[sunraven0]

I've done a search...but still have a couple of questions.
What video cards can support dual monitors with opengl?
Is that the only thing I need to setup 2 monitors? I'm running win2k.
Right now I am mapping a building & what I would really like to do is put ACDSee on one monitor to use an image as reference while I map it in Quark on the other monitor.
Suggestions?
thanks!

[MadSamoan]

There are quite a few. Several in the GeForce and Matrox line. If you want a cheap one, you can go for a used Matrox G400 Dual Head. I'm using one at work right now with a Viewsonic 17 monitor and a PL400 LCD Wacom monitor(precursor to the Cintiq) and work with 3DSMax and Photoshop. It's comparable to a GeForce 1 and is due for an upgrade, but I get by for now and these cards can be picked up maybe 60 bucks on ebay.

[Dr. Bang]

Hi Sunraven! The current video card with dual monitor are:

Nvidia GeForce2 MX400 - Cheap solution for dual but crappy performance.

Matrox G450/550 - A tiny bit more expensive than GeForce, slower than GeForce2 MX but better quality. Can run different resolutions on each monitor in Win2k. (I had one, then sold it to buy a Radeon 8500)

Nvidia GeForce4 MX420/440/460 - Although its named GeForce, it is actually as fast as a GeForce2 Ultra. No one should buy this card, i mean NO ONE.

Nvidia GeForce4 Ti - Now here's the real GeForce4, it uses the new chip that gives you faster performance. The slowest model is a tiny bit more expensive than the GF4 MX but give you x3 times the performance. THREE. Althought its the slowest, the fastest model arent that faster.

Ati Radeon8500 - I chose this one over the GF4 Ti because it is almost as fast, MORE advanced (support more games in the future) and MUCH cheaper. One problem, i dont think you can run different resolution on each monitor in win2k, only in winxp. And yeah, every one know Ati makes crappy driver but that was 6 months ago, right now, their driver is fucking awesome.


I think you should go for the Radeon or GF4 TI. Matrox and GF2 MX400 is TOO outdated now.

[eyewoo]

Keep in mind if you alrady have a good graphics card and an available slot, you can probably just add another cheap video card for the second monitor if video quality is not critical. I think Win2k can handle two graphics cards...

[Kipou]

yeah, instead of making a new post, i just though i add to the question. I already have a geforce 2 gts and just wantd to know if i could add a pci card and get the same quality as i would from a dual head.

[Dr. Bang]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kipou:
yeah, instead of making a new post, i just though i add to the question. I already have a geforce 2 gts and just wantd to know if i could add a pci card and get the same quality as i would from a dual head.

---

Depend on the video card, yes, you could achive the same quality but its a bit slower in 3d stuff since its PCI.

[sunraven0]

I have a Geforce II MX400...what do i have to do to get the other monitor setup?
Also...does it matter if the monitors are the same brand or anything?

[Dr. Bang]

Never run two videocard at once, i heard its complicated, you have to go into the bios or something. Try to ask ppl at www.tomshardware.com or other popular computer site.

[Sedone]

I run two videocards, one agp, the other pci. I had to go into the bios and make the pci the default video card or Windows wouldn't boot up. The agp card is a TNT2, and believe or not the pci card is an Xpert98

[eyewoo]

I'm running two different video cards and two different monitors with XP-pro. I didn't set it up, so I don't know how complicated it was, but it sure has been problem free. The person who set it up for me says I can add a third video card if I want three monitors... Maybe one day when I have more room on my desk...

[Novacaptain]

the windows (98 i think) help file states that you may add up to 10 monitors. i guess you'd have to use some really funky motherboard for that...i wonder if it'd give me a tan?

[ValarianROOT]

Setting up two monitors with two dif cards is fine. I've had no trouble with it in: Win98, WinMI, Win200, or WinXP pro. Yes you may have to go into the bios to setup the AGP card as the primary adapter (its usually very simple, at least in an Award bios, just change primary adapter from PCI to AGP). The only problem I've ever run into is when working in 3D and I wanted to run the main programing Applet in one window and have a separate "preview" screen on the second monitor. I solved that by just going with what ever default driver came with the operating system. I've ran the GeForce II GTS Deluxe and GeForce II MX200 before and am running an Oxygen VX1 and the same geforce IIMX card on the system I use for all my production stoff (same one i'm using right now in fact). I would recomend using the same monitor for both cards. I'm running a Viewsonic 19" for my primary monitor and a KDS 17" for the secondary and have problems getting the colors to match on both monitors (the Viewsonic is much warmer in color than the KDS). My roommate is running an MX400 from Matrox on her current comp and is getting good results. She mainly does web design with it. Matrox is well know for working well for 2D applications.

Basically, just get a cheap secondary card if you wanna save $, but if you can get a good Matrox card and two of the same monitors if you wanna get the best performance.

Hope this helps, and Tom's Hardware is usually one of the places i spec out my hareware before I buy so Dr. Bang has a good suggestion.

JN

[ValarianROOT]

Adendum:

Oh crap, I forgot you were looking for good OpenGL support. Forget about the Matrox line. Like I said they are good for 2D stoff, its just their OpenGL support sucks.

Go with an Nvidia product, or two to get the best all around performance. As for ATI i'm waiting for them to show they can produce consitantly good chips before I'd even begin to consider one. I sell them where I work and I get about 50% of what I sell back.

JN

[Dr. Bang]

one of the many unbiased benchmark i've seen.



Ignore the Pro version, its for sale in Japan only.

[Frog]

Hi, just to add a little information: running 2 graphics cards is fine, works very well in win 2000. I wanted to do exactly the same as you, have my work on one screen and my ref on the other and was able to setup a dual monitor system *very* cheaply. I already had a Geforce running a 19" Trinitron so I just went and got a very cheap 2nd hand 15" Trinitron (�40) and a 2nd hand Matrox Millenium (�20), and for a total of �60 had a dual monitor system that works absolutely fine.

It can be a little tricky calibrating both monitors to look the same, but if they're the same brand it should be easier. Also, as people have already said, Matrox don't have very good open GL drivers, so I run all my open GL on the Nvidia (for Nendo I actually have to turn off the 2nd monitor otherwise it uses software acceleration).

You might want to check out Ultramon from
Realtime Software, a great utility for controlling a mutli monitor stup with 2 cards - gives you all the control that a Dualhead would give. There is also a very useful forum there.

Once you get used to 2 monitors you won't want to go back, it's especially nice in Photoshop to have all your palettes on one screen and your work on the other. It's also great in Max or Maya, work in one and have Material Editor/Hypershade etc.. on the other. In fact any app with lots of windows or palettes: Flash, Director etc...

[eyewoo]

Frog,

yepsir! dual monitors are useful for much more than just graphics programs. Any situation where there is cutting and pasting from one open file to another - dual monitors make it real easy...

[sunraven0]

ok, i looked at pci video cards on ebay....but how much memory should i look for? My geforce 2 has 64MB, but does it really matter for the second monitor?

[sunraven0]

anyone know?

[a0]

That depends - if you just want the second monitor to hold your tool palette, then yes it really doesn't matter.

A 16MB card would do, but personally, I wouldn't go lower than 32MB these days.

[ April 15, 2002: Message edited by: a0 ]

[Xiphoid]

Hoyle!

I've been running a dual monitor setup with Windows 98 / SE, Windows ME and now Windows XP Pro with more or less the same hardware. I run:

PRIMARY CARD:
nvidia Geforce2 MX400 64MB APG

SECONDARY CARD:
Matrox Millenium 4MB PCI (that's right, the original baby!)

First... to everyone talking down the MX400... Works fine for me, for my needs, and suit my budget. It may not be a powerhouse card, but its not exactly garbage either (whereas my old ATI Xpert 128 really was). For the price, I'm more than happy with its performance.

Second, a note on the second video card: a) it has to be PCI unless you have two APG slots (are there m/b's that even come with that?)... b) the performance on the second monitor is still handled by the FIRST primary card. You are wasting your money buying a 32MB card for the second card. Think about it: I'm using a *4MB* card as my second. Save your money!

Because I'm such a nice guy, I made up a tutorial waaay back explaining the basics. Some of the information is a little outdated now, but I'll leave it to you to pick out the errors In the meantime, take a look:

My Dual Monitor Setup Tutorial


Oh, and if you are running XP, you need XP Professional Edition, not Home Edition. The bastards at MS didn't include multi-monitor support in Home.

While any monitor will do, the bigger is obviously better. I'm now running a Samsung 19" 900NF and Acerview 17" 77c. I used to have a 15" as the second... the 17" makes a HUGE difference. SO much more usable to run 1024x768 on the second screen (vs 800x600 or less). I'm finding I use the second monitor a LOT more now, for every day use)

Hope that helps.

[sunraven0]

yeah! that helps a lot....thank you VERY much!

[sunraven0]

I would like to buy a pretty cheap 2nd video card, but I am having a hard time finding ones that will work for dual monitors & have drivers for win2k. suggestions?
I would really like a very cheap one for the time being (college student), especially if my other card will handle the display anyway.

[Switch]

Does having two monitors mean that you have to map two different work areas on your wacom?

Or do you just switch between monitors somehow?

[Loki]

No - you just map both screens over the whole tablet - Intuos's resolution is so high that it doesn't matter

[Dr. Bang]

quote:

---

Originally posted by sunraven0:
I would like to buy a pretty cheap 2nd video card, but I am having a hard time finding ones that will work for dual monitors & have drivers for win2k. suggestions?
I would really like a very cheap one for the time being (college student), especially if my other card will handle the display anyway.

---

get a Matrox G450 PCI version, yes, Matrox is nice enough to think of a PCI version for the ppl who needs one.

[Dr. Bang]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Loki:
No - you just map both screens over the whole tablet - Intuos's resolution is so high that it doesn't matter

---

hey loki, woulnt that makes it harder to draw since horizontal table area is now stress to two monitor?

Btw, did you manage a vidcard that can get your 24" Sony looking crisp again?

[sunraven0]

i would like to get a used card. the matrox millenium wont work with win2k will it? i found a jatron? card i think i might get.

[Frog]

My matrox millenium works fine with win2k, and it only cost �20

[Daniel Lieske]

@ Dr. Bang:

You would have to map the upper half of the tablet to the two monitors to maintain the proportion. That actually means to have only a quarter of your original tablet space left for one monitor...

@ loki:

...and that doesn�t hurt? I use a Wacom Intuos2 A4 regular, would that be big enought to compensate this? What�s your setup on the wacom?