I'am going to get two more monitors for my Flight Sim setup to have a total of 3. I was wondering if it were possible to run 3 or 4 monitors with the Virtual Cockpit spanning across all of them at a high resolution not using a Matrox Triple Head2Go. Can Windows do this using NVIDIA Surround in a higher end GPU such as the GTX 680? Do you have to use a Matrox?

 

I am also about to upgrade my system. I was wondering if it would be smarter to upgrade the GPU from a GTX 560Ti to something in the GTX 650Ti and up range. Or should I upgrade my processor, intel core i5-2500K to an i7? FSX can't use hyper threading, but would the i7 add extra processing power?

 

Also, can FSX support dual GPU's? I heard somewhere it couldn't but plenty of people use SLI?

If you are looking at upgrading to support multiple monitors, consider saving mon ey by eliminating the triple Head2Go and go for a GeForce 660ti or 680. They support three monitors off one card. I use the 660ti and with the Nvidia drivers, able to span (they call it surround) high resolution with DX10 across the three monitors. The resulting resolution is something like 5892 x 1024 ... numbers are askew as I'm not at my computer to check. FSX is able to accept this resolution. I also run a fourth monitor, but unfortunately not as part of a spanned cockpit. It's a fourth monitor that hosts charts and popup panels etc. (Also allows me to multi-task with other apps while flying). This requires a 2nd video card installed in your system. It does not have to be a powerful one ... keep your current card for this.

 

Keep in mind though, that with Nvidia surround ... the three spanned monitors should be identical ... or at least as a must share the same resolution and refresh rate.

 

I had upgraded to the single 660ti from 2 GeForce 560ti cards to accomplish surround of the three monitors. In order to enable surround, I had to hook them up SLI, however, FSX did not benefit from SLI technology in performance or graphics improvement. It only allowed me to span 3 monitors. The boost from ther 660ti from the dual 560ti improved FSX performance and quieted and cooled the machine substantially.

 

Depending on the speed of the i7, I would imagine it would improve FSX performance. FSX is a CPU intensive application, so it will benefit mopst from improved efficiencies of newer and faster CPUS. I am using an i7 3.4Ghz and get an average of 24FPS in dense high res clouds, in high res aircraft, running DX10 over Orbx scenery.

Ivy Bridge... I7 or i5 (3770K or 3570K) is the best processor out there. However if you already have Sandy Bridge like you have...stay put. Don't bother upgrading for now.

 

And yes, the GTX 6xx card does surround in high resolution is better than Matrox. I love it. And yes GTX 670FTW or the GTX680 are two of the best cards out there for FSX today, You would need identical monitor for 3 monitor surround

 

So just do a surround upgrade with the 6xx card for now. if you have not OCed your 2500K processor, try to OC it to the max instead of upgrading to IB.

 

 

 

Manny

 

Check out my surround

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/387387-oki-got-my-first-phase-of-my-cockpit-done/

I do this via an ATI 6990 and AMD's eyefinity, across 3 x 24" Dell U2410's giving a total of 5780 x 1200 screen resolution and its freakin awesome!

Be warned though, fly aerobatics can make you actually feel a bit dizzy when using 3 big screens

 

I run an i7 3820 quad core with HT enabled and have no problems so far, all very smooth indeed, I've overclocked the 3.6GHz up to 4.8GHz using the ASUS auto-tune built into the systemboard and its great, I left the HT enabled for now, no problems so far.

 

Get the fastest memory your systemboard can take as it will make overclocking easier..

I had Corsair 1600 Dominator ram, and that wouldnt allow me to get past 4GHz, so I swapped it for G.Skill 2133 ram and my systemboard picked it up instantly and just booted right into 4.8GHz on its own :-)

Thank you all for sharing! So, I'm taking away from this that I should keep my processor and over clock it, upgrade to a GTX 680, get three identical monitors and hook them up using NVIDIA surround or a Matrox (haven't decided yet) and keep my 560Ti for extra windows and multitasking. and upgrade my cooling.

Hi FSX737Pilot!

 

I see you have your PC specs and simulator specs in the sidebar which is correct. You just need to remove them now from your signature as required by our new signature policy pinned at the top of this forum. Thanks!

 

Jim Young

AVSIM Forum Moderator

 

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I have PM'd you, Richard. Thanks, Bruce.

r a Matrox (haven't decided yet

 

DO NOT GET Matrox. Waste of money..

 

MAnny

My only thought with that was that i could boost frame rates a little by not letting the GPU directly power 3 high resolution displays. is that thinking correct?

My only thought with that was that i could boost frame rates a little by not letting the GPU directly power 3 high resolution displays. is that thinking correct?

 

No. Even with a TH2GO, your card will still supply the same 3X resolution needed for the 3 monitors. Another drawback is that the bezel management on the TH2GO is MUCH inferior to the one provided by nVidia Surround.

Ok great information! Thanks for all of your help. Ill end up getting the 680 without a Matrox. One last thing. I am not much of a PC expert. My question is that since I already have a 560Ti, if I upgrade to the 680 as my primary GPU, can I keep the 560Ti installed in my system? I know I can't SLI two different cards but can I still use the 560Ti to power a "clutter" screen for extra windows?

Ok great information! Thanks for all of your help. Ill end up getting the 680 without a Matrox. One last thing. I am not much of a PC expert. My question is that since I already have a 560Ti, if I upgrade to the 680 as my primary GPU, can I keep the 560Ti installed in my system? I know I can't SLI two different cards but can I still use the 560Ti to power a "clutter" screen for extra windows?

 

Yup, you can keep both (no-SLI). I believe you can Surround off the 680 and use the outputs of the 560 with other monitors for displaying anything else. Don't mark my words though, because I've never tried such a setup. I've tried Surround but not with a second card installed.

 

- Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus which is rooted via Tapatalk because haters gonna hate.

Yup, you can keep both (no-SLI). I believe you can Surround off the 680 and use the outputs of the 560 with other monitors for displaying anything else.

 

Can anyone else confirm this if its possible? I'd like to add more monitors...for things like the Garmin G530

 

Right now, for the 3+1. the fourth monitor I am switching (I have a VGA Switcher) between a 19" touch screen and a 5x3" screen for the Gamin G530 panel.

 

Manny

Hi,

 

I have two 680. One running three monitors for the outside view. And the other card handles two touch screens for the panels. Together with my GF equipment I need no mouse anymore in my cockpit.

 

Rgds

Reinhard

 

 

 

Hi,

 

I have two 680. One running three monitors for the outside view. And the other card handles two touch screens for the panels. Together with my GF equipment I need no mouse anymore in my cockpit.

 

Rgds

Reinhard

 

WOW.. That is so cool. Hmm... So maybe I can get a 660ti to with my 670.

 

BTW Reinhard, for your touch screen, for the touch, are you using USB or serial port? I have only one touch screen and I used to use the serial port... and have never used the USB for it.. how does the USB work for the touch interface?

 

Manny