Official GIGABYTE Forum
Questions about GIGABYTE products => Motherboards with AMD processors => Topic started by: wally on October 22, 2010, 03:44:48 pm
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Hi I want to support 2 x displays using Windows 7. Any recomendations as to which Graphics card I should add?
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At what res are the displays running?
Budget?
Will it be for gaming?
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Just to add to the questions what PSU are you using?
Upgrading your Graphics Card might mean you also need to update this.
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Good questions:-
1. Res = 1280x1024
2. Budget = Cheap as possible (I am Scottish)
3. Gaming - No just large spreadsheets, low end commercial, nothing too taxing!
4. Power Supply - (Why did I not think of that?) ATX 450W. 4GB memory, 3x HDD and 1xDVD
What I would like is something as compatible as posible to the onboard graphics,
Many Thanks....
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Ok
here are a few for you to look at they are low cost but will do what you want.
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/512mb-gigabyte-hd4350-pci-e-20(x16)-800mhz-gddr2-gpu-650mhz-80-cores-d-sub-dl-dvi-i-hdmi
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/512mb-sapphire-hd4550-pci-e-20-(x16)-1800mhz-gddr3-gpu-600mhz-80-cores-dvi-d-sub-s-video
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/512mb-sapphire-hd-5450-pci-e-21(x16)-1600mhz-gddr3-gpu-650mhz-80-cores-d-sub-dl-dvi-i-hdmi
Sorry the links are for Scan UK but I'm lazy!
EDIT: Personally I would go for the 5450 but only because it will run DX11 where the others are DX10
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Sorry the links are for Scan UK but I'm lazy!
Are you SURE you're not getting a backhander? ;)
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Are you SURE you're not getting a backhander? ;)
I wish I was, I'd be a very rich man! :(
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I thought you were, all that lovely gear that you're running ;D
EDIT: Sorry forget I said anything runn3R told me not to let on about all the goodies he's sending us ;)
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Many thanks ABSIC. I will take your advice - the 5450 it is....
This is what I call SERVICE so have a great weekend.
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You're welcome and pleased to have been able to help.
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You won't be disappointed, I use a HD5450 in my media PC sitting behind the TV and it is dead silent even when watching 1080P movies.
Enjoy it :)
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Well I am now the proud owner of a bright and shiny 1GB 5450 - that is where my problems begin.
In summary I can load full graphics, as detected by Catalyst, on either one of the graphic adaptors in isolation BUT when I reboot after initialising extended screens on W7 both the X1200 (internal) and the 5450 (PEG) revert to basic VGA ie no graphics or DVD capability. If I then force a reload of either driver via the Device Manager then graphics are available UNTIL I reboot and then back to square one.
It appears as if an incompatability exists between these two device when operating under W7 (Pro 32).
If anyone has this configuration working I would be most grateful for the following information:-
1. Which BIOS are you using? I have loaded F9
2. Your Bios settings for:-
Init Dispaly First
Surroundview
Internal Graphics Mode
3. The driver versions you have loaded for both the HD5450 and the X1200
I have now spent MANY hours trying different combinations of the above and aslo Googling any known problems to no avail.
Any advice will be gratefully received.
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Hi there,
Sorry if I misunderstood your intentions for getting the 5450 GPU.
I think the reason you are having problems is that you are trying to run the 5450 in crossfire with the on-board graphics of your motherboard. When I suggested the 5450 it was as a standalone card which was capable of running 2 monitors by itself not as a crossfire card.
If you connect both of your monitors to the 5450 and disable the on-board graphics chip then you should have no problems.
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To be fair that was my impression too :-\
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Sadly the 5450 only has one HDMI port and one DVI which I am using with a convertor to drive the second display.
Do you think therfore that I am beating my head against a brick wall trying to get both devices working in full graphics mode?
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Hi I want to support 2 x displays using Windows 7. Any recomendations as to which Graphics card I should add?
Just to quote your original post. Are you now saying you want to run more than two displays at once?
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Hi Wally,
What Graphics Card did you actually get?
The ones I linked to had one DVI and one VGA port for example: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/512mb-sapphire-hd-5450-pci-e-21(x16)-1600mhz-gddr3-gpu-650mhz-80-cores-d-sub-dl-dvi-i-hdmi I assumed that you want to run 2 standard monitors and a card like this one would do that.
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Hi Wally..At last a Scotsman..Hi and welcome to the forum...we can start speaking Dorrich, that will confuse them hahahah
All kidding aside Wally.they are two great guys and will give all the help you need......Why dont you go to the suggestion page and join our poll to give Absic and DM help. ( come on lets forget culloden )hahahahah
Cheers Dave
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DM - No I only wish to support two displays in extended mode at the same time - a couple of 19" DEll's
Absic - The device I bought only has one DVI and one HDMI. A DVI convertor came with it. So only 2 ports. I was happy with this as I was clear in my mind that I would continue to use the onboard VGA plus the one additional from the new board. That was the reason for me stating near compatability with the onboard graphics.
jannie - hoots mon. I do appreciate the help that I am receiving and in no way am I looking to appear negative. If it seems that way then apoligies. I am just frustrated that what I thought would be a simple task is now turning into a saga which has already consummed to many of my remaining hours.
If the advice is 'Forget it' because it is considered not possible to drive 2 x displays using the onboard and new board graphics then please say so and I will go away.
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Hi Wally..These guy's are the experts mate and they will keep you right..Just keep asking them the questions and they will solve your pronlem.I use a kvm switch and run four computers off the one monitor,I find it very handy...hope everything works out ok for you.Dont give up.
Dave
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Hi Wally,
Sadly I have to say that with the Graphics Card you have bought you won't be able to do what you want.
You really need to take it back and exchange it for a card that has either 2 DVI outputs or 1 DVI and 1 AGP port. This will allow you to disable the On-board graphics chip and you can run 2 monitors from the one Graphics Card. If you look at the image in the link I provided previously, you can see the 2 monitor connectors.
If you want to use the Graphics card along with the On-Board Graphics chip then you will need to exchange the 5 Series card that you now have for one of the 4 series cards.
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Thank you Absic - I now clearly understand my options.
Knolwedge dispels fear....
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Hi wally
Just to dispell any confusion I think that absic made a typo above and instead of AGP meant VGA.
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Yes I did mean VGA, sorry about that! :-[
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hi wally fae sunny fife lol .going down the nvidia route gtx480 sli aint supported yet on o/s windows 7 they are way be hind as pre . as for the ATI route it has to be a 256bit or 320bit card not the new gen of 128 bit cards . not to sure how up to date ati are with there drivers with o/s7
try these guys
www.ebuyer.com 5star used for years
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A happy ending......
I ended up talking to a very knowledgable young guy ( looked about 12) in my local PC repair shop. He politely informed me that it is a well known fact that Windows 7 is very unhappy supporting multiple graphics drivers and that the only way ahead was a multi-port card, exactly as Absic has already said. So I walked away with an Nvidia 8400GS. It took less than 5 mins to pop it in and W7 to load it's resident driver. It now works like a dream and I wander where two days of my life have gone!
The learnings from this are as follows:-
1. The name of a graphics card eg HD 5450 describes the architecture and NOT the product hence the confusion applied to me buying an 8450 as wisely recomended but getting a single port device not a dual port.
2. Don't assume that your operating system interperates the world using the same logic that you do.
If anyone ever comes accross anything which details why two such devices are not supportable I would love to read it.
Meanwhile thank you ll who have offered support and I wish you 'Good Day'
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Hi Wally,
pleased you have got it sorted and I'll have to try and explain things in a better way. I would hate to think I was responsible for causing lost days or grey hairs! :D