Dual Monitor Outputs...

**MrRatt** · December 31st, 2003, 06:51 PM

Right...

I have a GeForce Ti4600 (i think, either that or the 4800 lol)

it has normal monitor output and a DVI Output.

just wondering if i plug a CRT Monitor in, and a DVI TFT Monitor will it work as a dual display?

If not..

what are the best cards out there for Dual Display.... Possible even dual DVI (as im hoping to get 2 17" Flat Screens next month, but wondering about the Gfx cards first.

Cheers

Ratty

**Urban_Squrill** · December 31st, 2003, 06:55 PM

It would support dual display. You could get a DVI-CRT adapter if u wanted to use a CRT.

**MrRatt** · December 31st, 2003, 06:56 PM

so i could have 2 flat screens plugged in, one plugged in to the CRT socket and one in to the DVI socket?

am i understanding this properly

**EvilRick** · December 31st, 2003, 06:57 PM

Yes, you can do Multi-Display.

Look here

Who made your card?

**MrRatt** · December 31st, 2003, 06:59 PM

made by creative
yea i did read that, and just wanted to make sure i understood it correct

**Kruzin** · December 31st, 2003, 07:19 PM

what are the best cards out there for Dual Display.... Possible even dual DVI (as im hoping to get 2 17" Flat Screens next month, but wondering about the Gfx cards first.

Matrox without a doubt has the best multi-monitor cards out there, including several with dual-DVI, a couple that support triple-head, and some really expensive ones that will do quad.
Only thing is most of these cards are not suitable for 3D gaming.
So if gaming is not important to you, Matrox is the only way to go for a multi-display card...

**EvilRick** · December 31st, 2003, 07:22 PM

And of course, Kruzin is NOT biased towards Matrox . . .

But I do agree.

**MrRatt** · December 31st, 2003, 07:24 PM

this is what anoys me :P

i do play a fair few games, and a lot of 3D intence games... so i need a good gfx card for that, but i also do a lot of 3d work, so i find the 2 monitors a god send... but we have just moved and i havnt got the room (where the PC is) for 2x 19" CRT Monitors, so i need to get some flat screens :P

why cant they make a motherboard with 2x AGP ports! :P
that would help me out a lot more, then i could have a nice powerfull GPU for gaming and a Matrox one for the Dual Output, then have 3 monitors

**Kruzin** · December 31st, 2003, 07:39 PM

ER-
Me? Biased towards Matrox? Just cause they've given my free cards for the last 6 years??
Nah...

Actually, they have dropped the Beta-test program I was in, so no more free cards for me

But I still truely believe they are great cards, with great features...as long as you aren't an FPS counter...

MR-
I also enjoy my gaming. And my Matrox Parhelia does a very respectable job with every game I've thrown at it. It will do dual DVI, or triple CRT (or 1DVI+2CRT)(or 1 or 2 monitors + a TV).
It's the only card out there today that can pull off triplehead surround gaming.
And to ME, surround gaming kicks tail, and is more important than any 3dmark score (as long as the games are playable)

And it's a awesome card for my PC's main purpose of ACAD...

**MrRatt** · December 31st, 2003, 07:55 PM

thanx for the advise m8

looks like i know what i will be getting next month then :P

**Kruzin** · January 1st, 2004, 04:20 AM

Please don't take my opinion of my personal experiences as advice.
It's just my opinion of the card, based on how I used my rig.
I personally feel my Parhelia is a great card, and there is nothing else on the market today that offers the features I personally covet.
But, I've had too many ppl moan at me after buying a Parhelia on my advice that it wasn't fast enough for them to brag to their buddies.
If you are a hard-core gamer who likes to tell their pals "I get xxxfps in yyygame, nya nya nya", Matrox is not for you.

If you like 1st rate 2D, untouchable multi-monitor support, stable drivers, and the idea of gaming across 3 screens, Parhelia is certainly something to consider...

**DallasDon** · January 1st, 2004, 05:13 AM

Actually, for a budget solution, You can get a decent AGP card for your "primary" monitor, and use any old PCi video card for a second or third monitor.

I don't use them for 3d gaming, in "spanning" mode, but have built a few rigs with different combinations of video.

I currently use a Shuttle MN31N mobo with onboard dual VGA, driving two 19" CRT, and I love it.

Just built a buddy one with an EVa G Force 4 AGP card, with dual VGA, and a pci Geforce 2 add on , running three Monitors.

As I said, we use them for 2D gaming, not FPS. Both rigs were like $500 out the door, tower only.

**Xtreeme** · January 1st, 2004, 12:01 PM

ATI- kills matrox in any game, faster more features that matter for d3d and openGL (read gaming) and great quality image at same time. Duel ramdac for independent refresh rates (important when two mon are diff size/brands). Matrox is over priced for the speed you get IMHO. A 9600pro duel ramdac is much better value for a gamer. Plus ati has tricks for tv out that make it look much better than anyother tv output does. In Acad -matrox or any descent workstation card will do fine. Now Gmax and myia etc...-welp get a wildcat or somthing that can render real time 3d images.

My brother is a engineer and he uses Acad all the time. His work system has a Radeon 8500 in it and it does everything and more in cad very fast. Not very demanding on video is that app. Most he needs is XP 2200+ cpu with 1 gig pc2100 mem for all the layers in the drawing. The independent displays are nice for him. Cause he can have tools and such in one mon. and the layers of drafting in other. He lays out the rafters, spanners, foundation, roofing and support beam structures to bridges-churches gov. buildings shopping malls and schools etc. Trust me he pushes cad to the max. Every year they upgrade for new features and such. But the ATI is more than up to the task at hand and looks good while doing it too. He's got the fastest rig in the factory cause I buit it for him. LOL. They are all on 1.5gig P4's-hehehehehe. With 128mb rdram and OLD video cards. ROFLMAO.

**Kruzin** · January 1st, 2004, 01:14 PM

If you believe ATI has better 2D quality and TVout than Matrox, you are misinformed. If you look at a hardcore home entertainment forum, you will find many videophiles swear by Matrox's TVO. Plus, only Matrox offers 10bit gigacolor, glyph antialiasing, and TRIPLE ramdacs.
Yes, ATI cards are faster, but better desktop features? Not even close.
Matrox even goes so far as to offer ACAD specific ISV certified drivers and WYSIWYG plug-ins for video editing (among other goodies).

I have been doing CAD for almost 20 years (including teaching it at a college for 10 years). I have used every make card out there on hundreds of computers.
Nobody touches Matrox for these uses....and triple display is even better than dual

(text window on left, drawing editor in center, toolbars on right)

**Xtreeme** · January 1st, 2004, 05:15 PM

Slow down-LOL. Never said ati has better 2d image Q, I know thats matrox's turf BUT if you want to any descent gaming AND cad-look no further then ati. THats what I was saying. If I wanted a truely cad tweaked card-ther is more out there then just matrox. Its just they are cheapest in that segment. BUT for games a work station card is crapolla.

**morsecodhart** · August 31st, 2004, 11:22 AM

Ok i have a nvidia geforce 2 build into my mother board and i also have a geforce 2 video card. does anyone know ifi can run multiple displays? if so help me out thanks!

**Valtelino** · August 31st, 2004, 09:12 PM

Originally Posted by morsecodhart

i have a nvidia geforce 2 build into my mother board and i also have a geforce 2 video card. does anyone know ifi can run multiple displays?

What motherboard?

**morsecodhart** · August 31st, 2004, 11:52 PM

Originally Posted by Valtelino

What motherboard?

http://www.biostar.com.tw/products/m...hp3?name=M7NCD this one

**mingyu01** · September 1st, 2004, 12:07 AM

Its Geforce 4 MX not geforce 2 assuming that it has nForce 2 IGP chipset

**Kruzin** · September 1st, 2004, 02:15 AM

Originally Posted by morsecodhart

Ok i have a nvidia geforce 2 build into my mother board and i also have a geforce 2 video card. does anyone know ifi can run multiple displays? if so help me out thanks!

Is the second card you want to add an AGP or a PCI card?
If AGP, no. The onboard video uses AGP, and you cannot have more than 1 AGP device. You can use one or the ither.

If the other card is PCI, no problem. Just plug it in, install the drivers, and adjust your windows display properties to extend to that display.