Dual graphics card, without SLI

[Architaylor]

Hey everyone

I recently upgraded my graphics card from an oooold Nvidia 6600GT to a GT 240. Once I installed the GT 240 I decided to try out dual monitors and it worked perfectly. My motherboard supports SLI and after a conversation with a friend I installed my old 6600GT in the second PCI-e slot but didn't switch the motherboard to SLI mode. To my great surprise my PC detected the 6600GT and I successfully had three monitors going at the same time, the two cards obviously aren't working in SLI, it seems like the 6600GT is just an output.

My question is, Is this affecting the clock speed of the GT 240? or affecting the speed in any way? From what I can see it hasn't appeared to have made a difference but I can't be sure :/ Am I correct in thinking that anything outputted from the GT 240 will use the GT 240's memory/speed and anything from the 6600GT will use the 6600GT's? So If I had a program on the screen connected to the 6600GT it would run slower than the programs on the screen connected to the GT 240?

Thanks a lot and sorry if this is an obvious question, I just cant get my head around what's happening!

 

[Cycrow]

for games, you will only get a benefit if the cards were in SLI.
so it will just be using the primary card instead.

this also means that u cant stretch the screeen across both cards when playing games.

if all you wanted was the extra monitor in windows, then the setup is fine, and wont be any different in games to running the new card on its own.

however, if u wanted improvements in games, then its not going to happen, and u wont be able to do SLI anyways, as the cards are not the same

 

[Makhaira]

Games will select either your primary or secondary graphics adaptor, so you just need to make sure you're running off the GT240 (which will be apparent when you get ingame compared to a 6600GT). The main reason to have cards separately is for flexibility in multi monitor setups.

 

[biuro74]

For ordinary applications it is probably not important, but for games is a bit better when your card has just 1 monitor connected. As soon as your applications don't use 3D capabilities (like OpenGL or DirectX) or special features like Pure Video HD, you shouldn't notice any difference between them opened on ScreenA=CardA and ScreenB/ScreenC=CardB.