do current mobos require a video card to boot?

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Is a requirement for current generation motherboards to have a video card to boot? I have a Gigabyte EP45-UD3p (1.1) that I would like to run without a video card. It's a WHS box, and no video card means less heat generated and one less spot filled on the mobo, thus leaving room for another controller later.

 

[lopri]

It depends on the boards and BIOS. I had an old 925X board from ASUS that allowed removal of video card after WHS installation. ("Skip all errors" in BIOS) I run my WHS on Bad Axe 2, and it's got GeForce 6200 PC in it. Didn't really think about testing video-less operation because I find it necessary to have an access to the system itself once in a blue moon. But I'll test it later and let you know.

 

[Modelworks]

Some have the option to set it to boot without. If you have a board that requires it, buy a cheap $5 pci card.