Vista can\'t support 2 (different) cards?
 

Am I reading this correctly? It seems that Vista can't run two video cards if those cards are from different manufacturers.

XP had no problem with this at all. Nice upgrade. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] This doesn't effect me personally, but has to effect about half the dual-card machines out there.
-Sam

Re: Vista can\'t support 2 (different) cards?
 

It sounds like you can't and have the benefits of WDDM. What the actual benefits of WDDM are I don't know. It mentions that you can force the loading of the XPDM but doesn't say how that is done or where to look for it. Looks like this is another reason why you wouldn't upgrade an existing machine to Vista, and is something to plan for if you want to do serious multi-monitoring in Vista.

Re: Vista can\'t support 2 (different) cards?
 

geez... how about vista 64-bit not allowing install of ANY unsigned drivers? Does no one use emulated devices anymore?

Re: Vista can\'t support 2 (different) cards?
 

What that means is that the 2, 4, or whatever cards installed much use the same protocol stack. So you could use 2 "first gen" cards or 2 "next gen" cards if that makes sense to you. At least that's how I read it.

I'll give you a definate answer next week. I'll try different cards in my monster 670 that runs 64 bit Ultimate.

Re: Vista can\'t support 2 (different) cards?
 

I read it as you can't have a nVidia card and an ATI card, since they use different drivers. But if you had two cards with nVidia chips, one from EVGA and one from BFG, this would be fine. I was always under the impression that you didn't want to have an ATI card and a nVidia card in the same system anyway. I always thought there would be driver issues if you went that route.

Paulie

Re: Vista can\'t support 2 (different) cards?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I always thought there would be driver issues if you went that route.

[/ QUOTE ]
There weren't issues before. They've created them now, though. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: Vista can\'t support 2 (different) cards?
 

Can Vista run the 3007 top res yet?

Re: Vista can\'t support 2 (different) cards?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Can Vista run the 3007 top res yet?

[/ QUOTE ]

Easily. Pop in one of the monster GeForce 8800s.

Re: Vista can\'t support 2 (different) cards?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Can Vista run the 3007 top res yet?

[/ QUOTE ]

Easily. Pop in one of the monster GeForce 8800s.

[/ QUOTE ]

I just heard a while back that there werent any drivers for it yet.

Re: Vista can\'t support 2 (different) cards?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Can Vista run the 3007 top res yet?

[/ QUOTE ]

Easily. Pop in one of the monster GeForce 8800s.

[/ QUOTE ]

I just heard a while back that there werent any drivers for it yet.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought it was designed for Vista, i.e. DirectX 10. It looks like they have drivers for most of their models now:

http://www.nvidia.com/page/technology_vista_home.html

Re: Vista can\'t support 2 (different) cards?
 

Ok to answer this driver incompatibility in Vista. My network manager and I discussed the tech note today and this is what we think. The way it reads to us is that you will have to determine which protocol stack the BIOS of your card is based on, WDDM or XPDM. If you try to install 2 cards that use different driver technologies then Vista will disable one of them.

We weren't sure how Vista would decide which card to disable though. It should follow the device loading order, and the first card that's assigned an address will be the active display adapter (see the mention of POST device). I would imagine that it would go down the line in order of PCI slots starting with the x16 slot.

So to avoid this whole problem install 2 identical cards (which most people do anyways). The only other drawback I could think of is in regard to systems with highly disimilar graphics cards that want to upgrade to Vista. They might be SOL.

Re: Vista can\'t support 2 (different) cards?
 

Before my current rebuild, I had a single-head card I used for games (albeit poorly) and another random card thrown-in that could barely support 1600x1200. (It worked fine for poker.) I happen to have just purchased a dual-headed card for the new machine, so this wouldn't effect me. But it would have 1 month ago.

It is currently effecting a friend of mine at work; she had a single-monitor machine and wanted 2 so IT put in a second card that happens not to match the first. She's the one that sent me the link above.

It doesn't seem like such a stretch to find users in such a situation. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]
-Sam

Re: Vista can\'t support 2 (different) cards?
 

So they're already rolling out Vista at your workplace? Ballsy.