motherboard / graphics card compatibility for dual monitors.

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Thank you Al but garycase should take the points here. All I did was agree with him.

... Happy to share :-)

ASKER

Thanks Gary for the initial advice! and I did appreciate the second opinion Mr Bonez. I've now ordered a Benq 19" monitor and the Sapphire card :0)

ASKER

Well not looking good so far :(
I've installed the card - nicely secured in the AGP socket. The card glows almost neon.
However - my PC (win XP SP2) fails to recognise new hardware.

Can't install drivers as the software says it cannot find anything suitable to install for...

Could this be incompatibility? Any tips very much welcome. Thanks.

Al

I doubt this is an incompatibiity. Your card simply does not automatically switch to an AGP card if it's installed. According to your manual, you must install the drivers BEFORE you install the card -- otherwise the system will automatically set the onboard VGA as the primary graphics adapter. See the notes that start on page 17 of your board's manual: http://download.asrock.com/manual/775i65GV.pdf

ASKER

Hi Gary,

Thanks for the insight - I've just downloaded the manual and also the step by step AGI Slot Installation Guide (http://www.asrock.com/Drivers/Manual/i865GV/WinXP/English.pdf).

I also did a GOBACK and reset my PC to just before I started the whole install process.

However...

I have run into problems on the first bloody step of the install guide..

Namely I cannot find the Intel Extreme Graphics Driver - it does not appear in "Add or Remove Programs" and I cannot find it in Device Manager ( Here is a screenshot of my Device Manager: http://65.38.105.134/~dev/system_devices.gif ).

I have installed Driver Cleaner Pro which also doesn't appear to find the Intel Extreme drivers.

I'm pretty bloody sure that something must be driving my graphics otherwise I probably wouldn't be able to see what I'm typing.

Any ideas what's going on here?

Thanks,

Al

ps. Should I open a new question for this now that points have been awarded?

Interesting -- you have NO Display Adapter in Device Manager, but you do have an unknown Video Controller. Is that your Intel Extreme graphics? ... or was the other card installed when you made this image of Device Manager? You should be able to simply right-click on the "Video Controller" (in Other Devices) and "Uninstall" it. Then shut down; install the AGP card; and then reboot.

... no new question needed

ASKER

I made the screenshot post GOBACK so any drivers I had installed have been deleted.
I have downloaded the Intel Extreme Graphics Drivers for XP from ASROCK ( http://www.asrock.com/support/download/dl_775i65gv.htm ) - apparently I need to install this in STEP 4 of the guide for dual monitors.

Right I will now proceed to uninstall this Video Controller and get this card installed.

Thanks Gary,

Al

Actually, you probably won't ever need to install the Intel drivers. Your Sapphire card supports dual monitors -- so you can simply use that once it's installed. Try that first before you add the on-board video back into the mix.

ASKER

Ok thanks for the tip! - right here goes then :0

... post back when you're done. By the way, regarding your comment "... bloody sure that something must be driving my graphics otherwise I probably wouldn't be able to see what I'm typing ..." ==> If there are no drivers installed, the system uses standard VGA drivers, which will work with any card :-)

You are right. The Intel graphics driver isn't installed.
Neither is the Graphics part of your chipset. (You have no Intel AGP controller under System Devices.)

I think you may have a faulty installation of your Intel Chipset drivers. (Thanks ASRock.)

I suggest you install updated Intel Chipset and Graphics drivers to put the system at a good 'ground zero' for the changes you are making.
You can get it here:
http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/sb/cs-009241.htm
.

Dang,,, I take too long to write....

ASKER

right that didn't work :(
I uninstalled the Video Controller - rebooted - shut down the system - installed Radeon card > booted > installed drivers from Disk > rebooted > right click on desktop, selected properties > settings > only one "default" monitor present.

After this I tried to update the driver with the one here: https://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&folderID=27

The driver setup reported: "Setup was unable to find components that can be installed on your current hardware or software configuration. Please make sure that you have the required hardware or software."

So you think I should maybe do a GOBACK and install the Intel Chipset drivers and start over?

Just got back and saw PCBonez's note -- good catch! There's no Processor to AGP driver here, so you may have a chipset driver issue.

It would be a good idea to GoBack to before you started this; then use the first download in the Asrock link you posted before (at http://www.asrock.com/support/download/dl_775i65gv.htm) to get the chipset drivers and install them. I don't have an 865-based system here to confirm if you actually are missing anything or not -- but it won't hurt to install the drivers again.

Then start the process again -- carefully following the instructions in the manual.

You have no AGP controller installed.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

... By the way, do you have two monitors plugged into the card? If not, it will only show ONE !!

ASKER

Oki doki,
Yep I have the DVI cable of the new monitor plugged into the Radeon and the Plug & Display standard cable of the second monitor plugged into the Radeon - I also have a Plug & Display standard cable from the new monitor plugged into the onboard slot otherwise so I can check what's going on.

Okay, what I'll do then is:

1. Goback to pre-card and drivers install
2. Install the chipset drivers from ASROCK
3. Follow the guide

I greatly appreciate both your help!

I'm not sure I'd be trusting ASRock Chipset drivers here.
I would get the chipset drivers from source ~ Intel.
Link given above........
.

ASKER

Hey, Just to confirm. I have installed the Intel® 865G Chipset Graphics Driver & Intel® Chipset Software Installation Utility.
I have also just removed the Intel Extreme Graphics Driver.
The "Video Controller (VGA COMPATIBLE)" is still showing with a questionmark as in the screenshot above - should I also remove this again?

Cheers.

When you get the "Video Controller (VGA COMPATIBLE)" ....
.... is the add-in card in the system?

If you had both video (integrated and add-in) cards in when you did all this then I dunno which one the question mark is refering to.
I thought you had the add-in card removed, sorry..

Get it running correctly with the onboard video only (no add-in card installed) such that there are no question marks.
Then go through the upgrade procedure.
.

Did you use the 865GV drivers? (not the 865G)

Burb in your manual:

To install the system with an add-on AGP VGA card, you must make
sure to install the driver of add-on AGP VGA card before you install
the onboard VGA driver. If the onboard VGA driver has already been
installed before you install the add-on AGP VGA card, the system will
automatically set the onboard VGA as the primary graphics adapter.

[[~~~ I am trying to put you at this point. ~~~]]

In that case, if you want to install the add-on AGP VGA card, you need
to remove the onboard VGA driver first, and then install the add-on
AGP VGA card and its driver. For the detailed instruction, please refer
to the documents in the Support CD, “AGI Slot Installation Guide (for
Windows 2000)” and “AGI Slot Installation Guide (for Windows XP)”,
which are located in the folder at the following path: ....\ Easy Dual Monitor
.

Yes, be sure to follow the instructions starting on page 17 of the manual (as noted at Date: 04/25/2006 04:36PM PDT), and in the AGI Slot installation guide, which I presume you are, since you said "... I've just downloaded the manual and also the step by step AGI Slot Installation Guide (http://www.asrock.com/Drivers/Manual/i865GV/WinXP/English.pdf) ..."

Oh quit it gary, the points are already given here.. I'm trying to help this person...

Problem is I'm not 100% sure what he's doing..
.

... wasn't trying to step on your toes -- just wanted to be sure he knows this isn't a different set of instructions, but just a quote from what he should (hopefully) already be doing. Just trying to help as well ... but I'll back off and let you finish here :-) Just a couple of quick thoughts: (1) chipset drivers need to be for 865GV (not G); (2) the procedure is fairly straightforward -- as detailed in the documentation; but I agree the first thing is to be sure it's setup correctly for the on-board video. THEN it should be easy, as long as the process is followed exactly. WHAT myrepublic wants to do is pretty obvious; getting there is one of those "simple if it's done exactly right; but complex if not" kind of things.

... don't need two cooks, however, so I'll let you finish ...

Why don't you finish..
I can't stay much longer tonight and I don't wanna leave him hanging.
.

I know where he want to get too.
The: [Problem is I'm not 100% sure what he's doing..]
Was because I'm not sure at what points the AGP card was installed during all these driver changes.
.

ASKER

Hiya. My apologies for not getting back sooner.
PC BONEZ thanks for hanging around to not leave me hanging. I'll be honest - I went to bed as it was 2am here - sorry for not letting you know. I continued the next day and still no joy. I have set my PC back to the stage before Card install and post Intel chipset install.
I had installed the 856G and subsequently installed the 856GV chipset software over the top - hope that's okay.

The steps: (reboots were involved between steps)

Install 856GV chipset software.
Remove Intel Extreme Graphics Driver
Remove onboard VGA driver
Install Card
Follow manual and install drivers

Nothing doing. I have tried to install the card drivers supplied with the card and also I've downloaded the most up-to-date drivers: https://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&folderID=27 plus I've installed the .net framework 2.0.

I just cannot get this dual monitor setup to work.

At this point I would consider a new motherboard though that could be a bit tricky and I wouldn't want to have to begin again with XP as everything is nicely set up now.

Is there anything else that I could be doing wrong here?

Thanks.

Al

You said you did this:

Install 856GV chipset software.
Remove Intel Extreme Graphics Driver
Remove onboard VGA driver
Install Card
Follow manual and install drivers

According to your manual, you must install the drivers BEFORE you install the card -- otherwise the system will automatically set the onboard VGA as the primary graphics adapter. This is not what you did -- you tried to install the drivers after you installed the card.

Since I don't have the same system here to try, it's difficult to say exactly what you need to do differently. Since you've already installed the drivers for the card, look in Device Manager and see if the on-board Intel Extreme driver has been reinstalled at this point. If so, remove it and the reboot to BIOS setup. At that point disable the onboard video; then reboot once more. Since the drivers for the ATI card are already installed, this SHOULD cause the system to then use that card both for the bootup display and for Windows after it gets control.

ASKER

The manual says (http://www.asrock.com/Drivers/Manual/i865GV/WinXP/English.pdf)

Step 1: remove the onboard VGA driver
Step 2: Install the add-on Card
Step 3: Install the add-on card drivers

This is the sequence that I have followed.

I was looking at the highlighted note on page 17 here (just below the "AGI slot" label):
http://download.asrock.com/manual/775i65GV.pdf

... HOWEVER, I misread it. It doesn't say to install the driver first; it says to be sure you install the add-on card & driver BEFORE you install the onboard driver. If you followed the instructions in your link EXACTLY (i.e. did NOT let the system install the onboard drivers) then it SHOULD work.

What is your current setting in the BIOS r.e. the onboard video?

ASKER

Hi Gary,

My bios settings:

INIT GRAPHIC ADAPTER PRIORITY: PCI/AGI/ONBOARD
INTERNAL GRAPHICS MODE SELECT: AUTO

... so it SHOULD be checking for a PCI adapter, then an AGI adapter, and then the onboard.

What happens if you have a monitor attached to the AGP card, but NOT to the onboard? Do you get any video at boot time?

Also, what are the other options for "Internal Graphics Mode Select" ??

ASKER

> What happens if you have a monitor attached to the AGP card, but NOT to the onboard? Do you get any video at boot time?

- I will try this - I have had 1 monitor attached to both onboard and the card (via DVI) and another monitor plugged in to the card.

> Also, what are the other options for "Internal Graphics Mode Select" ??

- [auto] [enabled, 1mb] [enabled, 4mb] [enabled, 8mb] [enabled, 16mb] [enabled, 32mb]

I'd definitely try booting with only one monitor attached (to the card). It MAY be using the onboard because it senses the connection.

ASKER

> What happens if you have a monitor attached to the AGP card, but NOT to the onboard? Do you get any video at boot time?

- No video at boot time.

The Video Controller that appears in Other Devices refuses to be uninstalled - after every reboot - it re-appears.

So I have the card installed and drivers - but a black screen. bugger :0

Seems unlikely to make a difference, but what if you connect to the DSUB instead of the DVI on the card?

ASKER

Same situation - no video

Well ... this is not good. As near as I can tell you followed the instructions in the manual correctly and this SHOULD be working !!

Try this:

Connect a monitor to the on-board video; and physically remove the Sapphire card.

Boot the system; then Uninstall the on-board video from Device Manager (per the manual).

Shut down (don't reboot).

Reinstall the Sapphire card, and connect a monitor to it -- it shouldn't matter which connector you use. Leave the other monitor connected to the onboard.

Now reboot and see if Windows "sees" both monitors.

ASKER

That didn't work.

Just got a response from ASROCK:

Dear Sir,
The AGI (Asrock Graphics Interface) Slot is not a 100% AGP slot.
The Intel 845/865/915GL/915GV Chipset did not support an external AGP 3.0 Slot.
So, if your VGA card is not listed on the VGA Compatibility List, your card did not work.
Mostly the new VGA cards need a real 100% AGP-Slot. So that is why the “highend”
products like X800 and others are not supported by our motherboard.

More information you will find here:

http://www.asrock.com/news/AGI.htm
http://www.asrock.com/support/AGI8X_LIST/index_VGA.htm
http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/865gv/index.htm

Kind regards,

ASRock Support

Whoa !! An ATI 95xx board is NOT a "highend" product !!

I'm amazed that the Sapphire board won't work -- but they say the Gigabyte will !!
I guess one has to believe that; but I'll reserve judgement until you post back that you got the Gigabyte card and it's working !!

Note that BOTH the Gigabyte and the Sapphire cards follow the "ATI reference design" specifications. (see this review: http://www.hothardware.com/viewarticle.aspx?page=2&articleid=368&cid=2)

I don't know if you looked at the supported video cards list in the manual, or the slightly updated list on the web site (at http://www.asrock.com/support/VGA/show.asp?Model=P4i65GV), but there is certainly a limited selection of boards ==> and as you've already noted, finding these exact models can be a challenge. But from your experience with this board; and Asrock's reply to your note; it sounds like that's what you need to do.