How important is connection type in multi monitor gaming?

[FatalFlaw]

I'm building a new Haswell machine. I've looked at video cards but have decided to hold off on buying a new card until the next line comes out since the current line is around a year old already.

I'm currently using two monitors with only one of those used for gaming. I'd like to choose a card that will let me keep the option to use three monitors in an eyefinity or surround setup for gaming. Looking at the 7000 and 600 cards, almost all of them have at most two mini displayport connections, with the rest being an hdmi and/or one or two dvi. For eyfinity/surround, how important are the connections that are used? I've heard some things about tearing problems in eyefinity when using specific combinations of connections. Ideally I think I'd want a card with at least three mini or reg displayport. I saw one 7970 ghz (MSI lightning) card that had 4 mini displayport, but that was the only option.

When I'm choosing a from the next line that comes out, how much weight should I put on the available connections?

 

[Spike]

I can't answer all your questions but I have been running 3 monitors in eyefinity with both my 6970 and now my 7970. Initially I ran the setup connecting 2 monitors via DVI and one via DP (my monitors are native DP) and found that I was getting screen tearing in windows. I eventually purchased a passive DP -> DVI adapter and the screen tearing went away. I noticed this in games as well, now I only see tearing in games when vsync is not on.

With my new 7970 that has 2 DP, 1 HDMI, and 1 DVI I connect via the HDMI and DP using DVI adapters. I have not tested the new card using DP natively but with my setup I don't see any tearing at all.

I don't know anything about the nVidia cards, someone else will have to chime in there. I was still using dual monitors when I had my last card from them.

 

[FatalFlaw]

Thanks for the info on eyefinity. It's good to know that there doesn't seem to be tearing if use a displayport adapter. Reading up further on the adapter angle, a lot of people are saying it requires an active displayport adapter rather than passive, but that could be card dependent. If I remember correctly, it has something to do with how many timing clocks the card has for the connections. The active adapter acts as an extra clock for timing purposes.

On a side note, how happy are you with triple monitor gaming? In you opinion, does it improve the experience and is it worth the cost?

 

[Stuka87]

AMD states that all monitors need to use the same connection method or you will get issues due to changes in latency.

There are AMD cards that have 4 display ports. I know Sapphire makes some.

 

[FatalFlaw]

AMD states that all monitors need to use the same connection method or you will get issues due to changes in latency.

Given that, I'm really surprised that there aren't more cards with 3+ mini/displayport connections. Checking newegg, there's only a single 7970 ghz card with more than two mdp connections, and that's the MSI Lightning.

 

[Peter Nixeus]

Given that, I'm really surprised that there aren't more cards with 3+ mini/displayport connections. Checking newegg, there's only a single 7970 ghz card with more than two mdp connections, and that's the MSI Lightning.

Yes. All those DisplayPort connections can support 2560x1440 and higher video resolution. The MSI Lightning's DVI outputs are only single link DV and not dual link DVI (highest resolution support is 1920x1200).

 

[aigomorla]

Given that, I'm really surprised that there aren't more cards with 3+ mini/displayport connections. Checking newegg, there's only a single 7970 ghz card with more than two mdp connections, and that's the MSI Lightning.

because you normally run into a problem with gpu power when you try to run more then 2 monitors off 1 video card with gaming...

So typically gamers... who do run tri monitor setups... usually Xfire or SLI.
And this allows us 2 more connectors for 2 more monitors.... for a total of 4... and still have enough gpu power to handle up to 4.

 

[smithkt]

because you normally run into a problem with gpu power when you try to run more then 2 monitors off 1 video card with gaming...

So typically gamers... who do run tri monitor setups... usually Xfire or SLI.
And this allows us 2 more connectors for 2 more monitors.... for a total of 4... and still have enough gpu power to handle up to 4.

Perhaps I am wrong, but this is only true on the Nvidia I believe. On the AMD boards, the ports on the second card are not used in CrossfireX. Only the ports on the primary card are available.

 

[aigomorla]

Perhaps I am wrong, but this is only true on the Nvidia I believe. On the AMD boards, the ports on the second card are not used in CrossfireX. Only the ports on the primary card are available.

oh crap your right...
Yeah which is why u need a 6 display port primary card.

Cant u use a display hub for AMD's tho?

that guy. ^

 

[FatalFlaw]

Cant u use a display hub for AMD's tho?

that guy. ^

I've been hearing that MST hubs are coming, but I've never actually seen one for sale. Apparently Club 3D "makes" one, but I can't find it available anywhere.
http://www.club-3d.com/index.php/products/reader.en/product/mst-hub-1-3.html

 

[Final8ty]

Perhaps I am wrong, but this is only true on the Nvidia I believe. On the AMD boards, the ports on the second card are not used in CrossfireX. Only the ports on the primary card are available.

You are correct in CrossfireX only the ports on the primary card are available.

 

[Spike]

Thanks for the info on eyefinity. It's good to know that there doesn't seem to be tearing if use a displayport adapter. Reading up further on the adapter angle, a lot of people are saying it requires an active displayport adapter rather than passive, but that could be card dependent. If I remember correctly, it has something to do with how many timing clocks the card has for the connections. The active adapter acts as an extra clock for timing purposes.

On a side note, how happy are you with triple monitor gaming? In you opinion, does it improve the experience and is it worth the cost?

Sorry, missed this post. You need an active adapter if you want to run something higher than 1920x1200, or so I read. In my case I can happily report that my passive ($15) adapter works just fine for 1920x1200.

As for the experience I really enjoy it. It's totally a gimmick in that it's completely unneccesary to have in order to enjoy the game. However, when you have a game that can take advantage of it I really do enjoy the side screens. Obviously racing and FPS games benefit the most, RTS is almost worse depending on the game (for those I go back to a single 24"). I also do some work at home on this pc so I benefit from having triple screens to play with however that performance improvement probably does not justify the rather steep initial cost. In my case the Dell U2412M's made sense since I could get them for under $300 each and I had been debating an ultra sharp 27" which would have cost the same. Some will debate the benefits over a single, larger LCD vs 3 but for me the 3 is fun and I think it's worth it.

Now I just need to convince the wife I need 3 27" LCDs....

 

[Spike]

oh crap your right...
Yeah which is why u need a 6 display port primary card.

Cant u use a display hub for AMD's tho?

that guy. ^

You can use that with a typical AMD card, right? I thought I remember reading my 6970 could power up to 6 monitors if you used both DVI's (DVI/HDMI) and then ran 2 splitters from the remaining 2 mini DP connectors, was that true? I've only ever run 4 monitors at a time.