Connect two monitors to a PC without graphics card?

Rich Parry wrote on 2/16/2023, 7:49 PM

This week I built a new PC using the i9-13900K and a ASUS Z790 ProArt Creator motherboard. I’m not using a graphics card, I’m using the iGPU built into the i9 CPU for video output, it works well with a single monitor. I’ve been unsuccessful connecting two monitors. Am I trying to do the impossible? Has anyone with the i9 successfully connected two monitors without a graphics card?

In the event I need a graphics card, I’m leaning toward the 3060 or 3060 Ti. Anyone want to recommend a card? My PC is ultra quite and I’d like to keep it that way. I’d like to mitigate the graphics card creating excess noise and heat.

Thanks in advance,

Comments

bvideo wrote on 2/16/2023, 8:55 PM

Does the HDMI port work and the other two with the displayport adapters not work? Or do they all work, but only one at a time?

Dexcon wrote on 2/16/2023, 9:03 PM

There are plenty of HDMI splitters (1 in 2 out) on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=hdmi+splitter&hvadid=71949452896288&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&tag=msnaupcstd-22&ref=pd_sl_7ynrnry2i8_e ... which might be worth researching.

The only HDMI splitter that I've used was a 3 in 1 out - but that was years ago.

RogerS wrote on 2/16/2023, 9:54 PM

It should work if there are two or more ports. Are you on a current Intel driver?

maximum resolution of 4096 x 2160 at 60Hz over HDMI,
with DisplayPort up to 7680 x 4320 at 60Hz

john_dennis wrote on 2/16/2023, 9:57 PM

I have not done it.

https://www.asus.com/global/support/FAQ/1045574/#bbb

Howard-Vigorita wrote on 2/17/2023, 1:15 PM

@Rich Parry Having Intel igpus up to 12th gen and Arc a770, I wouldn't recommend relying on just that for Vegas editing. My tests with an a770, which is about as good as it gets with Intel right now, put it about equal to an amd rx580 or an nvidia 1660ti. Intel is great at encoding/decoding but not at timeline and fx processing. I have a 3060 in my 12th gen ASUS laptop with an iGPU and it's OK for Vegas editing. Stands around midstream in the benchmarks. I'd suggest you consider an amd 6000-series like the 6700xt which costs about the same as a 3060 with lower power draw and higher performance. Costs more but benches indicate a 6800xt would be a huge step up with Vegas.

Regarding more monitors with only 1 hdmi port, I think that motherboard also has thunderbolt ports that support monitors that have thunderbolt input... I assume with the appropriate drivers Windows will see them.

john_dennis wrote on 2/17/2023, 1:26 PM

My uninformed guess is that using two monitors with the ASUS Z790 Pro Art Creator motherboard will be problematic to impossible because there are not two physical ports.

This was likely a compromise that ASUS made to allow the inclusion of the DP In connectors for Thunderbolt.

Other ASUS board do have two physical ports.

I'm somewhat interested in the subject because I also own the motherboard. As @Howard-Vigorita suggested, I'd be more likely to use an add-in card for the additional displays.

bvideo wrote on 2/17/2023, 11:25 PM

Your USB-C #1 port output can be used for the iGPU graphics from the CPU. You would need to supply a USB-C-to-DisplayPort cable.

Wiew wrote on 2/18/2023, 10:59 AM

if the second screen is a laptop or a tablet you can use spacedesk on wifi , works perfectly over here on my tablet

https://www.spacedesk.net/

Vincent-Brice wrote on 2/18/2023, 1:46 PM

I used to have my two monitors daisy chained from one display port. Worked fine. (If you have display out connector on one monitor)

Rich Parry wrote on 2/19/2023, 1:38 PM

Thank you to all that replied. Since my original post, I have been successful in connecting two monitors using exclusively the iGPU of the i9-13900K by using one USB-C port and one HDMI port on the motherboard. The downside now is the HDMI output is limited to 1080x1920. Perhaps I need to install Intel drivers for higher resolution.

To be clear, using the iGPU is a temporary workaround until I decide on a graphic card in the next few weeks.

@John_dennis, thank you for your excellent video, I wondered what the purpose of the DisplayPort IN ports were. You have a great voice for narration. 😊

@john_dennis, since you have my ASUS MB, were you surprised to find it didn't come with a TPM to support W11, I know I was. I purchased a TPM module, but assumed all modern MB included the TPM.

Once again, thanks to all that replied

Rich

Wolfgang S. wrote on 2/19/2023, 1:59 PM

While the i-GPU will be great to support the playback behaviour of long-GOP footage, it may be less superior to support grading and rendering. A lof of effects are supported by a GPU by now in Vegas.

I also wonder about the system requirements really. Formaly, you need for 4K a Intel® GPU HD Graphics 630 series or higher. However, my findings on my laptop were that the RTX 3070 Ti performs significant better compared to my i-GPU, an Intel Iris Xe Grafic.

https://www.intel.de/content/www/de/de/products/sku/132214/intel-core-i912900h-processor-24m-cache-up-to-5-00-ghz/specifications.html?wapkw=%20i9-12900H

john_dennis wrote on 2/19/2023, 2:14 PM

@Rich Parry said"

"@John_dennis, thank you for your excellent video, I wondered what the purpose of the DisplayPort IN ports were. You have a great voice for narration."

That's not my voice. Here's what my hayseed-sounding voice sounds like.

It was a video that I found that explains the function well. My son bought a pair of G-RAID Thunderbolt drives for me to fill up with his video, but I'm currently using them on a USB 3 port. I doubt if the interface speed will make much difference with spinning disks when I connect them to the new system.

"@john_dennis, since you have my ASUS MB, were you surprised to find it didn't come with a TPM to support W11, I know I was. I purchased a TPM module, but assumed all modern MB included the TPM."

I actually wasn't surprised based on the recent "shortage" of TPM modules. I haven't bought one. I bought a Windows 10 license and will upgrade to Windows 11 in the future.

Howard-Vigorita wrote on 2/19/2023, 3:01 PM

@Wolfgang S. The igpu should definitely turn in lower performance than a 3060 for timeline and fx processing but the 5.8ghz clock of the i9-13900k should narrow the gap. Be interesting to see how it does on the benches like the new Ivar benchmark. I'd found the AI Upscale FX (torture test here) a little crash-prone when forced to run on my laptop's IrisXe so it might be wise to stay away from that FX without a more capable gpu.