Video card help...

[Shilly]

Hi,

I've been wanting to hook up a second monitor to my computer for a while now. About a month or two ago, I purchased a PCI video card to pop into my empty PCI slot to complement my AGP card, but I could never get it to work. I heard that it is sometimes necessary to disable integrated video through BIOS. I don't really understand what intregrated video means (I think it means that your monitor is hooked directly up to the motherboard, and does not run through a video card first. Is this right?)

So my question is, do you think it'll help to disable the intregrated video? How do I do it? Is it easy to turn back on if I screw something up royally?

Thanks in advance.

[Crispy86]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi,

I've been wanting to hook up a second monitor to my computer for a while now. About a month or two ago, I purchased a PCI video card to pop into my empty PCI slot to complement my AGP card, but I could never get it to work. I heard that it is sometimes necessary to disable integrated video through BIOS. I don't really understand what intregrated video means (I think it means that your monitor is hooked directly up to the motherboard, and does not run through a video card first. Is this right?)

So my question is, do you think it'll help to disable the intregrated video? How do I do it? Is it easy to turn back on if I screw something up royally?

Thanks in advance.

[/ QUOTE ]

You can't use two video cards at the same time, unless they are doing different things, such as one working as a normal video card, and another as a TV receptor. Your motherboard clearly came with an integrated video card, meaning it is a part of the motherboard. In order to use your new video card, you must disable the one on your motherboard you have been using.

To access the BIOS, upon booting, press the Delete key (or Del on some keyboards) a few times. Most likely in the menu such as Chipset Configuration or Integrated Peripherals (these things can vary from BIOS to BIOS) you should see one of two options:

1) You should see a choice to use the video adapter from PCI or AGP, in which case you would select PCI.

2) Another possibility if you don't see the above, or it doesn't help, would be to disable the Onboard Video adapter.

Do not forget to save the changes. You will no doubt see a number of other items with the word video in them. Do not touch them as a rule, unless you know what you are doing.

One last detail, onboard video cards invariably use your RAM memory to function. In other words, when booting you may see that your 256MB Ram is only 224, with 32 missing, or a message such as 224 + 32. What this means is that the BIOS is separating 32MB for the integrated video card. If you are going to use an external video card, you will want to recover this memory. Seek this option in your BIOS as well, and set the memory being used to zero. It wouldn't be using it for your new video card, and would simply just not allow you to use that amount of memory.

[TheTROLL]

[ QUOTE ]

You can't use two video cards at the same time, unless they are doing different things, such as one working as a normal video card, and another as a TV receptor.

[/ QUOTE ]

Erm... are you sure? This is precisely what I and pretty much everybody else who reads these boards does.

[MyMindIsGoing]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

You can't use two video cards at the same time, unless they are doing different things, such as one working as a normal video card, and another as a TV receptor.

[/ QUOTE ]

Erm... are you sure? This is precisely what I and pretty much everybody else who reads these boards does.

[/ QUOTE ]

He is wrong.

[Shilly]

OK, I'm still a bit confused. What you're saying is that I can only use one video card at a time? So if I'm using an AGP card with one VGA connection, I can't just add a PCI card with another VGA connection? I need either a new AGP card with two connections or a new PCI card with two connections?

Thanks for the help so far, and sorry if my questions are stupid.

[MyMindIsGoing]

[ QUOTE ]
OK, I'm still a bit confused. What you're saying is that I can only use one video card at a time? So if I'm using an AGP card with one VGA connection, I can't just add a PCI card with another VGA connection? I need either a new AGP card with two connections or a new PCI card with two connections?

Thanks for the help so far, and sorry if my questions are stupid.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes you can use an AGP and an PCI card at the same time. And you are correct about integrated graphics. It means a connector directly on your motherboard. Things like this is a bit hard to solve over a forum.

[Shilly]

Alright, thanks for the help so far. Let's see if I can figure this out with just one more post.

Current configuration: 1 monitor hooked up to my AGP VGA connection (works, what I'm using right now). 1 monitor hooked up to my PCI VGA connection (black screen). What steps do I need to follow to get the PCI card to work? Disable integrated video and install the video card drivers for the PCI card?

[MyMindIsGoing]

"Disable integrated video and install the video card drivers for the PCI card?"

You must install the drivers. What brand and model of the motherboard do you have?

Oh and I forgot, some PCI cards wont work in all PCI slots, since they are not equal. If windows (witch I assume you run) wont find the card at all, change the slot.

[Shilly]

I have a feeling this is going to get pretty difficult due to my own incompetence. Would it be easier to just upgrade my AGP card to something with two connections? I was looking at this one--it'd also be nice to have two DVI connections because I will be using two Dell 2001FPs. Any thoughts?

New Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814133137)

Should it be fairly simple to just replace my old card with this one?

[malorum]

Wild assumption: You want to do this to multitable.

Response: If this is the case then go buy a uxga monitor instead (1600*1200)- u can get an old 21" crt very cheap. vp201 viewsonic tft is nicer tho.

u may need a new graphics card or puter too to do this.
if u are buying new kit get an sli board and a dual head card (then u can add another later.)

u can then progress to a second uxga display and perhaps a third or more eventually.

Messing about with two low res
monitors is just too much hassle (I tried it), the time u spend messing about could be put to better use reading a book.

[Crispy86]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi,

I've been wanting to hook up a second monitor to my computer for a while now. About a month or two ago, I purchased a PCI video card to pop into my empty PCI slot to complement my AGP card, but I could never get it to work. I heard that it is sometimes necessary to disable integrated video through BIOS. I don't really understand what intregrated video means (I think it means that your monitor is hooked directly up to the motherboard, and does not run through a video card first. Is this right?)

So my question is, do you think it'll help to disable the intregrated video? How do I do it? Is it easy to turn back on if I screw something up royally?

Thanks in advance.

[/ QUOTE ]

It seems I was unaware of this element in WinXP (that didn't exist in WinME) that allows direct support of multiple monitors. I thought one needed a special video card with multiple monitor support. That being the case, you shouldn't need to disable your integrated video, quite the contrary. The integrated video is simply the chip of a video card, such as an nVidia 440 or whatnot, placed directly on the motherboard, freeing you of the expense of buying a video card when you put together a computer. So you should be able to use it in conjunction with the extra video card you purchased. You should be able to find out more on doing this directly from the Microsoft site (http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/display_multi_monitors_overview.mspx).