Dual vid cards vs. one card w/ dual inputs

[Vcize]

I recently got a 6600GT with dual dvi inputs. I'm going to be running dual monitors, one 2005fpw (LCD) and a 17" CRT.

My old videocard is a GF4 Ti4200. I don't really have anything to do with it and selling it is probably more hassle than it's worth with what those cards seem to be going for now, especially since I've run it overclocked.

So, if I stick it into the computer with my 6600GT, what exactly is the difference between plugging both monitors into the 6600GT and plugging one into the 6600GT and the other into the GF4 Ti4200? Since one is a CRT the dual DVI on the 6600GT doesn't really matter for now. So both functionality and performance wise, is one preferable to the other and what exactly is the difference? I know when you plug both into the 6600GT they work such that you extend your desktop from one to the other, with seperate video cards could I have completely unrelated screens on each (like one in a game and one on the desktop)? Is that possible just using the dual on the 6600GT?

I'd try it out myself but my mobo is currently being repaired and I don't have another PC to test it out on (using a laptop here), and if I'm better off just using the single vid-card I'm gonna go ahead and do something with the Ti4200 now (before my motherboard gets replaced) while it still has at least a little value.

 

[imported_Kensai]

It's messier to use two video cards than one. Two video cards, spread the work over both them while if it's just one it does all the work.

 

[Matthias99]

Good lucking finding a motherboard with dual AGP slots that would let you use both those video cards at once. 😛

More generally, there is no effective difference, except that with two cards you cannot use span modes to treat both monitors as one big desktop. You can run the monitors separately with a single card -- every dual-output card I've ever seen operates like that.

 

[Vcize]

Originally posted by: Matthias99
Good lucking finding a motherboard with dual AGP slots that would let you use both those video cards at once. 😛

Hmmm, I'm definitely an idiot because my motherboard definitely doesn't have two AGP slots, so I guess that settles taht 😱.

Long as we're here though, I plugged the 2005FPW into my laptop and ran it dual w/ the laptop screen, and I could not figure out for the life of me how to have them both run at the same time on unrelated screens.

 

[JBT]

Originally posted by: Vcize

Originally posted by: Matthias99
Good lucking finding a motherboard with dual AGP slots that would let you use both those video cards at once. 😛

Hmmm, I'm definitely an idiot because my motherboard definitely doesn't have two AGP slots, so I guess that settles taht 😱.

Long as we're here though, I plugged the 2005FPW into my laptop and ran it dual w/ the laptop screen, and I could not figure out for the life of me how to have them both run at the same time on unrelated screens.

Did you try the function and monitor input button? Usually like F3 or something. Also your Laptop might not be capable of it.