X-bit labs

Matrox Graphics Adds Multi-Monitor Support for Laptops.

Category: Mobile

by Anton Shilov

[ 11/08/2005 | 08:59 PM ]

Matrox Graphics Tuesday unveiled its DualHead2Go adapter that enables dual-display capabilities to notebooks or desktops that lack such functionality due to insufficient amount of outputs. The solution may be interested to professionals who already have high-quality high-performance graphics adapter and require two monitors to increase productivity.

“An increasing number of professionals are using laptops as their main computer, but they still want the advantages of a multi-display workstation while at the office. DualHead2Go is a breakthrough product that solves this need by creating a cost-effective, space-saving, multi-display docking station for a laptop,” explained Dan Wood, vice president technical marketing at Matrox Graphics.

Matrox DualHead2Go Dual Analog Edition is an external adapter that can be plugged to an analogue output of any graphics card and then divide the resolution by the card across two displays which are also connected using D-Sub connectors to the DualHead2Go adapter. The devices supports 2048x768 resolution (at 60Hz, 75Hz, 85Hz) and 2560x1024 (at 60Hz) resolution primarily allowing to connect a couple of 15”, 17” and 19” LCD panels. It is unclear whether and when Matrox unveils Dual Digital Edition.

“Since DualHead2Go is an external upgrade, it's also ideal for adding an extra display to a closed, already validated, mission-critical system or to computers with no available expansion slots,” Mr. Wood said.

DualHead2Go harnesses the capabilities of the system's existing GPU or integrated graphics for acceleration of all 2D, 3D and video rendering. There is no image distortion and no scaling to the original raw pixels generated from the existing graphics accelerator. By using DualHead2Go in conjunction with the built-in display of a laptop, users can benefit with up to three displays of independent information at a time, Matrox explained.

The new adapter from Matrox Graphics is compatible with variety of graphics cores built-into chipsets from Intel Corp. as well as certain graphics processors from ATI Technologies and NVIDIA Corp. for both desktops and laptops. The full list of compatible and incompatible devices can be found at Matrox’s web-site. 

Available in mid-November 2005, DualHead2Go – Dual Analog Edition, has a suggested retail price of $169. This product will be available from authorized resellers worldwide or, in North America and Europe, directly from Matrox Graphics.