Dual monitor multitabling, advice?

[Stormwolf]

I currently play 3 tables at Party but since my monitor has max resolution of 1024x800 I have some problems when the software changes the focus from one table to another.

The problem is that I'm not sure the video card has this max, on the video configuration screen I can set to as high as 1980 but I goes back to 1024, its a SIS 630/730. I'm really dont want to throw the video card away, hopefully I will be able to use the monitor too. But seems that I will have to buy a video card with support for 1600 and dual monitor support then one monitor with support for 1600 and use my old plugged on the video card too, correct?But then, will windows 98 accept this?
If so what are the cheapest options out there, Ive heard about radeon 7000, but I'm not sure my computer will accept this, I'm a fish when it cames to hardware

[Stormwolf]

Ok I saw this picture http://www.si87.com/Products/Videocards/agpvspci/agp-or-pci-or-isa.jpg
and mine is pci, I've saw some posts and most of the recommendations are agp cards, what are the decent card options out there(no gaming)

[fsuplayer]

I am bad at links and such, but check out my post in the general forum within the last two weeks. It got some good responses.

I have only a PCI slot and wanted two monitor outputs so that i could run both my dell 2001FP's.

Selection is much more limited for PCI cards, but check out that tiger website for some good cards.



I got the VisionTek Raedon 7k card for $50.

It seems to work fine for poker and word processing, though it would do well with 3D gaming i wouldnt think.

good luck

fsuplayer

[Evan]

I just got the same card, it works great.

[Blarg]

What size is your monitor? Very few monitors made for most if not all of this decade have a max resolution of 1024x800, unless they're laptops. What with the cheap video card, it sounds like you're describing a laptop. If so, you can just plug in a cheap $100 19-inch CRT monitor and get 1600x1200 resolution easily and have four tables with no overlap. If you're not describing a laptop, it's hard to believe your monitor only goes to 1024x800. Even the free 15-inch monitors they give away with bottom of the line systems have higher resolutions than that.

What often happens is that your monitor can't handle a high resolution at a high refresh rate.

You might, say, have it set for a 85 hz refresh rate at your 1024x768 or whatever, and it can do that refresh rate fine at that resolution. But considering your cheap video card, you probably have a crappy monitor too.

When you try to push any monitor to a higher resolution, like 1600x1200, it's doing a much harder job. It usually can't do that harder job at the same refresh rate you could easily use before.

Your monitor thus has two "choices." If you're trying to keep the high resolution, either it burns out and dies sometimes in a matter of just a few seconds, or either you turn down the resolution rate or the monitor's internal circuits or software detect that the monitor is going to blow at the refresh rate it's at, so the monitor itself changes to a lower resolution rate. By default, monitors will usually leave the refresh rate where it's at in these situations.

Your way to deal with this is to first adjust the refresh rate and THEN adjust the resolution. Almost any video card, even a crappy one, will do 1600x1200 resolution. But you will have to make sacrifices on your refresh rate, to compensate.

This could make the screen seem blurry or have other visual effects, depending how low you adjust the refresh rate. If the refresh rate is low and you look at the monitor out of the corner of your eyes with your head turned away, you may see strange effects on the screen. A low refresh rate could tire your eyes out. It depends on you, and it depends on the monitor. Most people find screens become harder to look at if you take the refresh rate under 70 hz. Many people prefer a sky-high refresh rate, but very few actually need one.

Try setting your monitor's refresh rate to 70 hz through both your monitor's software(if it has any) and through Windows. Then try using 1600x1200 resolution.

[nykenny]

PNY NVDIA FX5200 DUAL VGA video card (AGP or PCI) works pretty well for me. throw a couple of big LCD panels, it makes a great "home office".

for alternatives, you can get a couple of very cheap VGA cards, they run for $15-$30 everywhere in mama-papa-shops. Most 17"-21" CRT support 1600-1200.

Kenny

[Stormwolf]

I bought the video card Radeon 9200 and an adapter, also bought one LG Flatron F700P that goes as high as 1920 and for some reason my old Compaq 150 monitor has color quality 250% better, not sure why, its working now and the radeon is very good for configurarion, could someone cmment on my choices?I'm a fish as far as computers go