multiple video cards

[qmann]

Is it possible to hookup multiple video cards in a single computer and select which videocard you want to use. or will this cause complications.

 

[Dreadson]

It is possible to hook two videocards to your computer and have them run. I would say it depends on your operating system/videocard drivers. My computer (Windows XP OS) has two videocards, which makes it possible to have two monitors, or to select the videocard I want to use. I tried it under windows 98 once, and it didn't work at all. However, your experience may be different. Try it and see. The worst thing that can happen is your monitor explodes...just kidding.

 

[qmann]

ok..
have xp and matrox mill g450 card
and nvidia mx440.

we'll see

 

[crazy888s]

There are a couple of things you can do depending on what you're using 2 monitors for.

-You can buy a switch that will allow you to connect 2 monitors into the switch for 1 adapter, then you can just press a button on the switch to choose which monitor you want to use.

-You can use 2 adapters with 1 monitor hooked up to each adapter. With this, you can use them both at the same time and give yourself 1 big desktop/work area. If you don’t want to use a second monitor then, you could just turn off the power switch or disable that particular adapter card in device manager. If you just power off your main monitor though and leave the device enabled, you'd have to change the primary monitor to be the other adapter in the display properties. The primary adapter has the start-menu and the programs appear there first.

If you’re using 2 adapters though, you need to check the windows catalog (formerly known as the HCL - Hardware Compatibility List) of your operating system. There will be a section on which display cards support 'multiple monitors'. You can check your Windows CD or for ‘hcl.txt’ and see if the list is on there….I know the windows 98 and 2000 CDs have this at least. If not, search around Microsoft.com.

What version of windows do you have?

Here’s the win2000 and winNT HCL:

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/Q131/3/03.asp&NoWebContent=1

Once youre sure your cards support multiple monitors, the setup is easy. Go into display properties, settings, then hit expand my desktop. simple.

 

[Eskimo69]

actually it depends as much on the mobo as it does on the OS I have two cards in this one onboard intel peice that I don't use and a voodoo banshee. If I felt the extreme need to use the intel thing I could at any given time infact even in unison with my pci card. my other mobo if you have two cards plugged in it has a fit and beeps at you which I can only guess what these ones stand for in computer language.

 

[madonnac]

The only restriction I remember to multiple video cards is that you may only have 1 AGP card, and ISA video cards are not supported. PCI cards - just rack them up! - XP will support them all - just gotta be careful about conflicts with IRQs, etc

 

[dumdum]

That card should be a dual head card. Why not just hook 2 monitors up to it?

We are always looking for new members at our computer forums:

http://forums.jlrforum.net

 

[qmann]

what i want to do is hook two video cards to one monitor.

 

[crazy888s]

yes, this can very easily be done. Buy a VGA Switch box.... I just did a simple Google search and found:

http://www.kvms.com/vga_switch/vga_switches.asp

...to give you an idea.

I couldn't refer one to you or tell you what a good price would be, as I have never actually purchased one myself. But do some searching and surely you can find a good price!