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Onboard Video, Add card for Dual Monitors? (Compaq Presario)

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dalfollo

Senior member
I have a compaq presario (SR1610NX) that has onboard graphics (ATI Radeon XPress 200)... I would like to run dual monitors (I have three CRTs available to me 17"x2 and a 19")...

it is a Sempron 3200+ 1.8 GHz, running on an MSI MS-7184 MB with available PCI and PCI-e slots...do I have to disable the onboard video and add a card with dual video outs to have dual monitors?

Or would I be so lucky that I can use the onboard video, and a cheap PCI or PCI-e card for the second monitor....

if you would indulge me, is there any possibility that I can keep the onboard video, add a dual card, and have THREE Monitors???

Thanks for any info
 
The Xpress200 IGP supports concurrent operation with additional add-in graphics cards. I use "Surround Mode" with a MSI board and Xpress200 and my X1800XT (or any of my other PCIe cards)

For my motherboard, there is a bios option to enable "surround mode" and how much system memory to dedicate to the onboard graphics. I use it for a 17" LCD and a web browser/utility GUI's since with my particular motherboard, surround mode offers a more limited resolution support, than when in "Primary" mode. Its very handy however, and I use it quite a bit. I drive 3 analog displays with this particular rig.
 
Very interesting...when you say you are running three analog displays....that would be one from the onboard video and the other two from an added PCIe card?

That would be too good to be able to run that on my system....Do you have a recommendation on the PCIe video card to make this happen? preferably something in the lower cost range as I am using this for home office/web dev/internet....

I remember seeing that "surround" item in the BIOS, but with out supporting info on the MB I wasn't sure how to use it...I recently found the MB manual and will look into it.

I am getting sort of excited! Thanks for the info....
 
....that would be one from the onboard video and the other two from an added PCIe card?
Click to expand...

Exactly.

*Onboard Xpress200 drives a 17" analog LCD
*X1800XT drives: 1) 22" Mitsu CRT Monitor and 2) 55" Philips CRT RPTV

Do you have a recommendation on the PCIe video card to make this happen? preferably something in the lower cost range as I am using this for home office/web dev/internet....
Click to expand...

I've only used my higher end ATI cards, and I'm not sure about other vendor cards, but for your use, something like the PCIe x300 cards should be dandy. Just make sure the card features dual RAMDAC and if it has DVI, make certain it is not DVI-D so that your CRT is supported with an adaptor (should come with the card).
 
Wonderful, that is exactly what I was looking to hear and the exact detail i need to make the right purchase. thanks so much for your feedback.
 
Originally posted by: dalfollo
Wonderful, that is exactly what I was looking to hear and the exact detail i need to make the right purchase. thanks so much for your feedback.
Click to expand...

Just make certain that "your" particular motherboard does support "surround mode" before you make any purchases. The Xpress 200 chipset does support it, but it doesn't mean that the manufacturer enabed the support at the bios and or driver level.

 
Good point...I will check into that.

Worst case is that you have helped me to find a decent chipset that should handle dual monitors at least on its own...it will sweeten the pot of the MB does in fact handle surround mode...otherwise I will have to disable the onboard and go with the new Video card.

The system is a Compaq Presario SR1610NX; the motherboard is an MSI (MSI MS-7184 made for Compaq/HP) also called AmethystM-GL6E....i will see what I can find...
 
You cannot have more than one AGP device in a system, but you can have as many PCIE and PCI VGA cards as you please. Both rules include chipset-integrated units.

So, with the system being PCIE and the integrated graphics unit being PCIE-ish, it might actually keep the integrated VGA running even if you add another.

The board's BIOS may let you choose which one becomes the primary (boot) display. The others will be fired up by their drivers later. Typically, it is a good idea to make the integrated unit the primary display.
 
You cannot have more than one AGP device in a system, but you can have as many PCIE and PCI VGA cards as you please. Both rules include chipset-integrated units.
Click to expand...

Actually, ATI's 9100 IGP allows for an additional VGA card while keeping the onboard graphics enabled for triple display support as well.
 
I have got to get home and open the bios to see what is there.... I was able to focus on the following card from New Egg that looks pretty promising as far as a decent PCIe card that might just suite my needs:

Power Color Radeon X300 Video Card

seems to have RAMDAC...and pretty good reviews...doesn't seem to come with a DVI to VGA interface, but I think I can find one....I do want to make sure that I can make the card do CRT and CRT...most other cards that can do dual monitor come with the connector...

Why is it that so many monitors that come with a DVI and VGA connector say nothing about being used for dual monitors....is a dual output card (DVI and VGA) always considered a dual monitor card?

Another question about ATI products and the different chipsets/GPUs...i bought and used a Radeon 64MB AGP card in a box i built in early 2001...I am now confused with so many different "levels" of ATI chipset...is there a simple chart that walks one through the difference between 300SE and 9600 etc?

If the triple monitors don't work out (use onboard video AND a PCIe card), I may select a different video card than the 300...

thanks for any info....
 
I took a look at my Bios and could not find mention of "SurroundView"....I thought I remember seeing it... the BIOS does allow me to select from the following for "Primary Video Adapter"

- PCI (right now PCI is checked)
- Onboard
- PCI-e

I called Compaq and they told me that having PCI checked in the BIOS is impossible (oppure si e') however it is checked as such...as mentioned above it may be that I can install a new card on the PCIe and then select onboard as the primary, then the PC will read the PCIe as the driver is loaded....

One iteresting thing is that in the next line in the BIOS the line reads "Onboard Memory Size: 64MB" this is fixed and can't seem to be changed...

I think what I may have to do is just load a second video card in the PCI I mentioned the one I am interested in above....and see what I need to do to make it work either with the onboard video, or simply as a standalone dual monitor PCIe video card....

Since they are both ATI cards do i need to unload drivers for the onboard video before I install the new card? Thanks for any feedback.
 
i have that model computer and a x300se with dual displays in the pci-e
nor windows or the bios recognizes it -- even after asking windows to scan for hardware changes or new devices
its like its not even there, except that its hot to the touch after i remove it eavch time
 
Originally posted by: Peter
You cannot have more than one AGP device in a system, but you can have as many PCIE and PCI VGA cards as you please. Both rules include chipset-integrated units.
Click to expand...
iirc, there is nothing in the AGP specification that prevented multiple AGP buses in a system.
 
Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: Peter
You cannot have more than one AGP device in a system, but you can have as many PCIE and PCI VGA cards as you please. Both rules include chipset-integrated units.
Click to expand...
iirc, there is nothing in the AGP specification that prevented multiple AGP buses in a system.
Click to expand...

I think he was going from the assumption that there aren't any mobos out there with 2x AGP slots. I can't remember ever seeing any either.

Unfortunately, as we've seen with a lot of products, just because a specification exists doesn't mean we can take advantage of it.

-z
 
Originally posted by: zagood
Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: Peter
You cannot have more than one AGP device in a system, but you can have as many PCIE and PCI VGA cards as you please. Both rules include chipset-integrated units.
Click to expand...
iirc, there is nothing in the AGP specification that prevented multiple AGP buses in a system.
Click to expand...

I think he was going from the assumption that there aren't any mobos out there with 2x AGP slots. I can't remember ever seeing any either.

Unfortunately, as we've seen with a lot of products, just because a specification exists doesn't mean we can take advantage of it.

-z
Click to expand...

There aren't any Motherboards with AGPx2, no, but there are ATI motherboards that allow for concurrent use of the onboard graphics plus an additional AGP board, which when he states:
You cannot have more than one AGP device in a system, but you can have as many PCIE and PCI VGA cards as you please. Both rules include chipset-integrated units
Click to expand...

Which isn't entirely correct considering the 9100IGP chipset from ATI.
 
unclebud...

are you saying that you have tried to instasll an X300SE and the PC doesn't recognise it? that you can't use it??
 
yes, that is correct.
it had bios rev 3.31 when i bought it last month from office depot, and 3.40 after updating via hp's website
had a co-worker try the video card at his home, and he brought it back saying it was fine
 
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