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General discussion

2 graphics cards?

May 7, 2005 2:32AM PDT

Gateway WinXP Home SP1
Wanted 2 monitors. Installed AGP graphic card with 2 monitor ports. (Installing additional cards disables graphics on motherboard.) Now want to install a 3rd monitor but the only free slots are PCI. Can I install a PCI graphics card to enable a 3rd monitor if I already have an AGP card? Using them to stretch my desktop - not for gaming. Thanks for any help.

Discussion is locked

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Google. . .
May 7, 2005 11:45PM PDT
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2 Graphics cards
May 8, 2005 12:58AM PDT

Thanks for answering but I couldn't find a site that would tell me if I could use an AGP card w/2 monitors connected (which is what I have now) AND a PCI card for a 3rd monitor. I want to extend my desktop to the 3rd monitor.

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re
May 8, 2005 2:58AM PDT

i'm not sure u can. cuz cant have 2 different graphics card working at the same time cept in sli and in sli cant have 3 monitors.

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2 graphic cards
May 8, 2005 4:10AM PDT

Thnx - that's what I needed to know.

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WAIT IT IS POSSIBLE
May 8, 2005 11:26AM PDT

it is possible
to use 2 graphics cards to have 3 monitors (i know a few people who have done it)
SLI cannot have 3 monitors
but dual video cards can (or a single Matrox Parhelia, but i'd avoid that)
it won't span exactly like your wanting
but it will work
Windows can either see it as 3 seperate monitors
or 2 monitors
the 2 monitors on video card A and the single on video card B
that is the best you can do with nVidia software (if you purchased ultramon, i'm sure it could make it span (it's only like $20)

i'd suggest doing it with nVidia
ATI's multi-monitor support isn't supposed to be so great

if you have aTI
it's still possible

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2 graphics cards
May 8, 2005 12:03PM PDT

Thnx. I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work I can always return it.

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Also..
May 8, 2005 7:11PM PDT

My friend has a dual monitor system. Two graphic cards; one does all the processing and the CRT monitor. The other graphic card outputs the LCD monitor. No connection between the two monitors. That also means no problems!

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2 graphics cards
May 8, 2005 10:25PM PDT

Thank you. I'm gonna try it.