PSFL,

I'm curious if you got the FireMV 2250 working in Vista x64 or not. With the FireMV 10-10-2008 drivers I get a code 43, the driver has detected a problem with the card and disabled it non-sense. Also, the Catylist control panel doesn't like the integrated ES1000 card at all. Is there a way to either disable DRAC or disable the internal video somehow via jumper or otherwise?

Also, were you able to get POST through the FireMV 2250 or will it only POST the bios boot up through the integrated card? 

I disconnected the two jumper cables to the installed DRAC 5 controller and the internal video disabled.

Which slots are you using? I tried slot 3 and 4 but couldn't get video, but the internal video was certainly disabled. With only Slot 3 with a 2250, I get video.

Are you using slots 4 and 5 or slots 5 and 6? It seems that 3 and 4 doesn't work for me. 

Looking at the back of the unit, starting from the bottom and going up I am using #3 then #5. Interesting note aboud the DRAC5 as I have one here I was going to put in the system, but if it is going to present that kind of problem I may not put it in. It may be that the internal video is needed for the Remote Console tool to work in the DRAC5 (and probably another reason Dell doesn't want to support third party cards).

I may have also found a way to use the Server Administrator software on Vista, will post the solution if the idea works.

Yes, I am using Vista Ultimate 64bit with this system currently and have two FireMV 2250 cards installed and have three monitors connected (could easily connect a fourth if I had room on my desk for it).

The driver version I am using is 8.401.0.0 Dated 7/27/2007. I do not use the Catylist control center as I don't see a need for it.

The system Posts to the FireMV cards and the internal video isn't even seen.

Not sure if it makes any difference but you may want to try a different slot. I used the first PCIe slot up from the bottom. Second card went in the slot next to it.

Looks like PCI-Express slots 3 and 5 did the trick. I guess it requires slot 3 to disable the internal video, and there's some sort of switching fabric issue going on with slots 3 and 4.

I am posting this from a quad display 4x22" Dell Ultrasharp 2208W setup.

PSFL you are a life saver. We should put a web page up to help future PE2900 adventurers :)

I'm running Server 2008 x64 on this rig as I didn't want the hassle of dealing with the driver / admin software support as well as the video card headache I've been banging on all day (seriously, trying permutations of config, software, and drivers all day). I finally gave up on Vista x64 and loaded Server 2008, although it seems it would work either way.

In any case, thank you for your quick response and insights.

It's the users that make Dell great. Now if only they'd build PowerEdge servers with dual x16 slots :) The Precision workstations are sad little creatures. Their guts are wimpy.

From my ventures in DRAC'ing, I've found that the basic method by which it handles it's digital KVM magic is by mirroring the ES1000 display to the second port which is jumpered over by cable to the DRAC card. It then does a bit of mangling and compression and spits video via it's web based KVM software to your remote client. So yeah, I'm doubting there's any way to effectively get external cards working with a DRAC card enabled.

Of course, it would be 'nice', but Dell doesn't seem to build workstations for us God Mod Super Users. I'd rather not have a loud, clanky, rattling Precision rattlestation with 15k rpm drives in it. The PowerEdge boxes are SO much more solidly built, and quiter to boot under load.

I'm trying the 3, 5 combo now. We'll see if that works. If it does, the new Dell Ultrasharp 2208W's behind me will be going on the desk as soon as the old HP SU box gets office spaced. Shortly after the disks get thermited.