Photoshop CS4 and 2 graphic cards

M
Posted By
marcog
Jan 21, 2009
Views
510
Replies
11
Status
Closed
I have a Apple pro last model with 2 graphic cards:

1) ATI RADEON HD 2600 XT
2) NVIDIA G FORCE 8800 GT

I need 2 video cards since i do work with 4 monitors all togheter (i’m a photogrpaher and video maker).

The huge problem is that PS CS4 seems to not support OpenGL using 2 cards. If i disconnect the montiors connected to one video card (no metter which one) i can use OpenGL capabilites, but with 4 monitors i cannot.
Any idea/help and hopefully solutions?
Thanks in advance

MG
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AS
Ann_Shelbourne
Jan 21, 2009
Your problem may be due to the fact that you have two different cards — although I am not sure that one can access OpenGL in all four monitors anyway.

Has anyone managed to do that?
M
marcog
Jan 21, 2009
each card supports OpenGl. Obviously each one supports only 2 monitors. If i want, as i need, to use 4 monitors i need 2 cards.

I did a test connecting only 2 monitors to one card (so that one card had no monitors connected) and i can use OpenGL. This test has been done using first one card and than the other one. Both, used alone, support OpenGL perfectly. But i need to use 4 monitors…. so 2 cards.

I could get another NVIDIA to have 2 identical cards but….. are you sure than will work???? Thanks to everybody for any help.

MG
R
Ram
Jan 22, 2009
Check this post and click on the link therein. It may be pertinent to your question.
SW
Scott_Weichert
Jan 22, 2009
I am not sure that one can access OpenGL in all four monitors anyway.

You can, if the two cards are identical and support OpenGL and Shader 3.

Marcog, it makes no difference which cards you have. They can be 2 top-of-the-line, fully supported cards on their own, but when you place two, non-identical, video cards in a MacPro, that’s the issue. The two cards need to be the exact same model cards otherwise the Apple drivers are confused and it causes crashes and other issues, including no Open GL at all in Photoshop.

If you want to verify this… take one of the video card out of the MacPro. Don’t just unplug the monitors, remove the card entirely. Then all will work great. It’s only with 2 non-matching cards that problems arise.
R
Ram
Jan 22, 2009
You can, if the two cards are identical and support OpenGL and Shader
3.

Not according to that Adobe tech note.

<http://www.adobe.com/go/kb404898>

Excerpt:

Q. Why can’t Photoshop take advantage of more than one display card?
A. When you move an image window between two monitors that are each on
a separate display card, the GPU attached to the second monitor does not have access to the data necessary to accelerate drawing. The SLI and Crossfire technologies that use more than one GPU to speed up full-screen games will not work with Photoshop, because their use is limited by design to accelerate only full-screen games.
M
marcog
Jan 22, 2009
so it seems that even on the adobe forum nobody knows for sure if using the same cards will solve the problem. As i wrote, there is no need to demount one card to test if OpenGL works. I did the test simply unplugging the 2 monitors connected to one card (and using the remaing 2 monitor of the 4 i have) and it works perfectly. I have done the same test on BOTH cards and works.
My aim is to use 4 monitors and if somebody can assure me that 2 identical cards can solve the problem i can buy one more card and install it.

Scott wrote that "2 identical cards"can solve the problem. But than Ramon reports an adobe link that doesn’t support the theory.

So…. the problem has not been solved.

Further help maybe from some Adobe technician?

But am I the only one using 2 video cards and a CS4 product in the world?? Nobody arises the problem but me?

thanks

MG
SW
Scott_Weichert
Jan 22, 2009
Marcog,

Yes. I knwo for sure. Read my reply. I went through all sorts of testing when CS4 was released. YOU MUST demount the card to fully test. Apple’s video drivers are messed up. Only demounting a card will clear up their confusion. Needing identical video cards may be a hard pill to swallow, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

I have first-hand experience here with my system. When CS4 was released I was running 2-nVidia7300 Cards. Limited GL features and known crash issues with those cards. I purchased 1 nVidia 8800 card and installed it. So, at that point I was running 1-7300 and 1-8800, GL was not avaialble at all. Installing the AllowOldGPUs plug in allowed GL but there was constant crashing. I then bit the bullet and purchased a second 8800 card. Today, 2-nVidia 8800 Cards, all GL features, including advanced drawing, are supported and I have not had a crash since.

If you do a simple Google search you’ll also find other places where users are reporting crashes and in almost all cases where video cards are discussed, they are running two non-identical cards. In several of the cases they report experiences similar to mine, where installing identical cards corrects all issues.

Ramon, with all due respect, has no direct experience and is simply basing his reply on technical documents and hearsay.

If you choose not to beleive me, thats obviously your perogative. However, I’ve been there, done that. It’s now up to you to sort it yourself if you won’t listen to others.

As for noone else reporting this.. perhaps the following thread may assist you: <http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.59b6e56d/47>

Ramon,
The bumblebee isn’t supposed to be able to fly either.

Here:
3 monitors, 2-nVidia 8800 Cards.
Card1 = 30" Apple Cinema, and 20" Apple Cinema Card2 = 24" Dell Ultrasharp

I can move a document window to any of the three monitors and rotate the canvas, zoom, pan, and all the juicy GL stuff without a problem.

I would guess that the tech note is more of a safety net, possibly? All I know is it works here with two cards and there are no issues (provided the cards are identical).
M
marcog
Jan 22, 2009
Scott,
let me understand WHY shell i demount the cards.

1) If i unplug the monitors from one card, i have no problems
2) if i demount the card i’ll be in the same condition as point 1 (so no need to unplug)

If you ensure me that using the same video card can solve the problem than this is the point. But the solution to unplug the card to test is not a solution at all.

thanks

MG
SW
Scott_Weichert
Jan 22, 2009
If you say so.

Do what you will, I’ve done all I can do for you.
R
Ram
Jan 22, 2009
Scott,

Ramon, with all due respect, has no direct experience and is simply basing his reply on technical documents and hearsay.

Nope, not documents and not hearsay. Just a single tech note and nothing else. 🙂
M
marcog
Jan 22, 2009
Scott, what is the reason to unplug one video card? What should i test unplugging one card?

MG

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