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I was wondering the same thing.
Originally Posted by Agent
If you read a bit further back you will see that i did install 2 graphics cards with the same driver, under Vista but it didn't work. So, not complicated just guys trying to help figure out what to do etc.
A possible option would be to uninstall the 'Vista' drivers, and install the 'XP' drivers instead. That would force Vista to use the legacy WDM model video drivers instead of the WDDM Vista userspace driver model. It might make multicard setups less painful. Just a thought. I haven't done this myself, but I've heard from others that it works ok. Another possibility is to make sure you use a driver version that works with the lowest common denominator. I'm not sure if AMD's current drivers work with old cards like the Radeon 9000 for e.g.
Yes I read it, but *find* the real problem and *fix* it.
Sidestepping it with more complex and expensive solutions isn't the way to go about it.
Well, the 'Fix' as you put it wouldn't work with the 'extra' AMD PCI card so that has been returned to the supplier. As was pointed out earlier, it may have worked in XP but not in Vista. The 'Problem' was Vista. This is why we are debating which would be the next best alternative.
Matrox alternative may be expensive, but it aint complex as you should know.
Even buying a cheap SLI board and 2 cheap PCI-E Cards wouldn't be that expensive or that complex!
No. You're wrong.
Vista works fine with 2 graphics cards and a multimonitor setup provided they use the same driver. I've even provided a link to the offical Microsoft website which goes into great detail on this.
I have 2 systems here that work fine in this configuration. If this really was an issue, it would be all over the web.
Vista is not the issue here.
I beg to disagree mate. The 2 graphics cards shared the same driver but wouldn't work! I seen the link you posted. Not everything is 100% perfect and guaranteed to work in Vista or any other OS for that matter.
One was a PCIe card the other was a PCI card, both ATI, both used the same driver. Vista reported the error that came up in that link you supplied. What more can i say?
Anyway, that didn't work for me and my friend so we are looking for an alternative method. Been suggested a couple so it is up to my friend now as it is his money at the end of the day.
Here are the options i have been told about:
1. Matrox Adapter thingy
2. New SLI mobo with 2 cheap PCIe cards
3. New Graphics card with 4 monitor outputs on them
4. 2 New PCI cards, take out the PCIe card?
Just got to get some figures together for my friend now. The middle one looks the cheapest at the moment. How easy is it to set up 3 monitors with 2 cards in SLI?
Last edited by Koolpc; 15-02-2009 at 06:56 PM.
You don't need an SLi board to use multiple graphics cards in multihead setups, a P45 board with two PCIe x16 slots will do. SLi/CrossFire simply allows one to use multiple cards to process graphics, desktop output is independant of this process.
My guess with the problem you had was new drivers without support for older GPU chips.
As easy as setting up 2 graphics cards in non SLI. No, seriously.
If you couldn't get it working without SLI, SLI won't magically start making it work.
SLI requires that both cards use the same driver too. The difference between 2 cards in SLI and non SLI is barely visible to the user out of games, it's all done behind the scenes.
SLI will not solve this problem, it's designed for an entirely different reason.
In addition to what aidanjt said above, it doesn't even need to be the same interfact type (PCIe / PCI) - It's irrelevant in terms of multimon.
Indeed, I intentionally avoided saying as much because I previously meantioned this. Not too fond of repeating myself.
This looks like what could have been the problem. So, how do i get round that then?
My friend already has an ATI PCIe card with 2 monitors attached. Which way would you say is the simplest way that will gaurantee him to use 3 or 4 monitors?
His existing card is this one:
Force3D X1650Pro 512MB DDR2 DVI VGA TV Out PCI-E Graphics Card
Scan is getting a Radeon 2400 PCI card soon: http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/256MB...-S-Video-D-Sub
That'll do the trick.
Great, so just pop it in and it will use the same driver as the Force3D X1650Pro? It will work in Vista, no problems? Thanks
Yup, they're both supported by AMD's current drivers.
Koolpc (15-02-2009)
Right, i will give my mate a ring and tell him. Thanks for your help mate.
Don't meantion it.
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