Radeon VE with Multi-Monitors

[Guest]

Hi Folks,

I must admit, I found my experiences with Radeon VE and multiple monitors to be both confusing and somewhat frustrating. None of this is to say that it doesn't work, but rather that the included Appian Hydravision software is poorly documented, and leaves you to figure most things out on your own.

For any who are considering a multi-monitor setup using Radeon VE, I suggest using two the exact same monitors (same make, same model). This is because the Radeon VE seems to really struggle with displays that run on different resolution/refresh modes. Please note, you _can_ setup two monitors with different refresh/resolution modes to run on the VE, but it's a royal pain, and I don't suggest it to anyone. Your life will be infinitely easier if you just use two of the same monitor; this way they are always supporting the same modes.

After several hours of experimentation, the only question I have remaining is "why multiple desktops?" The Appian software comes with something that runs multiple Windows desktops, which for the life of me, I cannot find any use for. It really has nothing to do with multiple monitors, in that it functions exactly the same way on one monitor as it does on two. This seems to be basically a useless add-on.

Comments, flames, etc are welcome.

<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=PS+17:7-9" target="_new"> PS 17 </A>

 

[WiseGuy1]

So if you open a folder on the desktop of the first monitor, the same folder appears on the second monitor? Can you not open a folder on the first monitor and move it to the second. From my understanding of the whole dual monitor idea is so you can run muliple apps like a web editor and view your changes on a the other monitor etc. If the monitors don't clone the same desktop I would assume it would be for opening muliple folders and spreading them across two monitors so you don't have to close one and open another while copying files to different folders and what not. Just guessing.

 

[Guest]

Hi Wise,

There are two different multi-monitor modes available using the Radeon VE:

1. Clone image on both monitors (the same image output to both monitors). The Radeon VE does this in hardware; it is the default setting that runs when the second monitor is not enabled in Windows, but is enabled in the Radeon VE driver.

2. Extended Windows desktop - different image on each monitor. Basically, your Windows desktop is made twice as large, stretching across both monitors. For example, then, if you have two monitors at 1024x768, your extended Windows desktop will be 768 high by 2048 wide.

Both of these modes are very hard to setup if both monitors are not running the same resolution and refresh rate. This is why the whole ordeal is much simpler if you use two of the same make/model of monitor (they will always support the exact same set of modes).

<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=PS+17:7-9" target="_new"> PS 17 </A>