State of multi-monitor rigs

[lifeblood]

I will be buying a new ~= $250 GPU soon and I'm trying to decide the best setup (rig in sig). I play games but only on the 24" monitor. The second monitor will have a level map, my music player, or something like that on it. The second monitor is mainly for doing real work on, not gaming.

Does running multi-monitor still cause the GPU to run at 3d speeds all the time? Does the presence of a second screen result in lower FPS even if the game isn't displayed on it? Since the second monitor is not for gaming, should I get a second low end GPU to plug it into (my MB doesn't have an IGP)?

 

[moriz]

in order of your questions: yes, not really (slightly lower), only if you have one sitting around.

with all that said, currently the HD7850 seems to be the best $250 card. it should game perfectly fine at 1080p, and can drive the second monitor with no problems. however, keep in mind that modern radeons will flicker every time there's a change in memory clock speed if you have two monitors connected. seeing that you already have a 4830, you can use that to drive the second monitor if you wish. that will get rid of the flickering, and will allow your new card to idle properly.