Dual Monitors

[MAME]

I just threw in a pci vid card so I could run a dual monitor setup. It worked fine but now I have some issues I'd like to get fixed up. First off, I think the pci card overrides the agp card for programs. Is this because it's in the first pci slot or is there an option elsewhere I could change? The reason I think this is happening is because when I start the computer, the non-defualt monitor (the one with the pci card) is the only one on. Also, the pre-BIOS screen has information about the pci card, not my agp card.

Also, when I play a game like starcraft, the mouse will still wonder to the other monitor, is there a way to lock it in the game monitor?

And finally, if i play a game, which video card does the computer use, the default one or the one that's associated with the monitor being used?

Thanks!

 

[ZL1]

all your probs are cuz dual wasnt intended for gaming
and because the pci card is always the main card in a dual card system consisting of a pci and agp card


D

 

[MAME]

really? I can't make the agp card the main card?

that's lame since pci cards are generally less powerful than agp cards

 

[Sheriff]

You can set the AGP as your 1st boot in the BIOS and use it as the Primary Display in Windows then all should be good.

 

[ZL1]

Originally posted by: MAME
really? I can't make the agp card the main card?

that's lame since pci cards are generally less powerful than agp cards

yep it is
I went through this 2 years ago

see dual monitors using 2 cards or even one card are for business applications (ever noticed that true dual head cards are usually low on 3D) and thats why PCI is AOK as main card



D

 

[ZL1]

Originally posted by: Sheriff
You can set the AGP as your 1st boot in the BIOS and use it as the Primary Display in Windows then all should be good.

in that case it wont boot

 

[Sheriff]

Originally posted by: ZL1

Originally posted by: Sheriff
You can set the AGP as your 1st boot in the BIOS and use it as the Primary Display in Windows then all should be good.

in that case it wont boot

?Boots for me and many a Rigs I've built with Dual Monitors all the time

 

[ZL1]

Originally posted by: Sheriff

Originally posted by: ZL1

Originally posted by: Sheriff
You can set the AGP as your 1st boot in the BIOS and use it as the Primary Display in Windows then all should be good.

in that case it wont boot

?Boots for me and many a Rigs I've built with Dual Monitors all the time

well then something changed from my last time messing with these, in the old days it used to not boot if you had a pci and agp and set the agp as main
what generation is your machine ?


D

 

[Sheriff]

Which one?...Every since the Socket7 Days, the option in the BIOS for the AGP to Boot 1st and then with Windows 98, it allowed a user to pick which display card as the Primary. I'm using a NForcey MoBo's, have a 333VIA and another kit is an Iwill 333R. All allow this venue. Now if the BIOS is set @ default then the PCI Vid is usually selected 1st, but it changeable.

 

[ZL1]

Originally posted by: Sheriff
Which one?...Every since the Socket7 Days, the option in the BIOS for the AGP to Boot 1st and then with Windows 98, it allowed a user to pick which display card as the Primary. I'm using a NForcey MoBo's, have a 333VIA and another kit is an Iwill 333R. All allow this venue. Now if the BIOS is set @ default then the PCI Vid is usually selected 1st, but it changeable.

yes, but on older ones when youd change the agp to primary it wouldnt boot if a pci v-card was also present


D

 

[MAME]

hmm, I will look to see which I can boot off of, thanks. Now will this make it the default for games as well?

 

[ZL1]

Originally posted by: MAME
hmm, I will look to see which I can boot off of, thanks. Now will this make it the default for games as well?

if you set it in bios and windows then it should


D

 

[MAME]

weehaw, that would be sweet, thanks

 

[Sheriff]

yes, but on older ones when youd change the agp to primary it wouldnt boot if a pci v-card was also present

Must have been before Socket 7 and Windows 98 when dualing was 1st available

 

[ZL1]

Originally posted by: Sheriff

yes, but on older ones when youd change the agp to primary it wouldnt boot if a pci v-card was also present

Must have been before Socket 7 and Windows 98 when dualing was 1st available

your not funny, you only think you are but you aint

it was a p3 system on bx and if you push me I'll prove it to you


D

 

[MAME]

*fight fight*

 

[Sheriff]

 

[skiAtomicB]

The danger in having dual monitors is that when you switch to a laptop, it's easy to get frustrated I had to ditch one of my 19" CRT's and I'm down to one. Well, hopefully you got your issues sorted out for playing games!

 

[MAME]

I'm not worried about laptops, I doubt I'll use one in the near (and far) future

Yeah, I hope playing games is possible!

 

[zShowtimez]

Ive had a dual setup on my old VIA 133t P3 rig/.. Granted that is a newer chipset/VIa as opposed to Intel. Might have just been the board that didnt like the PCI card, I dunno.

 

[MAME]

weehaw, I got it to work via bios, thanks

 

[Cheetah8799]

On some motherboards, if you run two video cards the PCI card MUST be the primary graphics card, and the AGP secondary. If your mobo is like that, then you are stuck with it. You can change the way Windows uses the cards, and set one to primary and the other to secondary.

As for gaming, not many games have multi-monitor support. There are some software packages around the web that basically run a script which disables one monitor when a game is started. I can't remember the name of the software, but if you look on some multi-monitor web sites you might find it.

 

[Anubis]

you could just get an AGP card with dual outs. my TI4600 does it and its also good for gameing

ive run it for a while and NO games do dual mon support. i know of 2. Serious Sam will. BUT only on a Matrox card and flight sims will also. I ave a Matrox G550 and it cant game for sh!t but the 2d Is unsurpassed and its dual mon is awsome. which is why i have it

your mouse should automatically lock to the game. does for me always has. they appear on the "primary" monitor and the mouse stays there.

 

[ZL1]

Originally posted by: Sheriff

2 vs 1 so far
need more ? or you gonna appologize ?



D

 

[beatle]

ZL1, stop trying to perpetuate an argument that's already dead.

Some PCI video cards are not compatible as secondary video cards, such as the ATI Rage series. I wanted to buy my friend's Rage AIW, but according to ATI it will not function as a secondary card, only primary. Radeon cards don't suffer from this problem.