[RESOLVED] Video card connections

[garybeafl]

Hello All
I have a Sony VGC-RB40 to which I have added a ATI Radeon HD 4300 video card. I would like to hook up two monitors to this card. Is that possible?
If not I have one PCI slot open and could I buy another card to put in that slot in order to do this?

[Midknyte]

4300 is the series. What is the specific make/model? Does the card have 2 video ports or not?

http://www.online-tech-tips.com/wind...-in-windows-7/

[SuperSparks]

Assuming it does have two ports (and I'd be surprised if it doesn't), then all you need to do is plug another monitor in. Then set Windows display properties how you want them. It's as simple as that

The only problem is that you get used to a multi-monitor setup, and if you ever use a PC with a single monitor it feels very restrictive

[garybeafl]

The video card is a 4350. It has one vga port and one hdmi port and one other port which is unknown to me. I bought a hdmi to vga adapter but it would not work. I was trying to keep my monitor plugged into the vga port and add another monitor to the hdmi/vga port.

[SuperSparks]

That deffo does have 2 independent outputs:

http://www.amd.com/us/products/deskt...fications.aspx

My feeling is that the problem probably lies with the adapter. If you have a TV with HDMI input, try plugging that in to the port with normal HDMI cable.

[garybeafl]

Remember the old adage "read the first manual"
Well I found the manual and here is what it says.
To ensure the highest possible performance, only one display device is supported
when ATI CrossFire™ is active. When ATI CrossFire™ is active other display
devices connected to the other DVI connections on both graphics cards are rendered
inactive.
If additional displays are required when ATI CrossFire™ is active, please use either
SurroundView™ (for more information see the SurroundView™ manual) or an
additional PCIe™ graphics card.
Your ATI Radeon™ HD 4000 Series graphics card provides hardware support for
DVI-I and VGA monitors (using the supplied DVI-to-VGA adapter) and HDMI™
DTVs (using a DVI-to-HDMI adapter). It also provides TV output via the S-Video
VIVO connection in composite, S-Video, and component TV formats.
The following table shows display configurations available when ATI CrossFire™
is not enabled.

Now all I have to do is find out how to disable cross fire.

[Midknyte]

It has one vga port and one hdmi port and one other port which is unknown to me

Again, 4350 is just the chipset. Different manufacturers like Sapphire will have different port setups. I've never seen a card with HDMI and no DVI before. It would be way easier to find a DVI to VGA adapter, than using HDMI.

[SuperSparks]

Now all I have to do is find out how to disable cross fire.

Unless you have two graphics cards installed, then Crossfire will already be disabled - it is the technology that ATI use to enable 2 cards to be used in tandem to improve gaming performance. With only a single card Crossfire cannot be enabled.

[garybeafl]

The other port is a DVI-I port. The book says to enable a second display you have to go to the Catalyst Control Center and click on Displays Manager.
I thought I was a pretty smart guy but I can't figure out how to do that.

[garybeafl]

This card is a Diamond Multimedia ATI Radeon HD4350 with 512MB DDR2.

It has Three ports VGA, HDMI, DVI-I.

The only port working is the VGA port.

When I try to download and install the Catalyst Control Center and then use the advanced tab. All that is there is something about HydraGrid.

Has anybody been down this path before?

[Midknyte]

It has Three ports VGA, HDMI, DVI-I.

I figured as much. Don't bother with the HDMI. Use the VGA and DVI.

Are your monitors VGA or DVI?

Hydragrid is for multimonitor setups, but you don't really need it for two.

So the instructions in the first link I posted don't work? Hmm. For duals, the basic Win7 instructions should work.

Try this for Catalysts:
http://www.techlivez.com/2009/11/how...ontrol-center/

[SuperSparks]

I hadn't realised there were 3 ports. In that case, I agree with Midknyte, use the VGA as the second port. I suspect that the HDMI and the DVI ports are commoned together on the same RAMDAC, and that you an only use one or the other.

[garybeafl]

My Acer 20 inch Monitor has a port for DMI-I as well as the VGA port. I don't have a cord for the DMI-I but I suppose I could go buy one at CompUSA.

When I go into CCC the program will not recognize the second monitor. I switched the cables around so that the HDMI to VGA cable was going to my Acer monitor and the VGA cable was going to the Envision monitor but it made no difference.

The thing that makes this bad is that the CCC is not like it is in the instruction book. So I don't want to buy another cable if it is not going to work because this card won't recognize the second monitor.

[SpywareDr]

Borrow a cable?

[garybeafl]

I am the Treasurer of the Brandon,Fl. computer club so I could ask at the next meeting to see if anyone has one. I don't have any idea how much they cost. Maybe I will look online.

I don't think it will work anyway but I could be wrong. I have been wrong before.