My PC, it hates me: can anyone help?

commador

Ok, so I recently moved and when I setup my machine, I had the chance to add my second video card so I can run my 3rd display. Everything went fine, I downloaded the 174 drivers from nvidia, and its smooth sailing. Here is the problem, when I open XSI or Mudbox, both cores peg at 100% usage when I try to move in the viewport. Not doing anything, just moving. The cursor is dog slow, and it craps out. However, running a game like UT3 with the settings maxed out, it has a silky smooth framerate and looks beautiful.
I cannot figure out why this is happening. The two cards are a 640mb 8800gts, and a 256mb 6200. I needed the 6200 because its the only card I could find in PCI since my mobo only has a single pci 16e slot. Im thinking that the 6200 is causing a problem, since this never happened before I installed it, but why would something like UT3 run great? The 6200 is driving a panel with nothing more than IM windows while the 8800 drives the other two panels which run XSI and Mudbox, painter, PS, etc.

Eric Chadwick

Maybe these apps expect to use the 1st display, not the third? Check the prefs in your apps to see how their display drivers are set up. Also you could try disabling all but one monitor in the Windows display driver, see if that works, then extrapolate from there.

commador

Ok, I checked the bios and the 6200 was the default display device. I changed it to the 8800 but it still gets wonky. I disabled the display the 6200 is driving and everything went back to normal. Nice and fast with the 6200 disabled. Im still confused however that the 8800 is the default display, as well as driving my primary display, yet I still get huge slow downs when the 6200 is on.

I just tried enabling the 6200 while mudbox was running, surprisngly its still as fast as ever, but when closed and reopens its crap again?

Wej

PCI cards that are not X 16 suck! That is your problem! Get a new motherboard with 2 PCI X16 slots!!! =P.

Either that, or there is a way to make them both work at once, together well. I don't know how to do it, (there is a certain word for it, but i forget) but i will learn once i get money enough for another card, and a new motherboard.

commador

Ok, I did some more playing and with the 6200 disabled, as before both apps ran great. I checked the "system properties" tab in Mudbox and behold, it listed the 6200 as the graphic device. I did some more searching and I think even though the 8800 is defined as the main, since the 6200 was installed last Vista and every app is calling it the default. I think I need to uninstall the drivers, both cards, then reinstall the 6200 first and the 8800 last. If that does not work, I really dont know what to do.

pior

Hey Commador I will soon be getting a very similar setup - I just ordered a PCI GeForce 6200 to complement my PCIE 7600GT. The plan is to use it for it's DVI output, hence giving me 3 monitors.

I'll let you know how this goes! I'm running XP home. I plan to just plug the card in and go without any driver install since I just want to use it for 2D...

commador

Good luck Pior! if you have any troubles, hopefully this thread may be of some help. Ill update it when I try the uninstall/reinstall.

pior

Hi again Com
Si I got my 6200 a few days ago. I simply put it in an available PCI slot, installed nothing, and it worked. Also I checked that mudbox system properties window like you did, and the app lists my 7600. I guess I have been lucky?
Still have to run further tests to see if my comps speed is getting any lower. But so far so good, 3 screens up and running!
Good luck with your setup. Maybe uninstall all vidcards, keep the recent one in the computer, install its drivers and just plug the extra, lower-end one in the box at the end?

commador

Glad to hear your setup is working for you Pior. I tried every possible thing I knew, and enlisted the help of a few friends and still no luck. Completely uninstalled both cards and the driver, reinstalled in different orders, still no luck. I just got fed up with it and ordered a dual PCIe main board and a 2nd 8800. Hopefully it will work now.