DescentBB

I want to set-up dual video cards for a dual monitor set-up for a Powerpoint project I am working on.

I am creating a Family Feud Powerpoint clone for a thing I am doing for Scouts. I want to be able to have the powerpoint presentation do a live scoring update via a linked object to an Excel spreadsheet. In order to make it work, I will need to either setup a small two computer network to have one running the PPT full screen and the 2nd to handle the scoring in Excel, or my preferred would be to have a dual monitor setup with the Primary monitor running the PPT (which would also have to go through a projector and back to a CRT) and the Excel sheet running on the second monitor so that both files can be accessed at the same time.

I have done some checking, and found conflicting reports if I can simply drop a second video card into the system I want to run this on, because the primary video on the system that will be running the presentation has on-board video. Has anyone had experience dropping a PCI vid card into a system with on-board video and getting both of them to work for a dual set-up?

TD

You are better off getting one video card with dual outputs (almost every modern card can do it) and disabling your onboard video completely.

I would be better off to do that, but I'm cheap...

I have an old vid card that has quasi support for dual monitors but it only has one serial out. The other outputs are for RCA or S-Video, which would probably work for the set-up of what I want to do, Because I could run S-Video into the projector and use the serial out-put to run the monitor, but I can't fully test it here at home as I dont have a 2nd monitor that will connect to the S-Video or RCA.

I didn't say it would cost more... Even on low end and extreme budget parts these days, dual outputs should still be a real option. If you have a working AGP port in your motherboard, dual outputs and performance close to \"highend\" 1 year ago should be available for less then $100.

Dual DVI would be nice (works with standard VGA monitors too) but would probably end up costing more so skip that if you don't find it right away.

In terms of cost there is the material cost, and also the \"dealing with pain-in-the-rear driver conflicts\" cost, getting a single card with dual outputs will definitely save you a bundle on headache medicine.

You can just drop a second card in, extend your windows desktop on to it and go if you already have the card. Just beware crazy driver issues, and it will be a guessing game as to which monitor windows will give which ID to.