Can one 670 2gb power 3 monitors?

[Geosurface]

I've been hearing mixed things on this, most seem to say yes, but I've seen one person on these forums and some posts on other forums saying no.

Mind you I'm not talking eyefinity or whatever the hell, just 3 separate displays, 1 at 1200 and two at 1080. All at once.

Just want a definitive answer. Thanks

 

[chimaxi83]

It can do 4 displays, just like Shintai told you in your other thread.

 

[Geosurface]

It can do 4 displays, just like Shintai told you in your other thread.

Yes, and I was very appreciative of his input there and everyone else's. He seemed to know his shit on the matter and I was very inclined to take his word for it. Tried to PM him just to double-extra-verify but he wasn't around.

If you'll recall, one person did emphatically say "No!" in that thread. That, plus seeing some similar things at other sites were enough to make someone like me worry.

I do apologize for the multiple threads... but I just ordered the 670 and have been dicking around for a while trying to get a new card that meets my needs and isn't defective... sort of on edge re: video cards lately. I had to order 2 different mini-displayport adapters just to even come to a point where I learned the card I am returning wasn't fitting my needs.

I wanted to take one last opportunity to reassure myself with this thread while I could still cancel this latest order if needs be.

You would think number of supported displays would be one of the main things they'd have on newegg's technical specs area but I never saw it there... for any card.

I'm sure everything will be fine though and thanks for the reassurance.

 

[chimaxi83]

Kepler brought 4 screen/Nvidia Surround capability on a single card. Needed SLI for anything more than 2 displays before. Unless the specific vendor you buy from changed output configuration for whatever reason, the card should support your 3 screens just fine.

 

[UaVaj]

your description clearly states. you want to run in extended mode (a group of monitors running together independently). not in surround mode (all monitors running as one).

with a single nvidia gpu - you are limited to 2 monitor max in extended mode.
if you run in surround mode. then you get 3+1.

only way to run all three monitor in extended mode with a single gpu is to go amd.

 

[Geosurface]

see chimaxi83? This is why I'm concerned. Can you refute what UaVaj is saying? Shintai seemed to but... I'm worried.

 

[UaVaj]

for your piece of mind with pictures.

https://forums.geforce.com/default/...ulti-display-details-they-39-re-a-bit-vague-/

pay attention to Tyrdstorm posts. the extended mode jargon for nvidia is "activate all displays." also pay attention as to how the nvidia rep try to dances around the question.



was with the green team since the stone age. now with the red team.

 

[Geosurface]

Thank you.

I think I'll cancel my RMA of the 7950. I sort of figured out the sound issue with it anyway... so screw it.

Already cancelled my 670 order.

 

[UaVaj]

you should still RMA that 7950. if it is heating up and there is plenty of air flow. there is definitely something wrong with that one card.

 

[aaksheytalwar]

For gaming it can't even power 3 1680x1050 monitors.

 

[ShintaiDK]

your description clearly states. you want to run in extended mode (a group of monitors running together independently). not in surround mode (all monitors running as one).

with a single nvidia gpu - you are limited to 2 monitor max in extended mode.
if you run in surround mode. then you get 3+1.

only way to run all three monitor in extended mode with a single gpu is to go amd.

Honestly you should stop posting in threads you got no clue about D:

You keep posting utterly wrong information.

 

[JAG87]

From reading the thread, it says that only with SLI enabled you are limited to 2 monitors in extended mode or 3+1 in spanned surround. With a single GPU, you can do 4 separate displays in extended mode.

Seems pretty concise to me, UaVaj. Thanks for the wrong advice by the way.

 

[Leadbox]

Thank you.

I think I'll cancel my RMA of the 7950. I sort of figured out the sound issue with it anyway... so screw it.

Already cancelled my 670 order.

What's the fix for the sound issue, driver update?

 

[Geosurface]

What's the fix for the sound issue, driver update?

Uninstalling AMD sound drivers seemed to fix it, but it also broke Aero so I don't know if I can get everything cooperative at one time. Maybe.

Just called EVGA customer support, they say a 670 or 680 *can* run these 3 displays extended, on one card.

What I may do is order the 670, let it arrive, test it out, and only then send off the RMA of the 7950. I think I'd have time...

 

[UaVaj]

some of you are confusing "extended" with "surround/eye-infinity."

anyway picture says a thousand words.

 

[Geosurface]

some of you are confusing "extended" with "surround/eye-infinity."

anyway picture says a thousand words.

Which picture did you mean? I may have seen it when I was looking at that thread you linked but I don't suppose you can post it here?

 

[notty22]

I read a bunch of threads trying to get a answer to this. We know what it can do when gaming is involved. It gets confusing because Nvidia then talks of 3D gaming, which is what many of us think of as regular gaming, but they are referring to 3D (vision/glasses) mode. So then it seems 2D surround is normal gaming. Which can be spanned (surround) to 3 monitors and a 4th for your Windows desktop.

On normal Desktop work, you can span the desktop /extend across 3 monitors. Can't find anyone doing 4. This supposedly is as easy as using the windows 7 screen configuration. Choose which is primary and put in extended mode. Primary get's the taskbar.

BTW will the 670GTX handle all 3 displays as extended/independent?


Yes, as I mentioned in my post, the GTX will extend the desktop to all 3 displays, that is, I can move a window from the main monitor to either of the other two displays. I am trying to duplicate the desktop on my main monitor to the TV so they show exactly the same thing, as one would do in a presentation with a projector. This is possible if I don't use a third monitor.

I have been hoping that running 3 monitors would reach the stage, that we are all at now ,with being able to run 2 monitors. Almost anyone can get that configuration up and running. I think Nvidia has accomplished this, not needing adapters at least. But there is still a not of people talking/promoting/? the ability to do this.

So maybe there are hardware configurations out there, that cause hiccups and problems for the end user? I don't know.

 

[Geosurface]

Thank you all for these answers. I've ordered an EVGA 670 2gb.

I won't send the RMA'd 7950 until I have the 670 in hand and have verified it will do this.

EVGA customer support says it will.

I had a lot of good experience with my 570.

How does the 670 generally stack up to the 7950 in stuff like Far Cry 3 etc? Or just in general?

Is it stupid to leave my TV as a third display all the time? Is it using up memory even when the TV is turned off, to have it set that way?

Is there any way I could set up shortcuts on my desktop that immediately changed my sound output to the TV and then back to the PC speakers?

 

[ShintaiDK]

Is it stupid to leave my TV as a third display all the time? Is it using up memory even when the TV is turned off, to have it set that way?

It doesnt use memory.

 

[notty22]

Thank you all for these answers. I've ordered an EVGA 670 2gb.

I won't send the RMA'd 7950 until I have the 670 in hand and have verified it will do this.

EVGA customer support says it will.

I had a lot of good experience with my 570.

How does the 670 generally stack up to the 7950 in stuff like Far Cry 3 etc? Or just in general?

Is it stupid to leave my TV as a third display all the time? Is it using up memory even when the TV is turned off, to have it set that way?

Is there any way I could set up shortcuts on my desktop that immediately changed my sound output to the TV and then back to the PC speakers?

H] recently did a FC3 performance review and yesterday a Hitman Absolution review. Both AMD GE titles and Nvidia cards stacked up well. Hitman did not allow 8xMSAA @2560x1600 on either card. They mention the game engine uses all DX11 features.

Gameplay Summary


Hitman: Absolution is one of the most demanding games we have looked at in recent history. Not only is it demanding, it is visually stunning and impressive. Unfortunately we had a hardware issue with the PSU in the system when attempting to record SLI GTX 680 data, but we will revisit this and compare SLI GeForce GTX 680 and CrossFire AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition video cards. The PSU issue is ours and not an NVIDIA issue and will be corrected.
.............................
omitted
..............................
Image Quality


Hitman: Absolution is downright beautiful in every aspect. It is one of only a few games that is truly pushing our hardware. The Glacier 2 game engine supports all of the great DX11 features that we wanted to see. Global illumination, ambient occlusion, and tessellation that worked flawlessly on characters. We also felt that the aliasing went extremely well, despite our video cards not being able to play with 8X MSAA enabled at 2560x1600 on Crossfire AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition video cards. Being able to run 2X MSAA or 4X MSAA as well as FXAA made for an experience we liked as well. This ended up smoothing out nearly every edge in the game.

 

[aka1nas]

I went Radeon last time with a 6870 so I could do 3 monitors on one card (both for extended and surround/eyefinity).

I recently replaced it with a GTX 660 ti and it works fine in both surround and regular extended desktop modes with all 3 displays (I have 3x 24-inch panels).

 

[Geosurface]

Well it's settled once and for all, the 670 arrived last night and handles the 3 display (2 at 1080 1 at 1200) extended desktop just fine.

It also handles audio switching between PC output and TV output just fine.

Looks like it's time to ship off the 7950. Seemed like a good card in many ways, what is the general consensus among most people as to which is better?

I got this 670 btw:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130782