Multi-Monitor & 3D Acceleration - Which video card?

[MartinB]

Hi,

I currently have a dual-monitor setup, using the following graphics cards:

1: Voodoo 3 3000 AGP 16MB
2: S3 ViRGE 4MB PCI 4MB (About 5 years old)

I can get either Open GL acceleration using ONLY the Voodoo 3 3000 (i.e. The S3 ViRGE card must be completely disabled), or I can get dual display working, by enabling both cards, but there is no Open GL acceleration at all.

Now, I was wondering if there are any combinations (or dual-head vid cards) that can provide both dual-display capability AND Open GL 3D acceleration on my primary monitor (I don't need both monitors to provide 3D acceleration, just my primary), without having to keep switching configurations? Is this possible with Linux? I'd also like to keep the 3D quality up to the level of my current Voodoo 3 (or better) if this would mean replacing my Voodoo 3.

Someone reccomended that I use a dual-head GeForce card, would this work? I don't want to spend money on something before I have some comfirmation that it can be done.

Thanks,
Martin.

[ 24 June 2002: Message edited by: MartinB ]

[ 24 June 2002: Message edited by: MartinB ]

[otheos]

Sorry no DRI with xinerama I'm afraid (unless you use Maxtor's cards).

[SUOrangeman]

I don't know what nVidia claims to offer with its Linux drivers (in terms of 3D acceleration), but I at least have my Debian 3.0 box running "TwinView" with my GeForce2MX card via 2 VGA outputs.

-SUO

[Timothy L. Miller]

Nver done it myself, but I'e read other posts of peoplle doing it using the nvidia cards. I've also read about people getting the Radoens to work dual-monitor...although again, never acdtually tried it myself.

[McManus]

NVidia GeForce4's have GREAT TwinView support (much better than xinerama). I use it myself, and it's wonderful. NVidia has WONDERFUL driver support in linux (almost as good, if not better, than its Windows drivers) AND great documentation on their linux drivers. If you are unsure, NVidia is THE way to go. I know there are other board out there that support it, too (Matrox, ATi), but I don't know how good their linux driver support is, and I've also personally never tried them.

Just make sure you get the GF4, and not the 1/2/3 GeForces, because only the 4-series has the dual RAMDAC, which is mucho-important (look it up if you want to know why). I believe the lowest/cheapest model that has that feature is the GF4 MX 440, which goes for ~$100 +/- $20 on the internet. (be advised, the GF4 MX (NV17) is a totally different chip than the GF4 (NV25?) so beware)