HP Z2 G9 Mini Workstation - Manual (Page 16)

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 configuring 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 that
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 that 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 to 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.
● See 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 11 .
● If necessary, 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 × 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 11 .
Some graphics cards support multiple monitors by multiplexing the monitor signal across multiple
outputs. This setup might reduce graphics performance. See the graphics card documentation, or look
up information about the card according to the procedure in Finding supported graphics cards on page
11 .
Be sure that the card outputs match the input required by the monitors. (See Identifying monitor
connection requirements on page 12 .)
The different models of HP Z-series computers have different limits on the mechanical size, data
speed, and power available for additional graphics cards. See the QuickSpecs for expansion card
slot identification 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/ .
3. If you want to add a new graphics card or cards:
10 Chapter 3 Setting up the computer