Help regarding Conflicting Video Cards

1080 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Compumaniac12, Sep 26, 2005

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Discussion Starter · Sep 26, 2005

Hi,

I have an ASUS A8N-SLI Delux motherboard which supports two PCI-E slot and in SLI mode if need be.

Originally I had a Generic ATI video card which I used to go to a single LCD monitor.

I then decided (hopefully not unwisely) that I would like my computer to control output to a Dual monitor for a large working area and also output to a 26" LCD screen for TV and DVD playing.

I thought that the best way to do this would be to use my existing Generic ATI card to control my 26" widscreen LCD TV via one of my PCI-E slots and then buy another card that has two DVI sockets for my other PCI-E slot to control the two 19" dual monitors.

Firstly, is this wise and secondly, when I installed both cards - they obviously cause some sort of conflict as Windows then refused to boot. When I took out the exiting card out and left the Dual DVI card in there - Windows booted (although seems slower now).

Can anyone help me wout with any help and guidance on this matter - please please please.

Brendon.

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Tumbleweed36

· #2 · Sep 26, 2005

Hi,

I hate to inform you, but the sli mode will just not work with two divergent video cards. They must be the same make and model or an exact match. What the dual mode does is make the two cards to perform like one, therefore the required match.. I don't know of any instance where you can put two different kinds in and have them work.

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Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 26, 2005

Hi,

Thank you for the reply.

I am sorry, but I have have confused you and possibly myself!

I know that an SLI set-up are supposed to be the same cards and joined together with a bridge.

However, I am not looking to setup SLI e.g. for gaming, what I am looking to do is have two 19" monitor's on my Desktop as a dual monitor set-up and also use my computer to watch DVD's/TV on another monitor - a 26" widescreen TV that accepts VGA and is to be mounted on the wall.

I am very new to this. what I assummed and maybe I have assumed wrongly is that, because my motherboard had two PCI-E slots that I would use one slot to control the Dual Desktop monitors via a PCI-E Dual DVI card and then use the other PCI-E slot to go to the 26" screen. I am not even sure if this is possible or if I am going about it the wrong way.

When I attempted this set-up Windows would not load, because I assume was due to conclicts in the hardware.

Any pointers?

Many thanks,

Brendon.

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Tumbleweed36

· #4 · Sep 26, 2005

Hi,

To the best of my knowledge, the sli dual pci-e card slots was to be used only in a pair matching. That is my opinion. However, we might want to hear from someone else on this issue to be sure. I just don't think you can do it that way by using the pci-e slots as separate units on the same motherboard. I will send this to someone to take another look.

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Discussion Starter · #5 · Sep 26, 2005

Oh you can only use one of the PCI-E slots or both with same cards. That is not good, looks like I have charged ahead again.

So what if I buy another of the Dual DVI cards. Both cards will then be the same make and card.

This would then mean that I have 4 DVI sockets. Can I still use the second card to contol my 26" DVI - maybe via the S-Video?

Can anyone help at all?

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ebackhus

· #6 · Sep 26, 2005

I can't see why two PCI-E cards can't work separately in a non-SLI setup. Is SLI an option anywhere in the BIOS of your motherboard?

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Compumaniac12

· #7 · Sep 26, 2005

you could just get a dvi splitter...
i never understood the point of 2 screens like that...
I assume that the 2 dvi plug cards can have 2 monitors showing different things?

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