>
>Windows XP doesn't support PCI video cards for multi-monitor use if they are
>very old.

I have been a multi-monitor advocate, and user, for many years, on many
different setups. Windows 98SE, NT4, 2000, XP and Linux will support up to
nine plus video cards and monitors. I have never had any problem, using any
PCI card, for multi-monitor setups. I have used 2 MB video cards many
times. Even a 1/2 meg ISA card will work.  The the lower the chip speed,
and the less installed video RAM the card has, the more limiting it will be
with resolutions, colors and refresh rates...just like with a single
monitor setup.

RAMDAC = Random Access Memory Digital Analog Converter , is measured in
megahertz, and is the speed that the graphics chip can convert the
computers digital video signal to the analog signal.

A 60 MHz RAMDAC video card with 2 megs of RAM will be fine for 15 inch
monitors 800 X 600 32 bit colors at 85Hz

A 100 MHz RAMDAC video card with 4 megs of RAM will be fine for 17 inch
monitors 1024 X 768 32 bit colors at 85Hz

A 200 MHz RAMDAC video card with 8 megs of RAM will be fine for 19 inch
monitors 1280 X 1024 32 bit colors at 85Hz

When you start working with 21 and 22 inch monitors at 1600 X 1200 32 bit
color at 85Hz you really need video cards with 16 megs or RAM and 350 MHz
RAMDAC. A Matrox G200 PCI with 16 megs of RAM will max out at 1600 X 1200
32 bit color at 75 Hz. And it runs kind of slow at that resolution.

Of course, if you have a driver problem, or a memory resource conflict, you
may have problems getting multi-monitors to work correctly, but there is
nothing inherently about the PCI card itself, that will prevent it from
working.

Rode
The NOSPIN Group
http://freepctech.com



>I've not had any luck with cards with 4 MB of VRAM or less.  You
>should pick one and check out it's compatibility with XP at the
>manufacturer's site or with a Google search.  With 2 cards, XP allows you to
>select which is your primary monitor for games/videos, whereas Win98SE will
>automatically pick the one that is booted first.  You can control that in
>your BIOS setup.  I don't know of any issues with the KVM switch either, so
>I think you are good to go if XP likes your new PCI card.
>
>Rand Blunck
>
> >  can i use most any pci video card for the upgrade?  i want to keep the
>a

                  Visit our website regularly for FAQs,
               articles, how-to's, tech tips and much more
                          http://freepctech.com