General? Ex-FSX simmer - starting out on P3Dv4 multi monitor & new PC

[Brundah01 0]

Hello all, just renewing my interest in flight sim after a long break from FSX.

My using Windows 10 64bit & looking at updating my PC & moving to P3Dv4.

But hope to use existing monitors I have (3x Samsung S24A450BW (vision) & 2 x Samsung Syncmaster 940B (panels). I have all Saitek gear - Yoke, Throttles, Multi panel, Switch Panel & Combat pedals.(Logitech G X52 TBA).

I am a retired Aircraft Engineer so mostly interested in PMDG airliners, a few militiary jets & classic piston.

Game inputs & Monitors (landscape) will be mounted on easily reconfigurable VESA frame (airline / fighter options)

I have read what I can, but am confused about which video cards / Tripple Head2Go / video cable specs & limitations.

Note all my current monitors have DVI inputs. (I would be happy to replace 2 x S 940Bs with 2 x ASUS 23" VC239H (16 x 9) DVI & VESA mount.)

New computer build (cost options) i7-6700K, Z370-A, GTX 1070 OC 8GB, DDR4 3000 C15, 2 x 500G M.2 EVO, 2 x WD HDD 2T 850W PSU.  

Any comments from those with similar 5 monitor rigs using P3D V4 and settings to achieve 30fps?

About to leap into the next generation of flight simming :-)

David

[roarkr 104]

Take a look Here to get some ideas. 

http://www.flightsim4fun.com/b737-800-simulator.html

 

[himmelhorse 1,276]

David,

I can only wish you the best of luck with this attempt.

I have in the past run 8 monitors from 3 GPUs (not in SLI mode) and albeit FPS were down to 30, this was only, I say again, only achievable with FS9. The absolute best I could achieve with FSX, FSX-SE, XPlane 10 and 11, or P3Dv3 and 4, was 20 FPS using only 3 monitors. I tried triplehead2go (analog and digital) dual head2go and winding back settings to the point where it was not worth the bother. This is the only reason why FS2004 remains my main flight sim to this day. I have appealed on this and other forums for help and nothing suggested has helped. I have tried projectors, USB connections and Lord knows what else since 2006 when FSX came out.. I share and love your ambition for the use of multi monitors and if someone can and does help you, can you please PM me with the details. Incidently, my most successful set up is the one with specs as listed below and my current avatar shows the physical set up. I am in the process of moving into a new "Man Cave" and this set up is currently and temporarily dismantled so I am reduced to a single monitor at the moment. Again I stress, this was ideal for FS2004 but did not work in the other platforms.  FSX performance was so bad that I could almost make and drink a cuppa tea between frames. 

I looked at the system in the link provided by Roar and whilst he has a better CPU, the rest of my specs were superior. Quite frankly, I dont know (and he does not specify) what frames rates he was achieving but my system was reduced to a standstill with that configuration in all but FS2004, .Admittedly, my system is fairly long in the tooth now, but I even went to the extent of borrowing an overclocked i7 2600k (4.6) and that did not work either.

So, for now, I am researching VR as an alternative, and it appears if one is going to start from scratch with a new system, it could quite possibly be, a cheaper and more satisfying prospect in the long term.

I will follow this with a great deal of interest and again, I hope you achieve all that yhou are setting out to achieve.

Regards

Tony

[Brundah01 0]

5 hours ago, Brundah01 said:

Hello all, just renewing my interest in flight sim after a long break from FSX.

My using Windows 10 64bit & looking at updating my PC & moving to P3Dv4.

But hope to use existing monitors I have (3x Samsung S24A450BW (vision) & 2 x Samsung Syncmaster 940B (panels). I have all Saitek gear - Yoke, Throttles, Multi panel, Switch Panel & Combat pedals.(Logitech G X52 TBA).

I am a retired Aircraft Engineer so mostly interested in PMDG airliners, a few militiary jets & classic piston.

Game inputs & Monitors (landscape) will be mounted on easily reconfigurable VESA frame (airline / fighter options)

I have read what I can, but am confused about which video cards / Tripple Head2Go / video cable specs & limitations.

Note all my current monitors have DVI inputs. (I would be happy to replace 2 x S 940Bs with 2 x ASUS 23" VC239H (16 x 9) DVI & VESA mount.)

New computer build (cost options) i7-6700K, Z370-A, GTX 1070 OC 8GB, DDR4 3000 C15, 2 x 500G M.2 EVO, 2 x WD HDD 2T 850W PSU.  

Any comments from those with similar 5 monitor rigs using P3D V4 and settings to achieve 30fps?

About to leap into the next generation of flight simming 🙂

David

 

50 minutes ago, roarkr said:

Take a look Here to get some ideas. 

http://www.flightsim4fun.com/b737-800-simulator.html

 

Hello Roar, Thnks for link. Will keep your Smart Starter in mind.Your component schematic is similar to what I imagine would be my plan. I don't plan, or can afford open cockpit rig (sad).

My thoughts were to have preset config in Prepar3D for each aircraft, plus flight starting point as per your "Smart Starter". But I will be using  Saitech /Logitech Yoke, Throttles, pedals & G X52 as control inputs. 6 possibly 6 monitors configured for each aircraft group. (I have Logitech Multi, Switch & Radio Panels which will be mounted across glareshield)

Jet airliners 3 x 1920x1200 outside view (L side, L front , R front) (5760x1200). The two smaller monitors (1280x1024) will be L PHD/ND, C Upper Eicas (CDU would have to be a pop-up).

For fighter aircraft outside views: L side, front , R side, The 2 smaller monitors as before for cockpit instruments & switches.

Do you have any other display / link / GPU options?

Regards,

David

 

 

[Brundah01 0]

41 minutes ago, himmelhorse said:

David,

I can only wish you the best of luck with this attempt.

I have in the past run 8 monitors from 3 GPUs (not in SLI mode) and albeit FPS were down to 30, this was only, I say again, only achievable with FS9. The absolute best I could achieve with FSX, FSX-SE, XPlane 10 and 11, or P3Dv3 and 4, was 20 FPS using only 3 monitors. I tried triplehead2go (analog and digital) dual head2go and winding back settings to the point where it was not worth the bother. This is the only reason why FS2004 remains my main flight sim to this day. I have appealed on this and other forums for help and nothing suggested has helped. I have tried projectors, USB connections and Lord knows what else since 2006 when FSX came out.. I share and love your ambition for the use of multi monitors and if someone can and does help you, can you please PM me with the details. Incidently, my most successful set up is the one with specs as listed below and my current avatar shows the physical set up. I am in the process of moving into a new "Man Cave" and this set up is currently and temporarily dismantled so I am reduced to a single monitor at the moment. Again I stress, this was ideal for FS2004 but did not work in the other platforms.  FSX performance was so bad that I could almost make and drink a cuppa tea between frames. 

I looked at the system in the link provided by Roar and whilst he has a better CPU, the rest of my specs were superior. Quite frankly, I dont know (and he does not specify) what frames rates he was achieving but my system was reduced to a standstill with that configuration in all but FS2004, .Admittedly, my system is fairly long in the tooth now, but I even went to the extent of borrowing an overclocked i7 2600k (4.6) and that did not work either.

So, for now, I am researching VR as an alternative, and it appears if one is going to start from scratch with a new system, it could quite possibly be, a cheaper and more satisfying prospect in the long term.

I will follow this with a great deal of interest and again, I hope you achieve all that yhou are setting out to achieve.

Regards

Tony

Hello Tony,

Thanks for your detailed post. Yes the conundrum is why I have joined here! I started last century with FS 2004 & progressed to FSX until Win 10 64bit grabbed me for other reasons & FSX was then not on.

But now that Prepar3D V4 has shown up I am interested to jump in again. I have (all boxed FSX) PMDG 747-400, Wilco 777, JF 707 Pro, plus a few Orbix titles & some other FSX downloads.

But first I have to build a new rig, I had bought the 3 Samsung 24'' 1900x1200 some time ago with a plan to build a easy to reconfigure rig with 3 or 4 main monitors, plus the 2 19" 940Bs. VR is another option but it does not "feel like flying in the real thing" which I did for many years. Also not averse to the video projector idea as long as frame rates are higher than 30!

Another thought - do you think its possible to feed a GTX 1080 GPU into a 3HD2Go + a 2Hd2Go? Or is that just too much overhead for the CPU?

Please stay in touch.

David   

[himmelhorse 1,276]

David,

I had a GTX1080ti into a triplehead2go with no problems.

You can connect 3000 monitors to a single GPU (if that was possible) with no impact on performance or FPS. The impact, and it is very significant is when you undock a panel and move it to another display. One undocked panel will have the same impact as many more panels undocked to that same display, whilst adding another panel to another monitor (via undocking) will add a further burdon to your FPS. I am at a loss to understand the difference this burden imposes in comparison to FS2004 but the difference is NOT marginal ... it is huge. For example... you can have 6 panels undocked to a second monitor and have frame rates exactly the same as having 1 panel undocked to a second monitor.  Having 2 panels undocked to 2 secondary monitors (a 3 monitor setup) will increase the workload of both the CPU and the GP proportionately and this affects the FPS in a similar manner.

The triplehead2go spreads resolution over three monitors so the impact is much the same (I believe) as using a 4k monitor (1080p x 3) and this is largely the same as plugging 3 seperate 1080p monitors into a single GPU... it simply reduces the requirement for multiple GPU outlets and does not reduce the load on the GPU or CPU.

As I see it, until the Devs address the undocking burden there will be no solution, and again, I cannot for the life of me see why the progress from FS2004 to FSX (and beyond) actually decreased the capability of using multi monitors to such a profound effect.

In answer to your query though, the simple response is that I found triplehead2go and the doublehead2go good, but only if you do not have the GPU outputs to plug in the extra monitors.

I would further like to add, that these are my thoughts and the results that I have achieved. If anybody can show me what I have been doing incorrectly, or flaws in what I have been doing, then I would dearly love to hear from them. This would help the OP as well.

I hope this helps you David

Regards again

Tony

[Brundah01 0]

Tony,

Thank you for sharing your frustration - I hear you well & empathise with you continued frustration! It would seem that either the video card standards or the video pipelines established within the core coding of Windows (pick a version nbr!) has never considered the dynamics of shared video "frames" across multiple monitors!

BTW I have never used an Apple PC (for reasons you may share), but as that option has never been advocated an advantage I guess they have the same limits.

Anyway I will like you reluctantly look at other options - Video projector (but that defeats the reality & build benefits of fixed monitors) - VR does not thrill me as I have spent decades & lots of hours cockpits all over teh planet so sticking my head in a black rubber mask just does not cut it!

I want the real world perspective while I have physical control of the traditional tangible flight inputs (in my younger days I had access to a Tigermoth at an uncontrolled grass field while doing my PPL).

Stop it! I'm banging on too much. Anyway I'm willing to consider reducing the number of screens to 2 x VA2719-2K with DP ports as the outside view plus TrackIR-5 and my two trusty S 940B as panels. I also note there is an app for Android for a CDU Wifi that works with Boeings?? Any thoughts on that?

BTW my original concept was to make a mobile & adjustable backbone on castors, supporting the necessary monitors on adjustable articulated swing arms, so they would all fold back onto the backbone with a folding modules for glare shield containing the 3 Saitech panels & centre console box for the Throttles & stowage PC & for the pedals etc. All connected cabled up ready go! I have other interests & don't want cause the dragon lady reason to get agitated - if you know what I mean.

Until next chat, thanks guys for your welcome &  shared thoughts / frustrations.

David