Hey, at least it's not about a high end graphics card...

[AtlantaBob]

Simple question. I've got a Dell SC 420 running onboard video. (No AGP slots, and a crippled PCI-e slot).

I need to use multiple monitors on it.

Would it be possible to use a single-output PCI card AND onboard video at the same time?
I know I couldn't do this with an AGP card, but I figured I might as well ask.

Or, am I going to have to spend the money on a dual-monitor out PCI card?

Thanks,

 

[russell2002]

Yes you can.

I use on board and two pci cards.

 

[AtlantaBob]

Hm... okey doke. Thanks for the update. Now, if anyone can suggest why my Old Number 9 S3 Virga card isn't working in this setup.

When the BIOS Video Setting is set to Auto, the PCI Card tries to take over, but it can't load windows (it dies on a black screen).
When the BIOS is set to Onboard, Onboard is running, and Windows Device Manager says that "This device cannot start (Code 10)" any suggestions?

 

[ND40oz]

why not uncripple that pci-e slot and buy a pci-e card? I've seen alot of threads where people have done that with the SC420. Dremel a chunk out of the card or the divider in the pci-e slot.

 

[AtlantaBob]

Ah, I'm thinking about it. At the moment, though, I'm working on an unpaid-grad school student budget--at least until August comes around! But that is what I'd like to do eventually. At the moment, I'm using another PC anyway that has more a gig of RAM and a dual-monitor out graphics card. Oh for the joys of database development.

Thanks again all.

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: russell2002
Yes you can.

I use on board and a pci cards.

 

[AtlantaBob]

Hm. Well, since people still seem to be reading this...

The PC loads with Onboard graphics.
I can get it to load with the PCI card, but only if I set it to VGA mode (F8 during startup)... otherwise, it hangs at a black screen with a cursor flashing in the upper left-hand corner. Once booted in this way, though, I can set it to the max resulution, color depth of the LCD, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Can't get both screens to show up at once time... suggestions?

It's a S3 Virge, by the way with a whopping 2 MB of memory.

 

[keeleysam]

Reinstall windows and it will work.

 

[ND40oz]

Is it showing both adaptors in the settings tab of the Display Properties. If it is, make sure you right click on the grey'd out one and enable it. I just managed to get three monitors going this way using an 865g chipset and a 9200se PCI video card. Had to enable the other two in the Display Properties.