Video Cards Questions for Flight Sim/HTPC Application

[Caveman]

Per subject... I'm building a new rig in a few months and have some questions:

1a) "Video" Cables - The PC will sit in a "large" media closet (1/2 of which is a "cockpit"). I want to port the video as an input to a Denon Rx (w/ video switching) to a 720P projector. I also want to port the video (simultaneosly) to a large (27-30") monitor or 32" TV. Do most cards by NV and ATI have 2 HDMI outs?

1b) Can I output 2 different resolutions at the same time from the video card?

1c) Does outputting 2 video signals basically cut the rendering time in half? What about if I run the same resolution to both video output devices? I'd assume this doesn't cut performance since it's the same signal just being directed down to different cables?

2) Sound via video cards: I'm planning to have a dedicated sound card. Assumption is I can port sound from the dedicated card over to the video cards (how???) and then out on the HDMI to the Rx, yes?

 

[Caveman]

bump.

 

[Zap]

No need to bump, dude. Few replies because forums are pretty dead. Most people are spending time offline with family.

Some answers.

1a) No. Most will have 1xDVI along with either HDMI or a second DVI. You can adapt DVI to HDMI. Some also have DisplayPort.

1b) Yes.

1c) Not sure what you are asking. If the two displays do different things, if you are gaming then performance will drop because you are outputting more pixels. I guess performance stays the same if both display the same thing (clone mode) but both have to be the same resolution.

2) Some older Nvidia cards allow SPDIF inputs from headers and uses that as the HDMI audio. Current generation cards all have built-in sound cards. What do you hope to accomplish with a dedicated sound card that you can't with the sound card built in to the graphics card? Since you are running a receiver you should be able to use coaxial or optical SPDIF from the dedicated sound card to the receiver. That's a second cable to run, but I'm not sure there's another way to do this.