Can I run a tri-monitor setup with two different video cards?

I have an 8600GT 512MB as my primary video card and it is obviously PCI Express x16 and I have another video card I want to add that is an (old) GeForce 5200FX 256MB PCI video card. I want to run a tri/quad monitor rig and I want this extra card because I have a 1080i TV and I want to use my 8600's component out on my TV so I can watch my Blu-ray movies on it. However if I do this my second monitor has to be disabled and that is very annoying. So I want to plug my second monitor into the 5200FX and the HDTV and my primary 1280x1024 monitor into the 8600. Is there any way this will work? I have tried and originally received a blue screen due to an IRQL not less or equal error. But perhaps I just did it wrong. Thanks.|||Yes you can...but you have a conflict...



I would try removing the 8600GT card and installing only the 5200FX card. Get the latest drivers for it and get it working. Here is the site to get the NVidia drivers:



http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.asp…



It would not hurt to get the latest driver for the 8600 also.



If you get the 5200 working, then, I would install the 8600. In my experience, when older parts are put in a computer, I try to install them first so they can pick up an IRQ, then put the newer parts in.



This may or may not work, but it will let you know if the 5200 card is incompatible with your system. It could be incompatible with your OS if it is Vista.



If you get the drivers for both cards in you should be able to set up the system. I have hooked up 6 monitors to a system before using 3 different video cards, some new and some old.



If this does not work, get a newer PCI video card from www.newegg.com.



If you are running Vista, it supports DirectX 10. The 8600 supports DirectX 10. All these cards support DirectX 10. The 5200FX card uses DirectX 9. This could be the problem...



http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLis…



Set up your displays with the NVdia multiple display program that comes with the 8600.|||I'm not sure that you can do what you want to do, but you definately CAN use two different graphics cards in the same computer. You cannot run SLI with two different cards with different chipsets, but I'm pretty sure you can even run SLI with different cards, as long as they use the same NVIDIA chipset.

Another note is that you cannot display a 1080i signal through component cables. The limit of component video is 720p. To go higher, you need at least VGA, but preferably DVI or HDMI (as the latter two are digital and thus, will almost always give you a better picture (no interference)). Of coures, blu-ray movies are content protected, so that you cannot use a digital connection (HDMI or DVI) unless all of the devices support HDCP (hi-def content protection)--most recent TVs and monitors do, but older ones do not).

As far as running different displays on different cards at the same time--I'm almost positive that there is a way to do it, however, you may need special software or something. Also, it may not be possible while watching Blu-ray movies because of the HDCP or something.