User's Manual
Planning for additional monitors
Read this section to learn what you need to know before adding monitors to your computer.
All graphics cards provided with HP Z-series computers support two simultaneous-display monitors (see
Connecting and conguring monitors on page 12). Cards that support more than two monitors are available.
The process for adding monitors depends on your graphics cards and the type and number of monitors you
add.
Use this process to plan for adding more monitors.
1. Assess your monitor needs.
● Determine how many monitors you require.
● Determine the kind of graphics performance you want.
● Note the type of graphics connector used by each monitor. HP provides graphics cards with
DisplayPort (DP) and DVI-D interfaces, but you can use adapters and third-party cards to interface to
other graphics formats, including DVI-I, HDMI, or VGA.
TIP: Some adapters for older hardware might cost more than others. You might want compare the
cost of acquiring adapters with the cost of getting a newer monitor that doesn't need adapters.
2. Determine whether you need additional graphics cards.
● Consult the graphics card documentation to determine how many monitors you can connect to the
card.
You might need to acquire adapters to match the card output to the monitor connector. See
Matching graphics cards to monitor connectors on page 10.
● If necessary, plan to acquire a new graphics card to support additional monitors.
IMPORTANT: Newer generations of graphics cards support only digital output protocols. Traditional
analog outputs (VGA, DVI-A, or DVI-I connected to a DVI-A monitor) can be connected only by using an
active adapter.
NOTE: Monitors with resolutions above 1920 x 1200 pixels at 60 Hz require a graphics card with either
Dual Link DVI (DL-DVI) or DisplayPort output. To get native resolution with DVI, you must use a DL-DVI
cable, not standard DVI-I or DVI-D cables.
HP computers do not support all graphics cards. Be sure that a new graphics card is supported before
purchasing it. See Finding supported graphics cards on page 10.
Some graphics cards support multiple monitors by multiplexing the monitor signal across multiple
outputs. This setup might reduce graphics performance. Consult the graphics card documentation, or
look up information about the card according to the procedure in Finding supported graphics cards on
page 10.
Be sure that the card outputs match the input required by the monitors. (See Identifying monitor
connection requirements on page 11.)
The dierent models of HP Z-series computers have dierent limits on the mechanical size, data
speed, and power available for additional graphics cards. See the QuickSpecs for expansion card
slot identication to be sure that a new graphics card will work for your computer. To access the
QuickSpecs, go to http://www.hp.com/go/quickspecs/.
Planning for additional monitors
9