Two simple questions for my video card upgrade.

[infinitywrai]

This is my current motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131299

It has a PCIe 2.0 x16 slot, and all my research indicates the new PCIe 2.1 cards should work fine on it. Can anybody confirm? I'm considering this card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150520

Second question: I'm also considering just crossfiring my current video card with a really cheap one, in order to have three monitors. Would this work? (Still same mobo as above)
Current: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129113
Cheap one:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127544

I've done a lot of research on my own, and it seems the answer is yes, so please do not reply if you are only making a guess.

Thanks

 

[ubercake]

To answer your first question...
Yes, you can use the 2.1 card in the 2.0 slot without a problem.

The second question...
For crossfire, you need to check the crossfire compatibility chart to determine which cards will crossfire together:
http://sites.amd.com/PublishingImages/Public/Graphic_Illustrations/WebBannerJPEG/AMD_CrossfireX_Chart_1618W.jpg

If you mean you just want to run a 3rd monitor - which does not necessarily require anything to be crossfired, the XFX card you're considering allows you to hook up three monitors. The catch is, one of the monitors must connect to a mini display-port which might require you to buy an adapter (ie mini-dp to DVI). Based on the resolution of the monitor you'd hook to the mini display-port, you'd need either a passive (cheap) or active ($$$) adapter.

On the other hand, if you have more than one PCIe 16 slot, you could use both your current video card and the new video card in a non-crossfire configuration and connect two of the monitors to one card and one to the other card.

 

[infinitywrai]

On the other hand, if you have more than one PCIe 16 slot, you could use both your current video card and the new video card in a non-crossfire configuration and connect two of the monitors to one card and one to the other card.

Really? As you can see on the motherboard, there are indeed two PCIe 16 slots. Are you sure I would be able to run two video cards in non-crossfire? I've never heard of this being possible before. Would you care to show me some documentation or proof of this? All I really want is just to be able to use my third monitor, if it's cheap then I don't really care about a performance gain.

 

[Timop]

You could run 2 cards separately to power 3 monitors, just the one powered by the weaker card would only get the performance of the weaker card.

The following cards will run 3 monitors without needing adapters though:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&IsNodeId=1&Description=sapphire%20flex&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20

 

[infinitywrai]

Timop, I'm tight on money so I probably won't be purchasing an expensive new card.

I have a few questions though. If I run the third monitor on a different graphics card, what happens when I drag windows between the monitors? If a game window is half on one monitor and half on the other, what would happen?

I'm just curious because I've never heard of having multiple cards without crossfire or SLI.

 

[infinitywrai]

Ok, so I got another video card working and 3 monitors works fine, however my video driver doesn't work and there is no Windows Aero, but I guess this is to be expected.

One major problem though, there is no sound coming from my motherboard or sound card. Is this to be expected?

 

[Timop]

Both are AMD? I don't have AMD ATM so I'm not sure about aero.
Something is wrong with the audio though, is the new card connected via HDMI? You might have to switch audio devices in windows.

 

[solraven]

when you put 2 or more video cards in a computer the only time you actually engage SLI/CF is when using it for a game.

generally SLI/CF cards have to be the same Chip (tho CF is more lenient), and the proformance of the greater card is reduced to equal the lesser card. so a 5770 and a 5750 would be the same as having two 5750's. in that respect CF your card with a cheap one would drop proformance greatly.

you can actually put a nvidia card and an amd/ati card in the same rig, my friend kept his old card for phisx/cuda. he had a hell of a time getting the drivers to cooperate tho.

answering your original question requires more info, what do you intend to do with 3 monitors?
if your trying to span a game across all 3, thats more complicated than getting 3 monitors showing the desktop. the desk top is 3 separate resolutions and can be processed and frame buffered separately. a game has one resolution spanning all 3 so it can only be processed by multiple sources using SLI/CF, but it still has to go through one frame buffer.

 

[randomkid]

Ok, so I got another video card working and 3 monitors works fine, however my video driver doesn't work and there is no Windows Aero, but I guess this is to be expected.

One major problem though, there is no sound coming from my motherboard or sound card. Is this to be expected?

What do you mean the video driver do not work? Do you mean it did not install successfully & your video cards only works on Windows generic graphics adapter driver? If so, then of course Aero will not work. It needs a certain graphics power to be activated and if the video card drivers are not installed, then the video cards are not optimized to deliver that power.

As for the sound, which audio output port are you using? Do you use the analog port going to external speakers or you connect via HDMI and expect the sound from your speakers monitor?