Installing and using multiple monitors

I thought it about time we had a thread on how to install multiple monitors, because once you've used two or more monitors on one PC, I doubt whether you will ever go back to using a single monitor again!

There has also been lots of talk in the chat room about multiple monitors, so it makes sense to put all our knowledge together in one thread.

And I've put the thread here, rather that in techie's corner, because this will probably interest everyone at some stage in their trading careers.

The following link (with thanks to Spike) is probably the definitive website for multiple monitors. There is also a very handy database, so you can look up your spec and see what other people are using in the way of video cards:

http://www.realtimesoft.com/multimon/

This site details how to install a video card:
http://www.pcmech.com/show/video/89/

And here is a good description on how to install multiple monitors on w2k:
http://windows.about.com/library/weekly/aa000812a.htm?iam=dpile&terms="multiple+monitors"

skim

And for those, like me, with only 4 monitors, here are some piccies of some serious set-ups:

http://fletch.sgds.com/fletchstation2002.jpg

http://fletch.sgds.com/index2.html

skim

I had a huge problem installing multiple monitors on my new PC, until I discovered that the GeForce 2 MX card I have in the AGP slot is in fact TwinView, and nVidia chipsets with TwinView do NOT support multiple monitors - they use two monitors to give you one large screen, which is not what you want.

And then I found an article which explains it all rather succinctly - scroll down slightly to the section on 'Dualhead cards and true multi-monitor support on Windows 2000':

http://www.realtimesoft.com/multimon/faq.asp#TrueMultimon

skim

So! You cracked it then ?

No, unfortunately not!

I thought I was getting there, and then discovered that my PC can only accept AGP cards with (wait for it ...) the shiny 'pegs' at the bottom of the video card in a certain combination (you'll have to excuse the non-techy lingo).

The SIS6326 AGP graphics card I was hoping to use has a short and a long peg, which won't fit in my PC. I'm now on the hunt for an AGP with three short pegs, which should fit snugly in my Dell 8200, and which will replace the GeForce2 MX which is currently in there.

So, the saga continues ...

skim

Three pegs? sounds like a case for Rolf Harris Give me a ring and I'll see what the problem is...."pegs" is, as you say, a non technical term.

I think I know what the problem may be...It just needs confirmation of your motherboard's chipset. ( IE is it I 845/50).

goto to this and read...

http://www.anandtech.com/guides/viewfaq.html?i=82

It's to do with that chipset ONLY supporting TRUE AGP4X graphics cards.There's plenty of hybrids around, the difference being either 1 slot or 2 slots in the edge connector that plugs into the motherboard.

Well we got that sorted and I'm pleased to say Skim now has her Ideal setup. I tried a PC that had on-board video and have found a way to sort it....... You need to "add new Hardware", manually select "Display Adapter", then select "have disc" option etc. etc. I can only assume that on-board VGA systems screw up windows autodetect of a second VGA adapter in a PCI slot.This may be why,after inserting a new PCI video card, Windows 98 does not find any new hardware.
Hope this helps, Mooms....

Yes, I'm a happy bunny at last ... taken some time, but got there in the end.

skim