I've seen a number of posts about multi-monitor/multi-GPU systems, but not many from the answer-side. Having gone through a few recent system builds with current AMD and nVidia cards I figured I'd share my experiences. I'll throw out a few thoughts and it folks have more questions, I'll try my best to answer.
Quick background: Been a system builder for ages. Always interested in displays. Have yet to meet one that is too big, too thin, or too high a resolution. The two multi-monitor systems I currently have up and (stable) are:
Primary PC - 5120x1600 (landscape)
======================
2 x Dell 3008WFP
1 x Asus Geforce GTX 580 1.5GB
"Gaming" PC - 3240x1920 (portrait)
======================
3 x Dell U2311H
1 x Asus Radeon 6970 2GB
Rather than wall-of-texting the rest of the post I'll go with a FAQ format and see if anyone bites.
--
Q: Have you had good experience with nVidia SLI?
A: Unfortunately, no. The "Gaming" PC previously ran 2 x Geforce 460 1GB cards in SLI. It crashed constantly. At best, I could get 10-20 minutes of BFBC2 or WoW, but Bioshock 2, Left For Dead (1/2), GRiD, even Minecraft would all crash within minutes. I dropped back to a single 460 powering two monitors, no problem. Two 460's without SLI (i.e., don't connect the bridge), no problem.
Q: How about those SLI/Crossfire-on-a-card-jobbies? (i.e., Geforce 9800GX2's, AMD 5990's)
A: Avoid. Having owned three of these types of cards (both above as well as a 8800GX2) I believed the promise of a 60-70% performance for a "SLI-on-a-card". The trade-off's are *not* worth it with multi-monitor systems. One example: Mass Effect 2, you can use the card to power a single monitor in SLI (leaving the second dark) or settle without SLI in order to power the second monitor (to say, watch a movie). If you're serious about going multi-monitor, avoid these types of cards.
Q: Is a single GTX 580 enough to drive both two 30" monitors"
A: In general, yes. I can play most games (WoW, AC2, BFBC2) in 2560x1600 on the primary monitor while watching a 720p or 1080p movie on the other with minimal lag. It's not perfect and there are times when things do slow down, but it's doable.
Q: If I just have three 1920x1080 monitors do I need to go SLI or Crossfire?
A: It's possible to get by with a single (high-end) card. Competitive gaming would be out, but it's certainly playable (any definitely more fun/immersive).
Q: If I have three 2560x1600 monitors do I need to go SLI or Crossfire?
A: Yes. Even so, I suspect even with 2-4x SLI/Crossfire would be disappointing.
Q: Best card for a 3 monitor setup?
A: I'd get the 6970 2GB. AMD beats nVidia at port density. I *believe* nVidia has a max of 2 monitors per card for multi-display output. This is one area I see nVidia behind AMD as nVidia has no answer to Eyefinity.
Q: What multi-monitor configurations would you recommend?
A: Depends. If you need to entertain the lady while you hack away, go the dual-landscape setup with a single card powering two monitors. You can browse/game on one and run a movie/TV show on the other.
If you're a pure gamer the 3x23/24/27/30" in-portrait-mode setup seems most ideal. Given the choice, I'd go 3x30", but 3x24/27" is just as valid and perhaps more appropriate given your computing space.
Q: How can I go multi-monitor on the cheap?
A: Three Dell 2001FP's. They can be had for around $100 and work nicely in portrait mode. Because they are relatively low resolution, you can get a foot in the door with good performance on a single card.
Q: What type of stuff do I want in the next-gen of monitors?
A: Thinner versions of the 30" 2560x1600 monitor. If you've seen the recent Samsung LED TVs, that's basically it. Add WiDi, Bluetooth/WiFi, and shave the bezel down to 1/4" or less and I'll be first in line.
Q: You for real? Show me a pic of your "Gaming" PC
A:
Quick background: Been a system builder for ages. Always interested in displays. Have yet to meet one that is too big, too thin, or too high a resolution. The two multi-monitor systems I currently have up and (stable) are:
Primary PC - 5120x1600 (landscape)
======================
2 x Dell 3008WFP
1 x Asus Geforce GTX 580 1.5GB
"Gaming" PC - 3240x1920 (portrait)
======================
3 x Dell U2311H
1 x Asus Radeon 6970 2GB
Rather than wall-of-texting the rest of the post I'll go with a FAQ format and see if anyone bites.
--
Q: Have you had good experience with nVidia SLI?
A: Unfortunately, no. The "Gaming" PC previously ran 2 x Geforce 460 1GB cards in SLI. It crashed constantly. At best, I could get 10-20 minutes of BFBC2 or WoW, but Bioshock 2, Left For Dead (1/2), GRiD, even Minecraft would all crash within minutes. I dropped back to a single 460 powering two monitors, no problem. Two 460's without SLI (i.e., don't connect the bridge), no problem.
Q: How about those SLI/Crossfire-on-a-card-jobbies? (i.e., Geforce 9800GX2's, AMD 5990's)
A: Avoid. Having owned three of these types of cards (both above as well as a 8800GX2) I believed the promise of a 60-70% performance for a "SLI-on-a-card". The trade-off's are *not* worth it with multi-monitor systems. One example: Mass Effect 2, you can use the card to power a single monitor in SLI (leaving the second dark) or settle without SLI in order to power the second monitor (to say, watch a movie). If you're serious about going multi-monitor, avoid these types of cards.
Q: Is a single GTX 580 enough to drive both two 30" monitors"
A: In general, yes. I can play most games (WoW, AC2, BFBC2) in 2560x1600 on the primary monitor while watching a 720p or 1080p movie on the other with minimal lag. It's not perfect and there are times when things do slow down, but it's doable.
Q: If I just have three 1920x1080 monitors do I need to go SLI or Crossfire?
A: It's possible to get by with a single (high-end) card. Competitive gaming would be out, but it's certainly playable (any definitely more fun/immersive).
Q: If I have three 2560x1600 monitors do I need to go SLI or Crossfire?
A: Yes. Even so, I suspect even with 2-4x SLI/Crossfire would be disappointing.
Q: Best card for a 3 monitor setup?
A: I'd get the 6970 2GB. AMD beats nVidia at port density. I *believe* nVidia has a max of 2 monitors per card for multi-display output. This is one area I see nVidia behind AMD as nVidia has no answer to Eyefinity.
Q: What multi-monitor configurations would you recommend?
A: Depends. If you need to entertain the lady while you hack away, go the dual-landscape setup with a single card powering two monitors. You can browse/game on one and run a movie/TV show on the other.
If you're a pure gamer the 3x23/24/27/30" in-portrait-mode setup seems most ideal. Given the choice, I'd go 3x30", but 3x24/27" is just as valid and perhaps more appropriate given your computing space.
Q: How can I go multi-monitor on the cheap?
A: Three Dell 2001FP's. They can be had for around $100 and work nicely in portrait mode. Because they are relatively low resolution, you can get a foot in the door with good performance on a single card.
Q: What type of stuff do I want in the next-gen of monitors?
A: Thinner versions of the 30" 2560x1600 monitor. If you've seen the recent Samsung LED TVs, that's basically it. Add WiDi, Bluetooth/WiFi, and shave the bezel down to 1/4" or less and I'll be first in line.
Q: You for real? Show me a pic of your "Gaming" PC
A:
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