Switching between multiple video cards? \ VOGONS

Switching between multiple video cards?

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First post, by idspispopd

Posted on 2013-02-07, 22:17

idspispopd Offline

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I have been wondering if it would be possible to have more than two video cards installed and switch between them without physically removing some of them. (Not counting PowerVR PCX1/PCX2 and Voodoo1/2 yet.) Most BIOSes have the "Boot from PCI/AGP" option which I already used to swap between an AGP and a PCI card.

The manuals of several HP and Compaq workstations and servers describe the following BIOS setting:

PCI VGA Configuration
"Displayed only if there are multiple PCI video adapters in the system. Allows you to specify which VGA controller will be the "boot" or primary VGA controller."

This sounds somewhat promising. Does anyone here know this option?

Reply 1 of 2, by KT7AGuy

Posted on 2013-02-08, 16:07

KT7AGuy Offline

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I'm sorry, but I'm not aware of any way to switch between two PCI video cards. I wasn't even aware that a BIOS option like that existed. However, since you have that option, I would assume that you just choose the primary video based on PCI slot and then configure the cards in the same way using separate hardware profiles for each.

Also, please allow me to apologize in advance, for I am about to hijack your thread. This here is the document I found years ago about how to setup dual hardware profiles so that you can run two video cards:

http://www.hellsangels.firstflare.com/documen … lHwProfiles.pdf

In those instructions, the author recommends to install the NuAngel drivers for the V5 and then run V.Control instead of the 3DFX control panel for configuring it. I've been following this advice for years in my system and never had a problem. However, was wondering if anybody else runs a PCI V5 and installed the official v1.04 drivers or another version with a control panel. Did you encounter any issues?

In my system I've run that PCI V5 with an AGP Radeon 9800XT, an AGP Ti4800SE, an AGP Ti4600, and currently an AGP FX5950U. Never had any issues, but never installed the 3DFX control panel either. Just curious about what would happen and what issues might arise...

Reply 2 of 2, by idspispopd

Posted on 2013-02-12, 21:41

idspispopd Offline

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Location: Hamburg / Germany

I don't have a HP/Compaq system, I thought that maybe somebody here has seen this option and tried it. It sounds great but I'd be interested if it really does what it sounds like, and on which systems it really works. (I had the impression that the text was included in some manuals even though the option might not actually be available.)

About your Setup: Since you are combining a Voodoo5 PCI with an AGP card, I'd assume the "Boot from AGP/PCI" option might be sufficient.
I think I remember that in Windows 9x (that's what's used in the document you refer to) Direct3D is only usable on the primary card. I don't know if Glide behaves the same. I suppose you tried?
I'm not sure how things are with XP but since there are XP drivers for Voodoo5 you could try that.

Besides from this I don't remember anything useful. (Some cards like S3 Trio/ViRGE could only run as primary video adapter.)

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