Agree harry, I have used both avg and avast, avast seems to update quietly in the background whereas avg brings comp to a stop almost whilst updating.

Does anyone run a 3rd monitor via USB?

Mega, I use Avast free at home, on my mobile phone, and run paid-for avast at work, and am perfectly happy. There doesn't seem to be any difference in performance between the free and paid versions. Avast is very good at spotting the occasional dodgy website and warning you!

Avast for my mobile (GalaxyS2) works well with no noticeable effect.

Further to post 10113.

Any views on the pros/cons of running a 3rd/4th monitor by either a 2nd graphics card or a USB to VGA/DVI connector such as this or similar?

You're not having much luck with this one skinny. None of us have turned our living room into a fully functional trading room yet!

Harry - I've had 2 monitors for years and as I bought a new 22" with my recent PC purchase, I thought I might as well utilise the 3rd screen.

Skinners,

I've no experience of multi-displays via USB. Instead, I use the older Matrox Quad cards that have been around for a while now. I bought a few of them second hand off eBay some years ago, and keep one spare in case one card goes wrong.

There are certainly faster cards nowadays, but I'm not so sure I'd be able to notice any discernible difference.

I don't think for what most of us do day to day, we need one of the high performance cards which seem aimed squarely at gamers.

My old PC had a dual head Radeon 9700(128mb), which (Ithink) cost me @£120, 10 years ago.

It ran my 2 screens very ably.

It seems that some mid range cards now come with a 3 output and (I think), as long as 1 is DisplayPort' will run 3 monitors.

I have a 1GB Radeon 7570 with 2 outputs - again it seems more than upto the job of running graphically, typical software - CMC,IG,HL etc.

Both options in post 10115 seem to be about the same cost wise, either using a USB to VGA/DVI/HDMI lead and software or a run of the mill card such as this.

Hils, I know that you have been a Matrox Quad fan for years - which one do you use? as there seem to be some on ebay for a similar price to the Invidia above.

Skinny, I'm just about to install an NVidia 285 quadro twin screen card (with VGA or DVI cables) on my Win7 machine. Think I paid no more than £20 on ebay for it. I'll let you know how it goes.

I think that's the one, skinners.

My Matrox QuickDesks on my current machine says it's a Matrox G200 Multi-Monitor. The spare card I've got says MGI G2 +/QUAD-PL/TVE.

I think the TVE bit is something to do with being able to watch TV, but I've had the card for so long now that I honestly can't remember what it's meant to do.

If you do go for a Matrox quad card, be sure it includes the splitter cables. There are two outputs on the card itself which get split again in the cable.

Seymour / Hils - thanks for the info - it looks like whichever option I take, it will be less than £35.

Seymour - ls that to be a 2nd card?

On edit - Hils, does the Matrox need/have its own fan?

Skinny,
I've got Matrox g550(dual) on two computers .No fan needed.
Be sure to check the type of available expansion slot in the computer
concerned before buying.

No fan, skinners, but the cards do have several little black prickly things that my son informs me are called heat sinks or summat.

Many thanks for all the input etc.

One last Question about the G200 - do you know what the power consumption is?

I can't seem to find it easily.

No idea, skinners, but I can let you have 50p for the meter if it's a problem. :o)

Thanks Hils :-)

Just checking I don't get too near the Power supply limit.

Well, fwiw, I don't think they consume much power at all.

Does this link help? It refers to the G200A using 4 watts.

That's almost an arm full!

I guessed it would be less than 20w by the spec - lack of fan etc.

My head hurts.

Sorry, been out. Skinny, it's going to be the two main displays, replacing the motherboard graphics. My main aim was for low power demand & whilst I can't remember the consumption, it wasn't much - no fan on this either. The quad output card is the Quadro 4 NVS 400.

Reminds me of the Irishmen in the Audi Quattro joke. I'm sure you know it.