DVI ports on the monitors are for input only; you can't daisy-chain them together to get a display on two monitors. You will need the special VGA/DVI cable that tcicatelli linked to.

tcicatelli

If it makes you feel any better, you aren't the only one that's been sold an incomplete setup from Dell.

sarnman23

ASKER

I ended up getting the part from DELL: DVI-add-in card for free after haggling with different branches of the Dell Bureaurcracy for an entire week.