Need to run a 3D accelerated app. on three monitors

[Cat]

This is an in-house application that I'm going to show on the floor of trade show. I could really use SLI support. I want to stick with NVidia, because of their more robust API support.

Option 1.
SLI + Matrox's TripleHead2Go
+Nice generic interface
-Only supports 1280x1024

Option 2.
No SLI
-Slow performance


Option 3.
Crossfire? Does it support more than one monitor while running?

 

[Peter]

If the application can do with its performance level, try a Parhelia in "Surround Gaming" mode.

 

[Cat]

Performance is an issue. Downgrading to a Parhelia isn't an option, but thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Falloutboy]

ummm if cost isn't an issue why not 2 dual sli cards. each will drive 2 monitors and with nividia drivers I beleave all can be accelerated

 

[Cat]

From what I've been told and read, all SLI configurations will only work off of one monitor, hence the need for the TripleHead2Go (but this lacks resolution support.)

 

[Matt2]

SLI Only has single monitor support.

 

[AzNPinkTuv]

2 sli on a card running them in non SLi mode = 4 monitors atleat right? or 8?

thnks

 

[Cat]

I must run this in SLI mode so I can accelerate the application across all the displays.

 

[Aoleleb]

Sorry but you can't run sli across multi monitors Nvidia top 10 Sli questions see number 4.

4) Displays: When SLI is enabled, only one monitor can be active. When SLI is disabled in the control panel, multiple monitors can be used. The latest driver does not require a reboot to enable and disable SLI.

 

[Cat]

Aoleleb: that's technically true, but I can however combine my three monitors into one monitor with the Matrox product I mentioned.

 

[Cat]

Bump: does anyone know how many monitors a Crossfire solution can drive?

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Cat
Bump: does anyone know how many monitors a Crossfire solution can drive?

not sure . . . but ia am also interested as ultimately i am looking for a multiple-monitor setup for gaming.

i am somewhat surprised that SLI doesn't support multiple monitors . . . with all the lead time over ATi that nVidia had in developing their "baby"
:Q

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: Cat
Bump: does anyone know how many monitors a Crossfire solution can drive?

I believe it's still just one (although maybe you could run on two monitors attached to one card in a span mode, but I'm not sure).

I'm not aware of any 'modern' 3D accelerator cards that can drive more than two monitors, and you can't span 3D windows over displays that are not on the same card and still get hardware acceleration.

To span across 3 monitors, either your application has to be able to manage talking to multiple display devices, or you need to use a Matrox triple-head card, or you have to use a device like the TripleHeadToGo to split the signal (note that this gives you 3840x1024!). I'm pretty sure I have seen similar devices that work at higher resolutions, but the cost gets VERY high, as they are specialty items.

If you just want to replicate a single display's output on multiple monitors, you can get VGA/DVI splitters. But it sounds like you want a 3-monitor span mode, which is a lot trickier.