I need a good Hardware dual output video card 1

[TekkieDave]

Okay, I need a good dual output video card that splits the video through hardware, not software.

I'm currently using Matrox Millenium G550s

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/de...aspx?EDC=826330

, but the video is split through software, and #1 it slows down the system, and #2 on certain applications the graphics are choppy.

Also, the systems using them are brand new, 3.0 Ghz, with 1-2 gigs of ram.

My office runs construction estimation software, and that alone is pretty demanding, hence the reason I want a card that does it on it's own.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? I'd really appreciate it.

I could use PCIe and AGP suggestions. Thanks in advance.

**Okay, have you tried rebooting the machine?**

 

[tazuk]

I've been very happy with the Asus EN6600 Top Silent (Nvidia GeForce 6600 chipset) that I obtained for my work pc per thread749-1204694. So much so that I intend to actually spend my own money on one for a new home machine..

TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[tazuk]

*caveat*

I believe that this (PCIe) card splits to dual display through hardware (can be customised through included NVIDIA software), but I'm no hardware guy.

TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[BadBigBen]

in that case I would look into the SLI Technology, ergo using TWO GFX-Cards instead just one...

or a GFX Card with a DUAL GPU, see:

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/06/05/geforce_7950_gx2/

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[Johnthephoneguy]

I have the 7950 and it is awesome, it has 512MB per GPU but it sits in 1 slot, SLI on the single card vice 2 cards. it is pricey but it is the top of the line right now.

 

[kmcferrin]

You're pretty light on the details here. Do you want the two outputs to display independently of each other, or do you want them to be mirror images? Do you need a single desktop that spans both displays?

Most modern video cards with dual outputs support hardware acceleration of the separate desktops, but since they only have one GPU on the card the performance will always be diminished by adding additional screens.

Does your software do 3D modelling? If so, you might want to look into workstation-class video cards (eg, Nvidia Quadro or ATI FireGL). How you are using the system is as important as what you want.

 

[TekkieDave]

I want 2 outputs so I can have an extended desktop, not a mirror image.

What I don't want is a gfx card that has two outputs, but requires software to do the splitting. I want a gfx card where two adapters show up in the device manager.

**Okay, have you tried rebooting the machine?**

 

[TekkieDave]

OK, I ordered an nVidia 6600 from CDW. Should be here in a couple of days, I'll post back to let you guys know how it works out.

Thanks a ton for all of your help.

**Okay, have you tried rebooting the machine?**

 

[kmcferrin]

If you want two adapters to show up separately in Device Manager, then you need either two adapter cards or one of the newer "single-card SLI solutions".

Is there a reason why you have to have it show up as two separate devices in device manager? If performance is a concern, most modern video cards are more than powerful enough to handle spanning a single (even high resolution) desktop across two displays.

More to the point, if you are spanning a single desktop across multiple monitors and you don't have it running on a single device (and instead have it running on two discrete cards or on single-card SLI) in essence you are using the software to split the processing between two separate video cards/devices.

On the other hand, I'm not sure where you're getting the notion that a single video card with dual outputs that shows up as a single device in device manager means that it is somehow splitting the signal in software. Don't you believe that it is possible (and in fact, far more likely) that the video card makers do all of the processing, including the splitting of the output signal between two outputs, in hardware rather than software? I mean, it's not like you end up with one half of your desktop hardware accelerated and the other half not hardware accelerated. So I guess I'm a little confused as to whether your requirement is a card that splits the signal to two displays in hardware, or a card that shows up as two video cards, because that isn't the same thing.

 

[Johnthephoneguy]

My 7950 is a single card SLI, it does show up as 2 seperate devices and has 512 memory to each GPU. It's pricey but thats exactly what you are descibing that you need.

 

[BadBigBen]

My old ATI 9550, showed up in the Device Manager as TWO CARDS, and it was by no means a dual GPU card...

my nVidia 6600GT, ie. does not show up as two cards, but is far superior to the ATI...

and on both I can do Desktop Spanning, if I wanted it or needed it (tried and tested) without any hickups...

now the new generation, as mentioned are single card SLI, ergo two GPU's on a card, which take the load off of each other, much like dual cpu's... Nice... for gaming...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."