Feedback on triple monitor setup.

[Dice144]

I currently have 2 monitors. I did not buy them at the same time so they are different brands. One is an LG IPS 23" and the other is Asus 24" TN panel (grr).

I got bored one day and tested both with ghetto eyefinity on my 6950 playing Left for Dead 2. I also tested Everquest and some other older games.

Left for Dead 2 was pretty cool on the dual setup minus the cross hair being stuck in the middle of the two monitors.

Right now looking for some feedback from AT members if you have a triple display setup. Debating blowing some cash on 3 x 25" screens. Guys at work trying to convince me go 120 HZ. I personally love my LG IPS panel. It just makes my older Asus monitor look washed out. I would just buy 2 more of the LG IPS panels (they stock them locally) but the bezel is abit thick for my taste.

I water cooled my system last month so this was next on my list of things to buy. But thinking 3 monitors with 1920x1080 would just about kill my 6950 2GB verison even OC. (currently at 950 GPU core) So believe this will make me also have to get a second 6950 to be able to handle newer games like BF3 and Witcher 2. Witcher 2 currently almost destroys my system.

On the fence right now if triple is worth the cool factor. If anyone has done it and went back ETC please let me know. I plan to make a new desk with my Dad this winter so size of the desktop space is not an issues.

 

[Via]

I was on the fence too, but I'm glad I took the plunge. I really miss the extra monitors when I have to play on a single screen now.

I would say you'll definitely need a second 6950 at that res.

Widescreegamingforums has a lot of good info.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

I got bored one day and tested both with ghetto eyefinity on my 6950 playing Left for Dead 2. I also tested Everquest and some other older games.

lol

 

[BrightCandle]

You need a lot of horsepower to push 3 screens at high resolutions. I current run one IPS monitor and 2 TN's for the side screens and that works out as a reasonable compromise. The periphery screens have much worse colour's but 3 Dell IPS screens is prohibitively expensive.

I would say try to keep the screens smaller, 24" is the larger than ideal IMO but its also what I have and it works well enough. My 5970 is regularly not beefy enough to run with all 3 screens unfortunately.

 

[Via]

My 5970 is good at 5040x1050. I chose to stick with 22" 1680x1050 monitors (instead of getting 3 bigger ones) because I was worried about the number of pixels.

You should have seen my "ghetto" setup. It was a 17" CRT next to a 22" LCD.

 

[Harrod]

I'm running 3 samsung 204b's at 4800*1200 on a 5770, I like it alot. It really makes gaming more of an arcade like experience. If you have the money for it, it is worth it.

If I were to go to 16:9 monitors, I don't think that I would go over 24's personally.

 

[BrightCandle]

The review on widescreengaming might give you an idea of the various performance levels available and whether you want to consider crossfire and what resolution: http://widescreengamingforum.com/article/amd-radeon-6990-review

Notably the 5970 in particular struggles in certain games at 5760x1200 because each core only has 1GB available instead of the standard 2GB. That one little power saving/money saving move by AMD has crippled the card for eyefinity IMO.

 

[Via]

I never would have bought that res for a 5970. I really had to twist my own arm to try 5040x1050.

 

[NoQuarter]

I have 3 1920x1080 23" monitors. I think I would've been happier with 3 1680x1050 monitors. 3 x 16:9 is wider than necessary in landscape and too narrow when used in portrait. Also the lower pixel count of 1680x1050 would let me run at higher settings.

I still love the setup though. I wish one of my monitors was 120HZ so I could do 3D at times too, especially on the games that don't work at Eyefinity resolutions (anything UE3 based).

 

[KingFatty]

Buy just one of those three monitors you'd plan to get, then you can try a slightly less ghetto version of eyefinity with all 3 monitors (even though they would be a rag-tag mix-match of 3 different monitors) and see if you like it. The reason is that the side monitors aren't your main focus, but mostly peripheral (unless something catches your attention), so you should be fine. If you really like it, then you can take the plunge and buy two more of that monitor, and sell the old ones to have a matching triple set.