Dual graphics cards and BIOS display


  1. Posts : 70
    Win 7 Pro 64 bit
       #1

    Dual graphics cards and BIOS display


    I have two identical graphics cards, X and Y. Each one feeds two monitors, X ->1 and 2, Y ->3 and 4 respectively. Monitors 1 and 3 use DVI, 2 and 4 use HDMI output. Monitor 1 has until recently been my primary/default monitor (both as set in Windows, and the one that displays BIOS info and motherboard splash screen at bootup.)

    I was having problems getting monitor 3 to display properly - Windows only recognised it as "generic pnp" and either wouldn't send it a signal (so black screen, even though it was showing its power on light) or it would display at the wrong resolution. So I swapped the DVI cables of 1 and 3, whilst keeping monitor 1 my Windows primary monitor. Now, monitor 3 displays at the correct resolution (but is still seen as generic pnp by the PC). I suspect there's an EDID problem somewhere, or maybe a cable problem (though I've changed the cable to monitor 3) but at least the monitor displays when it's meant to, and at the correct resolution.

    As I only use four monitors when using certain applications I normally keep 2, 3 and 4 switched off unless I use them. But since swapping the DVI cables around, all the BIOS and WIndows starting graphics display on monitor 3, though the Windows login screen still comes to Monitor 1. As Monitor 3 is often switched off, if I have a problem during bootup I won't know now as monitor 1 stays blank until the login screen. What I'm after is a way of changing the default graphics card from X to Y so that monitor 1 gets the BIOS boot stuff again.

    I can't see any way in Windows to do that however, and likewise I can't see any options in my BIOS (P6X58DE) to change the graphics settings. Short of swapping the cables and going back to the original problems I had with odd resolutions for monitor 3, what can you suggest I do?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 70
    Win 7 Pro 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #2

    No suggestions so far on how to instruct a PC to show the BIOS and startup screens on the second rather than the first identical) graphics card output?
      My Computer


 

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