Dual Video cards

[Johnny7185]

I just installed a cheap pci graphics card to run a second monitor, and I have been trying for the last 5 hours to get it to work. I currently have a GeForce FX 5700 on my AGP slot, and I can actually get them both to work if I change my BIOS settings to run the PCI as the primary and the AGP as the secondary. This would be fine if I could still run programs using my AGP card, but everytime I try, the crappy PCI card is put to use. Ive also tried using a DVI to VGA adapter, but that doesnt work either. Is there a way to do this or am I screwed?

Any help would be greatly appreciated... Thanks

 

[AWhackWhiteBoy]

your FX5700 should have both DVI and VGA out, just use the DVI like you mentioned with a converter. you have to access the display properties and correctly enable the second output through the nvidia software/drivers. when you go to the settings tab there should be two displays, labled one and two.

 

[Johnny7185]

Yea Ive messed with all that plenty, but when my second monitor is connected to DVI there is only a very very faint image on screen, like its not getting enough power or something. I can see the 1 and 2 so I know its connected. I dont think its a software/driver problem.

 

[AWhackWhiteBoy]

if its a CRT try adjusting its contrast and brightness. also check its settings in "advanced" for that output on the graphics card to make sure the settings/color/brightness aren't messed up. something like this should be really straight forward.

can you test the monitor on the VGA of the card to make sure its not to blame?

 

[Johnny7185]

Ya the monitor is fine... and ive adjusted everything multiple times in the Nvidia options and on the monitor menu.

 

[AWhackWhiteBoy]

thats so strange. i know the monitor is really faint but can you tell if its a certain shade of color, like maybe a lot of gree, blue, or red? check the pins, the ones that matter are on the far side that don't look like the rest of the small one. it should be four large pins in a square surrounding a cross or flat pin.

aside from that i'm out of ideas. for whatever reason on modern motherboards i've never been very successful running two graphics cards at the same time, windows xp gets cranky. on my old KT133 and KT266 motherboards though i never had a single issue.