Need Help with DUAL MONITOR

[DaisyMae]

Hi,

I also need clairification on exactly how dual monitors should work.

Till I decided on what Video card to purchase... I am suing
the following: Number 9 Visual Technology Revolution 4 AGP -
for the LCD FLAT Panel monitor and a # 9 Visual Technology
previous version to the 1st one mentioned.

The REV 4 card AGP supports Flat Panel monitors and I have
it connected independently it is not attached to the
networking KVM box. The other PCI card is is connected to
the Networking and run through the KVM box. I thought that I
could get both to work off the same system but it don't. If I
switch the CRT monitor over to another computer system on
the network it works fine.

What do I need to do to make this work off the same computer. I would like to run large spreadsheets etc.

I been building and operating computers for over 20 years but I have to admit this one has me stumped! ;-)

Please recommend a good Dual Monitor card and software to run it if that is required.

Thanks a bunch,

Daisy

My System:
KT7E Mainboard
1.2 CPU AMD
Usual Drives CD - Hard DR.- Jaz
Viewsonic LCD Flat Panel Monitor
Ventage CTR Viewsonic PS21

[sKuLLsHoT]

which OS are you using, i'll assume winXP in which case it is VERY picky about what brand your cards are and which card is primary etc.

check the HCL at microsoft to see if your cards support dual monitor config.

[DaisyMae]

which OS are you using, i'll assume winXP in which case it is VERY picky about what brand your cards are and which card is primary etc.

check the HCL at microsoft to see if your cards support dual monitor config.

SkullShot... I am using Windows XP Pro my Motherboard is an ABIT KT7E.

Right now the system setup the CTR monitor as the Primary and I have not changed that yet. Been waiting till I get the new Video
Card.

I read somewhere that the ABIT Siluro GeForce4Ti4200 is good but that it needs cooling. I am not into the games I am strickly
business apps. Will I still require cooling? I am assuming since this Video card is manufactured by ABIT that it will be compatible with the Motherboard... is this true?

Thanks for the help

Daisy

[Beefy]

if you could afford a GF4, then that's probably the easiest way to go. Otherwise you've got two options: one video card with two outputs or two seperate cards...

Personally, if I wasn't going for the GF4, I'd take a look at some of the older Matrox cards. They supported dual viewing very well, have great visual clarity and generally worked well.

[sKuLLsHoT]

except the matrox's are a pain in the arse in winxp, well, winxp is generally a pain..

best recommendation is a dual output card, i guess if you don't need gaming performance at all, look for a dual-out GF4MX.

The older matrox dual cards might come back to bite u in the butt, but thats my opinion.

if you do want dual or more multi-mon setup the support in windows XP seems to have changed heaps from win98, the options aren't the same etc etc. there is a collection of desktop and monitor managing applications, i know they exist as i came across them earlier when i was looking at dual monitor stuff for my work box.

to let u know my setup, i use an AGP TNT2 M64, and a PCI SiS-63pci. as the PCI card is not on the MS HCL for winxp, and the TNT2 is, so I have the bios set to boot video from PCI (making the PCI card my primary display) and the AGP is secondary (all extra display cards must be on the MS HCL to support multi-mon), this enables both cards to be used, which u can then switch the primary/secondary roles within windows XP.

[DaisyMae]

if you could afford a GF4, then that's probably the easiest way to go. Otherwise you've got two options: one video card with two outputs or two seperate cards...

Personally, if I wasn't going for the GF4, I'd take a look at some of the older Matrox cards. They supported dual viewing very well, have great visual clarity and generally worked well.

SkullShot, Thanks for tips... I however had ordered The Matrox Millennuim Dual G550 it is on the way.. darn that Newegg.com folks are FAST. ;-)

It is a dual monitor card it has 2 ports on the card. Matorx has always been a good card I thought I used the older version of the Millennium and loved it. I would still be using it if WinXP supported it.

This whole venture has been a series of problems... too long a story to go into. ;-) It is not the money for the monitor card but I did not see the need for a gaming card when I don't do gaming.

I mainly bought the Matrox Millennium G550 because it offers some benefits to people with visual impairment... mainly the Zoom feature that was praised by other's with problems who use the card.

It can't be much more a problem than what I am dealing with since purching the ViewSonic Flat panel LCD monitor! As it turns out the only text on it that is ledgible is the 1024X1028 and it is too small for me to read. I use the 800X600 and the LCD does not support that without looking very grainy and causes a lot of eye strain. Soooo Today I contacted NEWEGG.Com and being the fantastic company they are I am sending the LCD back and getting two ViewSonic Clear 21 inch monitors instead. Man I will tell anyone that I have spent a lot of bucks with NewEGG and they have always taken care of business... they ROCK!

Standby SkullShot when I get the card and new monitors I may give ya a shout if I don't get it figured out. ;-)

I do appreciate those who took time to reply...

Daisy

[DaisyMae]

SkullShot... I am using Windows XP Pro my Motherboard is an ABIT KT7E.

Right now the system setup the CTR monitor as the Primary and I have not changed that yet. Been waiting till I get the new Video
Card.

I read somewhere that the ABIT Siluro GeForce4Ti4200 is good but that it needs cooling. I am not into the games I am strickly
business apps. Will I still require cooling? I am assuming since this Video card is manufactured by ABIT that it will be compatible with the Motherboard... is this true?

Thanks for the help

Daisy

BEEFY... That is why I opted to go with the Matrox card there graphics quality is good and Should handle my business needs well. The testimonals from the people who have Macular Degeneration as I do impressed me to give it a try.

Thanks for your opinion...

Daisy

[zeradul]

matrox's are a pain in the arse in winxp

I disagree completely.

I have two friends using dual display matrox cards, one with a G450, and one with a G550. Both of them are using XP, and working perfectly.

In fact one of them (online alias - Corduroy) frequents this forum, and I will send him the link to this thread.

[Corduroy]

Zeradul is right. I know everyone on this forum want everyone to either run and buy a geforce4 or run and buy a Radeon whatever, but they aren't for everyone.

The big gaming graphics card companies are very good at 3D graphics, but their 2D Ventures, especially in the area of Dual-Monitors, are not that amazing. I have owned an ATI Radeon VE, and I currently own an ATI Mobility dual monitor card on my laptop, and a Matrox G450.

All of these systems have been running XP, and all the cars work within XP as their supposed to. However, the ATI cards are simply inferior to the matrox. ATI's interface for using dual monitor includeds 10 new tabs in the monitors properties are of display settings. The menus are shottily organized and very frustrating to use.

The Matrox, on the other hand. Simply includes a small desktop management tool which is not constantly prompting you for things. You set up a few monitor settings and it gets the hell out of the way. In my experience in computing, the best software is that that you don't know is there. This is not the case with ATI, it is constantly in your face and asking you to jump through menu hoops.

Dual monitor computing is not about raw performance, most of the cards offer simalar capabilities as far as simple hardware performance is concerned anyway. The key is the interface, and Matrox is by far the best in that regard.