Multiboxing and SLI

[defactoman]

I currently have a NVIDIA GTX 260 and want to upgrade my graphics. One option I was looking at was simply buying another GTX 260 and running it in SLI (my system supports this).

Does this work with running multiple windowed applications across 2 monitors (aka multiple wows)? I know it didn't use to, but I heard there might of been some driver changes since then and wanted to be sure before sinking 200 bucks into another card.

Basically, I run 1 window on my main monitor, and 4 windows on the 2nd monitor for the alts. I wish to duplicate this but running SLI. Hope it's possible and someones tried it heh.

[MiRai]

Multiboxing + SLI = Crap Performance

The best performance you could get is if only use the monitors attached to your primary display adapter. If you're running Windows XP then it'll be crap regardless running more than 1 monitor. If you're running Windows Vista or Windows 7, using more than one monitor attached to the primary display adapter is viable.

[Slimjim19]

Unless something changed recently, WoW doesnt really benefit from SLI in most situations.

[defactoman]

I'm running Windows 7, but sounds like I should probably just save up another month and get a 5870.

[Pocalypse]

I have dual GTX 260s on windows vista. The best performance I could get was disabled SLI, and connecting my two monitors to one graphics card.

I'm honestly not sure if the second 260 even does anything, I just enable SLI and use it if I'm playing other games.

[MiRai]

I have dual GTX 260s on windows vista. The best performance I could get was disabled SLI, and connecting my two monitors to one graphics card.

I'm honestly not sure if the second 260 even does anything, I just enable SLI and use it if I'm playing other games.
I'm pretty much in your boat. The only reason I have a second GPU is so I can run 4 total screens.

[Pocalypse]

I'm pretty much in your boat. The only reason I have a second GPU is so I can run 4 total screens.
Do you run WoW on 4 screens? Do you get decent framerates doing that?

I've been tempted to get a 3rd screen for a while now, but was under the impression boxing 3 screens on one computer isn't doable.

[MiRai]

Do you run WoW on 4 screens? Do you get decent framerates doing that?

I've been tempted to get a 3rd screen for a while now, but was under the impression boxing 3 screens on one computer isn't doable.
Using InnerSpace I can make separate game profiles to have the game instances know which video card to use. There is still a performance hit though. I like a nice crisp 60 FPS so I stick with just the 2 monitors which are hooked up to my primary display adapter. The other two screens are just used for IRC and any other miscellaneous tasks.

One thing I should throw out there though is I am currently using a shitty motherboard that isn't even capable of SLI. So my second PCIe slot is only x4. I haven't gotten a chance to fully test IS's capability with two cards running on x16 slots.

[EaTCarbS]

Once some time ago, I ran 2 9600gt in SLI and got +10 fps... so SLI isn't really worth it for multiboxing, or for wow in particular.

I still run 4 monitors for the real estate tho =)

[Pocalypse]

Using InnerSpace I can make separate game profiles to have the game instances know which video card to use. There is still a performance hit though. I like a nice crisp 60 FPS so I stick with just the 2 monitors which are hooked up to my primary display adapter. The other two screens are just used for IRC and any other miscellaneous tasks.
I see. I'm using Hotkeynet, so won't have the option of assigning an instance to a specific card. I assume this way you can't PIP too?

I'll just stick to my dual monitors for now.

[MiRai]

I still run 4 monitors for the real estate tho =)
At this point I almost find it difficult to work w/o 4 monitors. Love the real estate. :)


I see. I'm using Hotkeynet, so won't have the option of assigning an instance to a specific card. I assume this way you can't PIP too?

I'll just stick to my dual monitors for now.
You can definitely still use the PiP swap but because you'd be swapping from a monitor using the secondary GPU to a monitor using the primary GPU you get the performance hit. Again, I'd love to test this on a motherboard with two x16 slots. But, I have a feeling I'll be buying a 30" for my main screen soon enough and I can just jam all 5 instances onto that main screen nice and easily.

[Ualaa]

A 30.5" is a nice amount of real estate for 5 boxing.
And its more then decent for dvd's too.

[Zappy]

I took this screenshot last season that includes my full desktop on a 30" monitor (2560x1600)

http://www.garysdecks.com/WoW/1800.jpg

While you can definitely 5 box easily on it, you'll still want to PiP swap to do anything useful on your slaves.

[DrChaos]

I play 5 accounts on a single video card. I also use Windows XP Pro 64bit. I use the dual hdmi for my 2 monitors. I have 2 25inch I-Inc monitors and Ive never had a problem. I went and changed it to sli and it seemed not to be worth it. I went back to my original setup with one video card, 2 monitors, 5 accounts.

Today im setting up another comp to get some stress off my main comp video wise. New comp has windows 7 64bit on it. Should be fun. While I dont think I need to add another comp to my setup, I think in the end it will be worth it.

[eternaldrk]

Has anyone tried multi-boxing with a 2 or 3 monitor setup using a single 5970? Since those are essentially running SLI on the card, I was wondering if they experience the same performance issues other folks have had with 2 cards in SLI.

[Pycno]

eternaldrk, From my understanding you can disable the SLI on the card and get performance comparable to one single 5850, but I am not totally sure you can do this. For this reason my next gpu will probably be a 5870, I think it performs better then 5970 (in wow).

[Zappy]

I saw this in the latest nvidia drivers:

* Enhanced SLI support for Metro 2033, Supreme Commander 2, Unigine, and World of Warcraft

http://www.nvidia.com/object/win7_winvista_64bit_197.13_whql.html

I seriously doubt it will help performance when multiboxing though.

[eternaldrk]

pycno, thanks for the reply. I was really hoping to hear from someone who has tried using a 5970 for WoW multi-boxing. Since I play quite I few other games, I really want a card or cards that can give me excellent performance across 3 monitors for most anything I might want to play. I'm still stuck overseas for another 2 months so I have some time to wait it out.

[Pycno]

eternaldrk, Im in the same situation but Ill be grabbing a 5870 instead. I dont think the extra performance from dual gpu setups is worth the increased chance of something going wrong, there is less problems with single gpu setups.

[Igg]

Has anyone tried multi-boxing with a 2 or 3 monitor setup using a single 5970? Since those are essentially running SLI on the card, I was wondering if they experience the same performance issues other folks have had with 2 cards in SLI.
That won't work, you're better off getting 2 separate 5870 and power the individual display that way and use IS boxer to tell which display/GPU to run which instance you want, trust me, I have 2 gtx 285, 2 5870 sitting around and that's the only way it will work ;p

[WaffleFrie]

At this point I almost find it difficult to work w/o 4 monitors. Love the real estate. :)



i'm with you there man, i run a 3 screen setup at home(also running synergy with 3 pc's but could run them all on 1) and have a 5 screen setup here at work....i think the 5 setup is a little over kill...hold that thought STUPID PHONE CALLS... as they are lined up instead of stacked.makes it a royal pain in the ass to go from my "play screen" on the far left over 3 to my main work screen on the far right. think i need to do some convincing to le me do some "modding" on the supervisor desk :P

anyway, it IS possible to run mutiple instances of WoW on a single computer, you will take a hit in performance, the severity of the hit depends on how you set everything up, your hardware,software and instances. from my limited experience in the matter, SLI isn't good for multiboxing but it's definately better to run multiple cards if your using multiple screens.

*side note* HOW the hell do i turn off this stupid beeper?...and WHO USES BEEPERS ANYMORE?

[Tdog]

Just buy this, you'll have all the screen real estate you've ever wanted :P
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001305
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/ImageGallery.aspx?CurImage=24-001-305-S01&SCList=24-001-305-S01&S7ImageFlag=2&Item=N82E16824001305&Depa=0&WaterMark=0&Description=SAMSUNG%20820DXn%20Black%2082%22%20Lar ge%20Format%20Monitor)

[universal]

if it had some crazy resolution like 8000*4500 or alike, it would mean space. but with only full-hd it's no better then a 22'' full-hd monitor space wise ;)

[Pycno]

on the far left over 3 to my main work screen on the far right.
*side note* HOW the hell do i turn off this stupid beeper?...and WHO USES BEEPERS ANYMORE?

Set screen on the far left as "to the right of" screen on the far right, and screen on the far right as "to the left of" screen on your far left in Synergy. Then you can move mice from screen 1 to screen 3 without going through the middle screen at all :)