Multi-Monitor Support Depends on the GPU Type
When configuring a build-to-order (BTO) PC, output to external displays depends on the type of GPU.
- Output from the CPU’s integrated GPU (iGPU)
- Output from a discrete graphics card (dGPU)
In most cases, it falls into one of these two patterns.
With an iGPU, it depends on the CPU’s display output capability
If the PC doesn’t have a discrete GPU, multi-monitor capability is determined by:
- The CPU specs, which set the maximum number of supported displays
- The motherboard specs, which determine what output ports are available
For example, in a PC using an Intel Core i5-9500 processor, the CPU specs limit the maximum number of displays to three. So even if the motherboard has three or more external video outputs, only up to three displays can be used simultaneously.
First, the CPU sets the “up to three external displays” limit. Then, the selected motherboard determines which output port types are available.
With a dGPU, it expands based on the graphics card specs
For a PC with a dGPU, there are two common use cases:
- Use both the iGPU and dGPU for external display output
- Use only the dGPU for external display output
When using only the dGPU, it depends on the dGPU’s maximum supported displays and the number of ports on the card.
For example, with Kuroutoshikou’s “Kuroutoshikou NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GF-GTX1650-E4GB/OC/DF,” the output ports are:
- DisplayPort × 1
- HDMI × 1
- DVI-D × 1
That’s three ports total, and since the GeForce GTX 1650 supports three simultaneous displays, it can output to up to three external monitors using all available ports.
Extra: How to Use iGPU + dGPU Together
This is a slightly tricky approach, but it’s also possible to use both the iGPU and dGPU for display output.
In this case, the theoretical maximum is the iGPU limit plus the dGPU limit. So with the earlier Core i5-9500 + GeForce GTX 1650 combination, it’s theoretically possible to drive up to six displays at the same time.
For work PCs or day-trading setups that use more than three displays, this can be a cost-effective way to increase the number of monitors.
Whether six-display output will actually work depends on:
- The OS maximum supported number of displays
- Whether the motherboard supports simultaneous output from iGPU and dGPU
According to one test, Windows appears to support up to 16 displays, so from an OS standpoint, six displays should be fine on Windows.
Motherboard support depends on the manufacturer, so check each manufacturer’s website before purchasing.
Specifically, if the UEFI has a relevant setting (names vary by vendor, such as IGPU Multi Monitor, CPU Graphics Multi-Monitor, and so on), there’s a good chance that using iGPU and dGPU together will work.
This article covered how to choose a BTO PC for a multi-monitor setup.
For two to three displays, most standard BTO configurations can handle it without issues. But beyond that, it becomes a more specialized area that requires some technical knowledge—so buying from a BTO specialist that sells multi-monitor models is the more reliable option.
