question about EYEFINITY - 6x LCD monitors (how to do cheapest way)

[Duniek]

hey
I am going to make "cheap" eyefinity config with 6 x 22" lcd monitors (samsungs 223/226BW) - they have DVI and D-SUB plugs

I want to use 3x 5770 ATI cards so I will have 6 physicall DVI connectors for 6 lcd

So, question is:, if I play games @6lcd I will have performance of 1 x 5770 or 3x5770?

sorry if its dumb, but I am a new in multiple displays

[trn]

Not going to work at all:

- In Xfire only one card can output vid signals
- Yes, Xfire and eyefinity is not supported (sorta) with 9.12 and hotfix
- Performance is still ifffy since the hotfix is basically beta drivers with lots of bugs.
- There is no way to hook 6 monitors up to 5770's (or 5870's or 5970's) without using 2 triple head 2 go 2 split 2 dvi outputs into 6.. that might work in theory.
- Performance one again relates to resolution and not # of monitors, if you run a game at 1920x1080 on one monitor then the performance will be equal to 1920x1080 stretched across 6 monitors (which would look awful.) Of course running at a huge resolution 5760x2160 is going to take a massive performance hit.

[InCredible]

he could still run 6 lcd's on 3 5770s..they just wont be crossfired..but i dont think ull be able to game like that.

[zanzabar]

u would need the eyefinity edition card whenever it comes out with 6 mini DP ports then every port also needs a mini dp to dvi adapter.

6 monitors is also not a good idea IMO since if u play something with crosshairs they will be in the bezel.

and last u have to use the DP port for eyefinity and tri fire scales like poop

[trn]

Yeah, your right he could run the 6 lcds on the 3 cards, just not as an x-fire'd or in an eyefinity group. Tri-fire eyefinity with the 9.12 hotfix is reported to be completely broken right now. Tri-fire on one monitor scales great with 9.12 so... this is just another example of crappy ATI drivers; hopefully they will sort this out (at least they even released the hotfix, some support is better than none.)

[zanzabar]

i dont see how thats a crappy driver on atis part, they have a new feature and it isnt listed as officially supporting mutli card eyefinity yet. i would give them 2 more (so 3 driver updates) to get it to work. its not like any1 else has the same problems, how many drivers did it take for NV to get 2 monitor sli working properly, or what about how the 3d thing is still broken for alot of games and only has 2 focal points. eyefinity is playable with 2 cards as of now and 3 and 4 cards arnt officially supported so its a huge leap to a bad driver to support non official config with 1 driver update on the card.

3 of those 5770 should also be the same or more money than a 5870 and that should do better, just wait for the eyefinity one with native 6 monitor support.

and i was thinking about it, i would want 3 monitors in portrait or landscape or 5 in portrait not 6

[Duniek]

thanks for replies
first of all i know 5040x2100 res is a lot for even 3 cards and performacne will be not good, now I need to only power it up (If cards will be to weak, I will buy stronger)

main idea was about price - one LCD monitor cost me about 70-90euro ONLY (and I have one already which i bought 1,5year ago), one lcd with display port cost about 250eur so not worth for me, also maxtor triplehead to go is stupid bcoz for this price i can buy one lcd with display port or better gpu

I was spoken with some ppl, and they told me I will need 3 gpus (NON xfired) and alll should be work theoretically (main problems will be with the drives) - true?


/edit
so if I want run 6x lcd monitors i need:
1. one gpu + 2x matrox triplehead2go
2. one gpu (5870 )with six DP ports (but normal 5870 has 2 dvi and one dp native, so 5870 six has 6x dp pasive or dp active? , if active will be great bcoz then I nned only buy cheap miniDP->DVI dapters) and 5870six will cost almost the same/cheaper as 2xmatrox triplehead2go boxes)
3. 3x gpu cards non xfired + good drivers

[trn]

1. Yes, in theory this might work?
2. Yes, 5870 Eyefinity is just vaporware right now... so unsure of how the adapters will work but probably the same as on the regular 5870 or 5970.
3. This will work right now, games will only play on one monitor. Drivers will work fine; my comment about the buggy drivers was relating only to Eyefinity and Tri-fire with the 9.12 hotfix.

[vinister]

I am failing to see the point of this. I think your money would be better spent on a projector, you can project the image the size of the 6 LCD panels. Or just run a simple 3 screen matrix using a triplehead, and it will actually run properly.

triple crossfire is wonderful. I run 3 3870's and I'm still getting the same performance as my buddies with the new 58 series cards. Its very stable and scales quite nicely, imho.

[Duniek]

1. Yes, in theory this might work?
2. Yes, 5870 Eyefinity is just vaporware right now... so unsure of how the adapters will work but probably the same as on the regular 5870 or 5970.
3. This will work right now, games will only play on one monitor. Drivers will work fine; my comment about the buggy drivers was relating only to Eyefinity and Tri-fire with the 9.12 hotfix.

ok thx, so if 5870six will have 6x DP active, I can buy 6x miniDP-> DVI adapters and will be work(I hope so), if not I will use option number 3. --> 3x5770

I am failing to see the point of this. I think your money would be better spent on a projector, you can project the image the size of the 6 LCD panels. Or just run a simple 3 screen matrix using a triplehead, and it will actually run properly.

triple crossfire is wonderful. I run 3 3870's and I'm still getting the same performance as my buddies with the new 58 series cards. Its very stable and scales quite nicely, imho.

point ?- I will have too much free time in next two months, so want to make sth crazy with PC, also I dont have much cash, just I am hunting for bargains
and 5x lcd will be cost me about 250-300eur + gpus for the same cash

so instead buying "stupid" 2x matrox tripleheag2go boxes I will have 80% hardware (which I can sell later for the same or better cash)

mobo cpu ram and other "junk"i have here

[jaredpace]

You need the eyefinity Six edition 2GB 5870 that comes out in a couple weeks. You're going to also need 5 or 6 mini-DP male to DVI/VGA female adapters. And I recommend using five 22" lcd's in a 5 x 1 portrait mode, because as mentioned above, using six monitors puts your crosshair in between the bezels. Eyefinity & crossfire works too.

[Chris_redfield]

ok thx, so if 5870six will have 6x DP active, I can buy 6x miniDP-> DVI adapters and will be work(I hope so)

From what I've read the mini-DP to DVI adaptors are a bit of hit and miss. You need an active one in order for it to work and these cost about £70 each and each one requires a USB port to power it so you will pretty much lose most of your USB connections from the back of youur rig. TBH it would only cost a little more to buy six of Dell Professional P2210H monitors and would be a lot less complicated in terms of wiring.

http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna...48&lid=1069637

The 5870 with six DP ports I wouldn't imagine to be cheap either. If you were looking at getting a big screen on a budget then a projector is your best bet. I'd look at the something like the Optoma HD66 which should be available in europe fairly soon. In the US its only $699 and its also capable of 3D

[Duniek]

From what I've read the mini-DP to DVI adaptors are a bit of hit and miss. You need an active one in order for it to work and these cost about £70 each and each one requires a USB port to power it so you will pretty much lose most of your USB connections from the back of youur rig. TBH it would only cost a little more to buy six of Dell Professional P2210H monitors and would be a lot less complicated in terms of wiring.

http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna...48&lid=1069637

The 5870 with six DP ports I wouldn't imagine to be cheap either. If you were looking at getting a big screen on a budget then a projector is your best bet. I'd look at the something like the Optoma HD66 which should be available in europe fairly soon. In the US its only $699 and its also capable of 3D

yes I know thats why i want to skip active DP adapter bcoz it cost 3/4 off one gpu card
so probably best buy will be for me 3x cards

3d projector is cool, but any way I will have 1920x1200 res max, with 6 lcd I will have wider sight area and res 5040x2100
(and cheaper will be get 6x used lcds than projector)

for now I want only run it display bezels/electrical wiring is not a problem for me
also mounting for 3 upper lcds will be my custom construction (bcoz dont want pay 10x more (200eur) for ONLY standoff

anyway I dont have all ahardware here yet, i hope stuff will arive here before 1st Febrary

[zanzabar]

all of the sample cards that ive seen pics of for the 6dp cards people were using dvi monitors with pasive adapters (no usb power connected to the adapter). i would just wait and see.

and are u trying for 2d or 3d, in 3d mode u cant use more than 1 cards ports xfire or not

[Duniek]

after all I decided to keep 3 lcds only (with 16:10 ratio screens) i have 48:10
with 6 I wll get 24:10 so almost the same as BIG TV (and I dont have bezels)

at all I will try to run 3x22 main + 2x19" sides so I will get 7600x1050 and 8:1 ratio (LOL)

easy to run it with radeon 5xxx + softTH
but I need to wait for dp @ dvi active adapter

for now I run it @ 6720x1050 res @ 4x22"

[kow_ciller]

Looks nice

[Duniek]

Looks nice

[demonkevy666]

wasn't there a an update to allow eyefinty on crossfire.

interestingly enough this feature was only added because vista and windows 7 don't do windows stretching anymore.
XP did do this maybe that's why people want to stay with XP >_>
there are some programs that do it but it's in window mode only which is kinda pointless if you want to push your gaming to it's limits.

right now I'm running a dual screen and only one screen has task the task bar. (vista 64 bit)

[Duniek]

with only DP @ VGA adapter + second GPU + SoftTH (so I spent extra cash for only this adapter - 18$)
8400x1050 @ dx9

main gpu is hd5770 so on this resolution i have 10 fps in menu and 3-4 fps in game so not even playable lol

[RoadconeTuning]

wow, thats completely retarded lol... my oc'd 5850 at 1000/1200 bogs down sometimes in dirt2 at 1680x1050

[Duniek]

wow, thats completely retarded lol... my oc'd 5850 at 1000/1200 bogs down sometimes in dirt2 at 1680x1050

IMPOSSIBLE

5040x1050 aax4 all details HIGH
26 fps @ 5770 radeon @ stock speed and 2gb ram single channel + e5200 @ 3,33ghz cpu

[Duniek]

8400x1050 movie

[Philwong]

I wonder how's the picture quality of those side TN panels infamous for poor viewing angles and color shift. The effect is pretty obvious in most of the shots.

Phil

[Duniek]

if you are @ center of the screens not problem with quality
there are samsung 226BW so angles is very very good

[Philwong]

if you are @ center of the screens not problem with quality
there are samsung 226BW so angles is very very good

Exactly. The key is viewing from the center of the screen. These TN panels have really low 160 degrees viewing angles.

Phil