multi-monitor connections and SLI

[BonzaiDuck]

By the looks of it in this (probably dated) NVidia link, you can only connect monitors to the master GPU in SLI.

http://www.nvidia.in/object/sli-technology-multimonitor-in.html

I'm trying to sort out some cabling alternatives. I could use a second HDMI port for one of my monitor connections, but the only one available is on the slave GPU.

Has the imperative changed? Or is it just impossible to use the slave GPU for additional monitor connections? If it isn't impossible, are there any drawbacks or shortcomings?

Obviously, push comes to shove -- there are converter cables that can use a spare DVI port, but I wanted to verify what I already understand about this. The more I look, the more likely is it that you can only connect monitors to the master card.

 

[96Firebird]

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/surround/system-requirements

What cards and monitors are you trying to hook up?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/surround/system-requirements

What cards and monitors are you trying to hook up?

Hanns-G HD monitor with DVI, HDMI and VGA port options; ONkyo AVR receiver with LG HDTV. 2x GTX 970's in SLI for one machine. A GTX 780 in the other.

I'm trying to sort out some hardware changes I'll want to make, even for keeping an (old?) Hanns-G HD monitor. Most of the multi-monitor enthusiasts want "surround" with a three-monitor setup. I, instead, have now my two best machines providing either "HTPC" duty or "HT-enabled" functionality. These are in no way "dedicated" HTPC's: they are HT-enabled. the HT function is such a low-level background process that I can play a game on the desktop while the TV continues to display.

Right now, the only thing that makes these systems HDCP compliant is the AVR/HDTV to which they're both connected. That shortcoming derives from my continued use of a 20-year-old Belkin Omni-View PS/2 4-port KVM. All the monitor connections are VGA-analog with the DVI-converter plug at the graphics card port. I can get the Hanns-G HD 1920x1080 resolution, but I'm not sure it's a good idea to open Media Center and view it on the desktop monitor. The systems themselves are determined by WMC to be HDCP compliant, but I'm not sure what happens playing protected content on the Hanns-G with the analog VGA connection.

Since it's been (more than) 20 years on these Belkin boxes, I've decided to replace the one in use with a 4-port, HDCP-compliant USB/DVI-digital-only KVM. I've been putting it off too long.

An alternative to that would be using a 3rd pre-HD LCD monitor with my server box, and connecting HDMI outputs to an HDMI switcher like the Sewell bi-directional "IBIS". the IBIS costs about $25. I could also buy DVI-to-HDMI cables to work with the IBIS.

I worry for even nickel-and-dime prices that there will be some problem of something like the HDMI switcher failing to "remember" a non-active connection. I think I'm more inclined to consider the switcher as a cabling alternative for the two HDMI connections to the HT (AVR/HDTV).

For the KVM replacement, I've got this in my sights:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-062-_-Product

Which is really a rebadged version of this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-180-_-Product

These products have been around since 2010, they have firmware updates and should be "mature" by now so any quirks or difficulties with Kybd, Mouse, the "power-off" auto-switching etc. will be corrected.