Four 24" Monitors Weirdness

E

edgeprod

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Messages
158
I've run two 24" monitors for as long as they've been out. I just ordered another two 24" monitors, for a total of four.

With the two monitors, I plug one into each of the NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT's that the system has. Each card has two ports, but I only use a single port on each card.

When I plugged in the third monitor to test, I used the second port on one of my cards, so I had one graphics card with two monitors and one graphics card running one monitor. The desktop "expanded" for the card with two monitors, in essence making it a 3840x1200 monitor instead of two 1920x1200 monitors. If I maximize something, it "stretches" across the "linked" monitors, something it never did with just two 24" monitors connected.

I haven't tried plugging in the fourth monitor to see what happens, but I suspect it'll be the same issue.

I want to have four independent displays. I want my "main" monitor (X) in front of me, with the others around me (O). I *don't* want my computer to treat the displays like two "extra-long" displays and stretch my wallpaper, applications, etc.

O O X O

Is there software that will help me accomplish this? I spent the afternoon searching the forums and Google, but I'm either using terrible search terms, I'm an idiot, or both.

Incidentally, I also bought a 42" display, and want to connect that as the "main" with the four monitors around it. I'll be swapping out the video cards to do this, but if there's software to easily run 5 displays, with an LCD TV being the "main" (HDMI or DVI connection), that'd also be of interest to me.

Thank you very much in advance for the knowledge you're about to impart. ;)
 
I searched Google again to no avail. I am still getting the monitor weirdness, and would still be interested in solving it.

Thank you for ANY help! ;)
 
I had 4 19" monitors set up as independent displays. It worked great. Just use the nVidia nview to set it up. If it gets to the point where you can't configure it, I can send you the configuration I saved for the setup.

Just remember, you can't game with 4 monitors, just the desktop and intarweb.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/feature_nview.html
 
Have you tried rebooting?
I helped out a secretary with a dual monitor setup which didn't allow for anything but spanning the desktop until the computer was rebooted.

Also post a screenshot of your display settings.
 
You may have to restart Nvidia control panel, or even reboot your OS with the monitors attached, to get the independent option to show up in the multiple display wizard and/or the Nvidia control panel. If you need further options, then here is a nice third party application for specifying which window to maximize, among other things:

http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/tour/windows.asp
 
Before you start questioning others, finish your trouble shooting. Plug all four in. Don't stop at 3. 3 may change the "method' your video cards use to expand. Try all four and se what happens then. First thing with troubleshooting. If you have something cross your mind and you assume the result, do it, don't take the assumption.

Let us know what happens after all four are plugged in.
 
Bansin said:
Before you start questioning others, finish your trouble shooting. Plug all four in. Don't stop at 3. 3 may change the "method' your video cards use to expand. Try all four and se what happens then. First thing with troubleshooting. If you have something cross your mind and you assume the result, do it, don't take the assumption.

Let us know what happens after all four are plugged in.
Click to expand...

When I plugged in the fourth monitor and turned the PC back on, there was a loud "POP" and arcid smoke smell came from the computer. I turned the PC off immediately.

When I rebooted with the traditional 2, neither of them came up. It looks like something got very seriously fried.

I'm using my other computer, which works great (no spanning, four independent displays) and even plays simple-graphics games (WoW, EVE Online) in a window great with no issues. The Falcon Northwest is a flaming piece of crap, but the Alienware seems to handle things perfectly. I think it's time to order another Alienware to run these monitors.

Thanks for your suggestion .. I wish I'd thought of this sooner, so I could have gotten it over and done with, LOL!

Thank you also for everyone else's suggestions. I'm still Googling to find the software I used to use (it let me stretch my taskbar and use different wallpaper on each monitor, fun stuff).
 
edgeprod said:
I'm still Googling to find the software I used to use (it let me stretch my taskbar and use different wallpaper on each monitor, fun stuff).
Click to expand...

Look for Ultramon, its a free software that puts taskbars on all your monitors, lets you do different back grounds per monitor etc, basically designed for multi monitor setups. :D
 
Sparkyy said:
Look for Ultramon, its a free software that puts taskbars on all your monitors, lets you do different back grounds per monitor etc, basically designed for multi monitor setups. :D
Click to expand...

Sweet, that is the EXACT product I was trying to remember -- THANK YOU!

I also downloaded DisplayFusion Pro, and now have different wallpapers on all of my desktops, as well as quick shortcuts for resizing and moving windows around my screen and across my monitors. I'm not sure it's worth the upgrade to Pro, but I upgraded anyway because the "basic" features are so useful, and I wanted to support the software.

Hope these two resources help some others, too. :D
 
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