Graphics card(s) for 3 monitors?

[jhammer569]

I'm rebuilding a comp from scratch, last one was done 5 yrs ago so I'm catching up on the latest & greatest. Already narrowed in on an Intel Q9550 (MAYBE a Q9400, but probably not) as my CPU. Now I'm looking at GPU. This should last me at least another 5 years, I don't upgrade often since my usage isn't complicated or require it.

Currently I have an ATI 7500 Radeon w/ 1-CRT analog + 1 Dell 2001FP DVI. Also have an ATI 8500DV a-i-w with my center Dell 2001FP DVI hooked up to it. The 8500dv is starting to go on the fritz (gibberish during bootup before windows even kicks in, etc.).

*I like the AIW though because it has the dongle w/ all inputs on it (firewire, composite, S-video), so I can capture video from lots of sources. That's very important to me*

Usage across 3 monitors:
->Home video editing (transfer video via firewire and/or s-video and/or composite video) & some Photoshop
->I trade for a living, so need fast screen updates across my 3 flat-panel monitors (well, I have 2 2001FP dell's + 1 CRT. I'm going to replace the CRT w/ a 3rd 2007FP Dell or I may get a widescreen and put it in the middle of the other 2)
->Basic web surfing, watching some DVD's when bored, email, etc.
->Very few games, if at all

Budget:
->I'm big on "bang 4 the buck", but if there is a card for, let's say $200, but for $275 I get a lot more performance, I'll go w/ the $275. But if $500 only gets me 'some' more, I wouldn't splurge for just a little extra performance.

Questions given my above usage:
1. Any opinions on getting a single quad DVI-input card vs. 2 dual-DVI cards? From what I can tell, the quad would take up 2 spaces anyway so does it matter? Heat-wise? Performance-wise (i.e. Crossfire worth it instead of a single quad? etc.)?
2. Any recommendations or other things I should be considering here? Maybe your top 3 or 4 choices?

I'll check this post often and provide any clarification needed. Once I conquer the GPU, then along w/ my CPU I can figure out the MB to get, then the rest should be cake. Thanks!

 

[ss284]

If you pick up a motherboard, like the p45 with two pci-e slots for graphics, simply grab a pair of mid to low end cards. ATI multi monitor support works pretty decently in vista, at least with two monitors. A pair of radeon 3650s each with dual DVI should work out for you. They are more than enough for video editing. You can even get one 3650 and one 3450.

 

[jhammer569]

So are the higher-end cards really more geared to gamers? I mean, I guess if I've been fairly happy with my current setup, even a low-end card today is a ton better than the higher end cards 5 yrs ago when I bought the ATI 7500 + 8500dv for the 3 monitors....Btw, I'm not going to Vista yet (not stable enough for trading platforms I've heard) so it'll be XP Pro (either 32 or 64-bit, not sure yet, i'll ask in the OS forum though), so not sure if that changes your recommendations

 

[ss284]

The main change is that vista better handles 3D applications on more than one screen, but thats unimportant in your situation. Actually a pair of passively cooled 3450's with dual DVI would be perfect for you, especially if you want to upgrade to 4 monitors.

 

[jhammer569]

thanks. Would those allow me to capture video via: firewire (my vid camera), composite (my tv), and s-video? Do the ATI's come with adapters for that purpose (like my 8500DV a-i-w does), or are there cheap adapters I can buy for that purpose? Because I only see 2 DVI ports on the ATI cards so I don't know how I'd connect the above stuff...

 

[QuixoticOne]

Some ATI cards cards have full video in and video out support, but these are mostly older models like the all-in-wonder series et. al.


Many ATI and NVIDIA cards do at least S-Video output, but may lack composite / Svideo capture capability.

Unfortunately the AVIVO/VIVO acronyms are over used to mean different things, so look for explicit "Video In" and "Video Out" support in the specifications.

You just have to look at the specifications of a particular model to see if it has video out, video in, and if so what types -- usually S-VIDEO + Composite are both supported depending on the cable / adapter used.

Some ATI cards have a HDMI port that can go to HDMI HDTVs, but that replaces a DVI port in general.

Firewire input is not going to be on a video card, you'd need to get a motherboard with firewire input built in plus any needed case/input connector/bracket attachment to support it. You can also get various Firewire video capture interfaces for the PCI or PCIE bus to plug in a card slot in your PC. They're usually $19-$49 depending on where you go; often they're pretty over priced at most places.

The gaming cards are fine for general purpose use, the higher performance ones are more noisy due to fans, more consumptive of electrical power, and they generate more heat. Some take up more than two slot widths due to their fans / coolers, whereas lower end cards often fit well within a single slot.
The performance oriented ones often need an auxiliary PCIE 6-pin power connector too.

If you want composite and s-video capture input, I'd suggest looking at a distinct PCI, PCIE, or USB based video capture product / tuner card.
These are often available in the $19 to $50 range from a diversity of suppliers like circuit city, buy.com, newegg.com, tigerdirect, Frys, et. al. Hauppage products are one brand that might be worth a look.

 

[jhammer569]

Excellent advice, I should be able to pick something out now, thanks a lot.

 

[jhammer569]

ok, got it narrowed to either the ati 3450, 3650 or 3850:

3450 = $53 from sapphire. Passively cooled is the reason why I'm considering it
3650 = $50 after rebate from sapphire
3850 = $90 after rebate from HIS

Assuming price is not an issue. And knowing I'll need 2 of these cards.

Is there a clear winner? Is HIS reputable or is sapphire the safer bet?

Does passively cooled make a big difference (vs. having 2 cards, thus 2 extra fans)? I mean, are we talking a soft buzz, is it a big deal?

And I assume for my needs, all 3 will probably do just fine (see op for my usage). Tnx, this should finish it off for this component for me finally!

 

[Mwing]

Would EVGA UV+ work for you too? It is a USB-DVI interface, but max resolution is 1650x1050

 

[QuixoticOne]

NORMAL (active fan) coolers on a lot of cards are BIG and sometimes take up a lot of room and multiple slot spaces in the PC. Not so much so for the cards you mention, but for more powerful ones.

PASSIVE coolers tend to be EVEN BIGGER, they're often HUGE. Be sure they FIT in your case if you're going to try to cram 2 passive GPUs AND whatever other cards you may need like a firewire and a video capture card in there.

Also passive cooler cards tend to run HOT because the chips are sort of just barely even POSSIBLE to passively cool in a typical PC environment. Read the reviews and verify that a given card has actually done a good job with its cooler design and runs under reasonable temperatures especially if you're considering a passively cooled card. Silence is nice, but crashing overheating GPUs are not.

The upside is that your needs are pretty light AFAICT so at least in 2D mode it should run a lot cooler than if you were gaming....

Rebate limits are often 1/customer/address, so plan accordingly.

HIS Vs Sapphire... tough question. I'd read the reviews and see what people say about failure rates, support, warranty, rebate fulfillment, etc. I've heard worse things about Sapphire than HIS, but maybe that is due to HIS being smaller in market share, IDK. I've never bought either. I'd let the reviews and the warranty length be decisive factors if the card function is equivalent.

Fans .. some cards have very low cooling capacity due to a bad design and their fans can be much more noisy than other fans in the PC... Some cards are really pretty quiet running even with a fan cooler. It just depends on the model / design. Certainly for 2D multi-monitor use your fans will spend the most time spinning at their lowest speeds, so it shouldn't be that noisy for you. The Q9550 cooler can't be all that quiet under heavy load... then again maybe you'll rarely be under heavy load except when editing videos...

If your PC noise hasn't bothered you much before I doubt it'll change too much now especially with a good case and good positioning of the equipment et. al.

I'd probably go with a well reviewed active fan 3650 as a first prejudice, though I'd be willing to consider a passive with a stellar reputation. The 3850 probably would run hotter and be more noisy, though I'm guessing here, I've never had one or a 3650.

Originally posted by: jhammer569
ok, got it narrowed to either the ati 3450, 3650 or 3850:

3450 = $53 from sapphire. Passively cooled is the reason why I'm considering it
3650 = $50 after rebate from sapphire
3850 = $90 after rebate from HIS

Assuming price is not an issue. And knowing I'll need 2 of these cards.

Is there a clear winner? Is HIS reputable or is sapphire the safer bet?

Does passively cooled make a big difference (vs. having 2 cards, thus 2 extra fans)? I mean, are we talking a soft buzz, is it a big deal?

And I assume for my needs, all 3 will probably do just fine (see op for my usage). Tnx, this should finish it off for this component for me finally!

 

[jhammer569]

Another great reply summing it up perfectly. I've decided to go with 2 x 3650's.

I'll research them and find out which are the best performers with the quietest fans & coolest runtimes along w/ best manufacturers & warranties. Two of them crossfired should give me all the performance I could need given that I've been ok with my 5 year old GPU's up until now, so I'm sure I'll be very happy with anything I get these days. You've been a huge help!!!

("Would EVGA UV+ work for you too?" <--- Nah, I'll just go w/ the ATI's, tnx for the tip though)

 

[jhammer569]

Going with two of these after reading about ALL the other 3650's (diamond, msi, powercolor, asus, etc.):
SAPPHIRE 100237L Radeon HD 3650 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail