How do I get dual monitors to work using two seperate video cards?

[Valinos]

I've heard that you can use dual monitors with two seperate graphics cards by having an AGP card and a PCI card. Well, I have a Geforce 2 GTS as my primary AGP video card and I just put a Diamond Stealth 2000 (S3 Virge chipset) in a PCI slot. I have both monitors hooked up and nothing is coming out of the secondary one. I figure there are some settings I need to do, or some software I need to get first. Just hooking them up would be too easy

I have the drivers installed for both cards and Windows recognizes them both. How do I get it working? Is it even possible?

 

[Valinos]

You may be right. I was fiddling around in my device manager and I couldn't find the S3 card anywhere, even though it was properly installed. I swear I've read that you could do it though. Hmm, anyone else got any ideas? And just for the record, I'm running Win XP Pro.

 

[John]

Yes it is possible to use 2 video cards and have dual monitor support.

 

[Scootin159]

I have a dual-head setup with 2 video cards (Geforce 2 GTS & Voodoo 3 2000 PCI).

You need to set the AGP card to be the main in the BIOS
Then go into display properties & click on the little "2" monitor. Click the checkbox to extend your windows desktop onto this monitor. Everything should work fine for you now. If the "2" monitor doesn't show up, check device manager & make sure windows is loading the drivers correctly.

 

[Valinos]

Well, that's good...how do you do it then?

 

[Scootin159]

<< your set which card to be used in your bios, you can't have 2 cards active at the same time (not that i have seen so far) >>



That setting only affects text(DOS) mode & I THINK full-screen stuff as well.

 

[Shooters]

It can be done; in fact I'm running two monitors right now off my Geforce3 and Voodoo3 3000 PCI in WinXP. Just pop both cards into their respective slots, connect your monitors, and install all the necessary drivers. Then in Windows right click on your desktop and go to your video properties. Select the Settings tab and you should see two monitors. Click on the monitor that is not active and select the "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor" option. Set the resolution, refresh rate etc. and that's it.

I think what Chooco was thinking of was the primary monitor option in the BIOS. Your computer can only display on one monitor before it gets into the OS. It will display which ever you have selected in the BIOS, either AGP or PCI. Once you get into the OS, the secondary monitor should turn on automatically.

 

[Shooters]

Sorry, double post.

 

[Scootin159]

<< hey hold on, technically your computer can't run 2 desktops at once or show different images through the 2 different video cards anyway. why not just use 1 video card and put a splitter on it to connect to 2 monitors? >>



Yes it can. I have a 3200x1200 desktop right now, the first 1600x1200 is on monitor #1 & the 2nd 1600x1200 is on monitor #2. If I maximize a window it maxmizes to it's own monitor. If I enter a game or any full-screen output, it only shows up on monitor #1 with monitor #2 still showing 1/2 my desktop.

 

[extro]

Not Possible????? Whooooot?

Once you go multi-monitor, you never wanna go back, baby!

Follow Scootin's advice, make sure you have the lastest drivers for the S3 card and if that doesn't work, come on back.

Bookmark this Great Site for multi-monitor info.

 

[Scootin159]

<< ok i thought of a responce. NEATO but it sure sounds costly >>



Biggest cost is that of the 2nd monitor. My 2nd video card (Voodoo 3 2000PCI) cost me a whopping $30. I upgraded to a 19" monitor, and when I did that I just kept my 17" one for the 2nd monitor. Worth every penny if you ask me (rarely have to switch windows, they're all there in front of me).

 

[Shooters]

<< hey hold on, technically your computer can't run 2 desktops at once or show different images through the 2 different video cards anyway. why not just use 1 video card and put a splitter on it to connect to 2 monitors? >>



Here's Proof

 

[Scootin159]

<<

<< hey hold on, technically your computer can't run 2 desktops at once or show different images through the 2 different video cards anyway. why not just use 1 video card and put a splitter on it to connect to 2 monitors? >>



Here's Proof >>



how did you get 2 different background images? or did you just make one HUGE image in photoshop?

 

[Shooters]

<<

<<

<< hey hold on, technically your computer can't run 2 desktops at once or show different images through the 2 different video cards anyway. why not just use 1 video card and put a splitter on it to connect to 2 monitors? >>



Here's Proof >>



how did you get 2 different background images? or did you just make one HUGE image in photoshop? >>


Yup, took two images and combined them into one big one in Photoshop.

 

[Scootin159]

<<
Yup, took two images and combined them into one big one in Photoshop. >>



cheater

 

[extro]

You can use Ultramon to get different wallpaper on the monitors. It's at the site I linked above.

 

[Valinos]

Well, I can't get my POS S3 card to work. The latest drivers on their website are from 1998 and although WinXP comes with new drivers for 2001, it still doesn't work. When I look in the device manager it gives me Code 10 error and says the device has failed. I give up on it, I'll just buy a GF2MX200 PCI or a Voodoo3.

Thanks for all the info though, guys.

 

[dead0eye]

I'm having the exact same problem like what you're facing.

I'm using geforce2 + matrox II
As far as I know, all matrox cards support dual capabilities .... and it's still not working in my system.
The driver installation rejected both the default windows driver and the driver i downloaded from matrox website.

" Error, driver not installed properly " !!

But the weird thing though, is that the booting screen appears in the second monitor, stops loading right before the logon screen
appears, which then the primary monitor will start working, showing the logon screen. Can't even see the "Expand my desktop ..."
option anywhere in the settings tab.

Anybody has any idea what's causing this driver rejection or all of these problems?

 

[SUOrangeman]

First of all, some cards just aren't going to work when combined with another. However, the only one I seen of this nature is a #9 Imagine card I had back in the day.

Since it sounds like you guys are running XP or mebbe, 2K, do the following. Make the PCI card the primary display in BIOS. Yes, I know you really want your ATi GeForce 2700000 Voodoo (all puns intended) to be your main card. Thankfully, Win2K and XP can override the BIOS setting, and gives you the freedom to choose your primary display regardless of a BIOS setting. Once Windows has booted, right-click on the desktop and go to the tab where you set the resolution. Configure things to your taste.

For those running Win98 or ME, whatever is primary in BIOS will be primary in Windows. Fortunately, cards that must be primary for Win2K/XP may actually work as secondary with 98/ME.

-SUO