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Old May 11th 08, 05:12 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.display.general
rpgs rock dvds
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Default AGP and PCI graphics cards on the same PC

On 11 May, 13:16, rpgs rock dvds wrote:
I would like to use both an AGP and a PCI graphics card on the same
Win98SE PC. *Because - AGP would be for all Windows work, and PCI
would be for Voodoo 3dfx software.

The 3dfx voodoo cable "pass-through" method causes the screen to look
blurry. *If I can use an AGP card for Windows, then occasionally
switch over to the PCI card for 3dfx voodoo based games, this would
give me the best of both worlds.

I have successfully done the following -

Created two hardware profiles for a PCI graphics card only system and
also for an AGP graphics card only system. *When I want to switch
graphics cards (AGP or PCI), firstly I choose either AGP or PCI inside
BIOS as the "init display", then when the Windows hardware profile
choice menu appears, choose either my AGP or PCI hardware
configuration.

But...I can get all of the above to work when the AGP graphics card is
an nVidia 5200 FX card, but I cannot get this same situation to work
if I swap this card out for an ATI Radeon 9250 (AGP) card. *If I do, I
run in to resource conflict problems inside Windows Device Manager,
and I'm unable to successfully install the ATI driver software because
the ATI driver software is unhappy about the presence of the other PCI
card. *Even though the other PCI card is "switched off" inside the AGP
graphics card only hardware configuration, it still appears to upset
the ATI AGP card by throwing up resource conflict problems.

I'm beginning to wonder if this situation is not possible with an ATI
Radeon 9250 (AGP) card? *(But the nVidia works fine with this
situation.)

PS - the PCI graphics card is just an old Matrox Millenium - nothing
fancy.

Thanks a lot for any advice, best regards, Robert.


Solved - by swapping out the AGP Connect 3D ATI Radeon 9250 for an AGP
Sapphire ATI Radeon 9250. The Sapphire is more modern and has half
the memory of the Connect 3D model, but other than that, I cannot
explain why it works over the Connect 3D model. Looking at both
cards, they do look a bit different however -- the Sapphire looks kind
of smaller/slimmer/cut-down. Perhaps the Sapphire is using a revised
ATI chipset or something, and has improved dual display compatibility
with other hardware or something?

PS - what is a Radeon 9250SE? Special Edition? What does it do over
a "normal" 9250?

Thanks, regards, Robert.