Video Hardware, Part 3 - Multiple Monitors
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Macintosh systems pioneered multiple-monitor support long before Windows, but starting with Windows 98, all current Windows versions also offer the ability to use multiple monitors on a single system. Windows 98/Me support up to nine monitors (and video adapters), each of which can provide a different view of the desktop. Windows 2000 and Windows XP support up to ten monitors and video adapters. When you configure a Windows 98/Me or Windows 2000/XP system to use multiple monitors, the operating system creates a virtual desktop—that is, a display that exists in video memory that can be larger than the image actually displayed on a single monitor. You use the multiple monitors to display various portions of the virtual desktop, enabling you to place the windows for different applications on separate monitors and move them around at will.
Unless you use multiple-head video cards, each monitor you connect to the system requires its own video adapter. So, unless you have nine bus slots free, the prospects of seeing a nine-screen Windows display are slim, for now. However, even two monitors can be a boon to computing productivity. For example, you can leave an email client or Web browser maximized on one monitor and use the other monitor for additional programs.
On a multimonitor Windows system, one display is always considered to be the primary display. The primary display can use any PCI or AGP VGA video adapter that uses a Windows minidriver with a linear frame buffer and a packed (nonplanar) format, meaning that most of the brand-name adapters sold today are eligible. Additional monitors are called secondaries and are much more limited in their hardware support. To install support for multiple monitors, be sure you have only one adapter installed first; then reboot the system, and install each additional adapter one at a time. For more information about multiple-monitor support for Windows 98/Me, including a list of supported adapters, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article #182708.
It's important that the computer correctly identifies which one of the video adapters is the primary one. This is a function of the system BIOS, and if the BIOS on your computer does not let you select which device should be the primary VGA display, it decides based on the order of the PCI slots in the machine. You should, therefore, install the primary adapter in the highest-priority PCI slot. In some cases, an AGP adapter might be considered secondary to a PCI adapter. Depending on the BIOS used by your system, you might need to check in various places for the option to select the primary VGA display. For example, the AMI BIOS used by the MSI KT4 Ultra motherboard for Socket A processors lists this option, which it calls Primary Graphics Adapter, in the PCI/PnP menu. In contrast, the Intel/AMI BIOS used by the Intel D865PERL motherboard lists this option, which it calls Primary Video Adapter, in the Video Configuration menu.
See "The PCI Bus," p. 358.
After the hardware is in place, you can configure the display for each monitor from the Display control panel's Settings page. The primary display is always fixed in the upper-left corner of the virtual desktop, but you can move the secondary displays to view any area of the desktop you like. You can also set the screen resolution and color depth for each display individually. For more information about configuring multiple-monitor support in Windows 98/Me, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article #179602. The multiple-monitor support included with Windows 2000 and Windows XP is somewhat different from that of Windows 98/Me. These versions of Windows support ten monitors, rather than nine as with Windows 98/Me. In addition, because Windows 2000 and XP use different display drivers than Windows 98/Me, some configurations that work with 98/Me might not work with Windows 2000/XP. For more information about configuring multiple-monitor support in Windows 2000, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article #238886. For details of the display cards compatible with Windows XP in multiple-display modes, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article #307397.
Windows XP also supports DualView, an enhancement to Windows 2000's multiple-monitor support. DualView supports the increasing number of dual-head video cards as well as notebook computers connected to external displays. With systems supporting DualView, the first video port is automatically assigned to the primary monitor. On a notebook computer, the primary display is the built-in LCD panel.
Note -Many recent notebook computers that have integrated graphics do not support DualView; however, most recent notebook computers that use a discrete graphics chip do support DualView. To determine whether your notebook computer supports DualView, open its Display properties sheet and click the Settings tab. If two monitor icons are visible, your computer supports DualView. You can activate secondary monitor support after you attach a monitor to the external VGA port.
Even if your BIOS enables you to specify the primary video card and you use video cards that are listed as compatible, determining exactly which display cards will work successfully in a multimonitor configuration can be difficult. Microsoft provides a list of compatible display cards in the Hcl.txt file located on the Windows 2000 CD-ROM, but this list does not contain the latest video cards and chipsets from NVIDIA, ATI, or other companies, nor does it take into account changes in supported chipsets caused by improved drivers. Unfortunately, the online version of the Microsoft Windows Catalog (http://www.Microsoft.com/ windows/catalog/) doesn't list information about multiple-monitor support for any version of Windows.
Consequently, you should check with your video card or chipset maker for the latest information on Windows 2000 or Windows XP and multiple-monitor support issues.
Because new chipsets, updated drivers, and combinations of display adapters are a continuous issue for multiple-monitor support when separate video cards are used, I recommend the following online resources:
http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon. Home of the UltraMon multiple-monitor support enhancement program ($39.95); an extensive database of user-supplied multiple-monitor configurations for Windows 98/Me, Windows 2000/XP, and Linux; product reviews; and tips
http://www.digitalroom.net(click Tech Articles and then Multiple Monitor Guide); excellent tips on multiple-monitor setups and links to other resources
Multiple-monitor support can be enabled through either of the following:
A card that supports multiple monitors (also called a multiple-head or dual-head card) saves slots inside your system and eliminates the headaches of driver and BIOS updates or system reconfiguration sometimes necessary when using two or more video cards for multiple-monitor capability.
Most recent video cards with multiple-monitor support feature a 15-pin analog VGA connector for CRTs, a DVI-I digital/analog connector for digital LCD panels, and a TV-out connector for S-video or composite output to TVs and VCRs. Thus, you can connect any of the following to these cards:
One analog LCD or CRT display and one digital LCD
Two analog LCD or CRT displays (when the DVI-I–to–VGA adapter is used)
One analog LCD or CRT display and one TV
One digital LCD and one TV
The major video chipsets that support multiple CRT and LCD displays are listed in Table 15.18.
Table 15.18 Major Multiple-Head Video Chipsets and Cards Brand | Chipset | Bus Type(s) Supported | Number of Monitors Supported |
ATI 1 | RADEON VE | AGP 4x | 2 |
| RADEON 7500 7 | AGP 4x, PCI | 2 |
| RADEON 8500 | AGP 4x | 2 |
| RADEON 8500LE | AGP 4x | 2 |
| RADEON 9000 PRO | AGP 4x | 2 |
| RADEON 9500 PRO | AGP 8x | 2 |
| RADEON 9600 PRO | AGP 8x | 2 |
| AIW 9600 PRO | AGP 8x | 2 |
| RADEON 9700 PRO | AGP 8x | 2 |
| RADEON 9800, PRO, XT | AGP 8x | 2 |
Matrox 2 | M200MMS | PCI | 2,4 3 |
| Millennium G450 | AGP 4x, PCI | 2 3 |
| G450MMS | PCI | 2,4 4 |
| G550 | AGP 4x | 2 3 |
| Millennium P650 | AGP 8x | 2 6 |
| Millennium P750 | AGP 8x | 3 3 |
| Parhelia | AGP 8x | 3 3 |
NVIDIA 5 | GeForce 2 MX series 7 | AGP 4x, PCI | 2 |
| GeForce 4 MX 440 7 | AGP 4x | 2 |
| GeForce 4 Ti series 7 | AGP 4x, 8x | 2 |
| GeForce FX series | AGP 8x | 2 |
| GeForce 6800 series | AGP 8x | 2 |
| GeForce MX 4000 series | AGP 8x | 2 |
1. ATI sells video cards using these chipsets under the ATI brand and also supplies chipsets to third-party vendors.
2. Matrox is the only vendor using its chipsets; this table lists Matrox card models.
3. Features a separate accelerator chip for each display, enabling the independent selection of the refresh rate and the resolution under Windows 2000.
4. Features a separate RAMDAC chip for each display, enabling the independent selection of the refresh rate and the resolution under Windows 2000.
5. NVIDIA does not manufacture video cards; it sells chipsets only.
6. Upgradeable to three-monitor support.
7. Some video cards based on this chipset might not support multiple monitors.
AIW—All-in-Wonder; includes TV tuner and other AV features.
As Table 15.18 notes, some video cards that use a chipset capable of multiple-monitor support might not provide the additional DVI or VGA connector necessary to enable that support. Table 15.18 does not include video chipsets that support TV-out or video in-video out (VIVO) but do not support a second CRT or LCD display.
Caution -Some vendors whose cards provide a single VGA or DVI port (DVI-I ports can be converted to VGA with an adapter) and a TV-out port refer to such cards as "supporting multiple monitors." Table 15.18 lists only chipsets or cards that support two or more CRT or LCD displays.
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 This chapter is from Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 16th edition,by Scott Mueller. (Que Books, 2004, ISBN: 0789731738). Check it out at your favorite bookstore today. Buy this book now.
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