Installing a VGA card in addition to I7 Ivy Bridge Internal Graphics

[2pods]

At the moment I have my music/audio I7 Ivy Bridge machine running two monitors from the onboard graphics, as an extended desktop (main monitor is a 27" 1920 x 1080, other monitor is a 22" 1680 x 1050).

I also have a laptop plugged into my main monitor, which gets switched between it and the desktop computer via the "source" switch on this monitor.(I have the laptop closed, but HDMI out into the monitor at 1920 x 1050 which the laptop's screen can't manage).

I've done this so I can work on my two screen audio computer, but switch the monitor source if I hear an email has arrived at the "normal" W7 installation on the laptop. Clunky I know. I use "Mouse Without Borders" to do this. It's a brilliant wee program.

Would installing a fairly low end Radeon HD5450 give me any advantage, with say a third monitor running at 1920 x 1080?

 

[XweAponX]

With Ivy Bridge, I think you can use LicidLogix "Virtu":

lucidlogix with GPU Solutions

Or some other kind of program that allows you to merge Dedicated and Integrated Video. The Ivy Bridge is on the Motherboard?

I always use those cheap eVga GeForce 210's - they have a pretty decent output for a 35 dollar GPU board. I like ATI, but I have had way too much trouble with their drivers and the CCC program.

At least, if you had the 3rd monitor, you would not have to switch, I say go for it, get the ATI card if it is better for the system

 

[2pods]

Thanks for the info. I'll have a look at it.