I want to run dual monitors, have 2 lcds but have many questions...

[FTLOSM]

I have 2 matching 19 inch lcd monitors, both do vga and dvi, I want to buy a dual dvi video card for this computer that is agp and run both monitors.

I bought an old matrox g450 dual vga card but had less than great results from it and found it wasn't doing what I was hoping it would.

This is an example of what I was thinking of buying as a better card that did dual dvi and had more graphics punch (256 vs 32 mg)

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814161154

Let me explain what I want to do and you guys/gals tell me is this even possible or am I wanting too much from a dual monitor setup.

First off I got the matrox card cuz it was $10 on craigslist and thought i'd just goof with it, it's only 32 mg and such but again it was $10 and would allow me to goof with dual screens a bit to see how i liked it in general knowing i would upgrade eventually.

I want my dual screen setup to be left side primary main monitor, meaning start and task bar and time etc all on left monitor, not split between two cut in half.

I want the right side to be extra workspace as needed, so if i wanna work in photoshop on the right I can and then have a browser open on left or something seperate.

I dunno if it was limited matrox software but I went thru every setting I could find for that matrox card and never could get the system to see my left monitor as an independant primary, it always cut my screen in half between the two and that was annoying especially when I would manually adjust browsers or programs like photoshop into right or left sides but once I restarted the program or pc it would automatically revert to one big screen cut in half again.

I even checked the "snap to monitor" option, that works too BUT once I close those browsers or restart the pc I'm back to default of having it be split in half again, (windows log in, browser, photoshop all do this) so I have to manually re-manipulate the size and move into position on left or right monitor each time I use these programs.

I am hoping this is just buggy software (I never did uninstall the ati card i had in there just installed the matrox and software as a quick "to see" how it would work). But I am wondering is this how all dual monitor setups will perform?

Maybe a newer card would allow for more options and settings of having left be primary singular monitor and right being extra workspace when i need it?

I really hated how it would spit my main desktop clock way on right start button way on left, i never could get that figured out how to get my windows login or my main desktop all onto left or right monitor.

Sorry for such basic questions but I hate to go blow $100+ for a good dual dvi video card, uninstall all this ati and matrox stuff install that card and find myself still not happy with the options and adjustments that I can or can't make on a dual monitor setup.

I don't know anyone with a setup like this to ask, but am hoping to set it up and use it for photoshop on right side, while i do browser on left or build websites with one side builder one side browser and see changes things like that, yet want my desktop, windows login, default sizes of browser and photoshop etc all to be able to be adjusted to where they don't open as one huge split screen type thing.

Thanks for any help on this,

Bill

 

[paparazi]

I found myself looking at your post and to be honest, as I've not tried this myself I don't know the complete answer.
What I do know however is that the graphics card you have picked can be improved on for the same or less money.

Firstly the ATI X1600PRO (at least double the power of the ageing 9600 you chose)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814241029R

Then there is the Nvidia 6600GT which dispite having half the amount of ram is actually slightly quicker than the 1600PRO.
Also at least twice as powerful as the 9600.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814143083

What else do I know? well not alot!! but from a friend who uses two monitors similarly, he says Nvidia has the better drivers/utilities for dual monitor control.
Now I don't know if those controls will allow exactly what you describe but they are the most feature packed of the manufacturers.
Maybe others will comment about display function and what is and isn't possible.
Martin

We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[Nelviticus]

I was using an nVidia-based machine last week with two monitors doing exactly what you've described - full 'normal' desktop on one screen conatining the whole taskbar, and the second screen on the right just for spare space. You can drag apps over to the right-hand screen and maximise them and they just fill that one screen. It's a great way to work, but sadly it wasn't my machine!

So yes any half-way decent nVidia card will do the job. I can't speak for an ATI set-up as I've never tried one but I suspect that would also be quite easy.

Regards

Nelviticus

 

[paparazi]

Good to here it can be done!
Expanding on the 9600 Radeon.
The one you choose is a plain 9600 using slower DDRII, it has only 4 pixel pipelines has a slow interface and comes from a much older line of graphics processors.

The little 6600GT I pointed out, might have only 128mb of ram but it is much faster DDRIII, the GPU itself is several generations newer than the the core of the 9600 and it has Pixel shader 3.0 technology.
As I said, at least twice as fast.

The ATI card I chose is also a good alternative but as I understand it, The Nvidia drivers and control panel software are easier to use than ATI's.

Martin

We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[FTLOSM]

Thanks guys for answering these things for me, that nvidia link on newegg looks good but reviews wise scares me with the talk of DOA items, I am not into gaming btw mainly video graphic design web design and normal email/surfing the web, I do watch and edit video too, but not sure how much graphics wise I am in need of beyond wanting dual head dvi...

I had talked to gigabyte and they said my motherboard wouldn't support onboard video with agp video card at same time (that was my first idea) but they didnt answer me yet if I could run a dual head dvi card and then add a pci tv tuner card?

I will miss that tv tuner card that my current ati has in it, so was thinking to add a pci tv tuner vs looking for an all in one that was dual dvi cuz that probably doesnt exist does it?

 

[paparazi]

I understand that you aren't a gamer and so you are correct in assuming that you don't especially need a powerful card, that is unless you do any 3D work where some horsepower maybe required, especially pushing out smooth frame rates over two 19inch monitors with max default res.

DOA!! well the 6600GT range was probably the most popular card about a year ago, they were sold in their tens of thousands. Let me assure you that they didn't have an especially high returns rate, about average.

The only reason for recommending Nvidia is I believe their drivers and control panel are the easiest to setup for dual monitor use.

Yes of course you can fit a TV tuner card as well.
Personally I would look for a digital TV tuner as analogue is old and obsolete technology.

I'm not sure where the "All In Wonder" range from ATI are at the moment, as I said I would advise a digital TV tuner and I'm not sure if All In Wonder cards are still analogue? or the latest variants (if they exist) have included digital tuners.

Martin







We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[Nelviticus]

The down-side to getting a combined graphics card and TV tuner is that it's a single point of failure - if one part fails you've lost the lot. Also, if you want to upgrade later on you have to replace the whole thing. The only real advantage is that it only takes up one slot, but if you have the room I'd go for a separate TV card.

If you're thinking of upgrading to Vista at any point check that whatever TV card you buy is Vista-compatible. The graphics card will be but many current TV cards aren't.

Regards

Nelviticus

 

[felixc]

All-in-ones with dual DVI, there is no room on the bracket to have it done, unfortunately. Mine has two analogue outs, even if the graphics chips is able to output dual DVI. Lack of real estate.

Regarding the TV tuner, the one advantage of the all-in-one cards is that the video goes from the tuner to the display without traveling through the system bus, without any work from the CPU. The graphics chip has a digital video port to handle digital video inputs. Add-in PCI TV tuners have to get the video to travel through the system bus to reach the graphics card. Those TV tuners that connect to USB even require the CPU to rebuild the video from the MPEG that is fed from the USB bus.

Depending how solid and fast your system is, you may or may not notice the horsepower needed from your system to handle TV tuners that aren't integrated to the graphics card.