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Dell Precision T1600 will not support dual DVI displays
I'm having a bit of a meltdown here, after being unable to use 2 DVI displays for going on 2 months now.
I just got off the phone with my fourth call to Dell Tech Support, and they are telling me that the bios does not support that option.
The model I purchased has a display port and VGA connector on the motherbord (Intel C206 chipset).
Dell Chat Support answer #1 - You cannot drive a DVI display with a VGA connector, even with a VGA to DVI adaptor.
So I run out and buy a nvidia GeForce 620, dual dvi adapter, install it and the latest driver. Only 1 screen works. The 2nd display is not detected whatsoever.
Dell Chat Support answer #2 - Your card requires 350w and your Dell Precision T1600 power supply only provides 265w.
So I run out and buy a 450w power supply, tear the thing apart and put it all back together, fire it up and still only get 1 screen.
Dell Phone Support answer #3 - Enable multi-monitor in the bios.
Me - There is no such option.
Dell - Oh, I see here that you are supposed to use the Display port and the VGA port using the C206 chipset. Have you tried that?
Me - I can't. My screens are DVI displays.
Dell: So you do not see any way to enable multi monitor support in the bios?
Me - Nope.
Dell: Ohhhh, right, according to this chart here, it looks like that option doesn't ship with the bios on your machine.
Me - That's what I just told you.
Dell: I'm sorry but there's no way to make dual dvi displays work given your system configuration.
Me - Can't I just install the bios version that comes with the Dell Precision T 1600 that has a PCI graphics card? I mean, dual display features are advertised heavily with the T1600. I can't believe it won't work.
Dell: I'm sorry, but that wont work. Is there anything else I can help you with?
Wow, unreal. I'm posting here to see if by chance someone reading has any better ideas than selling this thing on eBay or Craigslist and buying a properly manufactured computer with a respectable bios.
rdunnill
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December 2nd, 2012 02:00
Swap your video card for a Sapphire 6570.
I used one of these for four months in a dev box (Optiplex 960) connected to two digital monitors.
riccardogigante
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December 4th, 2012 23:00
Dear SalientDigital did u tried to update the T1600 bios to A14? Did u have the card on the first PCI-E slot? Whatever it might help i've seen that with the Quadro 570 FX the multi-monitor switch doesn't show instead with the GeForce GT 640 the multi-monitor shows. Maybe is is something also inherent to the graphic card?
Concerning my issue instead, I'm trying to have a quadro 570FX(38W) running together with a Geforce640GT(62W), but i'm unable to boot the system which stops few seconds later the switch-on. Even upgrading the power supply doesn't helped! I think DELL should provide an official answer since the system specification clearly states that the system support up to two PCI-E discrete graphics cards thus i think that a new BIOS revision should be developed in order to fix the issue!
Thanks in advance, Riccardo
jcarvelli
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December 23rd, 2012 14:00
I am having the same issue and have tried several combinations of cards, none work. I'm also being told the same procedures you were. The difference is they sent someone out to replace the motherboard, still no fix. I agree with you, Dell needs to come clean as opposed to telling me this is an entry level machine, a $1000.00 desktop is not an entry level machine.
My Dell Optiplex 745 runs two cards, this machine should easily run two cards.
Joe