Dual monitors, AIW, video/audio in?

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SkaarjMaster

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I'm checking this forum for my brother. He wants a new video card with video/audio in, so I suggested he get an AIW Radeon card (9800Pro, 9700Pro, 9600XT or 9600 are the ones that are available now). He wants to run dual monitors somehow with different stuff on each screen. How can he get dual monitors (different) and video/audio in at the same time? I don't believe he can do TV as one of them and doesn't have the money for LCD.

Some other clueless questions:
1. Any MBs come with two AGP slots?
2. Can he run one monitor from AGP card and the other from on-board video?
3. How about one AGP and one PCI?

What PCI card would you recommend if he got one of those AIW cards mentioned?

Also, having audio/video in is not essential, just an option if it was inexpensive. I think you can run dual monitors off of one video card with an adapter (not sure about the different pictures on each though if he did this). Do you know anything
about that? I'm just wondering if that would lag the system or not.

If this was possible, then could you also do it with the PCI-express X700 cards? How much is the adapter?

Thanks for any help for him.
 
9800 Pro AIW stuff:
$228.00 on Pricewatch

Display Support

* One display (VGA or DVI) simultaneously connected with a TV or VCR
* YPrPb output adapter (available in North America only)

X800 XT AIW stuff:
$469.00 on Pricewatch

VGA connector for analog CRT
S-video or composite connector for TV/VCR
DVI-I connector for digital CRT or flat panel
Drive two displays simultaneously with independent resolutions and refresh rates
YPrPb output adapter included which enables output to HDTV-ready televisions

X600 Pro AIW PCI Express stuff:
$210.00 on Pricewatch

1 x VGA(D-Sub)
1 x VIVO
1 x DVI

The best PCI graphics card is the FX5700 LE
$90.00 on Pricewatch.

1 x VGA Output (15 Pin D-Sub)
1 x TV-Out (S-Video)
1 x DVI

So if you want you can buy the 9800 Pro AIW and the FX5700 LE and have everything you want.
That option would cost you $318.00 or so.
You don't have to get the BEST PCI card you can buy one for like $53.00.
Infact it would probably be a good idea for both cards to be from ATI.
You can get the 9200SE for $53.00.

Don't forget that the X600 Pro is a PCI Express card so if you want that one you will have to get a motherboard that supports PCI Express.

There are no motherboards that have two AGP slots.

There are motherboards that have two PCI Express slots.
Some have two 16X slots (SLI motherboards) some have one 16X slot and one slower PCI Express slot.

You can not run one monitor from onboard and the other from a graphics card.

If you use an adapter both monitors will show the same thing at the same resolution I believe.
 
Lots of good info here! Thanks!

Can anyone confirm that having a DVI to VGA adapter and VGA port will only give same picture on both monitors? What really is the point of this then if this is the case?

Let's assume that he has to get two video cards and that he doesn't really need the video/audio in at the moment. The 9800/9700/9600 AGP and 9200SE PCI combination does sound very good! Of course, this would mean pretty much any decent ATI card in the AGP and he wouldn't need the AIW. I'll keep this in mind while helping him.
 
The ATi All in Wonder 9600 or the 9600 pro support dual VGA. This means that it has two VGA ports, and will support two different monitors, and thus, he can run dual monitors with different things on each screen. These are the only AIW cards to support dual monitors, and I am very happy with mine.
As for a two card solution:
There will only ever be 1 AGP slot on a mobo.
You cannot run onboard and anything else at the same time. It's either onboard, or a card--no combo.
Your best option is one AGP card and one regular PCI card. It's probably not worth it/too expensive anyway for your bro to upgrade to PCI-E. I am currently running the AIW in the AGP slot, and an ATi Sapphire 9200 in the PCI slot for triple monitors (I'll get a fourth for quad this summer). This is a fine set-up, and I have had no problems with it.

But he should just get the AIW 9600, mine works really well, and if I still want to add a TV, I totally can.
 
I have an x800 XT and it has 1 AGP port and 1 DVI port but both of my monitors are AGP so I have to use an adapter but they are not the same picture. I have them set in dual mode so that i can scan across both of my monitors when I am on my desktop and they are completely seperate from each other.
 
I've also heard something about some special software from ATI that might help get two different pictures on the monitors on the cards with 1 VGA and 1 DVI port (of course, DVI to VGA connector in the DVI port). Maybe if you just hook up the monitors without the software it's the same picture but with it the pics are different?

Here's a thread from another forum on this topic:
http://forums.overclockersclub.com/Run_Dual_Monitors_On_One_Cardl-t44499.html

Oh, yeh, the x800's are going to be too expensive for him and most likely he'll be going for AGP (for the main card whether he gets a PCI or not), unless some of the x700's can run dual monitors with different pictures.

EDIT: looks like the port specs of the 9600XT AIW are the same as the 9600 AIW and the only difference for the 9700Pro AIW is the addition of a DVI port. Even though it is too expensive, the 9800Pro AIW looks like it would work as well. Also, I don't see the two VGA ports on this 9600 AIW:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-345&depa=1
 
dude I dont know what your talking about but with any video card that has a DVI and a VGA all you need is an adapter which usually comes with the card and you can have two seperate mintors, no software needed.
 
That's the problem. From what I've been reading on forums, just because a card has VGA and DVI doesn't mean you can necessarily get dual monitors with different pictures with that DVI-VGA adapter. Now, if this is not the case, then I wish a few people would clarify this issue for me and my brother. If this IS the case, then I'll just get one regular AGP or PCI-Express card with these two ports and a converter and that will be that. Also, I heard that he would have to use Catalyst 4.5 or possibly earlier to get this to work depending on what ATI card he bought.
 
that is not the case. You can have dual monitors. Take my word for it. I have been using dual monitors since my geforce 4. You don't need certain drivers I dont know where you are hearing this crap.
 
Apparently, ATI is disabling some features in some of their new drivers which is resulting in screwing up dual monitor ability on some older ATI cards. It may only be the AIW ones though. That's good news to hear that the DVI-VGA adapter could work for the second monitor.
 
Anyone else want to confirm that I can basically get any ATI card (non-AIW or AIW, AGP or PCI-Express) and as long as it has a VGA out and DVI out with DVI-to-VGA adapter then I can get dual monitor display with something different on each screen?
 
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