Graphic Card suggestions for dual monitors running different resolutions

[citrixo]

I have a biostar motherboard (AMD 690G northbridge ATI x1200 integrated GPU) which has DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI outputs. When I use the integrated GPU in dual monitors clone mode connecting to a Samsung LCD monitor (native resolution 1650 X1080) via VGA and a Philips 42" HDTV (1920 x1080) via HDMI, the Catalyst Control Center seems to default to either 1280x1024 or 1366x768. I can manual force the integrated GPU to output 1650 x 1080 which produces sharp images on both the Philips and Samsung. However, after rebooting my computer, the integrated GPU will default back to the lower resolution again.

Is there a solution for this problem? I am thinking about purchasing one of these low profile graphic cards, ATI 4350, 4550, or NVIDIA Geforce210/220. Which one of these will output 1920 x 1080 for the HDTV while keeping LCD monitor resolution at 1650 x 1080?

 

[jthunderloc]

every discreet card I've used that could run dual monitors has supported different resolutions with no problems, even after restarts. Any of the above cards should work just fine.

-Wes

 

[Lonyo]

I'm not sure about your issue with keeping both at 1680x1050, but you cannot set one monitor to 1680x1050 and the other to 1920x1080 in clone mode. It is just not possible.

 

[Ben90]

My 7800GTX had no problems giving different monitors different resolutions. You could even set your desktop resolution higher than the actual resolution of your monitor. When you moved your mouse to the pixels that were not being currently displayed, the card panned the screen over. Even my old $400 laptop from 2002 using Intels IGP of the time could do the same thing.

 

[citrixo]

I'm not sure about your issue with keeping both at 1680x1050, but you cannot set one monitor to 1680x1050 and the other to 1920x1080 in clone mode. It is just not possible.

Catalyst Control Center just can't keep the setting (1680x1050). I have tried uninstalling the software and using the newest version but still doesn't correct the problem. Is there anyway to use hydravision's multi desktop function to setup two desktops with different resolutions and have the HDTV clone one of the desktops?

I think I will give Nvidia a tried maybe Nvidia's control software is a little better. Does the Nvidia GPU Geforce 210 support audio over HDMI?

 

[blanketyblank]

You're going to buy a new GPU that's not much better (performance wise) than your integrated just because it won't save your resolution at 1680 x 1050? Unless the card is under $20, I'd save my money for something that can actually perform well. I consider something like that more of a minor annoyance, and I believe it can be possibly be solved through creating a profile or disabling monitor detection. I think it's also possible to create a monitor profile at startup. I think easiest way is to create a desktop shortcut first then drag it into your windows startup folder.

As for cloning a 1920 x 1080 and a 1680 x 1050 I don't think that can be done first of all since they are different screen aspects 16:9 vs 16:10 and second of all even if they were the same aspect ratio the software isn't smart enough to know how things should correspond on the larger screen unless it stretches everything (so it would basically just be using the smaller screens resolution).

 

[WelshBloke]

Clone mode is for if you want an identical copy of your first monitor on your secondary screen, you want extended desktop mode.

 

[betasub]

Clone mode is for if you want an identical copy of your first monitor on your secondary screen, you want extended desktop mode.

This. Displaying two different resolutions is clearly not cloning.

 

[citrixo]

I don't care about gaming anymore. I just want a low profile card with silent heatsink that can output AVCHD lite (H.264) videos to HDTV and can accelerate blueray 1080p playback. I will try to disable auto detect HDTV to seem if that will allow the Catalyst Control center to keep the 1650x1080 resolution for both the LCD monitor and the HDTV.

Any Nvidia user has good experience with NVidia control panel's dual-monitors function? Does Nvidia GPUs support Audio over HDMI?

I will probably buy either a 27" (1920x1080) or a 28" (1920 x 1200) LCD monitor 3 months from now. Which resolution should I get ?

 

[WelshBloke]

I don't care about gaming anymore. I just want a low profile card with silent heatsink that can output AVCHD lite (H.264) videos to HDTV and can accelerate blueray 1080p playback. I will try to disable auto detect HDTV to seem if that will allow the Catalyst Control center to keep the 1650x1080 resolution for both the LCD monitor and the HDTV.

Any Nvidia user has good experience with NVidia control panel's dual-monitors function? Does Nvidia GPUs support Audio over HDMI?

I will probably buy either a 27" (1920x1080) or a 28" (1920 x 1200) LCD monitor 3 months from now. Which resolution should I get ?

I use it all the time, its the same as ATI's.