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tedp1
Level 1 (4 points)
Mac OS X

Q: Extra Monitor Run on a Different Card?

Hey guys,
Someone gave me a hdtv with a vga adapter on it I'd like to set up as a second monitor.
Problem is the graphics card I've got my main monitor on can handle two monitors but the dvi-vga adapter I've got won't fit that.
But it will fit another card I've got. Can I put the other card into another pci slot and make it work?
Thanks
Ted

Powermac G5 2x2.5ghz, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Mar 29, 2011 7:56 PM

by Malcolm Rayfield,Solvedanswer
Malcolm Rayfield Malcolm Rayfield
Level 7 (28,085 points)
A:
You Mac G5 has only one AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port), so a second graphics card would have to use PCI, which would severely limit its performance. The only compatible card is the ATI Radeon 9200.
<http://lowendmac.com/video/pci/radeon-9200.html>
Quartz Extreme
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1582?viewlocale=en_US>
is not supported with PCI cards and some graphics won't work at all unless all cards support Quartz Extreme, so you should run both display from your original graphics card.

Your card has one ADC and one DVI port.
<https://www.brucetambling.com/w/images/b/b3/MacG5_adcdvi.jpg>
I assume your current display is using the DVI port.

Does the HDTV have a DVI or HDMI port? If so you can get an ADC to DVI adapter
<http://www.smalldog.com/product/12651830/belkin-adc-to-dvi-adapter>
(and use a DVI to HDMI cable if the TV uses HDMI).

If you have to use VGA, you could look for an ADC to VGA adapter
<http://www.welovemacs.com/mcaadcvga.html>
<http://www.drbottkg.com/prod/VGAExtractor.html>
but they have become scarce (and expensive). (You can't combine a DVI to VGA adapter with an ADC to DVI adapter because the ADC to DVI adapter doesn't pass the analog video needed for VGA.)

If you can't get an ADC to VGA adapter, you could move you current disolay to the ADC port with an ADC to DVI adapter, then use a DVI to VGA adapter for the HDTV on the DVI port.

Posted on Mar 30, 2011 8:57 PM

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tedp1

Q: Extra Monitor Run on a Different Card?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by tedp1,

    tedp1 tedp1 Mar 29, 2011 8:54 PM in response to tedp1
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 29, 2011 8:54 PM in response to tedp1
    Both monitors have to be on the same card. Also, for some odd reason when connected to the other card Top Sites wouldn't display. It would just be white, same with system preferences.
    Could that be because that particular card wasn't in the first slot but the third?
    The card that works both is an ATI Radeon 9200 in the third slot.
    The card that only works the genuine monitor is an ATI Radeon 9600XT.
    Quartz Extreme isn't supported on the hdtv. A magnavox if that helps.
    Ted

  • by Malcolm Rayfield,Solvedanswer

    Malcolm Rayfield Malcolm Rayfield Mar 30, 2011 8:57 PM in response to tedp1
    Level 7 (28,085 points)
    Mar 30, 2011 8:57 PM in response to tedp1
    You Mac G5 has only one AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port), so a second graphics card would have to use PCI, which would severely limit its performance. The only compatible card is the ATI Radeon 9200.
    <http://lowendmac.com/video/pci/radeon-9200.html>
    Quartz Extreme
    <http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1582?viewlocale=en_US>
    is not supported with PCI cards and some graphics won't work at all unless all cards support Quartz Extreme, so you should run both display from your original graphics card.

    Your card has one ADC and one DVI port.
    <https://www.brucetambling.com/w/images/b/b3/MacG5_adcdvi.jpg>
    I assume your current display is using the DVI port.

    Does the HDTV have a DVI or HDMI port? If so you can get an ADC to DVI adapter
    <http://www.smalldog.com/product/12651830/belkin-adc-to-dvi-adapter>
    (and use a DVI to HDMI cable if the TV uses HDMI).

    If you have to use VGA, you could look for an ADC to VGA adapter
    <http://www.welovemacs.com/mcaadcvga.html>
    <http://www.drbottkg.com/prod/VGAExtractor.html>
    but they have become scarce (and expensive). (You can't combine a DVI to VGA adapter with an ADC to DVI adapter because the ADC to DVI adapter doesn't pass the analog video needed for VGA.)

    If you can't get an ADC to VGA adapter, you could move you current disolay to the ADC port with an ADC to DVI adapter, then use a DVI to VGA adapter for the HDTV on the DVI port.