Multiple Monitor Pics...

[gorobei]

bullshit

the newer TN's IO have, have a pretty wide viewing angle w/o color distortion

by the time its noticable, its QUITE skewed where you would be stupid to want to view the screen at that angle anyways

for single monitor landscape it is ok, for portrait 3x1 it is not. you are head on for the center monitor, but the other 2 are going to be offset by at least a monitor width. So you will be at that "skewed angle" for the left and right monitors. And one will be at the inversion angle, the other at the contrast shift angle.

And angling the side monitors will break the camera viewing frustum in any fps game.

There is a reason why nearly every monitor oem no longer offers consumer TN panels with full rotate(landscape to portrait) mounts. It looks like crap. The only one left with a full mount is the dell p2311 and that's only because they are marketing it to the "professional" office document business users.

I check viewing angles of most every monitor every time I go to frys or microcenter, just to see where the state of the tech is. TN is ok for 3x1 landscape, but not 3x1 portrait.

 

[Anomaly1964]

So, WHO is running 3 monitors with Nvidia cards and how is it working for ya?

 

[digitaldurandal]

I am not diverting. 30"+ you need at least two cards imo,

You are diverting because you have changed your original argument now. Your original statement is that he should get a 580/6970/6950 for a 30 inch monitor.

Multiple cards are another monster. I already stated that I do believe crossfire or SLI are a good idea at the resolution.

Then you start to bring up sacrificing IQ which I have already shown and evidenced through source that by the time you have to lose IQ like going from 8x to 4x AA - in most circumstances you will have to also turn down your settings on a single 580 or 6970 also.

Sure there are a few instances of games that will cap out your vram - if you are running SSAA or at a minimum 8xMSAA. There are perhaps four games that can do it at this point. However the argument is moot because you are not going to be able to run those settings on a single card regardless.

Here is my challenge. Show me a game where he is going to hit the vram limit at 2560x1600 8xMSAA and all other settings enabled, but that a single 580 is going to cut the butter in terms of FPS for him.

In reference to your excel spreadsheet. Showing me some information on portrait mode 3x monitors does not really apply here. Nvidia drivers are not handling 3xportrait well at this time and that is the bottom line. The FPS drop from 5760x1200 to 3600x1920 is quite large showing a driver issue is the culprit here. If you want portrait surround go with ATi at this point.

 

[digitaldurandal]

So, WHO is running 3 monitors with Nvidia cards and how is it working for ya?

I am and it is working quite well.

 

[digitaldurandal]

TN is ok for 3x1 landscape, but not 3x1 portrait.

This is true 100% agree.

 

[Grooveriding]

You are diverting because you have changed your original argument now. Your original statement is that he should get a 580/6970/6950 for a 30 inch monitor.

Multiple cards are another monster. I already stated that I do believe crossfire or SLI are a good idea at the resolution.

Then you start to bring up sacrificing IQ which I have already shown and evidenced through source that by the time you have to lose IQ like going from 8x to 4x AA - in most circumstances you will have to also turn down your settings on a single 580 or 6970 also.

Sure there are a few instances of games that will cap out your vram - if you are running SSAA or at a minimum 8xMSAA. There are perhaps four games that can do it at this point. However the argument is moot because you are not going to be able to run those settings on a single card regardless.

Here is my challenge. Show me a game where he is going to hit the vram limit at 2560x1600 8xMSAA and all other settings enabled, but that a single 580 is going to cut the butter in terms of FPS for him.

In reference to your excel spreadsheet. Showing me some information on portrait mode 3x monitors does not really apply here. Nvidia drivers are not handling 3xportrait well at this time and that is the bottom line. The FPS drop from 5760x1200 to 3600x1920 is quite large showing a driver issue is the culprit here. If you want portrait surround go with ATi at this point.

It feels as if you are looking for a diversion. My original statement is that if he is buying a single card, he needs to go for a 580/6950/6970/480 to ensure he has enough VRAM. A quantification of my statement is that I also feel he needs at least two cards for such high resolutions, in tandem with a big memory pool.

Again, you are misinterpreting the information. First off I listed three games that only require 4XAA to choke up due to a lack of VRAM. Again if you are willing to sacrifice IQ or not use AA you can get away with running those games.

Here is more proof of a review recently linked here showing exactly this, in exactly the games I mentioned: http://benchmarkextreme.com/Articles/Radeon 5870 2GB/P5.html

You are shifting the goalposts with your challenges. Feel free to see games choking at only 4XAA and continue to not accept the facts. Whether or not one card with large VRAM onboard is enough or not is irrelevant. If you need two cards, they still both need upwards of 1.5GB. And if you insist on trying to run games with only one card, then the logical thing is to get a card suited to high resolution gaming with at least 1.5, and if you are using 3 monitors 2GB.

As far as writing off examples of this to nvidia's drivers, well that is just nonsense. Even the poster of that thread states it is a VRAM limitation.

Thank you for the discussion and I'm sorry you cannot accept the reality of VRAM limitations at very high resolutions. The examples I've given in this post are only 2560x1600, not even 3 monitor resolutions. So your assertions are plain false.

 

[mnewsham]

It feels as if you are looking for a diversion. My original statement is that if he is buying a single card, he needs to go for a 580/6950/6970/480 to ensure he has enough VRAM. A quantification of my statement is that I also feel he needs at least two cards for such high resolutions, in tandem with a big memory pool.

Again, you are misinterpreting the information. First off I listed three games that only require 4XAA to choke up due to a lack of VRAM. Again if you are willing to sacrifice IQ or not use AA you can get away with running those games.

Here is more proof of a review recently linked here showing exactly this, in exactly the games I mentioned: http://benchmarkextreme.com/Articles/Radeon 5870 2GB/P5.html

You are shifting the goalposts with your challenges. Feel free to see games choking at only 4XAA and continue to not accept the facts. Whether or not one card with large VRAM onboard is enough or not is irrelevant. If you need two cards, they still both need upwards of 1.5GB. And if you insist on trying to run games with only one card, then the logical thing is to get a card suited to high resolution gaming with at least 1.5, and if you are using 3 monitors 2GB.

As far as writing off examples of this to nvidia's drivers, well that is just nonsense. Even the poster of that thread states it is a VRAM limitation.

Thank you for the discussion and I'm sorry you cannot accept the reality of VRAM limitations at very high resolutions. The examples I've given in this post are only 2560x1600, not even 3 monitor resolutions. So your assertions are plain false.

NOt trying to start anything but looking at benchmarks for the 6950 2gb vs 1gb at 2560x1600 the difference is 1-2fps if that.

 

[Grooveriding]

NOt trying to start anything but looking at benchmarks for the 6950 2gb vs 1gb at 2560x1600 the difference is 1-2fps if that.

I hear you man. As I said for 2560x1600 it's only in the most intensive of games with 4XAA where you need the big VRAM buffer. 3 monitor resolutions are another story though.

My point was simply that you have to compromise on IQ/settings/AA to get playable non-chugging frames if you do not have adequate VRAM. Was just trying to debunk the FUD insistence that you can otherwise.

 

[mnewsham]

I hear you man. As I said for 2560x1600 it's only in the most intensive of games with 4XAA where you need the big VRAM buffer. 3 monitor resolutions are another story though.

My point was simply that you have to compromise on IQ/settings/AA to get playable non-chugging frames if you do not have adequate VRAM. Was just trying to debunk the FUD insistence that you can otherwise.

Gotcha thanks

 

[Idontcare]

I hear you man. As I said for 2560x1600 it's only in the most intensive of games with 4XAA where you need the big VRAM buffer. 3 monitor resolutions are another story though.

My point was simply that you have to compromise on IQ/settings/AA to get playable non-chugging frames if you do not have adequate VRAM. Was just trying to debunk the FUD insistence that you can otherwise.

You'll have to excuse my ignorance but I don't understand the debate over vram. Presumably it is 1GB/1.5GB/2GB and not 1MB/1.5MB/2MB for a reason, a damn good reason.

I know what happens to my rig if I try and run with 128MB instead of 4GB...is there actually a debate regarding what happens to the performance of GPU's if you don't have enough VRAM?

I must be missing something.

 

[Grooveriding]

You'll have to excuse my ignorance but I don't understand the debate over vram. Presumably it is 1GB/1.5GB/2GB and not 1MB/1.5MB/2MB for a reason, a damn good reason.

I know what happens to my rig if I try and run with 128MB instead of 4GB...is there actually a debate regarding what happens to the performance of GPU's if you don't have enough VRAM?

I must be missing something.

I hope we're not debating what actually happens when you run out of VRAM. It's the same principle as a windows desktop running out of RAM and the hard drive thrashing you experience, except in a 3D game the thrashing manifests as stuttering and brief freezes in game as textures are traded into the video card's memory.

We're having a difference of opinion as to under what circumstances it happens and to what video cards.

 

[gorobei]

so totally worth it.

not dying due to heavy coming around corner > single monitor 3d

 

[Zargon]

for single monitor landscape it is ok, for portrait 3x1 it is not. you are head on for the center monitor, but the other 2 are going to be offset by at least a monitor width. So you will be at that "skewed angle" for the left and right monitors. And one will be at the inversion angle, the other at the contrast shift angle.

And angling the side monitors will break the camera viewing frustum in any fps game.

There is a reason why nearly every monitor oem no longer offers consumer TN panels with full rotate(landscape to portrait) mounts. It looks like crap. The only one left with a full mount is the dell p2311 and that's only because they are marketing it to the "professional" office document business users.

I check viewing angles of most every monitor every time I go to frys or microcenter, just to see where the state of the tech is. TN is ok for 3x1 landscape, but not 3x1 portrait.

I angle so thats why I thought it looks fine

there are odd viewing width issues with alot of games still so I dont find it that noticeable(I dont really game in portrait as I had to jury rig everything to try it out at all)

 

[Anomaly1964]

Based on this image,

If you only had ONE 30" Dell, would you only see what is in the MIDDLE monitor, or would you see what is in all three, just more...compact?

 

[mnewsham]

Based on this image,

If you only had ONE 30" Dell, would you only see what is in the MIDDLE monitor, or would you see what is in all three, just more...compact?

All 3 more compact usually, you might see more or less depending on the resolution of the 3 monitors vs the 1 30" and how the game scales.

 

[RavenSEAL]

You'll have to excuse my ignorance but I don't understand the debate over vram. Presumably it is 1GB/1.5GB/2GB and not 1MB/1.5MB/2MB for a reason, a damn good reason.

I know what happens to my rig if I try and run with 128MB instead of 4GB...is there actually a debate regarding what happens to the performance of GPU's if you don't have enough VRAM?

I must be missing something.

Playing Metro2033 @ 2560 with less than 1.5GB vRAM will answer your question.

Or you can just click this link:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ATI/Radeon_HD_6870_CrossFire/13.html

 

[Headcase_Fargone]

So I take it buying two more of these for Eyefinity would be a bad idea? Even if I angle the two outlying monitors in a bit?

 

[BinBash]

You all have seen nothing about REAL widescreen gaming until you have seen this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t80uU7mR-0w

Did a hear Eyefinity? There you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgIoExNoarU

Product page can be found here:
www.crvd.com

But don't look at the price tag if you have a weak heart.

 

[Zargon]

All 3 more compact usually, you might see more or less depending on the resolution of the 3 monitors vs the 1 30" and how the game scales.

any native supporting games would scale the FOV so you see more vs the middle monitor stretched.. other games have utilities written to hack support in(black ops for example)

widescreengamingforum.com is the place to read about this stuff.

headcase: that would be fine as long as you dont run them portraity, IE tilt 90 so its tall instead of wide.

TNs have good horizontal viewing angles, the vertical angles are what suffer

You all have seen nothing about REAL widescreen gaming until you have seen this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t80uU7mR-0w

Did a hear Eyefinity? There you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgIoExNoarU

Product page can be found here:
www.crvd.com

But don't look at the price tag if you have a weak heart.

what a great cool looking POS. 6500 for 900 vertical lines of res?

 

[RavenSEAL]

Tweaktown didn't run a bench of the #1 FPS in PC gaming ATM...kinda lol...


BTW, why 3Dmark Vantage? That's so 2009.

 

[gorobei]

If you only had ONE 30" Dell, would you only see what is in the MIDDLE monitor, or would you see what is in all three, just more...compact?

Correct, in most fps games you will only see what is on the middle monitor no matter how big the monitor is(30" makes no difference).

So I take it buying two more of these for Eyefinity would be a bad idea? Even if I angle the two outlying monitors in a bit?

It's a TN so, it will be ok in landscape mode as I said above. The bigger issue with that acer is that it only has dvi and vga. If you haven't already bought 3 monitors, it is better for AMD eyefinity users to buy monitors that have native displayport inputs built into the monitor. Otherwise you will have to spend extra money on the active adapters. Bezel size is the other issue. That acer is business class so it has nice thin bezels, but most budget TN come with those massive glossy bezels and fixed mounts. My recommendation for multimonitor is still the dell u2311h eIPS whenever it goes on sale(native DP, full mount, better viewing angles).

 

[Lightflash]

If only that CRVD was a higher vertical resolution and I had just won the lottery would I plan on spending that much money on a single widescreen monitor like that. And I am working on buying my second Dell 30" monitor.