I want 3 monitors, and I have the two cards... Will it work?

[MBlooksfun]

Hey there... I just replaced my old ATI Radeon x1950 pro with a new 8800gt... I currently have 2 monitors plugged into the GT, and I have a 3rd monitor sitting on the shelf.

My question is: if I plug in both graphics cards, will they be compatible/let me use both? Having 2 plugged into the GT and 1 into the old ATI... Rendering on both would be great, but not necessary.. just would be good for browsing the web or watching a movie or something if i can't...

thanks,
-MB

[Fear The Wrath]

you SHOULD be able to use both at once... as long as they are compatible with your mobo... umm i think thats how it works, confirmation please?

[neux]

PLEASE DON"T MIX DIFFERENT MANUFACTURES

ATI and Nvidia don't work together, just get yoursef another 8000 series card, I don't even think 7000 will work good with your new and shiny 8800gt, btw if you consider getting another 8800gt and set them in SLI, then know this: SLI support ONLY one screen, unless you get yourself TripleHead2Go to split one big screen 3840 x 1024 @60hz (triple 1280) works only with analog btw.

hope that helps, good luck 8)

[Shogun]

They need to be using the same drivers, so another 8 series nVidia card is what you need, mixing ATI and Nvidia probably won't work, I've tried it in the past without success. Currently using an 8800 and an 8500 without any problems though :)

[Fear The Wrath]

sorry for the bad advice... im not tech savvy the least bit, at least i know now :P

[Djarid]

I am running a 1950XT and a 2400Pro in the same box with no problems at all.

[MBlooksfun]

hm... well, if I try it could anything "negative" happen?

[-silencer-]

hm... well, if I try it could anything "negative" happen?
At the worst, random crashes or fail to boot with a working display. Just remove the 2nd card and everything should be fine. If not, a restart in 'safe-mode' and removal of the 2nd card's drivers and possible reinstall of the original card's drivers should fix nearly any problem. You won't fry any hardware, and it's highly doubtful the system would need to be restored.

[neux]

hm... well, if I try it could anything "negative" happen?
At the worst, random crashes or fail to boot with a working display. Just remove the 2nd card and everything should be fine. If not, a restart in 'safe-mode' and removal of the 2nd card's drivers and possible reinstall of the original card's drivers should fix nearly any problem. You won't fry any hardware, and it's highly doubtful the system would need to be restored.I don't think any of you even remotely aware what happens if you just
upgrade from one card to other and didn't completely removed previous drivers
right the first time.
even if you did uninstalled right, there still dozens of *.dll and *.sys left on our system from previus card THAT WILL mess up quality and performance of your computer and experience in general.

I repeat: DON'T USE ATI and nVidia together!

and if you do swap don't forget to get yourself good driver removal app, can find good one at Guru3d.com
reinstalling or re-uninstalling just dont work they way you think it works...

PS: worse case scenario = one or both cards can get fried, it is truth

[-silencer-]

I had no problems running a 6800GT with ATI's TV tuner a few years ago, and although the ATI TV tuner doesn't use the display drivers, I still had the Catalyst driver packing installed on my machine at the same time. I remember coming across this article a few years ago:
http://www.tomshardware.com/2004/11/23/nvidia/page32.html
Even though they couldn't use both cards at the same time (6800 & X800, reboot to switch card use), the cards weren't fried by having and using either display drivers while having both cards installed. I do agree though - it's better to not go through the hassle of different card drivers. Stick with either manufacturer and using two different card models is cake.

[neux]

I had no problems running a 6800GT with ATI's TV tuner a few years ago, and although the ATI TV tuner doesn't use the display drivers, I still had the Catalyst driver packing installed on my machine at the same time. I remember coming across this article a few years ago:
http://www.tomshardware.com/2004/11/23/nvidia/page32.html
Even though they couldn't use both cards at the same time (6800 & X800, reboot to switch card use), the cards weren't fried by having and using either display drivers while having both cards installed. I do agree though - it's better to not go through the hassle of different card drivers. Stick with either manufacturer and using two different card models is cake.Do you really want to risk $350+ investment? (gt over $200 and ATi over $150)
add to it, it is not even yours.

8800gt based on new 65nm processor technology, we talking about nanometers here, "transistor only so many atoms big" nanometer!

hardware dont know how to work, so software tells it what to do, as what to switch on/off, where to power, where the data, how to render.
in my head "hardware fried" means: overheated tiny component because of wrong electric current was supplied, either by over-specking(overcloking) or shorted circuits(static, surge, etc.)

0.05~0.10 volts is difference between memory running under 4-4-4-8 at 900MHz or instability and posible crush with permanent damage to memory stick, and believe me I know better now
now it want ever go above 830MHz with even most loose timing :(


IN other words it is like suggesting to put jet fuel in ferrary to make it run better or just try and see what happens... it is same thing as telling "What worse can happen? wouldn't run?"

[Vos]

Vista = no XP= YMMV but generally no also...