Tri-screen Setup. Need advice.

[Clanked]

As the title states, I am trying to create a three screen setup. Something like this:

[///////////]----------------------[///////////]
[///////////]----------------------[///////////]
[/////2/////][////////////////////][/////4/////]
[///////////][////////////////////][///////////]
[-----------][/////////1//////////][-----------]
[///////////][////////////////////][///////////]
[/////3/////][////////////////////][/////5/////]
[///////////]----------------------[///////////]
[///////////]----------------------[///////////]

I have read in this thread ('https://www.dual-boxing.com/forums/index.php?page=Thread&postID=137782') that mutiple GPU's cause a performance drop due to WoW only running on the primary video card.
A work around was stated involving switching the primary/secondary display every time you start wow up. I would like to avoid having to do that, every time I decide to close wow.
My plan was to use Vista with 2 ATI 4870 cards, the first one powering (1). The second card powering (2-5). Then I read about the fps drop when using multiple cards.

So. How would you go about achieving the above stated display using one computer ?

[pinotnoir]

Thats my setup. I use two pc's now but if your doing it all from one pc and you are in the market to buy a video card I would suggest the sapphire 4850x2 card. It has 4 DVI outs so you can run all your monitors with 1 card instead of buying two. The price when I purchased the card was $299. It may be cheaper now. I use to have 2 3870 cards running my 3 lcd's. When I upgraded to 2 pc's I have my left LCD running on my old pc with the 2 3870's in crossfire mode. The middle and right screen are run off my 4850x2. I have my fps capped at 50 and I am happy.

http://www.dual-boxing.com/forums/index.php?page=RGalleryImageWrapper&itemID=25&type=page

[Clanked]

Your setup is actually the one that I am hoping to emulate.

When you ran one PC with your two 3870 cards, did you run into the issues I stated above about using a secondary card?

You run two screens off a 4850, wouldn't an additional screen really hamper performance?

[pinotnoir]

Your setup is actually the one that I am hoping to emulate.

When you ran one PC with your two 3870 cards, did you run into the issues I stated above about using a secondary card?

You run two screens off a 4850, wouldn't an additional screen really hamper performance?

I had no problem running 2 lcd's off 1 card and 1 lcd off the other on one pc. What caused me upgrade to two pc's was the expansion. It required more power than BC. Right now I have two pc's. One runs 1 lcd the other runs 2 lcd. The 4850x2 has 4 DVI outs so you can run 4 LCD off 1 card. I would get that card instead of getting two. When you run other games on 1 LCD you can go in the ati panel and check crossfire so you have a 4850x2 crossfired for great fps game performance. Just make sure your case can fit the card. It's very long and my old case wouldnt fit it.

[not5150]

I just set up a Dell XPS with the Sapphire 4850x2 (quad-output). I'm running four screens at 1920X1080 each :)

When you get the card, go into the Catalyst Control Center and uncheck the enable Crossfire box. We spent freakin 30 minutes trying to troubleshoot why the card could only show two outputs. Turns out the Crossfire is enabled by default, DOH.

[Clanked]

I just set up a Dell XPS with the Sapphire 4850x2 (quad-output). I'm running four screens at 1920X1080 each :)

When you get the card, go into the Catalyst Control Center and uncheck the enable Crossfire box. We spent freakin 30 minutes trying to troubleshoot why the card could only show two outputs. Turns out the Crossfire is enabled by default, DOH.That is rather encouraging. What FPS are you getting?

[not5150]

Very playable... the computer is at work so I'll tell you tomorrow the exact FPS.

[Clanked]

Thanks, I would appreciate that.

I have been reading up all that I can on the card, and it looks to be exactly what I want.
Thanks for the advice. I think I'll be getting one (pending above FPS statements), now if it would only go on sale. :)

[not5150]

Here's how the four screens look.

http://blog.vpls.net/index.php/component/content/article/35-toys/59-four-monitors-one-graphics-card

Big LCD panels are so cheap these days. Our break room is full of monitors.

http://blog.vpls.net/index.php/component/content/article/35-toys/56-got-monitors

[not5150]

Couldn't start WoW at work today because the boss stayed there late (up til 1 am)

Will try again tomorrow

[Kaynin]

I'm thinking about it of going to this set up. But I'm a bit hung up with my laptop. Got a decent laptop able to quad-box and I love its mobility. Obviously a tri-screen set up is out of the question for it. :<

[Clanked]

Couldn't start WoW at work today because the boss stayed there late (up til 1 am)

Will try again tomorrowNo worries, I have a few months before I get home anyway.

[not5150]

Computer specs

Dell XPS 630I
Core 2 Duo E8400 3.00 GHZ
4 GB RAM
Vista 64-bit

On 3 monitors (main on center, two toons on each of the others), 100% pegged CPU, 20-25 FPS
On 2 monitors (main on right, four toons on left), cpu 75-80%, 45-50 FPS

Two WoWs running on SSD, three running on 7200 RPM HD
No tweaks done to registry for the SSD

With such high cpu usage, it's pretty obvious that the dual core cpu is the limiter.

[Clanked]

Alright, thats really good to hear.
Your monitors are higher res than mine (I'm going with 3x 1680x1050) and I'll be using an i7 920 w/ 12GB or RAM. I don't imagine my CPU being the bottleneck.
Thanks for the help guys.

[not5150]

Yeah, you'll be just fine with that set up.

[Bovidae]

Great ASCii engineering, love the mockup.

I originally set mine up exactly like that, but found that placing anything on my desk blocked the lowermost part of my screens. So I raised the verticle monitors so their bottoms were even with the center monitor. Just food for thought.

[-silencer-]

I had 3x 24" LCDs set up like this for 2 days for 5-boxing, then removed one monitor from the setup (it's now a full-time TV/PS3/2nd computer monitor) because it's just too much area to look around at. It's a lot easier to control characters when you don't have to move your vision too far to see certain characters, and having two characters on the left side of main with two characters on the right side was a lot more difficult than just having 4 smaller windows all on one monitor. Performance is much better too.

[not5150]

I had 3x 24" LCDs set up like this for 2 days for 5-boxing, then removed one monitor from the setup (it's now a full-time TV/PS3/2nd computer monitor) because it's just too much area to look around at. It's a lot easier to control characters when you don't have to move your vision too far to see certain characters, and having two characters on the left side of main with two characters on the right side was a lot more difficult than just having 4 smaller windows all on one monitor. Performance is much better too.To add to what silencer said... I five box on one monitor and prefer it to work's two/three monitor setup. The 1920X1024 size is more than adequate to show a big main window and 4 smaller ones.

At home I peg 60 fps on the main window.

You can keep the other screens for web pages and stock quotes :)

[pinotnoir]

My eyes are getting worse and I struggle to read text on my 3 LCD. If I had to read anything from tiny boxes on one screen I would cry. I love having large windows of my characters. More power to you guys who box with tiny windows. I couldnt do it.

[Clanked]

I tried doing the dual monitor thing with the team I had before I deployed.
I didn't like how small the 4 clones were.

On a side note, newegg took $10 off the 4850x2 so I went ahead and bought it today. Not much of a discount I know, but better than nothing.

[Clanked]

Great ASCii engineering, love the mockup.

I originally set mine up exactly like that, but found that placing anything on my desk blocked the lowermost part of my screens. So I raised the verticle monitors so their bottoms were even with the center monitor. Just food for thought.Hmm, I might have to.
I have two small dogs of the feline variety that love to sit in my lap or on the desk. They love attention.
Since my desk is custom made, I don't think it would mind if I screwed a shelf into it.

[-silencer-]

My eyes are getting worse and I struggle to read text on my 3 LCD. If I had to read anything from tiny boxes on one screen I would cry. I love having large windows of my characters. More power to you guys who box with tiny windows. I couldnt do it.
Scale UI ftw.