ATI 9800 + 2 Monitors = Crap!

[mjz_5]

I purchased an ATI 9800 Pro video card (Catalyst 4.4) a while back and I just can't believe the amount of BS evolved in setting up two monitors. I have:

1. Samsung 152T digital LCD monitor (DIGITAL)
2. A Dell Trinitron 21" P1110 CRT monitor (ANALOG)

When I had an nVidia 4200, I had setup two profiles. 1) For using only my LCD, and 2) for using only my CRT when gaming.

Well, with this ATI Card, it seems as though I can't individually select the CRT monitor. When the Dell CRT monitor is select, it is like it is running as the Samsung LCD monitor. Therefore, I’m having problems with refresh rates and such.

I tried setting each card separately (disconnected one and then the other). That worked perfect when only one monitor is connected; however, when both are connect, the LCD becomes default and somehow takes over the system (even when the Dell CRT monitor is selected, it thinks it is the Samsung).

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[foreignkid]

Not quite sure I understand what you mean by selected monitor, but I'll try anyways....

Do you have the monitor you want selected as your primary display set in the display control panel, settings tab (checkbox at the bottom, drop down box to switch between monitors)? Do you have Hydravision installed, and have you played with it?

Not sure if these will help you, but its a try.

 

[mjz_5]

When I have the CRT monitor as the primary monitor, I don't get any of the ATI tabs in the advance display settings and I'm also not able to install the display drivers.

No, I don't have HYDRAVISION install, will do that now.

Sorry I found explaining the problem difficult, it is best showing someone the problem in person, but I don't think you'll want to fly up north to Canada .

Will keep you posted. Thanks

 

[mjz_5]

Well, Hydrovision didn't help. Basically, I want to set up 2 hotkeys to do the following:

Hotkey#1 (digital monitor - for web surfing)
= Make Samsung LCD the Primary Monitor (disable Dell monitor).
= Set resolution to 1024x768.
= Set refresh rate to 70.

Hotkey#2 (analog monitor - for gaming)
= Make Dell the Primary Monitor (disable Samsung monitor).
= Set resolution to 1024x768.
= Set max refresh rate to 85.
= Set max resolution to 1600x1200.
= Set refresh override to also 85 Hz.

Making hotkey #1 for the Samsung monitor is easy. However, the analog dell setting doesn’t stick. The computer (win XP) keeps on thinking it is the Samsung monitor.

 

[foreignkid]

Well... I dont know what to tell you. I have a dual monitor card, but no second monitor. I downlaoded hydravision to try and answer this, but can't really do anything since i dont ahve a second monitor.

What catalysts do you have installed? Do you have the control panel thing installed as well? Does your card show up as two display adapters in device manager? (mine does)

 

[Dan_D]

ATi cards aren't as nice as nVidia's in dual monitor configuration. That's just the way they are. Unfortunatle but true. It's more than the drivers too. I had issues with artifacts appearing on the second monitor with 3d stuff like 3ds Max with the card at stock settings.

 

[eddie500]

Thats funny your running into the problem becuase I had similar problems, look at my sig. I have a 22" CRT and a Dell Flatpanel. I was having similar problems with refresh rate etc.

What I do is when I go into games I go into Display and just manualy disable the 2nd monitor. I used to have more problems but after a reinstall most of them went away. I used to have 2 monitors listed for my primary a plug and play and my 22", and on the secondary was just a DELL Flat panel. I just removed both and when it defaulted to PLUG and PLAY I installed my 22" CRT driers. I'm cunfusing myself here. Bascially I just set it manually when I go into games.

my #2 monitor is the 22", and my dell is the #1 hooked up with DVI. I have my #2 monitor set as primary.

BTW, do you have a probelm where when you disable a monitor it still shows some wierd graphics on the screen, instead of going completly black?

 

[eddie500]

Originally posted by mjz_5
When I have the CRT monitor as the primary monitor, I don't get any of the ATI tabs in the advance display settings and I'm also not able to install the display drivers.

No, I don't have HYDRAVISION install, will do that now.

Sorry I found explaining the problem difficult, it is best showing someone the problem in person, but I don't think you'll want to fly up north to Canada .

Will keep you posted. Thanks

WHen you install cat 4.4 I don't get the advaced tabs either.
I just went back to cat 4.2 and that fixed that problem. Also the 4.4's didn't work with farcry on my system, it would lock when I saw water.

 

[mjz_5]

OK, i fixed it, what a pain in the butt. When you switch monitors with the ATI-monitor tab, it doesn't really change the Microsoft Windows monitor settings.

This is what i did to fix the problem:

- set my LCD and saved the profile (that went ok).
- went to display properties - settings tab and disabled my LCD
- attached my 21" dell CRT, created profile and saved it.

But i did so many things before this, who knows what really made it work.

I'm using 4.4 drivers, i also had trouble with the 4.3's, but not this much.

Now I just use those 2 profiles and pray that I don't have to switch video card drivers again .

Every driver set, i had to go crazy and try 100 different things to make dual monitors work how I want them to. I am not a fan of any one company (except AMD ), but I think this is what is going to make me pick nVidia the next time I need to buy a card. (history: had a gf4 4200).