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jj dynomite
19-12-05, 21:44
Question...

I'm going to be using dual monitors on my new system. My vid card will be a PCI card with 1 monitor output. I have spare AGP vid cards i can plug in to hook the second monitor to. Will dual monitors work properly if i have 1 PCI and 1 AGP connected?

P.S. The pci card will be my primary graphics card.

Any suggestions on how to get this to work?
Mighty Max
19-12-05, 22:01
No. You motherbord (as stated in your other thread) does not have an AGP slot
(beneath the PCI Express you prolly meant for you gfx card)


Expansion slots/USB/IDE:
3 PCI slots, 2 PCI-E x16 slots, 2 PCI-E slots, 10 USB 2.0 ports, 2 ATA-66/100/133 IDE, 4 Serial-ATA
DIS
19-12-05, 22:40
No, that wont work, even if you put in a different VGA card in a 32bit PCI port or the other PCI express VGA port you may get the video output but it will never function as a duel monitor screen in the same way a card with duel heads. (unless you can find some software or driver on the net that lets you do it.)

Best bet is get a single PCI express VGA card with duel DVI and your laughing, that setup works great as you can either enlarge the desktop or have one screen for NC and one screen for the internet etc.

Unless you have a hybrid board AGP cards are pretty much useless now :( but even those you can only use one or the other.
Mighty Max
19-12-05, 22:44
Uhm DIS, it would work.

Had this running long times for a PCI/AGP combination. It doesnt need a special driver to do that anymore. Windows has advanced since that problem appeared the first time.
DIS
19-12-05, 22:47
Fair enuff but thats the first I've heard of a setup like that running correctly without issues.
AGP/PCI combination as in AGP and 32 bit PCI or AGP and PCI express?

Btw how does windows allow the 2 cards to work as an extended desktop, surely this is written into the driver rather than windows?
Mighty Max
19-12-05, 22:54
Between ordinary PCI (ATI AllInWonder) and an AGP. Used it to watch TV :p.

Afaik PCIe & AGP are not compatible to each other. Iirc AGP spez. define AGP as always be first level connected to the cpu. Which would not allow the PCIe to build an channel between the cpu and one of its other nodes.

But thats just half-knowledge there. Didn't watch it 'nuff.


:edit:
No it's simple kernel stuff. Thats where virtual devices and their DC's kick in. It's the same for dual headed devices too. They don't use the same framebuffer, yet it is managed by win as there would be one buffer with all display information on it.
DIS
19-12-05, 22:55
Thats cool, but did it allow you to extend the desk top in the same manner as say a duel head Nvid card etc?
jj dynomite
19-12-05, 23:46
No. You motherbord (as stated in your other thread) does not have an AGP slot
(beneath the PCI Express you prolly meant for you gfx card)


Expansion slots/USB/IDE:
3 PCI slots, 2 PCI-E x16 slots, 2 PCI-E slots, 10 USB 2.0 ports, 2 ATA-66/100/133 IDE, 4 Serial-ATA

Damn...I could have sworn that it had AGP in its description...that's what i get for not double checking.
IceStorm
20-12-05, 03:10
There's only one chipset out there with true AGP and PCI Express x16 slot support (a ULI), and as far as I know only one board based on it (an ASRock). It unfortunately has issues supporting many AGP cards, based on what I've read.

You didn't order a PCI card, jj dynomite, you're getting a PCI Express x16 card. PCI's a different animal.

The 7800GT should have dual outputs. nVidia's drivers can be configured to shut down the second head when playing games (necessary for some games). I'd try that before adding a second display card in a PCI slot.

Incidentally, there is a PCI Express x1 video card. Matrox makes a PCI Express x1 version of their G550. It's not going to win any gaming awards, but as a secondary display it should be quite nice.
jj dynomite
20-12-05, 04:05
The 7800GT should have dual outputs. nVidia's drivers can be configured to shut down the second head when playing games (necessary for some games). I'd try that before adding a second display card in a PCI slot.


I've been reading about the 7800gt. It does support dual monitor output...so i'll use that. The drivers available from Nvidia seem to solve any problems one could have with the feature.
LuCiD
20-12-05, 04:42
Sidenote, sometimes its a pain in the ass to get overlays working on the second monitor.

/Has the only dual-vga card made by ati or nvidia (not matrox)
//9600 ftw!
Terayon
20-12-05, 04:46
My radeon 7000 says otherwise :D

BTW somthing you should know about dual monitors... i find it pointless without a tv hookup or if you do work with your comp. I always used to think i could play css and use the other monitor for the internet when i was dead but found out i couldent. Its annoying.