Video Card Question

[Forkboy2]

I'm thinking about trading in my GForce2 MX for a new GF4. My GF2 has dual outputs to connect two VGA monitors and also a 3rd output for a TV. All the GF4's I saw at Fry's had dual outputs, but one was a VGA output and the other was a DVI output, which has a different kind of plug so I assume won't work with a VGA monitor. Is there an adapter or something I can use to connect a standard monitor to the DVI output of the video card? I also need it to have an output to connect to a TV.Also, is there anyway to use two AGP cards?? Do the make a motherboard with 2 AGP slots?? Would be nice to be able to keep using the old GF2.Matt

[Guest SD Sim]

Hi Matt,For US $15 you can buy a DVI to VGA adapter at Frys. I've never seen a MB with two AGP slots. While I'm not that computer savvy, I suspect that the configuration of today's PCs excludes the use of more than one AGP card.

[Guest]

Matt - Yes, you can buy an adapter for the DVI output. And, unfortunately, the "other" video card has to be PCI. TripNorthwood 2.2a at 2.72Ghz Abit TH7II-R512MB Samsung 40ns PC800Gainward GF4 Ti4200 300/57030.30's DX8.1 WinXP ProInwin case / Enermax 431W PSU3DMark2001SE = 12055http://service.madonion.com/compare?2k1=4088814

[Guest georgi55]

>unfortunately, the "other" video card has to be PCI. That's only if it's GF3. GF2 and GF4 TIs support 2nd display.The only thing is that 2nd Disply wont be able to dispay 3d accelerated picture, but you can still use it for panels with no FPS hit.

[Forkboy2]

Thanks for the info.Matt

[Bob Scott]

Actually, if you have Win 2000 or XP you *can* run accelerated 3D in both windows with a GF4 board. My Asus V8440 (GF4 Ti4400) will drive two 22" monitors at 1280x1024 @85 Hz with ~18-22 fps from FS2002 on a 1 GHz P-III with 512MB RAM.CheersBob

[Guest georgi55]

>Actually, if you have Win 2000 or XP you *can* run >accelerated 3D in both windows with a GF4 board. My Asus >V8440 (GF4 Ti4400) will drive two 22" monitors at 1280x1024 >@85 Hz with ~18-22 fps from FS2002 on a 1 GHz P-III with >512MB RAM. >>Cheers >>Bob Thanks Bob, I was gonna buy one this week but many people told me that they cant run 3D accelerated on 2nd one.Im all happy and exited now :DGeorgi

[Guest SD Sim]

I'm sorry for this, but I find it impossible to believe that you can run accelerated 3D in both windows with that kind of performance, particularly with a 1GHz P3 (and 1280 x 1024, never mind that that is not a normal 1.33 aspect ratio). Perhaps if you're using NVidia TwinView to stretch one view across both monitors, this might be possible, but not independent views. Maybe, just maybe, with all your sliders turned down, it would be possible while in flight. But half the beauty of MSFS2K2 is the scenery. Many, many have tried and failed where you claim to have succeeded. That is why WideieW exists. I don't want to see people given unrealistic hope, and spending money, for something that won't happen.Like I said, I'm sorry. This really is out of character for me, but I'm going to make the exception here. I suspect that your intention was to be helpful, but I think we need to separate fact from fantasy. If this is really what you get, then please elaborate on your claims.

[Francois_Dumas]

Frankly, I don't even get that performance on 1 monitor, running a 1.2 Ghz CPU and 1152 x 864 resolution. I am curious to know how you do that !!?? :-hmmm :-outta Francois :-wave[table border=0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0][tr][td valign=bottom" align="center]"At home in the wild"[/td][td valign=bottom" align="center][link:avsim.com/alaska/alaska_051.htm|Don's Alaskan Bush Charters]"Beavers Lead the Way"[/td][td valign=bottom" align="center][link:www.avsim.com/vfr_center/mainpages/vfr_flights_main_page.htm]VFR Flight Center]"Looking Good Outside"[/td][/tr][tr][td valign=top" align="center]http://avsim.com/hangar/air/bfu/logo70.gif[/td][td valign="top" align="left" colspan=2]http://www.fssupport.com/images/moose2.gif[/td][tr][/table]________________________Francois A. "Navman" DumasAssociate Editor &Forums AdministratorAVSIM Online![/bemail: [email protected]________________________

[Guest georgi55]

SD Sim how about stretching the view as you said? Can I strech the veiw and not loos much perfomance as I would loose inopening up seperate windows on one AGP and another PCI card, or strecthing it kills the perfomance?I ordered eVGA GF4 Ti4400 yesterday for $199 and should be here by fryday.

[Guest SD Sim]

Hi Georgi,Your new GF4 will be able to use TwinView, and with that you can stretch the view across two screens. I did it once, but it distorted the image so much that I quickly gave this avenue up and switched to WidevieW (with which I am very pleased). As for a loss in performance, I don't know for sure. However, when I stretched the view across two monitors, all that I could achieve was to literally stretch the image, such that it looked like silly putty that had been pulled apart (sorry, you may be too young to know about silly putty). I'm not making much sense to myself, and therefore, probably no sense to anyone else, but let me try and make this clearer. If you run at 1024 x 768 and stretch the view, you're still running at 1024 x 768, but the 1024 pixels are now stretch across two screens. Now, if you were to be able to set your resolution to 2048 x 768, then I think the image would not looked stretched out (but it would look "squished" on a single monitor). Unfortunately, I think the computer power necessary to draw those additional pixels would inevitably eat away at your performance.Sorry for the long-winded answer, hope it helps.

[Guest georgi55]

David, thank you very much. It was very clear :)Im so exited about my new card. I've been using ATi :-erks for last 2 years.Georgi