Can you use 2 video cards to run a spanned desktop?

[Nitro]

Currently I run a spanned desktop across 2 LCD's at a resolution of 3200x1200 (1600x1200 each) and I do this on one 8800Ultra768OC

If i purchased 2 video cards and hooked a monitor up to each one can i still run in spanned desktop mode and would it be utilizing both video cards thus giving better performance?

[Basilikos]

My understanding is that, unless they are Quadro's (a GPU line from nVidia), then no. And even then, it might be iffy. I know for certain that regardless of OS, a spanned desktop can only exist across a single display driver using typical cards.

[Havelcek]

Man I'm really confused now. Do all the posters on this forum who 5-box on on computer with 2 monitors just run off one video card? Can you not use two video cards in the box and have one drive one screen and one drive the other, but display a full windows desktop across the two monitors?

I'm basically referring to the attached type of setup:
The Fembots ('http://www.dual-boxing.com/forums/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=3685')

Can you not do that with two video cards? Seems like it would be good bang for the buck.

[Khazrael]

I was initially running 2 graphics cards before I began 5 boxing, I ended up having to go down to 1 because of the Windows XP Horizontal Span issue. The option apparently (at least for me) isn't available unless you are only using one card.

After I upgraded to Vista (because I HATE horizontal span) I assumed I could put my other card back in. After doing so, I noticed a dramatic drop in my FPS. I'm not sure what caused this, I checked my drivers and setup and everything was the same, but my FPS was just down the toilet. I ended up taking out my second card altogether and currently run off just a single card and am doing quite well though. I average 40-50 fps on my primary with maxed settings, and cap my clones to 15 while in the background. This is all on a 7600 GT card.

[Basilikos]

Man I'm really confused now. Do all the posters on this forum who 5-box on on computer with 2 monitors just run off one video card? Can you not use two video cards in the box and have one drive one screen and one drive the other, but display a full windows desktop across the two monitors?

I'm basically referring to the attached type of setup:
The Fembots ('http://www.dual-boxing.com/forums/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=3685')

Can you not do that with two video cards? Seems like it would be good bang for the buck.

Not a full windows desktop, no. But you can have two. I run multiple windows off of different video cards, but I don't have SPAN mode. That's with one desktop across all the monitors. Dual desktops, yes. Span, no. Of course, you may have been thinking of dual desktops and calling it span-mode.

[Nitro]

Has anyone tried one card in spanned mode vs 2 cards in dual mode with 5 clients main on one monitor and other 4 split to second monitor with each running at 1600x1200 desktop.

[Djarid]

There are people doing this... I tried it bu the HD2400Pro I had wasn't up to the tasd or the problem is OS related... on XP extended desktop (where each monitor is considered independent) gives very poor performance but spanned (where all attached monitors are seen as one by the OS) doesn't.

On Vista the extended desktop is supposed to have been fixed.

multiple gfx cards must use the extended desktop model but, as each card can be considered a primary GPU you may not suffer the framerate gimp in the same way as multiple desktops off a single card.

[Havelcek]

So let me take this back to square 1 then. I can put a single 8800GTX in a box with 2 monitors, and play my main on the left screen and my alts on the right screen with Vista 64 and keyclone. Am I correct?

[Djarid]

yes

[Basilikos]

So let me take this back to square 1 then. I can put a single 8800GTX in a box with 2 monitors, and play my main on the left screen and my alts on the right screen with Vista 64 and keyclone. Am I correct?

This will function as you intend, yes.

[Havelcek]

Thanks guys...I'm sorry for the stupid questions but I want to build this rig right the first time :thumbsup: