Re: [TCLUG:18254] Dual headed video cards

[David Wood <jbevren@yahoo.com>]

On Sun, 28 May 2000, Bob Tanner wrote:

> As an aside, in the old days the PC BIOS would not allow multiple video cards.
> When did this change? Or was my crappy Postive ibm clone just junk?

It's not a matter of the PC BIOS really.  The video card's BIOS is simply an
extension ROM for the PC, telling the machine how to handle the card in
basic fashion.  The reason older video cards couldnt double up in one system
was cause they were at a _fixed_ point in the IO space, as well as the BIOS
space.  In fact, many modern PCI cards still cant double up on the same
system.  While any video card can be used for a primary card, they cant be
'moved' to another IO and ROM space to be used as a second card.  

Matrox and a few other brands do allow this (yay!), so you can use any card
for the primary card, and use the trusty Matrox for the secondary display. 
At the price and performance you get from the trusty millenium IIs, I'd go
for it and spend $10 to get a second display.  On this system (AGP G200 and
PCI Mill II), the G200 gets primary.  Some BIOSes allow one to set the PCI
up for primary tho, YMMV. 

<gasp> all in one breath. :)


-David