Yes.
The area on the back of the computer, that has two ports to connect a monitor, is a Graphics Card.
It is a PCI-Express graphics card, and is plugged into a PCI-Express x16 slot on the motherboard.
(Expansion Slot)
It has a blue VGA port, white DVI port, and black S-Video port.
The area on the upper left with a blue outline around a VGA port, is a VGA port connected directly to the motherboard. It is Integrated Graphics.
You CANNOT use Integrated Graphics, and a graphics card at the same time.
It's either use the Integrated Graphics VGA port, OR use the graphics port/s on the graphics card.
BIOS will Not support using both Integrated Graphics, and a graphics card.
HOWEVER, you can use the VGA port, and the DVI port when using two monitors.
You will be only using just the graphics card.
Example of a VGA port, (Connector), and VGA cable,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VGA_connectorExample of a DVI port, and DVI cable,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVI_connector1) Whatever monitor you have that has a VGA cable, plug it into the blue VGA port on the graphics card.
(There are VGA monitors {CRT} that resemble a small TV. VGA cable is usually attached.
There are also LCD flat screens that have a VGA connector, for a VGA cable, and may also have both a VGA, and a DVI connector.
To digress for a moment;
VGA is Analog. It uses an Analog video signal.
DVI is digital. It uses a Digital video signal.
A computer naturally puts out a digital video signal. This digital signal has to be converted by the computer, into analog for an analog monitor. This slows the graphics process down. This is one reason it is best to use digital )
2) Plug a monitor with a DVI cable into the white DVI port on the graphics card.
3) Turn the monitors on.
4) Turn the Inspiron 531s on.
5) When Windows has loaded, right-click on an empty area of your desktop computer screen.
Now left-click on Properties at the bottom of the list.
Left-click on the Settings tab.
6) You are now looking at a small window that has two monitor icons in it.
Monitor 1 icon, and monitor 2 icon.
Monitor 1 icon is your Primary Display.
Monitor 2 icon will be for the Secondary Display you are adding.
Note how monitor 1 icon is sitting to the Left, and monitor icon 2 is sitting to the Right.
This is how your monitors are supposed to be arranged on your computer desk.
If the second monitor is on the Left on your computer desk, you need to move the icons around.
Move monitor 2 icon to the Left.
Left-click on the icon, hold the left mouse key down, and drag the monitor 2 icon over to the left side of monitor 1 icon. (All the way over, or it will snap back to where it was)
It may matter to you how your monitors are arranged. It may not. Once you read the following it may help you decide.
7) Left-click on monitor icon 2 if you have not already done so.
Go down to where it states, "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor"
8) Left-click once in the empty square, to the left of Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor.
9) Now left-click on Apply at the bottom Right corner.
10) Finally left-click on OK at the bottom Left corner.
You should now see your desktop screen on both monitors.
When using the internet on both monitors, you have to drag the screen from the Primary monitor to the Secondary monitor.
Go to the left side of the screen. Left-click right on the edge of the blue frame. Hold the left mouse key down after you click, and drag the screen across to the left.
Doesn't work?
Go to the right side, click on the blue frame, and drag the screen to the right.
This is why it may matter how the monitors are arranged on your computer desk.
It's kind of eerie your first time dragging the screen across.
You will also find out why it is best to use two similar monitors, when using dual monitors. The pixel resolution is different for both monitors, if they are different from each other.
For additional questions please post in a Comment.
Regards,
joecoolvette
Just to add:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/inspd531/en/OM/appendix.htm
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