Video Card for dual monitors

[DavidKing]

So what would be my best option for video card with dual DVI monitor support (8X AGP). I do NOT play PC games. I DO play online poker (ok, thats all i do). Its main function is for playing multitables and/or playing poker while web browsing. (with lots of xnews, winrar, and parity programs in the background)

I usually keep it at 1024x768 for my single monitor, anything higher is too hard on my eyes. Looking to spend under $550, I am a cheap ass, I didnt pay anywhere near retail for any of its current parts. But I also dont want to downgrade from the current card. And if the answer is Matrox, is there any problems with running a non ATI/Nvidia based card?


Current complete rig:
Lian Li Case
ECS 755-A2
AMD 64 3200+
1 gig Muskin 3200 cas2
Chaintech Nvidia Geforce FX 5500 128bit 256MB
2x 74gb raptors in raid 0
550w Antec True PSU
NEC 3200 burner
Echo Gina 24/96 sound card add-on
Mackie HR824's
Dell UltraSharp 2001FP 20.1-inch Flat Panel LCD (2nd on the way)

Running Windows Xp Pro SP2

 

[ribbon13]

For $550 you could buy a new motherboard and video card. ^^

matrox p650

Very nice. Would allow gaming too

 

[mwmorph]

if all oyu're is gonna do is 2D, go for the famous matrox 2D iq.
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe...p?description=14-106-153&depa=1 (P650-$155)

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

How about a 6600gt for under $200? It's a gamer card, but with a $550 budget, seems pretty reasonable. It definately wont be a downgrade from your 5500.

I've never owned a matrox card, but I know they're said to have really nice 2d.

I'd take something like a 6600gt just in case someday you want to play a game.

 

[ribbon13]

dual dvi AGP 6600s are mostly XFX.

 

[gobucks]

xfx makes a 6600GT for $180 with dual dvi. I don't know of any cheaper cards with dual DVI. The 6600GT is a bit of overkill for a non-gamer, but at least it'll be able to run longhorn's avalon GUI pretty well.

btw, i've never had problems with my xfx. if you're skittish about them, though, BFG also makes a dual DVI 6600GT.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

matrox 650 for cheaper if that's what you decide you want

 

[DavidKing]

Exactly how much juice does the poker software use? I know any matrox woould make my friends die of envy. Im just conserned if it can handle all my poker software. I do play at multiple websites at a time

 

[ribbon13]

Depends on how much you do. Inayat is getting a dual-opteron with dual PNY 6600GTs so he can play 6 tables at once while running a poker database.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: ribbon13

Very nice. Would allow gaming too

New motherboard (socket 754 with pci-e = ecs for now only, right? Is soltek coming out with one soon?) or new motherboard plus 939 A64 seems kind of over kill to me.

He could get an eVGA 6800 ultra in AGP for that cost.

EDIT: not that I think that's a bright idea

 

[DavidKing]

Any more than 2 tables and I will be pissing people off with delays

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Does you current card have one DVI?

What about adding a PCI videocard with a DVI port for the second monitor?

 

[DavidKing]

My current card is going in my backup rig

Twin Lian Li cases, ASUS A7N8X-E Deluxe, AMD 3000+, NEC 2500, 1 gig Kingston HyperX 3200, 350w Antec PSU,( old ATI 32Mb AIW )

 

[ShadowBlade]

matrox parahelia

EDIT: that might be dual VGA, too lazy to check

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

You could still get a decent single DVI AGP card and a single DVI PCI card for about the same as the matrox solution.

Radeon 9600pro for ~$100 and that other radeon for ~40 or whatever it was.

Just giving you an alternative.

 

[golgotha]

PCI-Express XFX GeForce 6600 GT $172 shipped

Doesn't apply to you, but it's a still good deal.

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant...e=M&Product_Code=190439&AFFIL=FRG&NR=1

 

[Cygni]

I reccommend going with this:

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=14-121-151R&DEPA=99

Yea, it is refurbished (its not sold new anymore)... and yes its a GFFX 5200.

But the 2D on the GFFX series is pretty good, and its alot cheaper than the Matrox offering. You already said you didnt want to run high resolutions anyway, so that probably wont even come into play to begin with.

For what you are doing, i deffinitly suggest this card. Use all the extra cash in those poker games.

 

[mwmorph]

matrox parhelia($550)
exactly on your budget. much more powerful than a p650 if you're worried about that
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-106-163&depa=1

2xdvi but can support 3 independant monitors.

 

[fr]

Am I reading this right? You're just going to be playing poker and surfing the web? Why do you need dual DVI if you're using 1024x768 on a 20" LCD? Did you mean $55 instead of $550? I think your current card is already dual display so if you are really a "cheap ass" just use that save the rest to buy another monitor.

 

[DavidKing]

DVi is cooler, and Ive got the money to waste(not that I wont try to get it cheaper). The current card MUST go into the other rig, and i see no reason not to get dual DVI for the new one. The matrox parhelia was the top one on my list, thats why I set the budget at $550. i just didnt know if the Nvidia/ati cards could do the same thing, plus have better gamming if I nneded it.

 

[mwmorph]

parhelia is bad at gaming. it might be albe to hold it's own against a geforce2/geforce3. maybe a geforce4 under good circumstances but not much else. if you are serious about multimonitor support and 2d, go matrox, otherwise you could get a geforce6800ultra agp dual dvi(evga) for $425.

 

[robcy]

since you are not going to be playing any 3d, get a FX5200 with dual DVI, spend all of the extra cash on better monitors, and then lie to yourself about what card you have. I guarentee you will not know the difference. just my 2 cents.