New to eyefinity, any reccomendations?

Spike

Diamond Member
Aug 27, 2001
6,770
1
81
Just got my 2 Dell U2412m's to go along with my gateway FPD2485 and holy crap, this is VERY nice. I'll get a third 2412m eventually so that they all match perfectly but for the time being I'm loving it.

That being said, what are the eyefinity secrets? And perfect games to really "wow" me? Any advice on the desktop? Is there a way for me to leave desktop on "extended" but then switch to eyefinity mode with some sort of hotkey right before I jump into a game? I ask because I want the start menu on my middle screen.

I'm driving these with a single 6970 for now but will add a second at some point down the road, probably around christmas time or whenever the 7 series comes out and I can get a deal on another 6970.

I just finished modern warfare 2 since thats the game I was in the middle of (steam sale) and it looked great once I did the widescreen fix. I'm going to fire up Deus Ex but since that game has pretty "meh" graphics anyway I don't expect much.

Thanks for any recommendations!!

PS - when I go with a second 6970 do I need the same brand (XFX) or can I grab any old 6970? I'm not overclocking the cards so I don't care about oc headroom, just want to make sure they are perfectly compatible.
 

Via

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2009
4,695
4
0
I'm still figuring it all out for myself (it is awesome), but definitely go to widescreengamingforums.

They have every fix for almost every game.

I just got Singularity to run in eyefinty at 5040x1080 by editing the registry, and it looks very impressive. I've never done that before.

I think GRID is probably the best optimized game for eyefinity that I've tried.
 

Spike

Diamond Member
Aug 27, 2001
6,770
1
81
I'm still figuring it all out for myself (it is awesome), but definitely go to widescreengamingforums.

They have every fix for almost every game.

I just got Singularity to run in eyefinty at 5040x1080 by editing the registry, and it looks very impressive. I've never done that before.

I think GRID is probably the best optimized game for eyefinity that I've tried.

Thanks for the info! I have a copy of dirt 2 I'm dying to try once my xbox 360 controller arrives that I bet will look great in eyefinity. I'll be doing a lot more widescreengaming forum surfing I'm sure...
 

kamikazekyle

Senior member
Feb 23, 2007
538
0
0
What was your framerate hit going from 1x to 3x monitors? I have three monitors I'm thinking about hooking back up for an eyefinity setup, though they're only 20"ers vice my current 24". I'm just worried about the framerate hit (i5-2500k @4.5, 2x6950s 1GB ver) before having to buy an adapter (I read you needed an active DP adapter?)
 

TakeNoPrisoners

Platinum Member
Jun 3, 2011
2,600
1
81
You can crossfire any 6970 with any brand of 6970. You can even crossfire with a 6950. Just remember the card that is faster will downclock to the card that is slower.
 

Spike

Diamond Member
Aug 27, 2001
6,770
1
81
You can crossfire any 6970 with any brand of 6970. You can even crossfire with a 6950. Just remember the card that is faster will downclock to the card that is slower.

Good to know. I'll probably space the cards apart for heat but most likely I'll get a sapphire since they are cheaper.

As for the frame rate hit I have not noticed one yet but all I have played is dirt 2 and MW 2, both of which my 6970 can handle no sweat. The test will be metro 2033 and BC 2, with those I assume I'll have to drop my details a fair bit.
 

Via

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2009
4,695
4
0
Metro wont run at 5040x1050 with my 5970. I'm assuming 1GB per card is not enough memory. I have to go one step down.

It runs around 40 fps - very playable at max. The only thing Ihave to turn down one level is AA.

Crysis can't be maxed either - it's too slow. I have to dial down various things, but it's still a mix between high and very high.

Eveyrthing else has been no sweat. Games like Aliens vs. Predator run great maxed.

Some games won't work with eyefinity no matter what you do. Mass Effect, for example, lets you select an eyefinity res but cuts off the top and bottom so you can't use the interface. Which is too bad - I'd love to play that game in eyefinity.
 

Spike

Diamond Member
Aug 27, 2001
6,770
1
81
Metro wont run at 5040x1050 with my 5970. I'm assuming 1GB per card is not enough memory. I have to go one step down.

It runs around 40 fps - very playable at max. The only thing Ihave to turn down one level is AA.

Crysis can't be maxed either - it's too slow. I have to dial down various things, but it's still a mix between high and very high.

Eveyrthing else has been no sweat. Games like Aliens vs. Predator run great maxed.

Some games won't work with eyefinity no matter what you do. Mass Effect, for example, lets you select an eyefinity res but cuts off the top and bottom so you can't use the interface. Which is too bad - I'd love to play that game in eyefinity.

Thats lame, I was going to try mass effect 1 and 2 with it. I wonder if the 6970 can handle the metro res a little better due to the extra ram? Guess I'll have to find out...

Do you run your setup in eyefinity all the time or when your at desktop do you leave it as "extended desktop"? I ask because I want my start menu on the middle screen but I'm unsure how to do that while maintaining an eyefinity setting.
 

Spikesoldier

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 2001
6,766
0
0
You can crossfire any 6970 with any brand of 6970. You can even crossfire with a 6950. Just remember the card that is faster will downclock to the card that is slower.

not entirely true. you can set independent clock and dram speeds for each card in CF.
 

Via

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2009
4,695
4
0
I've just been leaving in eyefinity mode.

I haven't figured out if you can move everything to the center screen.
 

NoQuarter

Golden Member
Jan 1, 2001
1,006
0
76
You can crossfire any 6970 with any brand of 6970. You can even crossfire with a 6950. Just remember the card that is faster will downclock to the card that is slower.

The downclock is an nVidia SLI limitation actually, Crossfire can run cards at independent clocks. There's a bench on xbitlabs of 5750+5750, 5750+5770, and 5770+5770 and the mixed setup benches between the 2 where you'd expect. I think you would encounter microstuttering more often in a set up like that though, but I don't know first hand.
 
Last edited:

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
34,890
1
0
alienbabeltech.com
The downclock is an nVidia SLI limitation actually, Crossfire can run cards at independent clocks. There's a bench on xbitlabs of 5750+5750, 5750+5770, and 5770+5770 and the mixed setup benches between the 2 where you'd expect. I think you would encounter microstuttering more often in a set up like that though, but I don't know first hand.
Nope.

Nvidia cards can set clocks asynchronously in SLI also. SLI's limitation is that you cannot mix and match. No GTX 590+GTX 580 nor GTX 570+GTX580.

And i don't notice MS more often in a CF-X setup with mixed Radeons; i know how to minimize it.
:whiste:

i run 5760x1080 Eyefinity and Surround and 3D Vision Surround
- racing games like DiRT 3 and flying games like H.A.W.X. 2 are especially immersive over three panels. Also games like Dragon Age 2 which can even be played in 5x1 Eyefinity.
 
Last edited:

Spike

Diamond Member
Aug 27, 2001
6,770
1
81
Nope.

Nvidia cards can set clocks asynchronously in SLI also. SLI's limitation is that you cannot mix and match. No GTX 590+GTX 580 nor GTX 570+GTX580.

And i don't notice MS more often in a CF-X setup with mixed Radeons; i know how to minimize it.
:whiste:

i run 5760x1080 Eyefinity and Surround and 3D Vision Surround
- racing games like DiRT 3 and flying games like H.A.W.X. 2 are especially immersive over three panels. Also games like Dragon Age 2 which can even be played in 5x1 Eyefinity.

I'm planning on going for another 6970, would that minimize MS or would I need to do some tweaks? I really don't want any stuttering at all... maybe I should just go with a dual gpu card?
 

Spike

Diamond Member
Aug 27, 2001
6,770
1
81
Another Q... just played some of the new Deus Ex and noticed that it, like MW2, had "stretching" in the side screens. As in the world is stretched when in those screens and it gets more so the farther to the extreme edges it is, is that normal? I did not notice this in dirt 2 but definitely in both FPS games. Is that supposed to mimic peripheral vision? Or is that a glitch?
 

NoQuarter

Golden Member
Jan 1, 2001
1,006
0
76
Another Q... just played some of the new Deus Ex and noticed that it, like MW2, had "stretching" in the side screens. As in the world is stretched when in those screens and it gets more so the farther to the extreme edges it is, is that normal? I did not notice this in dirt 2 but definitely in both FPS games. Is that supposed to mimic peripheral vision? Or is that a glitch?

It's normal. It's pretty much the same idea as when you flatten out a globe to make a map, the further from the focal point you are the more skewed it becomes because you are flattening a 3d world to a 2d plane. At normal aspect ratios your field of view is narrow enough to not see so much distortion, but it is still there.
 
Last edited:

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
34,890
1
0
alienbabeltech.com
I'm planning on going for another 6970, would that minimize MS or would I need to do some tweaks? I really don't want any stuttering at all... maybe I should just go with a dual gpu card?
Are you adding a second or a third HD 6970? CrossFire-X3 (TriFire) tends to reduce MS mostly because you now have more powerful graphics
:whiste:

What suggestions do you have to minimize it?
Never run your games so that they strain your graphics cards; back on of the demanding settings and watch MS vanish.
 
Last edited:

Spike

Diamond Member
Aug 27, 2001
6,770
1
81
Are you adding a second or a third HD 6970? CrossFire-X3 (TriFire) tends to reduce MS mostly because you now have more powerful graphics
:whiste:

Never run your games so that they strain your graphics cards; back on of the demanding settings and watch MS vanish.

I'll be going for a second 6970, can't afford 3. Sounds like I'll just have to watch my settings which is fine by me. Thanks!
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
34,890
1
0
alienbabeltech.com
I'll be going for a second 6970, can't afford 3. Sounds like I'll just have to watch my settings which is fine by me. Thanks!
That is mostly true. However, if you are one of those that notice it and fixate on issues instead of enjoying the game, it can be annoying. Sometimes MS just shows up in certain games and with certain engines and i tend to blame the drivers as occasionally a later release will ameliorate it if it is a newer game.

For me, the advantages of being able to play a game that already runs well on a single HD 6970 (for example) and being able to increase the detail setting and perhaps the resolution with the same fluidity by adding another is what makes multi-GPU worthwhile for me.

It is not necessarily worthwhile to take a lower end card that struggles in your games and settings and try to make it do the work of a high end one by adding a second. That is why i think there is a lot of variability in the reports about user satisfaction with multi-GPU.

And if you are going to link two cards that have really dissimilar clocks, you are doing yourself a disservice anyway.