Dual monitor support question

Mr. Flibble

With my laptop I can connect an external monitor and use it and the laptop screen side-by-side. So I can have a window half on one screen overlapping onto the next.
I'd like to do the same with my desktop computer. Can I just get a second graphics card like this one to do this? Will a 2nd card have to be choosen to be compatible with my existing graphics card?

Or will I need a dual card like this one?

Also, I notice cards rance between €50 and €800. I will need high resoultion support, but not high performance. Will any cheap card support high res?

Many thanks for your help.

KdjaCL

All GFX cards will go as high as the monitor supports.

Most GFx cards support 2 monitors as standard albeit one may be HDMI but a simple connectyor will solve that. Whats in the desktop at the minute?
What are the monitors LCD or CRT?

1st card is PCI express so will only work as athe mian card in a PCI board, 2nd is a "normal" card as mentioned above.


kdjac

Mr. Flibble

A Radeon 7000 is in it now (with 1 monitor output).

Please excuse my ignorance, but is GFx a brand or a standard?

It'll be 1 CRT and 1 LCD.

1st card is PCI express so will only work as athe mian card in a PCI board, 2nd is a "normal" card as mentioned above.

So if I had two of these in a computer, only one would operate?

8T8

If you have a Radeon 7000 then you have an AGP slot so you will need something like this which has VGA & DVI outputs.

GFX is shorthand for graphics card.

You do not need two cards one will suffice as both outputs can be used to drive both monitors. That card has a DVI connection which can be converted to VGA so it can be used with all types of displays, they usually throw in the convertor. You can get the DVI-VGA adapter here as well if need be.

KdjaCL

WHat 8t8 said, find a cheap AGP card with DVI and VGA out use DVI for LCD and VGA for CRT.
Is your 7000 an AGP card? Or is it a built in jobbie? If so you will need a PCI (not PCI express, that replaces AGP in newer boards) Gfx card.


kdjac

Mr. Flibble

Thanks 8T8 and KdjaC.

I don't know if my card is a build in job (it came with the comp). I'll ahve to open up the computer to find this out, right?

Few more questions:
Are you suggestion an AGP card over PCI because they are cheaper, or are there other reasons?
Could I get a dual pci gfx cards and run 3 monitors by using my existing card too?

8T8

The Radeon 7000 is an AGP class graphics card not a PCI-Express based one and you cannot plug in a PCI-E graphics card into a motherboard with an AGP slot.

Also don’t confuse PCI with PCI-E they are two different interfaces, PCI-E is the latest generation interconnect for peripherals whereas PCI is the old system that has been around for a long time alongside AGP.

I cant recall their ever being an integrated version of the Radeon 7000 it was always an add-in graphics card I think, you do not need to open it up if the VGA port comes out of the back of one of the expansion plates then it is a removable card. If it were bunched in next to the other ports like mouse, keyboard, USB then it would be integrated.

It is possible to purchase PCI graphics cards that you could use with your system and they should work allowing you to drive more than two monitors. I would recommend keeping them all from the same vendor in this case NVIDIA (as Komplett only have NVIDIA based PCI cards) to reduce driver confusion but be sure to read NVIDIA’s nView document (see page 41) to get a handle on how it works (nView is their display management program). Check out Ultramon a utility for multi-displays as well.
AGP NVIDIA graphics card
PCI NVIDIA graphics card

However you can purchase graphics card that are dedicated to this task of multiple monitors see Matrox Millennium P750 TripleHead.

Mr. Flibble

I have just looked at the back of my computer - really should have done this before posting, but now I see that the graphics card that I'm using at the moment is in an expansion slot. There is another 'built in' vga out not in use. Is it possible to use both these and save me getting another card? I can't figure out how to find out what type of graphics card it is. Is there a way to find out without opening the computer?

8T8

Mr. Flibble wrote:

Is it possible to use both these and save me getting another card?

Unlikely for a few reasons
a) They may not be from the same chipset vendor.
b) The integrated graphics may auto-disable itself with a add-in graphics card present.
c) Even if it is an ATI chip (which is what the Radeon 7000 is) it may not work as multi monitor support was really only nailed down in more recent graphic chips as multi-monitor support is dependent on the hardware & drivers from the graphics card maker.

Mr. Flibble wrote:

I can't figure out how to find out what type of graphics card it is. Is there a way to find out without opening the computer?

Look at the back for screws that should allow you to take of the side panel but it should be easy to figure out what kind of integrated graphics it is if you ID the motherboard.

To identify the motherboard chipset & manufacturer download Sisoft Sandra, when installed run it and look for the "mainboard information" module you should see the manufacturer and chipset listed at the very top of the window it brings up after analyzing the computer.

Post the info here (there is a copy to clipboard second in from the left at the bottom of the window) or take a screenshot of it and I should be able to tell you what it is (hopefully).

If you do have the option to re-enable the integrated graphics your best bet would be to try the commercial appilcation Ultramon with it and see if you can get multi monitor support with that as it supports multi-monitor setups with graphics cards from different vendors but I cant say I've ever tried this method myself so I can't really guide you in that area, you will just have to try it out for yourself.

Mr. Flibble

Here's the info it gave me.

this card looks good, except the reviewer says it needs a 300w psu...Would I get away with a 250W one?
http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=123286&view=detailed

Cheers

---

SiSoftware Sandra

System
Manufacturer : VIA Technologies, Inc.
Model : PM800-8237
ID : FFFFFFFF-FFFFFFFF-FFFFFFFF-FFFFFFFF

Mainboard
Manufacturer : Jetway
MP Support : 2 Processor(s)
MPS Version : 1.40
Model : PM800-8237
System BIOS : 10/04/2004-PM800-8237-6A7L2J1CC-00
Chipset : VIA PT880

---

DonkeyStyle \o/

<situation averted>

8T8

The motherboard is a VIA PM800 this has a VIA UniChrome Pro graphics chip so no it wont work with the inbuilt multi-monitor of your ATI graphics card. But if you try Ultramon it may get you two monitors at least without having to buy a new card.

If the VIA UniChrome Pro is not shown in the device manager then you will probably have to enable it in the bios.

Yeah that card should work in your PC I wouldn't worry about the PSU recommendation that is just a worst case scenario figure they give (if the system was loaded down with other power hungry devices). The FX2000 is not a power hungry card or a powerful one fine for what you want to do though.

Mr. Flibble

I don't think I can enable the integrated card with the BIOS. Couldn't see any option for it. The closest option was to enable PCI or AGP card.

When I tried to install the UniCrome Pro drivers it said it couldn't find compatable hardware.

Looks like I have to go with a new card.

8T8

I took a look at the motherboards manual located here and could not see anything in the bios section either, the integrated graphics must auto disable itself upon insertion of an AGP card.

Indeed it looks like you will have to get a new graphics card.

Mr. Flibble

Thanks for all your help 8T8.