Dual Monitor Question

[ggitech]

I just got a Dell Gx270. It has an integrated video card, as well as a GeForce4 440 MX with AGP8X card. Originally I was told that I'd have Dual Monitor capability, because of the two video cards. I've plugged in 2 monitors to the pc, but the monitor that's connected to the GeForce card, is the only monitor that displays my desktop. I've also tried plugging in one of the monitors, to just the integrated card, and it doesn't work. Can someone help me out?

Also, does anybody know of a monitor connector that'll allow one end to plug into the pc, and have 2 connectors on the other end, so that you can hook up 2 monitors?

 

[ggitech]

Well, I did some research, and I figured out what I need to do. The setup I have won't work, because the GeForce4 Video Card only has one monitor head. So, in order for me to have dual monitor capability, I'll have to pick up a Matrox Millenium 2 PCI Video Card. Thanks anyways.

 

[jbotz]

Just to let you know, the reason that your initial setup would not work is because both your onboard and your add-on video cards function on the AGP bus, which only has single device support. However, adding a PCI card would take care of the issue.

 

[ggitech]

Right, I figured that out after doing a little research - but, if I were to add a Matrox Millenium 2 4mb PCI video card, would the pc be able to read both cards simultaniously?

The MM2 card has 2 "heads", so that I can hook up both monitors to the one card but, if I do that, then I'm not utilizing my NVIDIA card - so is it possible to have 1 monitor on the NVIDIA card, and the other on the MM2 card - if so, how would I go about setting up the monitors so that I had the extended desktop?

I'm basically trying to have one screen dedicated to one specific program(hence the 4mb card, I don't need anything fancy) - the other screen would be for high res games(64mb video card) and other stuff (misc)

any help would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[dakota81]

You'll be fine with the GeForce and Matrox cards.

Do not, though, run both monitors off the matrox. Doing so you split the memory in half, 2 meg per monitor, and as such, will not be able to have either monitor at 1024x768x32bit.

To make the nVidia card the primary card, there should be a setting somewhere in the bios whether to boot first to AGP or PCI, and select AGP.

Then for the extended desktop, just boot the machine up, and Windows will take care of the rest!

 

[isselt]

Check this out, Dual screen solutions are simple !

1. this info is already replied ; use a dual head Matroxcard Millenium videocard card with 32MB (2x16) but i think this is not your wish to do. Because your 440 card is just fine.

2. Cheap and good working solution, add a simple PCI 4-8-16 MB video card into an empty PCI slot and the wished desktop expansion is possible.
(i've made several systems with dual screen, it works great and is not expensive)

Notes :
Dual screen works with W98 and later windows versions.
On dual screen systems is always one screen master and the second screen must switched on in the display properties. In the advanced window appears the second monitor. Both screens are individual adjustable for freq. size. colors
Expand the desktop to the second screen.