Second (dual) monitor?

[GS3]

As my signature says I am running

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 HP Compaq Elite 8300 CMT - Linux Mint 18.2 Sonya - Kernel 4.4.0-138-generic X64 - Cinnamon 3.4.4 - Nemo 

I am using NVIDIA GF108 [GeForce GT 730] video card and an Asus VK266H monitor at 1920 x 1200. That is more than enough for my present needs.

The mobo has on-board video card: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller, which I am not using. This onboard video uses a Dual-Mode Displayport, which means it can output HDMI. I have the necessary cable and a spare monitor. I assume this video would use on-board RAM. Right now it is disabled.

I am considering the possibility of adding a second monitor on this channel. Not that I really need it but just for experimenting.

Questions: Is it possible? Is it recommendable? Will it be easy or messy? Any advice or opinions welcome. I have never used dual monitors and I would think getting a bigger monitor is easier than messing with two monitors but I would like to hear from those with experience.

[AscLinux]

Some motherboards disable integrated video when an addon card is installed. Then there is nothing you can do, but install an addon card with two outputs.

[GS3]

Some motherboards disable integrated video when an addon card is installed. Then there is nothing you can do, but install an addon card with two outputs.

Thanks. I had not thought of that and it seems you are right so it is not worth pursuing this project.

[GS3]

Well, I had a hunch that the on-board video might be disabled because there was no monitor connected so I connected a monitor and, sure enough, now both the NVIDIA GF108 [GeForce GT 730] video card and the on-board video are both working simultaneously... sort of.

I go to Preferences - Display and it detects both monitors but the second monitor, on the on-board video, only displays five green horizontal dots (of Linux Mint?).

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 sudo lshw -C video: 
  *-display               
       description: Display controller
       product: Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 2
       bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
       version: 09
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: msi pm bus_master cap_list
       configuration: driver=i915 latency=0
       resources: irq:28 memory:f7400000-f77fffff memory:d0000000-dfffffff ioport:f000(size=64)
  *-display
       description: VGA compatible controller
       product: GF108 [GeForce GT 730]
       vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0
       version: a1
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm msi pciexpress vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
       configuration: driver=nouveau latency=0
       resources: irq:26 memory:f6000000-f6ffffff memory:e0000000-e7ffffff memory:e8000000-e9ffffff ioport:e000(size=128) memory:f7000000-f707ffff

How can I make something appear in the other monitor?

[GS3]

Well, what do you know... it is now showing the Linux Mint wall paper and if I slide a window off the right side of the main monitor it appears on the other monitor.

I'll have to play some more with this.

How can I know if and how much main RAM the on-board video is using?