NVIDIA Quadro 400 PCI and Quadro 450 PCIeX16 driver conflicts?

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by mokwit, Mar 27, 2010.

  1. mokwit

    mokwit

    It seems the PCI NVIDIA cards and PCIEx16 cards use different drivers. Trying to anticipate if there will be a problem/if it will be possible running PCI 400 and PCIeX16 450 in the same machine.

    Can I install both the driver for the 400 PCI and the driver for the 450 PCIeX16 to run a 400 and 450 without problems?

    OR will the driver for the 450 also handle the 400 without problems

    What scares me about buying NVIDIA is that no human contact with NVIDIA is possible. I would have thought this would be a FAQ but their FAQ/Forum does not address it - leaves you with no answer to this question. Why can't I just send them an emaail to ask this question? Puts me off buying from them


    I have formed the impression from ET that running NVIDIA and ATI (FireMV2200/2400) in the same machine is not doabale - driver conflicts

    Would also like to know if NVS 400 will run under Windows 7 - at some point I want the 64 bit when it is better supported.
     
  2. It's likely you cannot run a 450 and 400 PCI together. The current driver does not support the 400 even in XP, and the last driver which supported the 400 was before the 450's time.

    Looks like W7 does not support the 400.

    Sounds like you want to run 8 monitors... that right? You're only option for that would likely be 2, 450s on a mobo with 2 or more PCIEx16 slots. (Or a mobo with 1, PCIEx16 and a lesser PCIE slot which is "open ended".... fairly rare.)
     
  3. mokwit

    mokwit

    Yep that's exactly what I am planning to do and meeting the issues I anticipate and the ones you raised re: slots i.e rarity of 2xPCI-Ex16 and opene ended or not of the second PCIeX1 slots. By open ended do you mean a full length X1 slot? - ie could I eyeball this by opening the case - if full length then a NVS420 might be an option for the second card.

    Right now my feeling is to buy a PC with a mainboard that will allow 1X PCIEx16 and also has 1xPCIe X1 -not sure which type and 2xPCI old slots. My feeling as I plan to stay with XP for now would be to buy 2x NVS400 for maybe $50-$100 each rather than pay $1000 for NVS450+420 for capabilities I am not using at present (6 x 19" 4X3 monitors) but buy a board that can take 2 cards that would support 4 x 30" each so the upgrade pathway is there if I need it (new PC might be a better alternative if upgrading).

    Another alternative might be a board with 1XPCIEx16 and 3xPCIeX1 - presumably I can run 4x NVS290 to get 8 monitors (my ideal config is 12 - not coz I am a poseur but because I watch for opportunities across many markets and thousands of stocks - tunnel carpel syndrome is becoming an issue due to flicking between with current setup.

    My otherl alternative with the board above might be 2 x ATI FireMV 2400 with long and short PCIeX1 (both are seemingly available) - the assumption here is that you can run a PCI E X1 card in a PCIE x16 slot - I assume the reverse is not possible. I guess I would have driver issues if I tried to mix PCIExXX and PCI ATI cards (have 3x2 ATI FireMV2200 PCI already).
     
  4. Seems you're not quite on the right track...

    Just because a mobo has 1 x16, and 1 x1, slot doesn't mean you can run a video card in each. That's how it's SUPPOSED to work, but not always. I know for fact that some mobos will NOT run a monitor in the x1 slot. And I've heard some complain that they couldn't run a quad in the x16 slot of certain mobos.

    If you're going to buy a new computer (or new mobo), you want to be sure you can run 2 quads... (Isn't the max monitors XP will support = 10?). The safest mobo purchase would be one with 3, PCIEx16 slots. Or 2, PCIEx16 + 1 or 2, PCIE x1, x4, or x8. You should be looking for x38, x58, Xeon, or a "gamer board"... maybe P55, or H57. Those last 2 are still fairly new.. I wouldn't be in a hurry to trust them to be bug free just yet.

    The PCI slots on mobos are being reduced. It used to be that all peripherals connected through PCI... now, most connect through USB, so fewer if any PCI slots are necessary... some mobos have zero PCI slots already.

    Or, you need to "go PCI all the way"... get a mobo with 3 or 4 PCI slots and run 3, 400 PCIs.
     
  5. mokwit

    mokwit

    Hmmm seems I am right in the middle of a transition period and either have to go to up a workstation/gamer board with Min 2xPCIeX16 and pay 2x$500 for the cards or stay with PCI and 2xNVS400 and recognise that if I want to upgrade then I have to buy another PC.

    There is a HP Compaq model with 2xPCIeX16 low profile which I could presumably run 2x PCIeX1 compatible(?) NVS 420's as another rpossible configuration (ignoring for the sake of example that I don't want fan cooled rather than passive car4ds and I have larnt my lesson with small form PC's - never again.)

    Am I on the right track now?

    Missed your added last two paragraphs seems that is what I will do (go all PCI NVS400). I only need 2d at 1024x768. Maybe one or two progs I use are going 64 bit so planning to stay with XP. If I go 64 it would probably be for my separate number crunching box if s/ware goes to 64 (Multicharts). I think XP can support 16 monitors.
     
  6. Not sure what you meant with your consideration of the Compaq. You want to run 420 x1s in the x16 slot? That's SUPPOSED to work too, but I've seen where it didn't....

    Here's a possibility.. the Dell T3400 (x38 mobo). It has 2, PCIEx16, 1, PCIEx8 (in which an x1 video card will work), and 3, PCI. I can't vouch for running 3, 400 PCIs in it, but that'a how it's supposed to work. At least it has the proper kind and number of slots.
     
  7. mokwit

    mokwit

    Thanks Scataphagos "That's SUPPOSED to work" is exactly the help I need - my assumption previously was that it was all Ok and compatible.

    Dell config looks looks like the (ideal if works) perfect solution - thanks for that but will have to look for that config in HP or custom build as Dells Desktops not sold/supported here in Thailand at retail level - could always order one for delivery maybe or pick up in Singapore and bring it back though.
     
  8. Check HP xw4600... it's very similar to Dell T3400
     
  9. mokwit

    mokwit

    Thanks Scataphagos - spec looks right and is sold/supported here.
     
    #10     Mar 28, 2010