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Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions

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xxrabid93
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2012/12/16 19:46:20 (permalink)
Like the title says, i'm looking into a triple monitor setup for gaming (and productivity too i guess). Here's the deal. I'd go with 3 1920x1080 monitors (i may also run another 1920x1080 off to the side for monitoring stuff). Now, i am going to rebuild my desktop to run these. I have most of the parts still, i mainly need a new gpu (or two). So a few questions.
 
My cpu will be my trusty i7 920 @ 4ghz. Will that be adequate for triple monitor gaming?
Second, the issue of the gpu. I have a lot of EVGA bucks so that tends to push me towards Nvidia cards. I am looking at a gtx670 2gb potentially. How will that cope with a 5760x1080 resolution for gaming? I don't need every setting of every game maxed out, but i would still like the games to look good at that resolution. Most of the games i play are racing games, so Dirt 3 or Grid for instance, but i also play games like Just Cause 2, Crysis, TF2, Portal, some indie games (mostly games from Humble Bundles), and a few others.
 
So, what's everybody think?
#1

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    hondaboy20
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    Re:Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions 2012/12/17 01:52:34 (permalink)
    your 920 should handle ok and for the gpu if you can i would get the 670 4gb cards possibly two of them if you cant
    the 2gb card will still handle in surround just on lower settings   before i got my second 680 i was only using one for surround 5760x1080 and it was nice but just couldnt  turn up all the eye candy i wanted and im still limited by vram so 2gb is playable and nice but 4gb is more future prove proof 

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    #2
    altonsuny
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    Re:Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions 2012/12/17 02:43:50 (permalink)
    Nice post. I like it. Thanks for sharing these information. Keep it up.:)

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    #3
    xxrabid93
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    Re:Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions 2012/12/17 10:45:18 (permalink)
    hondaboy20

    your 920 should handle ok and for the gpu if you can i would get the 670 4gb cards possibly two of them if you cant
    the 2gb card will still handle in surround just on lower settings   before i got my second 680 i was only using one for surround 5760x1080 and it was nice but just couldnt  turn up all the eye candy i wanted and im still limited by vram so 2gb is playable and nice but 4gb is more future prove proof 


    Thanks for the reply. I'm curious about your mention of the 4gb card though. From Guru3D's review of a gtx680 (http://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/palit-geforce-gtx-680-4gb-jetstream-review,26.html), they mention the 4gb shows no noticeable improvement at 2560x1600 over the 2gb card.
     

    The 4GB -- Realistically there was not one game that we tested that could benefit from the two extra GB's of graphics memory. Even at 2560x1600 (which is a massive 4 Mpixels resolution) there was just no measurable difference.
    Now the setup could benefit from triple monitor setups at 5760x1080 (which is a 6 Mpixels resolution), but even there I doubt if 4 GB is really something you'd need to spend money on. It might make a difference at 16xAA and the most stringent games, or if you game in 3D Stereo and triple monitor gaming -- I mean sure -- at any point graphics memory can and will run out. There's one exception to the rule, and that's Skyrim all beefed, tweaked and modded upwards. But the universal question remains, is it worth it investing in that extra memor? This card is 90 EUR more expensive. Well that answer depends on pricing versus your demands and requriements really, the extra memory certainly won't hurt that's for sure, but sure -- the benefits remains small.

     
    Thoughts?
     
    Also the cheapest 4gb gtx670 on EVGA is $30 cheaper than the cheapest 2gb gtx680. Would i be better off with a 2gb 680 or 4gb 670? (Based on the review, it would seem the 2gb 680 would be better)
    #4
    hondaboy20
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    Re:Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions 2012/12/17 14:39:31 (permalink)
    i still say if you can go for the 670 4gb like i stated 2gb will work but 4gb will be future proof i know with my two 680's 5760x1080 on bf3 ultra just msaa off and i think hbao off or what ever its called i use 1.7-1.9 gb of vram so its all up to you so even with one card 2gb or 4gb you wont be able to max any settings out in surround 

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    ZelmoQuad
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    Re:Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions 2012/12/18 02:58:51 (permalink)
    I wouldn't advise anything less than a 4G for triple-screen setups based on games like BF3. Hondaboy20's numbers are good proof what you will run into. So its not so much future proof as it is now, depending on the game. Besides, who wants to buy new expensive cards and detune settings?

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    vwlichtenstein
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    Re:Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions 2012/12/31 14:09:00 (permalink)
    I run a 690 which has 2gb across three screens at 4320x2560 in potrait.  Lowering a few key settings in bf3 like aa and motion blur easily will fix the limited vram the 690 has without a noticable degradation in eye candy.   I am still able to keep everything on ultra and stay above 60fps.  If I had the option of choosing more vram I certantily would of went that route but the 690 is in my itx project so I didnt have many options. 
     
    The extra money it costs for a 4gb 670 is well worth it just so you're future proofed, and if the 580 3gb are any indication they will hold there value longer to.  With one 670 you may not even beable to max out your most of your games in surround and you really wont have vram issues with the 2gb670 until you sli and are able to turn the settings up.  




     
    #7
    TECH_DaveB
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    Re:Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions 2013/01/03 11:36:25 (permalink)
    AA and High res texture packs are what really kill VRAM.  Currently on my Samsung T260 (1920x1200) if I turn on DX11, turn up AA and the quality to ultra with High res texture pack in Crysis2, PrecisionX shows I'm using 2200-2500mb VRAM.  Metro was running right at the 2gb marker.
    So some engines, with all the eye candy can already bottom out the 2gb card.
    Now most games are using 800-1400 with all the quality features cranked up at 1080p.  So this just tells you that right now, 2gb depending on the setup is teetering on being adequate, so especially for surround, I STRONGLY recommend going  with 4gb card(s).  I did and I do not regret it.  Frankly in future generations, especially with the 1440p and 1600p monitors dropping in price and higher than that on the horizon, 4gb will be a necessity sooner rather than later.  That's my 2 cents at least.
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    lehpron
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    Re:Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions 2013/01/03 12:04:59 (permalink)
    xxrabid93
    guru3d 
    The 4GB -- Realistically there was not one game that we tested that could benefit from the two extra GB's of graphics memory. Even at 2560x1600 (which is a massive 4 Mpixels resolution) there was just no measurable difference. 
    I don't know why people always misinterpret the results of such tests.  They conclude that future games won't use more Vram at a certain resolution just because current ones don't.  That makes no sense because most of us get new games all the time, thus such results are quickly voided.   Such results are optimized for someone that doesn't have any of those games tested yet and wants to get into them; but most of us already have those games, so we'll all move on.
     
    I'm not confident enough to assume everyone is the same such that we'll all upgrade our expensive hardware often enough for when those games come (the active loud minority of the forums don't represent everyone), therefore it is easier for me to suggest someone plan ahead for what they don't know than to assume that unknown won't happen anytime soon, thus getting the higher VRam model is recommended for peace of mind.
    post edited by lehpron - 2013/01/03 12:10:00

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    larsoncc
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    Re:Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions 2013/01/03 13:51:20 (permalink)
    I definitely recommend Crossfire or SLI for triple monitor gaming. 
     
    I run 2 2GB 670s in SLI.  This is what was available at the time of my purchase (4GB hadn't been invented yet). I run at 6000x1080.  In Windows 8, I use Classic Shell and Winsplit revolution to make that big resolution work well.  I have no discernible need / want to upgrade at this time.  Crysis 3 may change my mind on that, we'll see.
     
    • I get 55-100fps in Battlefield 3, with SSAO and 2X MSAA and FXAA.  That's multiplayer, I mostly hang out in Canals and similar smaller maps.
    • Maxed out - Dirt 2 is so high as to never be an issue (60+ fps 'garaunteed' - enough for reliable vsync).
    • Maxed out - GRID is so high as to never be an issue.
    • Maxed out - Just Cause 2 is high enough to almost never be an issue (I can get some dips into the 50s).  Just Cause 2 is INSANE good in surround.
    • Maxed out w/ DX11 extras - Crysis 2 has issues - 35-50fps with everything cranked.  Most times it's 45+ but you have to turn down AA a bit to get rock solid
    • I have both Crysis and Crysis Warhead but haven't played them yet. 
    • TF2 is so high as to not be an issue. (max)
    • Portal 2 is so high as to not be an issue. (max)
    • Indie games can be problematic depending on the game.  Trine 2 for example can have odd looking rendering toward the edges because it wasn't 'really' designed for surround.  2D games don't magically do anything, they stretch or zoom in. 
    • Sonic Generations is so high as to not be an issue.  Needs a Widescreen Fixer program.
    • Skyrim (with 18 mods) runs pretty high but I need a widescreen fixer.  It's not 'meant' to run over 1080p.  But it looks great when you do!
    • Tribes: Ascend - broke as heck. 
    • Borderlands 2 - WOW, looks great, plays great, is great.
    • Diablo 3 - some parts of screen don't render or "pop in", it's the fault of the game - needs a widescreen fix, or to run in windowed mode.  Not really cool in super widescreen.  Acceptable framerate maxed out, haven't measured it.
    • Geometry Wars - busted in super widescreen.  Looks terrible.
    • Rayman Origins - broken rendering but framerate is fine.  We'll see if it gets a fix, but I play that in 1080p.
    • Batman: Arkham City - OK framerate, but haven't measured.  Above the city with quick panning I can get some framerate chugs, but I think that's the engine.  Everything maxed out looks acceptable.
    • Maxed out -Saints Row The Third - EDIT--  Had an issue, but I know what it is:  If you run PrecisionX with this game, it either runs terribly or won't start.  Either way, if I don't run PrecisionX, I can run Ultra just fine.
    Um - I probably have any other game you might be interested in.  Any other particular games you want to know about?
    post edited by larsoncc - 2013/01/04 04:51:26

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    dustinr26
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    Re:Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions 2013/01/29 20:38:09 (permalink)
    I game in 5760x1080 and you have to get 4gig vram cards its a must.

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    buggyruth
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    Re:Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions 2013/01/30 18:10:14 (permalink)
    Here is some benchmarks for the 2 670's with 3 Samsung 27" LED's  with 2 different resolutions. Just some info for you from my testing.
     




    post edited by buggyruth - 2013/01/30 18:21:19

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    dustinr26
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    Re:Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions 2013/01/30 20:13:11 (permalink)
    are those the samsung S27A350H monitor by chance? i have that model yours look just like it. you can see here..


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    buggyruth
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    Re:Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions 2013/01/31 02:37:32 (permalink)
    dustinr26

    are those the samsung S27A350H monitor by chance? i have that model yours look just like it. you can see here..


    Almost, S27B550V.
    You have a nice setup!!


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    boballee
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    Re:Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions 2013/01/31 08:41:20 (permalink)
    Just ran across this thread.  I just purchased two more monitors to run at 5760x1080.  I currently have 3 x 580SC.  I knew going in that I will run in to some issues and will have to drop some of my settings in some games.  As it is, with the texture pack and around 6 mods, there are some areas in Skyrim in which I'm close to maxing out my VRAM on one monitor.  But, for me, it made sense to get the monitors now and then upgrade my GPU's down the road.  It's more for productivity right now than gaming (but seeing all the pictures of triple monitor setups is pretty tempting and convincing!). 



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    dustinr26
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    Re:Looking into triple monitor setup and have some questions 2013/01/31 14:41:04 (permalink)
    buggyruth

    dustinr26

    are those the samsung S27A350H monitor by chance? i have that model yours look just like it. you can see here..


    Almost, S27B550V.
    You have a nice setup!!


    thank you so much! i just got done fixing wires a lil bit ago and posted older pic here you can see it looks lil cleaner under the (hood) desk now. i love gaming on 3 screens once you do its hard going back to just 1. 

     

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