ATI or NVIDIA triple monitor setup

[GodAtum 69]

Hi all,

 

I am looking to upgrade my current Nvidia 560 Ti to a triple monitor setup. I could either get an nvidia 670 or an equivalent ATi card. Which is easier to setup FSX, Eyeinfinity or Surround?

 

I envision using a 3D cockpit with TrackIR.

[BartEnder 2]

Have no experience in ATi, but nVidia Surround setup was done by me yesterday without opening the 'google-helper'. It is pretty straightforward.

To be honest the most difficult part for me was to trace the signal cables from monitors to the PC.

[GodAtum 69]

lool good I have two monitors atm with Win7 extended across both. however FSX only shows up in 1 monitor in full screen mode. How do i wrap it around?

[Fatback 84]

Bart, are you using 3 identical monitors? What was the effect on FPS? I'm looking to set it up so that the middle monitor is out the front cockpit, the left is out the left, and, surprise, the right is out the right. Is the bezel configuration difficult?

[BartEnder 2]

Bart, are you using 3 identical monitors? What was the effect on FPS? I'm looking to set it up so that the middle monitor is out the front cockpit, the left is out the left, and, surprise, the right is out the right. Is the bezel configuration difficult?

 

That's right Fatback - 3 x 27" displays. You can look at my PC's details here (<-------)

 

I have moved from Matrox Th2Go connected to GTX580 to nVidia Surround GTX680.

 

The bezel management and general 'app windows moving around the monitors' is much better in Matrox PowerDesk software. You have huge X on entire screen (three monitors) so the bezel management is really nice. You can snap windows to the monitor edges and maximizing applications in one monitor, not across three as in nVSurround. Matrox 'cuts' the far left and far right edges of the side monitors leaving native resolution but few lines at the far left and far right black.

nVidia bezel correction gives a small picture representing a road - only between left and center monitor. You basically click 'up or down' button to have the road 'hidden under the bezel' rather than cut&shift somewhere in between. The end effect is very similar, but nVidia 'adds' vertical lines to the outside of the visual picture in my case I have 5900x1080 in OS giving 70 lines between each pair of monitors.

 

I only use VC, fullscreen and to be honest smoothness and FPS is almost identical in small window (about 1200x800) and in full screen (5760x1080). I remember it was exactly the same in older video card - no perceptible performance loss between small window and fullscreen. Hope it helped a bit.

[GodAtum 69]

How do you hang your screens? I was thinking of going for 27" but the XFX triple stand only holds up to 24".

[BartEnder 2]

lool good I have two monitors atm with Win7 extended across both. however FSX only shows up in 1 monitor in full screen mode. How do i wrap it around?

 

It won't work in fullscreen on two monitors. You have to have either Matrox Th2Go or nVidia Surround (both solutions cheat the OS and provide it a one, huge monitor). Also, You can try windowed mode or undock a panel. It should work.

 

How do you hang your screens? I was thinking of going for 27" but the XFX triple stand only holds up to 24".

I have a custom build frame for leather seat, all the controllers, speakers...

If You have a wall near-by, You can purchase three VESA wall mounting kits, that should work

[TechguyMaxC 516]

If you go Nvidia, make sure your 3 screens have the same EDID profile or you'll get screwed out of full resolution like I have been. I have 3x 2560x1440 monitors and the Nvidia driver insists on running at 5040x1050 instead of 7680x1440. It looks like garbage. Nvidia can't help either, it's hard-coded into the driver to read the EDID info off of each monitor and ignore any custom resolution settings you create.

[waygo 1]

How do you hang your screens? I was thinking of going for 27" but the XFX triple stand only holds up to 24".

 

I have 24s on my fx tri stand and it looks to me like there is enough room for 27s. Send me your 27s and I will test it out for you :-)

[GodAtum 69]

If you go Nvidia, make sure your 3 screens have the same EDID profile or you'll get screwed out of full resolution like I have been. I have 3x 2560x1440 monitors and the Nvidia driver insists on running at 5040x1050 instead of 7680x1440. It looks like garbage. Nvidia can't help either, it's hard-coded into the driver to read the EDID info off of each monitor and ignore any custom resolution settings you create.

 

Whats an EDID profile?

 

 

I have a custom build frame for leather seat, all the controllers, speakers...

If You have a wall near-by, You can purchase three VESA wall mounting kits, that should work

 

Thanks Do you have a pic for us to drool over lol? Do you think 16:10 works as well as 16:9?

 

I am thinking of getting three Asus PB278Qs.

[TechguyMaxC 516]

Whats an EDID profile?

 

EDID = Extended Display Identification Data. If you know RAM at all you can look at it as being like the SPD tables. If you don't know RAM, it's basically a list of all the resolutions, refresh rates, and correct polarity settings your monitor can display.

 

What can happen is the manufacturer of the monitor may not use identical components during the lifespan of manufacturing a given monitor and they may end up using slightly different parts at any given time so you're not guaranteed to get monitors with identical EDID information because of this. This is precisely what happened to me. I bought one monitor as soon as I found it and the other two only a couple weeks later when they came back in stock but that was enough for me to have different EDID information on the first monitor.

[GodAtum 69]

I'm still confused on how to set this up. Some add-ons that i have require FSX running in windowed mode. Will nvidia Surround work across 3 screen still or do I need to run FSX in full screen mode.

[BartEnder 2]

You can use nVidia Surround in windowed mode, no problem.

[TechguyMaxC 516]

If you're going to run 3 separate views you don't need to enable surround, you can just drive each monitor independently (i.e. in "normal" mode).

[GodAtum 69]

If you're going to run 3 separate views you don't need to enable surround, you can just drive each monitor independently (i.e. in "normal" mode).

 

But that wont work with trackIR?