BIG Dual Monitor's on a single card -assistance requested

[workerbee]

Hi,

I'm looking for a video card that is optimized to support two big (24" or bigger) monitors.

I don't care about gaming performance. I'm running XP on a Shuttle.

I'd like a DVI connection to the monitors.

What I want is two big monitors to display my Excel data on while I'm working on it. So I don't need a card optimized for rapidly changing pixels...just lots and lots of pixels.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Bob

 

[13thmonkey]

I was happily running a 7900GTO with a 24" and a 19" so 1920x1200 and 1280x1024, my 8800GTX only used 1.5Mb of video ram on a 1680x1050 + 1280x1024 setup so that is not an issue.

All you should need to run dual 24's are two dual link DVI connections. I don't have a list of what does or doesn't but i'd bet they come in on some of the mid-low end new series of cards to support HD. So you could probably get away with an 8400 or an 8600 from nvidia, no idea about ATI.

you are probably better getting that info from the manufacturer rather than the sales point.

http://www.gainward.com/product/product_detail.php?products_id=105

For instance the above link does support it. And given that nvidia cards are mostly rebadged reference cards most manufacturers should have exactly the same card.

If you are even considering (and I mean even vaguely thinking about) gaming, then i'd move up the range a reasonable amount, or be prepared to swap the card out for something bigger. The only reason I say this is that I have built PC's for people who definately do not want to game, only to have them come back and say it won't run doom3 or some other hyped thing that they thought they'd 'just try', I'm sure you are aware you cannot 'just try' if the PC won't run it won't run.

Good luck

 

[Hatman]

One of the dual 2600xt's might be ok for that, so you can still use a card for each basically.

 

[azimuth40]

Wow. Must be one heck of a spreadsheet considering a 22 inch monitor opens native a-z colums and 1-50 rows. So dual 24's must be quite impressive. Too big a headache for me; glad I only deal with databases.

 

[jumpman]

I was happily running a 7900GTO with a 24" and a 19" so 1920x1200 and 1280x1024, my 8800GTX only used 1.5Mb of video ram on a 1680x1050 + 1280x1024 setup so that is not an issue.

so i am just curios, how do you know your video card was using only 1.5MB of video RAM? Is there a program out there that gives this information?

 

[Hatman]

If there is id like to know it, I'm sure there probably is haven't heard of one yet though

 

[azimuth40]

Well the math is easy but I don't see how his values are correct. Assuming or (Ass/U/Me) high color i.e. 16 million. That is 8 bits for red 8 bits for blue and 8 bits for green or 3 bytes per dot giving 256x256x256 or 16,777,216 colors.

Then we simply have ram usage for static images of 1680x1050x3 or 5,292,000 bytes for his 24" monitor and 1280x1024x3 or 3,932,160 bytes for his 19" totaling 9,224,160/1,048,576 equals approx. 8.79MB. Now of course if you drop down to 65K colors, acceptable for something like Office then there is a considerable VRAM savings. Of course this being Saturday where I am, I could just be drunk and should have used a calculator.

 

[runswindows95]

Rough list of cards:
Nvidia: 7600GT, 8500GT, 8600GT, 8400GS
ATI: 2400XT, 2600Pro, 2600XT,1650XT, 1950Pro

Talking no more than $125 for a card.

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

What I want is two big monitors to display my Excel data on while I'm working on it. So I don't need a card optimized for rapidly changing pixels...just lots and lots of pixels.

You just need a card with 2 dual-link DVI connections, RW95 has a pretty simple list there that would fit the bill, although most GF7600GTs have only 1 dual-link connection, which would be the same as the X1300 and plain X1600s which are mainly 1 dual link DVI and 1 single-link just like the GT.

 

[13thmonkey]

Thanks for the backup greatgrapeape, 2x dual dvi is all that is needed.

With regards to video mem being used, using Rivatuner, you can pull up the amount video memory in use, both local and non-local. and with dual monitors you can track it on the second screen.

 

[jumpman]

With regards to video mem being used, using Rivatuner, you can pull up the amount video memory in use, both local and non-local. and with dual monitors you can track it on the second screen.

thanks! and i found this quick little guide that tells you how to do it: http://forums.legitreviews.com/about8247.html