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Dual Monitor Support on Aurora R4
Purchased an Aurora R4 with dual 2GB AMD Radeon HD7870 video cards. My intention was to run dual monitors. Here is what happens: Turn on the computer and the BIOS messages and Windows 7 splash screen appear on the right screen. As soon as it gets to Windows to display the desktop, the right screen goes black and the desktop shows up on the left screen. NOTHING that I have found will produce any image on the right screen.
I called Alienware "support" (oxymoron) and asked for help in configuring this. They maintained that this was a software problem which is not covered under my 3 year warranty with Complete Care, and tried to steer me to paid software support. (!) I maintained that the computer is not doing, out of the box, what I bought it for - silly me, I thought if you bought a computer with dual video cards, each of which has DVI, full size HDMI and dual mini-DVI ports, I would be able to plug a monitor into each card. I didn't think I should have to pay someone to tell me how to do something that basic.
Alienware acted like they had never heard this request before. Words simply cannot describe what a pathetic, frustrating experience this was - all excuses, no help.
Anyway, in my own research (no thanks to Alienware), I found that there is a feature in the Radeon cards called Crossfire, which I had never heard of. (I am not a gamer.) I figured out that Crossfire is what links the two cards together for a single high performance monitor, and to disconnect the two cards I have to turn off Crossfire. Only problem is: when I go into the ATI control panel and turn off Crossfire, the one working monitor goes dark and never comes back. It leaves me with no choice but to crash the computer with the power switch. When the computer is turned back on, Crossfire is re-enabled.
Two questions: (1) am I on the right track targeting Crossfire as the cause for the video cards working together instead of discretely? and (2) how can I turn it off without the screen going black on me?
Thanks in advance - very frustrated in California.
Tom
89fordprobee
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June 19th, 2012 21:00
well if intention is to never use Xfire then he can always open up the case and unplug the cable..... thisway its hardware disabled instead of relying on ati flaky at best software lol
Tesla1856
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June 19th, 2012 21:00
If you got 2 cards pre-installed from Dell, they are connected inside with CrossFire cable(s) ... You can use CFx or not (your choice). You switch it on/off in Catalyst Control Center (CCC). You can also use CCC Profiles.
The upper card is the main one. It takes up 2 slots. Connect the 2 monitors via normal DVI to the 2 DVI ports on that top card. One will be the Main one, and you Extend the desktop to the other one. You do this in Control Panel / Display.
The other ports are either HDMI or Display-Port. If smaller, they are likely mini-Display-Port. You would use those for monitors 3, 4, etc. to build an Eyefinity Group. When the cards care connected via CFx inside, I'm pretty sure all the ports on the second card (lower one) become in-active. I think that card is only used for it's processing power.
Tesla1856
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June 19th, 2012 22:00
Enchanted33
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May 9th, 2013 08:00
I am having pretty much the same problem as Simplitek/Tom but with a different graphics card.
I purchased an Aurora R4 that came with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti Graphics Card and I intended to run dual monitors. (This video card is supposed to be able to run up to four monitors.) I absolutely can not get the second monitor to work. I have talked to Dell tech support and Alienware tech support (agree with Tom, those are oxymorons) three times and the third time they told me the same thing. "That this was a software problem which is not covered ... under my warranty..." and steered me to paid software support.
It is rediculous to buy a computer and have to pay extra to get it to work out of the box! I too am totally frustrated and demoralized by this experience. I don't expect I'll ever buy a Dell again. I am shocked at this level of service. This is so disappointing. Does anyone have any experience with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti Graphics Card who could give me some suggestions, please?
Thank you. Pulling my hair out, Dori