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So I'm looking to start a new build, using some of the parts from my old PC. One thing I wanted to do was try out Intel (current is AMD) and to have two GPUs. This build has Oculus Rift in mind.

The question I have is in regards to the GPUs. Obviously, having two of the same would make the most sense, but the primary reason I want two is ultimately to have as many video outputs as possible (I only have two right now, and would like 3 or 4, I do a lot of multitasking). If I were to go with two different video cards, does it matter how good the second one is? I would probably get one very powerful one, capable of running all the games I'd want to play on it's own if necessary, and the second one I really just need for outputs. Would this effect the performance of the two as a unit?

Perhaps this is the completely wrong way to go about this, I'm not sure. This is only my second ever build, I'm still very much a novice. Hopefully if there is a better solution, someone can let me know!

tl;dr: I need 3 to 4 video outputs, but only need 1 good video card. If I need a second (to achieve the number of outputs I want), does it have to be a good one?

NOTE: After some googling, it appears I am not fully aware of the difference between a GPU/Graphics card. Maybe someone could shed light on this in the context of my situation. Thanks!

Eric David Sartor
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    If you want to link them for performance reasons they should be nearly identical otherwise the slower card will result in a huge performance drop. I suggest you research SLI compatbility, your question, is answer by which cards will be compatible with one another. – Ramhound Jun 09 '15 at 13:15
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    possible duplicate of [One good video card or SLI two decent ones?](http://superuser.com/questions/725797/one-good-video-card-or-sli-two-decent-ones) and [this](http://superuser.com/questions/869827/should-i-invest-in-quality-or-quantity-video-cards?rq=1) and [this](http://superuser.com/questions/434397/can-i-use-4-monitors-with-2-sli-cards?lq=1) – Ramhound Jun 09 '15 at 13:18
  • New Intel CPUs (consumer-grade) will usually have integrated graphics directly on the chip such as HD2500 or HD4600 and etc so if you get a motherboard with a VGA/DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort then you will be able to run 2 monitors from the motherboard and two from your new dedicated graphics card. No need for another dedicated graphics card. – MonkeyZeus Jun 09 '15 at 17:27

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If you want a second video card purely for desktop outputs (i.e. not gaming across multiple monitors) then any card will be fine. Windows 7 and above is quite capable of using outputs on different cards with an order of magnitude difference in speed for normal desktop use.

Using different cards "as a unit" to spread the graphical load is impossible with some setups and generally discouraged even when it is possible when using cards of different capabilities.

In your case a good card to power the rift and other games on 1-2 monitors plus a second card for "dumb" outputs would work fine.

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