Dual Monitor setup - Please Help

[player1]

i'm trying to set up my dell 8400 system with dual monitors. i've got two dell 20" LCDs and the video card is a radeon x300.

i started by hooking the first monitor with the old analog? connection. so far so good. when i tried to hook up the second monitor via the DVI connection, i don't get an image. in fact, the image on the first monitor goes off as well.

if i try hooking up the DVI first, i don't get an image either.

do i need to install drivers? please help.

thanks,
jc

[largeeyes]

Well, we are in the same boat because we bought virtually identical setups.

I know what you are trying to do (99% sure) won't work. You need to use a splitter. The user guide says a DMS-59 to dual VGA or DMS-59 to dual DVI cable is required. I bought a VGA to dual VGA splitter and so far have succeeded in producing identical displays. I installed the drivers for the 2001FP(you should do this), but it doesn't even sense that it is a 2001FP when I plug it in via the splitter. If I figure out something, I'll lyk. I called dell for a DVI Y cable and they offered the Millenium G550 dual DVI y cable.

[bisonbison]

make sure that the analog monitor is on a "d-sub" setting and the dvi monitor is on a "dvi-d" setting. On Dell 2100fp's, this setting is controlled with the leftmost button on the bottom front of the monitor.

[player1]

[ QUOTE ]
make sure that the analog monitor is on a "d-sub" setting and the dvi monitor is on a "dvi-d" setting. On Dell 2100fp's, this setting is controlled with the leftmost button on the bottom front of the monitor.

[/ QUOTE ]

thank you, kind soul, this did the trick. i should do more of the "rtfm".

one more question. one of the LCDs look very sharp while the other looks fuzzy. is my LCD defective or can this be resolved?

thanks again,
jc

[largeeyes]

That's because you're running one on digital out and one on analog.

You actually got this to work? I just gave it a shot and plugged this monitor that I'm looking at now into DVI and the other into the VGA out. I got this one ok and the VGA is blank.

[player1]

i did exactly what bison suggested and got it working.

are you saying if one is DVI and the other is analog, the fuzziness is normal on the analog? i was playing around with the connections and i could swear i had both crystal clear. and then i monkeyed around again and the fuzziness came back.

also, i'm positive the fuzziness wasn't there when i had the LCD hooked up to my notebook via the analog connection.

jc

[Evan]

It might help if you could quantify this fuzziness somehow. Just how fuzzy is it? Unreadable?

[player1]

it's definitely readable. it looks like some sort of anti-aliasing effect is going on. also, it's not as bright.

jc

[Evan]

that's wierd. i have 2 lcd's hooked up (1 to dvi and 1 to vga) and they look pretty identical. sorry, no help from me.

[player1]

i tried switching the dvi and analog connections to the lcds and that eliminated the fuzziness. weird.

jc