4-Monitor Setup on XP with Quad Card

[ta]

Hi -- wondering if anyone has input on the following problem. Just
bought a brand new Dell Dimension 9150 with XP Home Edition for running
a 4-monitor setup, along with 4 Dell flat screen LCD monitors. The
salesman told me this would work with the Colorgraphics Xentera GT-4
quad card (PCI), and I don't know why it shouldn't work. I have 3
available PCI slots, but I cannot get input on a single monitor, let
alone 4, with this card installed.

Monitors work fine with the PCI-e video card that came with the box,
and checked all of the cables. I tried running cables from the VGA
input on the monitor to the DVI connect on the card (with an adapter),
as well as running from the DVI input on the monitor to the DVI input
on the card. Nada. All I get is the Colorgraphics splash screen - no
bios, no nothing.

I tried all 3 PCI slots. I tried it with the PCI-e card installed and
uninstalled. Nada.

I changed the bios setting to point to the PCI card as the primary
video card. No go.

They sent me a new card -- same deal.

Is there any reason why this standard PCI card would not be compatible
with my Dell Dimension 9150, especially since this card was qualed with
their 8400 box?

I'm stumped.

Thanks for any insight.

 

[John Jay Smith]

see if your motherboard has an "on board" display adaptor and disable it
from the BIOS, Also look for settings that tell the motherboard that you
will be using a pci card as the default display adaptor.

I am sure it will work for you eventually.

 

[Jerry]

And the tech support folks at Dell have said what?

 

[ta]

see if your motherboard has an "on board" display adaptor and disable it
from the BIOS, Also look for settings that tell the motherboard that you
will be using a pci card as the default display adaptor.

I am sure it will work for you eventually.

Thanks, but I've already got the PCI card set as the default display
adapter in bios. The PCI-e card that came with the box is set as the
secondary option.

 

[ta]

And the tech support folks at Dell have said what?

don't get me started.

 

[cliff]

Hi -- wondering if anyone has input on the following problem. Just
bought a brand new Dell Dimension 9150 with XP Home Edition for
running a 4-monitor setup, along with 4 Dell flat screen LCD
monitors. The salesman told me this would work with the Colorgraphics
Xentera GT-4 quad card (PCI), and I don't know why it shouldn't work.
I have 3 available PCI slots, but I cannot get input on a single
monitor, let alone 4, with this card installed.

Monitors work fine with the PCI-e video card that came with the box,
and checked all of the cables. I tried running cables from the VGA
input on the monitor to the DVI connect on the card (with an adapter),
as well as running from the DVI input on the monitor to the DVI input
on the card. Nada. All I get is the Colorgraphics splash screen - no
bios, no nothing.

I tried all 3 PCI slots. I tried it with the PCI-e card installed and
uninstalled. Nada.

I changed the bios setting to point to the PCI card as the primary
video card. No go.

They sent me a new card -- same deal.

Is there any reason why this standard PCI card would not be compatible
with my Dell Dimension 9150, especially since this card was qualed
with their 8400 box?

I'm stumped.

Thanks for any insight.

I had four monitors set up and I remember it was difficult to get
everything right. I think you have to boot to one monitor and configure the
others at properties of the desktop/settings/ then check the options to
extend the desktop to other monitors and decide which one will be the
primary. I have a 9600 and 9250PCI with only two monitors connected now but
I see four visible for when I connect them. I remember the System started to
boot with no display. I had to re-connect a monitor to the default primary
to reconfigure them all.

You could try to boot with no card in the PCIs slot with the four monitors
connects and start from there.

HTH

 

[ta]

I had four monitors set up and I remember it was difficult to get
everything right. I think you have to boot to one monitor and configure the
others at properties of the desktop/settings/ then check the options to
extend the desktop to other monitors and decide which one will be the
primary.

I can't boot to *any* monitor with the the quad card. No bios, no
nothing. There is no boot process.

I have a 9600 and 9250PCI with only two monitors connected now but
I see four visible for when I connect them. I remember the System started to
boot with no display. I had to re-connect a monitor to the default primary
to reconfigure them all.

You could try to boot with no card in the PCIs slot with the four monitors
connects and start from there.

HTH

Thanks, but I have nothing -- no input on the quad card.

 

[John Jay Smith]

leave only the PCI card in and remove the PCI express card and see if you
have bios.

If not remove all other cards temporarily and leave only the quad one,
see if you have bios.

If not, test the card on another computer to see if its working.

If not then you have a compatibility problem.

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