Can you run dual monitors with SLI?

J

Joyce P

New Member
Hello everyone, my next comp is going to have two cards in SLI and I was curious how you'd set up two monitors into two video cards so I did a web search and I found info saying you can't dual monitors with SLI on? :confused: Is this true? I am really surprised! Can someone give me some input? Thanks!

- Joyce
 
you can run dual monitors with a single card and sli, it makes no difference because a single card has two video ports at least.
 
With SLI or Crossfire setups you are syncing two cards together to go out to one display. That combines the two vpus to work together on the same task over what is seen with a single vpu on one card alone.

In order to see a dual monitor setup you have to disable the SLI mode since that is directed through one of the two card's outputs. You are simply adding the vpu power of a second card to the first in theory. One article has a good title for it on this.

"Nvidia explains lack of dual monitor support on SLI" http://www.theinquirer.net/en/inqui...-explains-lack-of-dual-monitor-support-on-sli
 
Wow, well that's disappointing. So here's a dumb question, when you're running two cards with two DVI connectors a piece and you only have one monitor where do you plug it in? lol Common sense would tell me top card, left side input..... right? Thanks guys!

xoxo

- Joyce
 
Joyce P said:
Wow, well that's disappointing. So here's a dumb question, when you're running two cards with two DVI connectors a piece and you only have one monitor where do you plug it in? lol Common sense would tell me top card, left side input..... right? Thanks guys!

xoxo

- Joyce
Click to expand...

With the SLI or Crossfire mode disabled the second vga or dvi port is considered the secondary display. You would then use your desktop manager to extend or clone the primary display's desktop. The top port when the card is vertical is generally the primary you would use for the first or only monitor.
 
That's an addon device with no control panel for display setting to simply see a desktop cloning take place. Something like that won't work for seeing the desktop extended acroos two monitors if that is what you are looking for.
 
Joyce P said:
Hello everyone, my next comp is going to have two cards in SLI and I was curious how you'd set up two monitors into two video cards so I did a web search and I found info saying you can't dual monitors with SLI on? :confused: Is this true? I am really surprised! Can someone give me some input? Thanks!

- Joyce
Click to expand...

You can run 2 monitors in SLI but it will be the same thing on both monitors, you cant extend the desktop across both unless you disable SLI

Joyce P said:
Wow, well that's disappointing. So here's a dumb question, when you're running two cards with two DVI connectors a piece and you only have one monitor where do you plug it in? lol Common sense would tell me top card, left side input..... right? Thanks guys!

xoxo

- Joyce
Click to expand...

If running SLI you plug your monitor into the Main slot top card, most are more compatible if you use the botton connector on the main card.
 
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