2 video cards - 4 monitors

hi,
I run a 2008 Mac Pro with 2 video cards and 4 monitors (I know...:-))
When I select "show viewers on second display", it goes to one of the 3 available, problem is, sometimes is one, sometimes is another, and I don't seem to have the means to tell it which one I want. Of course, might be cool to have it spread on 3 monitors, but, as far as I researched, this is done by selecting the correct driver in the preferences, under A/V output. Well, there's nothing there for me to select, so... any ideas?
thanks
alex

well, when I move the menu bar, then FCP main window goes also there, so it needs another step-
3a) move FCP's main window in the old main monitor - then the viewers go to the monitor with the menu and the dock. However, it's a bit weird to not have the menus in the same monitor as FCP main window.
now, I'm just thinking that if I have "Displays have separate Spaces" selected in System Preferences > Mission Control (which I don't right now), I would probably get different results, however, I like the spread, and I like switching 4 screens with one swipe
Anyway, why didn't the programmers made a regular window off of that **** viewers window, so we can move it wherever we want??... or at least to have the possibility to choose the monitor we want it on

Similar Messages

Multiple Video Cards - 4 monitors

I was wondering if there was anyone out there that has a successful installation of multiple video cards. i.e. 1 AGP with dual ports and a PCI with dual ports. I would like to run 4 22" monitors on a G4. Just want to know if there were any reccomendations on card brands/types and configurations
Have multiple Mac's from G4 733 Giga to G4 Dual drive... Lil help

I'd reccomend using all ATI cards as they are/were better supported as far as multiple cards and features are concerned. A decent set up would be an ATI radeon 9800pro AGP with an ATI radeon 9200 PCI. Both are dual head and for PCI the 9200 is pretty good.

Video card problems, monitor distortion

Hi, I have a 17 inch Apple Studio Display (ADC Connector). It's about three years old now. Just recently after I woke up my computer, the monitor suddenly had this crazy distortion that's a kind of banding that goes down the screen. I took a picture and posted it here:
http://www.kickinthehead.org/temp/monitor_distortion.jpg
It actually looks a lot worse now. It's not just limited to the bands, really the entire image has crazy weird artifacts everywhere. Plus if I have a finder window open and then drag it around the screen, the window will be a nonsensical mess of randomly colored pixels. If I minimize the window and bring it back it will refresh somewhat and only be distorted like the rest of the monitor. Same goes for if I'm on a web page and scroll using smooth scrolling
I've tried reseating the card a number of times. The first time it worked for a few hours, but the last time I tried it was only working for a few seconds then went back to being heavily distorted. I tried also dusting out my computer and the card itself in hopes that would do something, but my monitor now probably looks worse than the picture I linked to.
I jiggled the connection, and at one point it looked all right if I put downward pressure on the cord (the screw wasn't in the slot so there was some room to move). My dilemma is I don't know if a new card will solve this problem, or if the connection problem is on the side of the motherboard. I can't really test it unless I get my hands on another card.
has anyone run into this problem before?
Thanks
Dual 2Ghz Power Mac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

I am experiencing the same exact problems and anomolies as Derek with my 9800 pro 128mb and I am having the same conclusions while trouble shooting. I can tell you for sure that it is not a display conection problem for I am seeing it on 2 screens with a dual monitor set up on both a apple 23" lcd and an analog CRT.
During start up the boot screen displays clusters of virtical white lines running the length of the screen. While on the desktop I see this same blocky checkerboard type pateren that randomly changes but is also affected by on screen movement.
The problem first occured Saturday afternoon upon waking from sleep and got progesivly worse within minutes eventually rendering the computer unusable. The distortion flickers about randomly but also seems to be affected when the card is touched. I seem to recall waking from sleep to this problem in the past but it was fixed by a reboot. No such luck this time. I also tried reseating the card to find the distortion temporarally fixed, but then it came back worse then before.
The card is 2 years old now and has never been modified but has been overclocked by 5% for the past year or so using ATIcellerator II with no other problems.
Also, I am a bit concerned about the heatsink being burning hot to the touch within minutes of boot up.
So far this is the only forum I have been able to find concerning this problem. Any comments would help. In the mean time I am going to go shopping for a new card. Hopefully this is not more serious then a bad card.

Dual Radeon video card -- Second card Unknown/4th monitor

My initial plan was to use four monitors on my Radeon HD 6790 as follows:
1 Single-link DVI-D = monitor1 dvi
1 Dual-link DVI-I = monitor2 dvi
1 Display Port = monitor3 dvi with adapter
1 HDMI = new monitor
This did not work as I could not use the hdmi port with the second dvi plugged in so I decided to buy a second cheaper ati card (the 6450) to power the fourth monitor. Well of course that did not work as well since the 2nd video card was identified as UNKNOWN via the Ctalyst control Center(amdcccle).
This is how I currently have my monitors plugged in:
6790 (Main card):
1x dvi
1x dvi via DisplayPort
1x hdmi
6450 (Secondary card):
1x dvi
I tried for two days to get the second card identified by the Catalyst driver and I ended up borking my system in the process. So now I am on week two of getting this setup to work with no avail so I decided to post a new thread.
Here is some relevant information that may help:
╔═ comhack@Cerberus 11:14 AM
╚═══ ~-> uname -a
Linux Cerberus 3.3.7-1-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Tue May 22 00:26:26 CEST 2012 x86_64 GNU/Linux
╔═ comhack@Cerberus 10:50 AM
╚═══ ~-> lspci | grep VGA
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Barts LE [AMD Radeon HD 6700 Series]
02:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Caicos [Radeon HD 6450]
╔═ comhack@Cerberus 11:50 AM
╚═══ ~-> pacman -Qi xorg-server | grep Version
Version : 1.11.4-1
╔═ comhack@Cerberus 10:50 AM
╚═══ ~-> xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 5440 x 1084, maximum 5440 x 1920
DFP1 connected 1600x900+3840+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 443mm x 249mm
1600x900 60.0*+
1440x900 60.0
1280x800 59.8
1152x864 75.0 60.0
1280x768 59.8
1280x720 60.0
1024x768 75.0 70.1 60.0
800x600 72.2 75.0 60.3 56.2
640x480 75.0 72.8 67.0 59.9
DFP2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DFP3 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DFP4 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DFP5 connected 1920x1080+1920+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 520mm x 290mm
1920x1080 60.0*+ 50.0 59.9 30.0 25.0 30.0
1600x1200 60.0
1776x1000 50.0 59.9 25.0 30.0
1680x1050 50.0 60.0
1400x1050 50.0 60.0
1600x900 60.0 50.0
1360x1024 50.0 60.0
1280x1024 50.0 75.0 60.0
1440x900 50.0 59.9
1280x960 50.0 60.0
1152x864 50.0 59.9 75.0
1280x768 50.0 60.0
1280x720 60.0 50.0 59.9
1024x768 50.0 75.0 70.1 60.0
1152x648 50.0 59.9
800x600 50.0 72.2 75.0 60.3 56.2
720x480 50.0 30.0 60.0 30.0 59.9
640x480 50.0 75.0 72.8 67.0 60.0 59.9
DFP6 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DFP7 connected 1920x1080+0+4 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 477mm x 268mm
1920x1080 60.0*+
1680x1050 60.0
1400x1050 60.0
1600x900 60.0
1360x1024 60.0
1280x1024 75.0 60.0
1440x900 59.9
1280x960 60.0
1280x768 60.0
1280x720 60.0
1024x768 75.0 70.1 60.0
800x600 72.2 75.0 60.3 56.2
640x480 75.0 72.8 67.0 59.9
CRT1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
╔═ comhack@Cerberus 11:02 AM
╚═══ ~/Cerberus-> pacman -Qi catalyst-total | grep Version
Version : 12.4-1
Here is my atisysteminfo: https://github.com/securitybreach/Cerbe … report.txt
My xorg.conf:
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "amdcccle Layout"
Screen 0 "amdcccle-Screen[1]-0" 0 0
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "0-DFP1"
Option "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
Option "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
Option "DPMS" "true"
Option "PreferredMode" "1600x900"
Option "TargetRefresh" "60"
Option "Position" "3840 0"
Option "Rotate" "normal"
Option "Disable" "false"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "0-DFP5"
Option "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
Option "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
Option "DPMS" "true"
Option "PreferredMode" "1920x1080"
Option "TargetRefresh" "60"
Option "Position" "1920 0"
Option "Rotate" "normal"
Option "Disable" "false"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "0-DFP7"
Option "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
Option "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
Option "DPMS" "true"
Option "PreferredMode" "1920x1080"
Option "TargetRefresh" "60"
Option "Position" "0 28"
Option "Rotate" "normal"
Option "Disable" "false"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "1-Default monitor"
Option "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
Option "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
Option "DPMS" "true"
Option "PreferredMode" "480x640"
Option "TargetRefresh" "60"
Option "Position" "0 0"
Option "Rotate" ""
Option "Disable" "false"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "0-DFP6"
Option "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
Option "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
Option "DPMS" "true"
Option "PreferredMode" "1920x1080"
Option "TargetRefresh" "60"
Option "Position" "0 0"
Option "Rotate" "normal"
Option "Disable" "false"
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "amdcccle-Device[1]-0"
Driver "fglrx"
Option "Monitor-DFP1" "0-DFP1"
Option "Monitor-DFP5" "0-DFP5"
Option "Monitor-DFP6" "0-DFP6"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "amdcccle-Device[2]-0"
Driver "fglrx"
Option "Monitor-Default monitor" "1-Default monitor"
BusID "PCI:2:0:0"
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "amdcccle-Screen[1]-0"
Device "amdcccle-Device[1]-0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Virtual 5440 1920
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "amdcccle-Screen[2]-0"
Device "amdcccle-Device[2]-0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection
https://github.com/securitybreach/Cerbe … g.conf-ati
Notice the fourth monitor is labeled as "1-Default monitor" instead of hdmi (or whatever) and the second card is not listed.
I am literally at my wit's end trying to figure this out. So basically I am wondering if anyone has a clue where to begin trying to get the 2nd video card identified or is it even possible with the current Catalyst driver? I know my hardware can power it fine as it works perfectly on my Windows gaming partition.
Thanks in advance
Last edited by securitybreach (2012-06-01 16:50:47)

I have it working now using catalyst-total but with separate X sessions on each monitor. Not the ideal setup but it works for now.
Here is my xorg.conf for reference:
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "amdcccle Layout"
Screen 0 "amdcccle-Screen[1]-0" 1599 0
Screen "amdcccle-Screen[1]-1" 3518 0
Screen "amdcccle-Screen[1]-2" 5437 0
Screen "amdcccle-Screen[2]-0" 0 0
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "0-DFP1"
Option "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
Option "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
Option "DPMS" "true"
Option "PreferredMode" "1600x900"
Option "TargetRefresh" "60"
Option "Position" "0 0"
Option "Rotate" "normal"
Option "Disable" "false"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "0-DFP5"
Option "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
Option "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
Option "DPMS" "true"
Option "PreferredMode" "1920x1080"
Option "TargetRefresh" "60"
Option "Position" "0 0"
Option "Rotate" "normal"
Option "Disable" "false"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "0-DFP7"
Option "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
Option "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
Option "DPMS" "true"
Option "PreferredMode" "1920x1080"
Option "TargetRefresh" "60"
Option "Position" "0 0"
Option "Rotate" "normal"
Option "Disable" "false"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "1-DFP2"
Option "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
Option "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
Option "DPMS" "true"
Option "PreferredMode" "1600x900"
Option "TargetRefresh" "60"
Option "Position" "0 0"
Option "Rotate" "normal"
Option "Disable" "false"
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "amdcccle-Device[1]-0"
Driver "fglrx"
Option "Monitor-DFP5" "0-DFP5"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "amdcccle-Device[2]-0"
Driver "fglrx"
Option "Monitor-DFP2" "1-DFP2"
BusID "PCI:2:0:0"
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "amdcccle-Device[1]-1"
Driver "fglrx"
Option "Monitor-DFP7" "0-DFP7"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
Screen 1
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "amdcccle-Device[1]-2"
Driver "fglrx"
Option "Monitor-DFP1" "0-DFP1"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
Screen 2
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "amdcccle-Screen[1]-0"
Device "amdcccle-Device[1]-0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "amdcccle-Screen[2]-0"
Device "amdcccle-Device[2]-0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "amdcccle-Screen[1]-1"
Device "amdcccle-Device[1]-1"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "amdcccle-Screen[1]-2"
Device "amdcccle-Device[1]-2"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection
I had to manually edit my xorg.conf and add the values for the second video card/fourth monitor. I cannot figure out how to take a screenshot of all 4 X sessions so here is a picture of the setup:
Last edited by securitybreach (2012-06-03 22:49:20)

Upgraded Sawtooth 450Mhz AGP G4 video card to Radeon 9200

Just upgraded my video card to a Radeon 9200 Mac version yesterday, from the original Rage 128 card. The 21" CRT Apple Studio Display had finally gone "toes up" after 7 years and 9 months of 12 hours use each and every single day at my studio (minus Christmas and Easter). Man I loved that monitor. I replaced it with a 23" Apple Cinema Display. It is nice, but it is BRIGHT. I feel like I need sunglasses on sitting in front of it.
Anyway, everything went smooth with the upgrade yesterday, no problems. Then this morning, when I turned on the computer I was presented with a screen that reminded me of the windows "blue screen of death". My mouse arrow was on the screen and would move around, but my desktop icons and the Mac dock never popped up. Clicking with the mouse did nothing. Finally, after waiting 10 minutes I pushed the "reboot" button under the power button on the front of the tower and the system came up with no problems.
I changed nothing other than the video card and monitor yesterday. This scares me. Any ideas what caused this?

Hi-
Welcome to Discussions!
It would probably be best to boot from your OS install disc, and verify/repair the hard drive.
One other possibility would be improper/corrupt third part items, such as drivers. With Panther, does ATI have any drivers necessary for the 9200? It would be worth checking the version. The retail update may be needed:
http://ati.amd.com/support/drivers/mac/jan2005updater.html
Yet another possibility is a startup item is causing the problem. Review the following for further instruction:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106464#symp1
As for the bright display, yeah, I keep mine turned down about half way. You can adjust using the button on the right side of the display, or in System Preferences/Displays, or, if you have a Pro keyboard, F14 to dim, F15 to increase brightness.

What are multiple video cards good for?

Yeah, I know it is probably a dorky question but I would certainly like to know the answer before I start pricing my future Mac Pro. What I'm thinking about is online gaming stuff (which I'm just getting into so I'm still a little clueless). My question is:
Are four GeForce 7300 cards better than one X1900 for gaming/graphics?
It sounds like from the other posts that the X1900 is the superior card. Am I reading things correctly?
Thanks,
Toast
867 MHz G4 Powerbook Mac OS X (10.4.8)

One advantage of multiple video cards is monitor calibration. When running two monitors off of one card, it's simply not possible to (accurately), calibrate both screens. Altering the video LUT of the card to dial in one monitor will affect the calibration of the other.
On my previous G4 system, I ran two screens from separate cards (two CRTs - different makes and size). With hardware calibration, I was able to get them to match perfectly. On my Mac Pro running the same screens from only one card, I can get them close but not perfect - more importantly, I have to decide which monitor is to be properly calibrated.
Not particularly important for gaming performance but there you go ...
-phil

USB 3.0 to HDMI External Video Card USB32HDE Mountain lion?

Hey!
I bought one of those USB 3.0 to HDMI External Video Card Multi Monitor Adapter (USB32HDE) and read it should work on MACBOOK Air before purchase. However at the same time i installed mountain lion and it seems nothing is happening?
Do anyone have an idea if its due the Mountain lion or it just dont work on macbooks at all?
thanks guys!

TL;DR, J5Create has a similar device to the StarTech USB32HDE called the JUA 350. So similar in fact, they use the same drivers, and J5Create distributes the OS X drivers.
Hi, I found this post through Google and thought I'd provide my solution for anyone else who runs into this. I also bought a StarTech USB32HDE for my Air, which was not my smartest purchase ever since I can now clearly see that StarTech only officially supports Windows, supplying a zip file containing drivers from a company called Trigger. Thankfully, while I was looking at alternatives in preparation to return the USB32HDE, I found the J5Create JUA 350, which looks almost identical. On a whim I decided to grab the JUA 350 drivers and give them a shot. When I opened the dmg, lo and behold, the drivers provided were also by Trigger, specifically 1.0b11 for Lion/Mountain Lion, and after a restart they're working perfectly with the USB32HDE so far. So while I wouldn't recommend it, my bet is these devices are actually the same, and hopefully this helps anyone else who makes the same inadvisable purchase.

Hp m8430f won't boot with video card

I have a HP Pavilion Media Center m8430f Desktop PC.
One day on startup my acer flat screen wont show bios or anything.
If I remove the 8500 gt and use integrated graphics, it works fine with my old crt monitor and I’m actually using it to write this.
If I insert the 8500 gt, however, my lcd monitor gets no signal and I hear no OS sounds indicating that windows is loading up or anything even though the video card works in another computer and I've replaced the motherboard.
I've tried pretty much everything I can think of, and I'd really appreciate it if you guys could give me some ideas on what to try next.
IPIBL-LB (Benicia) motherboard
Intell core 2 quad Q6600 2.4 GHz
nvidia ge force 8500 gt
Integrated graphics intell gma 3100
tv tuner card
Modem card
4 Gig DDR2 ram
Steps I've taken
Video card and monitor tested and work in another PC
Reset bios with jumper
Removed ram tried one at time .
Removed all cards and tied that.
Replaced power supply
Tried all above again.
Updated bios
Replaced motherboard and put it all back together

The 500w is definitely sufficient and this is such an odd issue. It doesn't make since. We've tested parts in other machines and even replaced parts yet the same problem holds true.
With the video card inserted does the computer boot at all? Do you hear fans turn on lights, anything or is it just dead?
I'm wondering if we should try to get the computer down to as basic as we need it.
1 stick of RAM,
video card
processor
Disconnect hard drive, CD ROM. and see if it boots with just the basics plugged in.
After that I'll admit that I'd be throwing darts in testing things to see if there is something that sticks. Something like trying something else in the PCI slot besides a video card to see if it stops the system from booting.
If I have helped you in any way click the Kudos button to say Thanks.
The community works together, click Accept as Solution on the post that solves your issue for other members of the community to benefit from the solution.
- Friendship is magical.

I installed a new video card onto my computer...the monitor wont work!!!?

So I got a new GPU (VGA MSI NX8800GT 512M OC RT). I installed it last night and plugged the monitor into it...I know the computer sees it because the LED light turns green, then it goes to sleep. So I figure that maybe the GPU is incompatible with my motherboard, so I put my old one back in and the same thing happens!!! Anyone know what can cause this?!?!
I have:
Processor -Intel Pentium 4 550 Prescott 3.4GHz 1MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Single-Core Processor
MOBO -ABIT AA8-DuraMAX LGA 775 Intel 925X ATX Intel Motherboard
PSU - Rosewill RP500 ATX12V v1.3/ EPS12V 500W Power Supply 115/230 V CSA, CB, TUV, FCC, UL
Details:
Model
Brand    Rosewill
Model    RP500
Spec
Type    ATX12V v1.3/ EPS12V
Maximum Power    500W
Fans    Silent 120mm Ball-bearing Fan with Blue LED
PFC    No
Main Connector    24Pin
+12V Rails    Single
PCI-E Connectors    No
ATI CrossFire Support    No
NVIDIA SLI Support    No
Modular Cabling Support    No
Hold-up Time    16ms min.
Efficiency    > 70%
Over Voltage Protection    +3.3V +5V +12V
Input Voltage    115/ 230 V
Input Frequency Range    50/60 Hz
Input Current    10A/5.5A
Output    +3.3V@30A, +5V@45A, +12V@26A, [email protected], -12V@1A, [email protected]
MTBF    100k hours at max. load, normal line and 25°C
Approvals    CSA, CB, TUV, FCC, UL
Features
Connectors    1 x Main connector (24Pin) 24Pin to 20Pin adapter
1 x 12V (P4)
1 x 12V(8Pin)
8 x peripheral
2 x SATA
2 x Floppy
HD - HITACHI Deskstar 7K250 HDS722525VLSA80 (14R9464) 250GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA
RAM - 2x pqi POWER Series 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200
-Windows XP
And I have two CRT Monitors with adaptors

Test with mainboard out of PC case:
Test the motherboard outside of the case to verify that the motherboard is not shorting to the case and causing a problem
• With only the CPU and heat sink, memory, and video card (or onboard video) connected to the motherboard, place the motherboard on a non-conductive surface and retest the motherboard
• Check the case mounting standoffs to verify that they are lining up correctly with the mounting holes on the motherboard.
If no change try with different better and well known working PSU

Dual Monitor video cards for HP Pro 3400

I am looking to add a 2nd monitor to my HP Pro 3400 MT and want to make sure I get a video card that will not have any compatibility issues. I'm not doing any gaming so I don't think I need anything super fancy and I would prefer not to have to upgrade the power supply.
So my questions are:
Is the HP Pro 3400 MT compatible witha PCI Express 3.0 card? 2.1 ?
How much power draw from the video card would require me to upgrade the power supply (my PC is stock, no added peripherals). Is there a way for me to determine how much is being currently (no pun intended) drawn?
Are there any drawbacks to usnig the built-in video card for 1 monitor and a new, single-ouput card for the other (vs a dual-output card) ?
Anything else I need to consider when deciding on a new video card?
Thanks.

Hi,
You might get better assistance on the HP Enterprise Business Forum since you have a business class PC.
HP DV9700, t9300, Nvidia 8600, 4GB, Crucial C300 128GB SSD
HP Photosmart Premium C309G, HP Photosmart 6520
HP Touchpad, HP Chromebook 11
Custom i7-4770k,Z-87, 8GB, Vertex 3 SSD, Samsung EVO SSD, Corsair HX650,GTX 760
Custom i7-4790k,Z-97, 16GB, Vertex 3 SSD, Plextor M.2 SSD, Samsung EVO SSD, Corsair HX650, GTX 660TI
Windows 7/8 UEFI/Legacy mode, MBR/GPT

Can I attach an external monitor to my iMac G5 (ALS) if the video card is dead?

I don't know for a fact that the video card is dead, but the screen on my iMac (PPC/ALS) 20" gradually started flaking out over several months and is now dead. Computer boots up fine and I'm looking at it through target mode right now. I want to keep using the computer if I can, so I am wondering if I can attach an external monitor through the DVI slot even if the video card is kaput. I'd like to get an opinion or two on this before I buy a used monitor and cable. Thanks!

You have found the answer. If the video chipset is OK but there is a fault in the internal display or its cabing, an external monitor will work. However, if the video chipset--which is farther "upstream" in the system--goes bad, the option of an external monitor is off the table.

128MB vs. 256MB Video Card for External Monitor?

I may want to run an external monitor for Final Cut Pro HD. Will getting the 2.16 Processor with its 256MB Video Card drive an external monitor any better than the 1.83 w/ 128MB Video Card? TIA
BTW, I won't be "gaming" at all. Just doing a little FCP HD...
20 G5 iMac/2 GB RAM/250 GB HD Mac OS X (10.4.2)

Randy, I believe you have great technical knowledge
(much more than me) and your math is unobjectionable.
But in my opinion 16% of the graphic card's capacity
just to light up the monitors is not a low figure.
Actually, for generic 2D stuff that doesn't involve OpenGL, Randy has it correct. You'll find that VRAM makes absolutely no difference to Photoshop, for instance. A couple of big screens will happily run on 64MB VRAM.
Once you start running pro applications on those
monitors, and expect real-time responsiveness and
lower and lower rendering times; you might come to
realize that 128MB of VRAM is enough, it's a lot...
but not excessive.
You only need the extra VRAM for apps that specifically use the graphic card, through OpenGL, Core Image, Core Video or similar. Of course, there are more and more apps which leverage the graphics card this way, so 256MB is going to be more future-proof, and is what I went for.

Problems connecting 1 monitor and 1 TV to 2gb DDR3 AMD Radeon 7570 video card.

I recently purchased an Hp h8-1360t computer with a 2gb DDR3 AMD Radeon 7570 video card and an Hp 2711 LED monitor. I am having problems connecting both the monitor (dvi) and a 50" Sony LCD TV (hdmi) with a 50' hdmi cable. When starting the computer, once the initial Win 7 boot up is finished, the monitor screen goes blank, except for the mouse pointer. When I turn on the tv and select the correct input source a normal Win 7 screen with icons appears on the tv. Only the wallpaper picture displays on the monitor and no icons. If play a dvd movie it will only show up on the tv with the sound coming from the speakers attached to the computer.
I would like to retain control of the computer using the monitor. I tried to set the monitor up as the primary display source using the monitor configuration menu,but it won't allow me to save the dvi connection as the primary display source. The documentation that came with the computer and what I was able to find on the Hp site is lacking....to say the least.
Any assistance with this problem will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Tony

First I would disconnect the TV HDMI cable from the computer. That should return the PC screen to normal. May have to reboot to get normal. Then reconnect the TV HDMI and go into the screen setup routine, paying attention to which screen is supposed to display what information.
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Span to 2 monitors w/ExpressCard PCI-Express Video Card? Possible?Probable?

Hey guys. I had screen-real-estate envy a few months ago and talked myself into thinking I could live without a laptop and just drag my new 20" iMac around once every week or two when I do Keynote Teaching. The sucker's 25lbs and has sharp edges and a lot of cables, it's a huge hassle to set up and haul around.. it's no laptotp replacement, although I do adore the screen. This has brought me to my current plan to sell the iMac eventually and buy a MBP, which I'll want to span to a bigger LCD. But my real dream of the last 10 or so years is to have 3 monitors going at the same time. When I saw that the ExpressCard slot can interface with both USB2.0 AND the PCI-Express bus I started using my imagination on how I could have 3 monitors going without having to spring for a PowerMac.
So the question is, any discussion about an ExpressCard video card? Any in production? Anything theoretically wrong with this concept? Probability of it happening, time frame? Prognosticate away!

Yo! Don't post the same question twice, OK?
I posted a reply to the earlier occurrence of your
post. Check it out.
RRS
Yeah sorry if it's at odds with your forum sensibilities, but I felt that this question fit well in both the Display AND the Expansion forums - and since neither has been able to give me an answer (although the alternative you suggested isn't wholly a bad option) as to whether or not this is or will be possible, I'll keep the question alive in 2 places until it gets sorted out. If this is against forum policy or something let me know, otherwise...

Going from video card w/ micro hdmi & 2 dvi into monitor w/ 2 hdmi & 1 vga; ??

trying to determine which would give me the best resolution. video card has 2 dvi and 1 micro hdmi outs; monitor has 2 regular hdmi and 1 vga. would the micro hdmi to a regular hdmi work best or would a dvi to hdmi give better resolution. getting conflicting answers and msi not answering phone today, thanks!
also can i go from 2 dvi into 1 or 2 hdmi to get better resolution?

Resolution is dependent on what your monitor (display device ) supports. It makes no difference which connector you use, as DVI and HDMI are both digital outputs

2 video cards - 4 monitors

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