Hi folks
Got my HD4870X2 installed. Has 2 DVI outputs on it. What a power hungry beast it is. So I have a 28" LCD with full 1080p resolution, which I usually keep in "clone" mode with the output to my DLP Projector in the living room connected via HDMI->DVI. Works fine.
What I want to do is stick another ATI HD series card (as I know Vista only supports loading one video driver at a time), in my second PCI-X16 slot to drive (2) additional 20-inch monitors in a "expanded desktop area" style. (Obviously not for gaming).
So in went an HD4850 card. I figured since I didn't want it in the crossfire mix, I'd leave the strap off of it. Fired up. Windows found the 4850. OK. Fine. Got expanded desktop on monitor on the 4850. Good. Not so much. No way to enable crossfire (greyed out, diags said "Your cards must have the crossfire interconnects connected"). ARGH. The X2 is internally connected, but fine, have it your way ATI.
Connected the CF straps between the cards, rebooted. Now, I am able to enable crossfire, but if I do so, it bitches that "my cards don't match and performance would suck" (or some such). Hit apply, BSOD pointing at the ATI dll.
So my question is this:
1) Is there a way to ONLY enable crossfire among the 2 GPUs on the 4870X2 card, leaving the 4850 alone to just drive monitors in non-gaming apps?
2) Maybe above can be accomplished by using an earlier member of the ATI family that wasn't crossfire capable? I just want 2D/Desktop stuff on the secondary card.
I understand I may have to enable/disable CF based on whether I want to game (CF on) or expanded desktop spanning monitors (CF off), which I can do easily enough with profiles. No problem with that. I just find it insane that I can't exclude a card from the CF group.
Any help would be most appreciate.
Got my HD4870X2 installed. Has 2 DVI outputs on it. What a power hungry beast it is. So I have a 28" LCD with full 1080p resolution, which I usually keep in "clone" mode with the output to my DLP Projector in the living room connected via HDMI->DVI. Works fine.
What I want to do is stick another ATI HD series card (as I know Vista only supports loading one video driver at a time), in my second PCI-X16 slot to drive (2) additional 20-inch monitors in a "expanded desktop area" style. (Obviously not for gaming).
So in went an HD4850 card. I figured since I didn't want it in the crossfire mix, I'd leave the strap off of it. Fired up. Windows found the 4850. OK. Fine. Got expanded desktop on monitor on the 4850. Good. Not so much. No way to enable crossfire (greyed out, diags said "Your cards must have the crossfire interconnects connected"). ARGH. The X2 is internally connected, but fine, have it your way ATI.
Connected the CF straps between the cards, rebooted. Now, I am able to enable crossfire, but if I do so, it bitches that "my cards don't match and performance would suck" (or some such). Hit apply, BSOD pointing at the ATI dll.
So my question is this:
1) Is there a way to ONLY enable crossfire among the 2 GPUs on the 4870X2 card, leaving the 4850 alone to just drive monitors in non-gaming apps?
2) Maybe above can be accomplished by using an earlier member of the ATI family that wasn't crossfire capable? I just want 2D/Desktop stuff on the secondary card.
I understand I may have to enable/disable CF based on whether I want to game (CF on) or expanded desktop spanning monitors (CF off), which I can do easily enough with profiles. No problem with that. I just find it insane that I can't exclude a card from the CF group.
Any help would be most appreciate.
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