Multiple monitors and graphics card/s?

[Barry Scott]

Hello Windows experts, any help please?

What it is, is I'm upgrading my Windows machine and I'm wanting to run 2 monitors and in future more. Firstly, can XP cope with more than 2 monitors and secondly, am I better off getting a quad head card or 2 dual head cards please?

A friend said they need to be paired (like ram) if I run 2, does this mean I need to buy them paired, like ram?

Any cheapish cards? As I also understand it my mobo runs a nvidia chipset (Asus m2n-e sli) and therefore I need nvidia cards and sli, correct?

Danke.

[sonicyouth]

XP supports dual monitors.

You can get cards with dual output. My Radeon HD 6900 has two DVI out.

I'm not 100% certain on SLI but they would need to be at least the same chipset but not necessarily the exact same card. If possible go for the same card x2.

[Barry Scott]

Thanks, yoof.

[Simon Pieman]

Don't get sli, get a better single card.

[Peter Venkman]

Sli and crossfire are awesome in games if the drivers are in place for these games.....for desktop work not so.

I have run crossfire in XP and Win 7 for years but have recently upgraded to a higher power single 7970 which is slower in games than my crossfired 5870s but in 2d and multi monitor there is nothing as good as one big fucker.

XP will happily support multi monitors as does Win 7 as most of it is application driven rather than OS driven.

When or if you crossfire/Sli you have to match the cards and make sure that your motherboard can handle PCI 2x8 or x16x8 and not a PCI x16 and x4 or even worse x16 x1 because you will gain very little performance wise over a single card.

Also drivers for Sli and Crossfire can be a bit flakey, I would suggest single bigger GPU for 99% of all PC applications and gaming over 2 cheaper crossfire/Sli's.

[Barry Scott]

Don't get sli, get a better single card.

I haven't even Googled sli, so thanks.

Sli and crossfire are awesome in games if the drivers are in place for these games.....for desktop work not so.

I have run crossfire in XP and Win 7 for years but have recently upgraded to a higher power single 7970 which is slower in games than my crossfired 5870s but in 2d and multi monitor there is nothing as good as one big fucker.

XP will happily support multi monitors as does Win 7 as most of it is application driven rather than OS driven.

When or if you crossfire/Sli you have to match the cards and make sure that your motherboard can handle PCI 2x8 or x16x8 and not a PCI x16 and x4 or even worse x16 x1 because you will gain very little performance wise over a single card.

Also drivers for Sli and Crossfire can be a bit flakey, I would suggest single bigger GPU for 99% of all PC applications and gaming over 2 cheaper crossfire/Sli's.

Cheers, JJ. I'm not familiar with all the PCI x16 stuff, I'm guessing it's like the old AGP 4x 16x if yester year.

The card that seems to look cheap and able, taking on board what you all say, is the Nvidia NVS440. Can run up to 4 monitors and seems capable enough.

Thanks

[Peter Venkman]

I haven't even Googled sli, so thanks.

Cheers, JJ. I'm not familiar with all the PCI x16 stuff, I'm guessing it's like the old AGP 4x 16x if yester year.

The card that seems to look cheap and able, taking on board what you all say, is the Nvidia NVS440. Can run up to 4 monitors and seems capable enough.

Thanks

PM me details of the system and mobo and any current/possible graphics cards and I can let you know mate.