Another Multimonitor Thread

K

kiwi_trader

Apologies for the dumb question guys.


I have a pc with an ATI Radion 9250 AGP card in it (one output). It has 4 spare PCI slots. I would like to add another monitor now and maybe another monitor later. I want to just add analogue monitors because I will be using 10m VGA extender cables so that I can run the screens across the room from the PC, printer etc.

Can I just add new 9250 cards with single VGA outputs that populate the PCI slots?

If I do that will I need any special software (beyond WinXP)?

Thanks in advance.
 
Kiwi,
Never done it but I gather if they don't all use exactly the same driver you are in for a bundle of fun. I picked up a 4 port AppianX new for USD225. The general wisdom seems to be a 2/4 port is best or failing that use identical cards. HTH - not an expert.
 
Quote from kiwi_trader:

Apologies for the dumb question guys.


I have a pc with an ATI Radion 9250 AGP card in it (one output). It has 4 spare PCI slots. I would like to add another monitor now and maybe another monitor later. I want to just add analogue monitors because I will be using 10m VGA extender cables so that I can run the screens across the room from the PC, printer etc.

Can I just add new 9250 cards with single VGA outputs that populate the PCI slots?

If I do that will I need any special software (beyond WinXP)?

Thanks in advance.
More...

You just have to find PCI radeon, matrox or nvidia card and plug it in,you dont need additional software
 
See if you can find some ATI Xpert128 PCI cards... 16MB, VGA. They run on the Rage 128 Pro graphics engine, but they'll work with just about anything so long as you don't install the driver. (There's already a perfect one in the WinXP library.)
 
Quote from kiwi_trader:

Can I just add new 9250 cards with single VGA outputs that populate the PCI slots?
More...
Yes that would work but I would recommend just getting a new AGP card that has dual outputs to replace the existing card, they really arent expensive at all, a little over $100 last time I got a dual output Radeon card I think.

Example: http://www.directron.com/sap9250256r.html
$53 and I believe this will do what you want (double check first)

Edit: Yep that should work fine, it has both a DVI and VGA output connectors and it includes a DVI to VGA dongle so that two VGA monitors can be used at the same time : http://www.sapphiretech.com/en/productfiles/59brochure.pdf. I'm using a Sapphire card myself like this (not sure if its the same model number)
 
I ran my 4 LCD setup with

Geforce 5200 AGP 128mb ($60 + tax)
Geforce 5200 PCI 128mb ($60 + tax)

and

ATI X300 PCI-e 256mb ($100 + tax) returned it
Geforce 5200 PCI 128mb

currently (with a new computer):

Geforce 6600GT PCI-e 128mb ($120 + tax)
Geforce 5200 PCI 128mb


all worked fine with me
 
Quote from winter:

Yes that would work but I would recommend just getting a new AGP card that has dual outputs to replace the existing card, they really arent expensive at all, a little over $100 last time I got a dual output Radeon card I think.

Example: http://www.directron.com/sap9250256r.html
$53 and I believe this will do what you want (double check first)

Edit: Yep that should work fine, it has both a DVI and VGA output connectors and it includes a DVI to VGA dongle so that two VGA monitors can be used at the same time : http://www.sapphiretech.com/en/productfiles/59brochure.pdf. I'm using a Sapphire card myself like this (not sure if its the same model number)
More...

Hi winter or lilboy

--------------

EDIT - I just re-read lilboy's post, the one just before this, so I will go now to check out the cards he mentioned to see if they are DUAL DVI-I. I suspect they are, as opposed to the one DVI-I, one D-COM type)

---------------

Just trying to design a new rig that will let me run two big CRTs at the same time.

My question is - are you sure this card will run two monitors at the same time? Reason I ask is that someone suggested to me that if a video card has one DVI-I out and one D-COM out, you have to have one with dual RAMDAC or else it won't drive the two monitors.

I got to this question after first trying to get a mobo with integrated GPU. I found a couple like these

http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?modelmenu=2&model=766&l1=3&l2=15&l3=210

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130529

But the problem turned out to be that most people I talked to suggested these mobos wouldn't drive my two CRTs at the same time because of either some issue with the GeForce 6150 chipset or this issue with single RAMDAC.

I am no techie, so if you have any info on that I would appreciate it.

Nik
 
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