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Dual monitors with SLI - Please advise

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AlphaNerd
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2012/02/23 08:57:18 (permalink)
I'm curious.... If a person has 2 monitors, One that is 27" and one that is 24" (and 2 different brands) - How would they hook up ? With one video card the answer is simple but what if they have SLI. Would both monitors go into the primary card or would each monitor go into input #1 of each card ?
 
Also, are there any special settings that would need to be done ? Please/Thank you


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    Kymera3
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    Re:Dual monitors with SLI - Please advise 2012/02/23 09:23:27 (permalink)
    You can plug the screens on the same card or on different cards it doesn't really matter. Apparently you get better performance when they are on separate cards, I've never tried this thought.

    I'm not sure what you mean by special settings but you just have to play with the resolutions that you want in windows options.
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    AlphaNerd
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    Re:Dual monitors with SLI - Please advise 2012/02/23 11:28:36 (permalink)
    Thank you so much for answering..... Simple and to the point - that is what EVGA is about. Thank you


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    xanderf
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    Re:Dual monitors with SLI - Please advise 2012/02/23 11:33:05 (permalink)
    Kymera3 Apparently you get better performance when they are on separate cards, I've never tried this thought.

     
    Do you have a source or link for more info on that?
     
    I'm running 2 monitors off of one card...well, because I always was.  When I added the second card in SLI, I just left the monitors on the first card.
     
    If there IS a performance improvement to be had by moving one of them...that'd be interesting...


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    Kymera3
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    Re:Dual monitors with SLI - Please advise 2012/02/23 11:37:51 (permalink)
    xanderf

    Kymera3 Apparently you get better performance when they are on separate cards, I've never tried this thought.


    Do you have a source or link for more info on that?

    I'm running 2 monitors off of one card...well, because I always was.  When I added the second card in SLI, I just left the monitors on the first card.

    If there IS a performance improvement to be had by moving one of them...that'd be interesting...


    TBH I think eNuQQ told me this, but now that I think about it, I think it was only to keep your cards like 2-3degrees cooler. I'll ask him see if he remembers
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    James_L
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    Re:Dual monitors with SLI - Please advise 2012/02/23 11:43:25 (permalink)
    xanderf

    Kymera3 Apparently you get better performance when they are on separate cards, I've never tried this thought.


    Do you have a source or link for more info on that?

    I'm running 2 monitors off of one card...well, because I always was.  When I added the second card in SLI, I just left the monitors on the first card.

    If there IS a performance improvement to be had by moving one of them...that'd be interesting...

     
    From what I understand by hooking up two monitors on one GPU is that the card won't downclock to the lower frequencies for the idle (non 3d rendering) state. This is what happens with my dual monitor hooked up to my single GPU. But by hooking up your second monitor to the additional card both will downclock appropriately to idle frequencies and lower the temperatures a bit. Not so sure about better performance but that would have to be done with some testing to see if that is the case. Also if you are using an extended desktop feature you won't be able to use one GPU per monitor as it renders from the primary and the secondary assists in that, unless you are using 3 monitors for surround.
     
    At least that is my understanding with this. Not having a card to test my dual monitor setup is a bit frustrating and I'm just going by what I have looked into with others doing similar things.

     

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    xanderf
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    Re:Dual monitors with SLI - Please advise 2012/02/23 12:00:28 (permalink)
    Hmmm.  Well, I've got 2 monitors and a few minutes, so...just swapped the cable for monitor #2 from GPU #1 to GPU #2.  Now instead of of monitor #1 and #2 on GPU #1 with nothing on GPU #2, I have monitor #1 on GPU #1 and monitor #2 on GPU #2.
     
    Before, I was seeing that GPU #1 (when it had both monitors on it) would not 'clock down to idle' when not running something 3d accelerated, but GPU #2 would.  Curiously, with one monitor on each card...now GPU #2 is the one that won't clock down, but GPU #1 *does*.  Odd.
     
    EDIT: Just ran 3dMark11.  Slight improvement in score for the new WHQL drivers.  First test was with both monitors on one card, and I got P9544, second test had a monitor on each card and the score was P9582.
    post edited by xanderf - 2012/02/23 13:07:41


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    James_L
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    Re:Dual monitors with SLI - Please advise 2012/02/23 12:53:27 (permalink)
    That's interesting to know. I wonder why your GPU2 isn't downclocking with just the one monitor on it. Could be something with the extended desktop considering it's a 2 monitor setup (like mine) but with dual GPUs. One of these days I'm going to have to get another card for SLI and test my thoughts out on this. Perhaps after I switch to the i7-2600k build when I can afford it.

     

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