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Windows Pc Gamers.. simple questions about multiple monitors. Why use them?

Discussion in 'Gaming' started by LightingBird, 4 Dec 2011.

  1. lilgoth89

    lilgoth89 Captin Calliope

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    for suppreme commander ( yes i still play it, and yes my i5 760@ 3.8 still slows down when i take on the AI ) a second monitor allows you to have the entire minimap displayed on one screen, which is SO usefull...the amount of times ive seen a massive assult wave / wtfuberpwnagevehicleofdeath approching my base while im busy building something important is silly. it gives you such an advantage
    not tried eyefinity yet, but i think the bezles would annoy me ALOT
     
  2. adzc1987

    adzc1987 Minimodder

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    I have 2 screens (22" wide and a 17" 4:3) some of my uses -

    * Playing MMOs you can put a guide open on one page or videos or just whatever, if you can run the game windowed ofc, full screen it can become a pain alt-tabbing.

    * VOIP/Chat programs, i have my TS on my second monitor (I play EVE online and we all hang around on TS) to see who is around etc, also MSN skype steam friends etc.

    *One screen playing a video to entertain my son (2yrs) and the other to do work on XD

    *Sometimes on eve i run 2 clients, one client per screen.

    *Winamp, so that even in a full screen game i can use my keyboard (built in keys) or the hotkeys fro winamp to browse songs etc.

    *Windows gadgets, the CPU monitor just for the sake of it lol!

    Some other apps i just generally keep on the second screen.

    Ofc with 2 different size monitors i have never stretched a game, im not that interested in that tbh.
     
  3. Edwards

    Edwards Minimodder

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    I've got a 23" main screen and a 22" screen next to it in portrait mode.

    The second screen usually has teamspeak open on it as well as windows gadgets, and I'll often have a browser window open on the screen with either guides for a game I'm playing (LoL builds, generally) or video feeds (football or esports).
     
  4. mucgoo

    mucgoo Minimodder

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    If you want to run three screens at satisfactory settings you'll need to build a tower PC at a minimum budget of about £800 + get three monitors so another £500 there.
     
  5. Sloth

    Sloth #yolo #swag

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    This is how I use my second screen, very nifty at keeping you from having to alt-tab all of the time. Even thinking about getting a third so I can have a browser fullscreen in one and Steam/Skype/Misc. open on the other.
     
  6. LightingBird

    LightingBird Minimodder

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    Stubborn?

    Please understand this. My card maker says it can work, so I should assume that's a lie? I have watched numerous videos on youtube with people using the exact same card playing games like COD3 with eyefinity on 3 monitors. I really don't understand why you think it would not work. You even say that it would be utterly incapable of doing this despite the manufacturer saying it can do it and the videos of people who have this setup working already. Am I missing something? Then again, I still come across people who say my laptop can't run some of the recent major releases on max settings, despite me doing it everyday. :)

    Again, not arguing, just trying to understand your thinking after all the information I gave you. Either way, I'm not set on trying this yet but the idea looks good and all of the videos I've seen look like a lot of fun. This post also has given me a lot of ideas of why this would be a good idea. Oh yea, the adapter Id get a Matrox TripleHead2Go. It will allow up to six monitors to be hooked up to a desktop or laptop. Not sure why you said this was an issue, when I had already said, I'd have to get an adapter. :confused:.........:)

    Ha its cool, I know you mean no harm. I fully expect to not be able to max out settings in all the games I play but based on what I have seen, I still should be able to have most of them on high to medium high.
     
  7. Marvin-HHGTTG

    Marvin-HHGTTG CTRL + SHIFT + ESC

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    Ok, I'll leave with one last piece of information: a Kit-Guru review of eyefinity on a 5770 (which is basically what the 5870M is based on, although the 5870M has much lower clockspeeds (700MHz vs 850MHz of this 5770). When playing through the games on high, frame rates were only at an average of ~30 fps, and often dipped lower, so you'd have to sacrifice your maxed out playing to medium settings on these games (none of which are exactly taxing either - MW2, Dirt 2, FarCry 2, RE5, L4D2) - and you'll struggle with more demanding games like Crysis, BF3, DoW II etc.

    KitGuru
     
  8. Tangster

    Tangster Butt-kicking for goodness!

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    Understatement. If you're going to try and play BF3 or Metro on triplescreens with a 5870M with the settings at high/medium high, you'll more likely than not have a very nice looking slideshow.
     
  9. LightingBird

    LightingBird Minimodder

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    Might want to read my whole post. :)

    Never-mind, I'll just say it again. :) I've seen videos of people with the same card running it with no problems with three screens. Now in all fairness, I don't know what resolution they were on or their exact settings but it looked good and fluid. Either way, success or failure, if I decide to try this, I'll mention the results in this thread.

    Thanks for watching out though and good info in this thread.
     
  10. Marvin-HHGTTG

    Marvin-HHGTTG CTRL + SHIFT + ESC

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    No-one ever said that it flat out won't work, just that it just isn't worth it.

    Also, they may well have been running 5770 or 5870M crossfire.
     
  11. Tangster

    Tangster Butt-kicking for goodness!

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    I've just tried my system on crysis(overclocked GTX 460 1GB, Core 910MHz, Shader 1820MHz, Mem 2000MHz). I had to install the game, so no patches were applied.

    I get an average of 27FPS, low of 21FPS and high of 42FPS with all settings on High, except object detail which is on very high, resolution of 1920x1080 and 4xAA.

    That should give an idea of how much sheer GPU horsepower might be needed to game at triple eyefinity levels. A GTX 460 is ~1.5 to 2x faster than a Mobility 5870 in most games, at stock speeds.
     
  12. Bitemebad91

    Bitemebad91 What's a Dremel?

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    Would a single 6970 do it ?


    ----------------------------
    Intel Core i7 930 @ 3.8ghz | GeForce gtx 460 @ 800mhz | 6 gig corsair xms3 tripplechannel ddr3 @ 1600mhz | raven rv01 case | watercooled 360 rad 40c load temps | gigabyte ga-x58-USB3 mobo | Logitech G510 gaming keyboard | Logitech G700 gaming mouse | Razer Goliathus Extended Control Edition mousepad
     
  13. mucgoo

    mucgoo Minimodder

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  14. Bitemebad91

    Bitemebad91 What's a Dremel?

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    Ok, thanks for the advice I appreciate it :)


    ----------------------------
    Intel Core i7 930 @ 3.8ghz | GeForce gtx 460 @ 800mhz | 6 gig corsair xms3 tripplechannel ddr3 @ 1600mhz | raven rv01 case | watercooled 360 rad 40c load temps | gigabyte ga-x58-USB3 mobo | Logitech G510 gaming keyboard | Logitech G700 gaming mouse | Razer Goliathus Extended Control Edition mousepad
     
  15. uerseya

    uerseya Covered in rock wool

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    Multi-monitors rock as long as you've got the hardware to run them, I've got 3x 24" monitors in portrait on NV surround and there isn't a game that doesn't benefit from it as long as you can get it to support a resolution of 3299x1920.

    The bezels get moaned at but you learn to ignore them, alike driving, you learn to ignore the A-pillars on your car.

    I wouldn't run huge monitors in landscape tho' as there is only so much on the horizontal plane your brain can process.

    If you haven't got NV Surround, then SoftTH works quite well and both the website for that and the Widescreen Gaming forum has lots of helpful info' on it.

    HTH

    Uerseya
     

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