PC hardware forum: Can you install an AGP video card, and PCI card together?

Thanks for the information, but to use the two cards, does it require that I have two computer monitors? And is there any special drivers or software needed to run them together?

By the way, I think both video cards are different brand (such as nvidia and ati for example)

The Xpress 200 is an IGP (integrated graphics processor). To install the AGP GPU (graphics processing unit), disable the onboard video in the BIOS first. Then, install the AGP card, have the BIOS detect that, boot into Windows, and install the drivers. They won't work together, but most AGP cards (even the Radeon 9000 series) can support multiple monitors, so you can get multiple displays with one GPU.

My freind, an AGP Card and a PCI-VGA card will not function simultaneously together on any PC after both are mounted/installed as they are mutually incompatible.

Installation of any hardware on a PC means to have it mounted internally onto the mainboard or attached externally through a port AND make it functional by running its driver software which plugs onto the computer's registry and occupies without any conflict in the system's IRQ.

A mainboard may not have (by the merit of its design) an AGP slot at all and have instead an on board PCI-VGA port. An AGP card here is of no use at all! (Older Intel 430/433/440 BX/VX/TX boards had only ISA/PCI slots to mount only ISA-VGA/PCI-VGA cards). Now there is a possibility of a mainboard providing an AGP slot and a PCI-VGA port as well. Here you can mount an AGP card but once you do that the PCI port gets automatically inactivated. In some old PCs the BIOS needs to be reset, changing the video output from an AGP instead of the onboard PCI port after a switchover from PCI to AGP mode of viewing.

If your PC does not have an AGP slot forget your friend's AGP card for good. If it has one then see what memory and speed (Ratings: 4X/8X/16X.....) that AGP card has to offer, and if your PCI card/onboard PCI has more or equivalent memory/memory allocation, you will do your computer no improvement by mounting it. If however the AGP card has greater memory and graphic acceleration, and is a must for certain advanced graphics that your PCI card/port does not support, go ahead and mount it. Once you do so your PCI card/port will stop functioning. Plug in your Monitor's video cable to the PCI port now, and you will get no signals. Remove the AGP Card and your PCI-VGA functions again.

Nowadays PCI-VGA/Super PCI Cards also come with 8X/16X/32X graphic acceleration and have DDR memories upto 512MB. So in case your main board does not have an AGP mounting slot, do not despair and buy an advanced PCI card with equivalent video output ratings as an AGP card and carry on your advanced graphics work.

I have an Windows XP system, intel board with AGP slot and 4 pci slots, been running with just the AGP only, today added a PCI Cyrus card to run two monitors. cannot get the second card to run, installs properly and all, but device manager says driver cannot start. i also noticed in the system bios on boot up that it says under video, AGP or PCI for the one the computer will boot too.

How did you get yours to work? both cards and monitors at the same time?

I just took the time to read through this forum. First off i have been looking for the answer to a question i was already sure of..The part about have the two video cards work together to enhance processing power. I noted that in this direct forum however it is stated that a PCI, and AGP video card will not function together..How ever i have a AGP, and PCI slot cards installed on my computer..One is a Nvidia Quatro 700 AGP slot card. Also a Nvidia G force Fx 5500 Pci slot card. These two cards i have Simultaneously active of my system, so that i may switch from card to card. With out the removal of the video monitor cable. Thus i have been able, with a automatic setting through bios to allow myself to switch between video cards. However the statement about them functioning together as one card to allow for boosted performance is very correct indeed. The only way that i know of accomplishing such a task is to have two duplicate cards wired hard, from one to another, while installing the drivers for both cards as normal.It's kind of like running dual processors, which i am. Both processors, need to match exact specs, and two vrm must accompany the processors.The cache, Front side bus, volts, and speed of the processors not to menchen vrm's must be all identical in order for them to function as one.. So..The only advice i can give..Is to try and match the video cards exactly.I have been able to get this to work, however the two cards i had were both very old PCI slot, and as we all know AGP is were the raw power is. As long as they are newer and updated cards. So best of luck with this, and i hope that might help.:)

be on the safe side and make sure that the card is the correct voltage
a 3v is no good for a 1.5 ,could blow your motherboard .regards John