Trying to find the perfect graphics card for my needs

CummingsJ

Prominent
Aug 11, 2017
3
0
510
I have spent all day searching for a graphics card that would fit my needs. I am searching for a graphics card that has two DVI outputs, single expansion slot, and either 3 way SLI or Crossfire. I am hoping to purchase three of these graphics cards to support 6 monitors while keeping the price of the cards under 500 dollars.
 
Solution
If you want to go with an older card, a single HD 7870 of certain editions has 6x mini-DP on a single card that'll support 6x 4k monitors, just need adapters for mini to standard DP. Brand new from. Amazon or newegg is $370. In this case, you'd use AMD eyefinity which will split the desktops or combine to a single picture. From what I've read up on in the last few minutes, Eyefinity seems to work a whole lot better than any drivers from Nvidia. The downside is that it's an older card, and at 2Gb relatively wimpy when faced with modern gaming cards or high end production cards like the Quadro's. But if all you really need is desktop usage, photoshop etc and no real need for uber gpu power, it's plug-n-play in 1 bundle, no worries about...

CummingsJ

Prominent
Aug 11, 2017
3
0
510
I am planning on creating 6 independent monitors that act as one image or could be split up to show 6 separate images. I am wishing to build this to work on the Adobe Suite with an emphasis on photoshop and premiere. It was my understanding that in order to build this type of setup that has 6 monitors then I would have to use either SLI or Crossfire to construct a stable image. And on the monetary stand point, I want to keep the price under 500 dollars for all three cards, I am looking for the best combination of price and performance.
 

Karadjgne

Titan
Ambassador
Don't think you'll be looking at sli, that's for gtx1070 and up and thats not going to happen on a $500 budget. The rarity of current mid price amd cards due to crypto mining is going to shoot you down too. Which still leaves the Quadro cards as a viable solution, but that'll depend on your monitors. If you are using 1080p, I'd say a single Quadro p2000 could handle the whole thing easily, as it's got enough juice to power 4x 5k monitors separately via DP. Having 6x monitor 's would mean the use of MST, either daisy-chaining DP in/out capable monitors (upto 3x per DP) or via MST hub which basically creates an extended window across multiple monitors. Using 3x hubs on DP would get you your 6 monitors. Basically 3x sets of extended displays, or use 2x hubs across 3x displays, lower 3 and upper 3 etc.

The issue with sli/xfire is (to my knowledge) that the master gpu has all sli connections, the secondary cards are just additions, they'll only use their ports when used independently of the master, which kinda kills the point of the sli in the first place.

Quadro p2000 is $426. An MST DP is @$120. It's a little over budget, you could drop down to a p1000, but it's a much lesser card. With 4 DP per card, you could power 3x independently and 3x on a single DP extended.

If using higher than 1080p, looks like you'd need 2x p1000, not used sli, but independent, which would power upto 8 independent monitors, but those are 2Gb cards vrs the 5Gb of a single p2000. The p1000 is $330. Could even go further down the chain, a P600 is $180, so doable under budget, and will handle Photoshop etc without issue. Any 3d or Cad work might be a little pinched though.

The bonus with the Quadro's is the warranty. It's entirely possible that if a card develops issues, you'll either be on the phone with PNY and/or nvidia tech within minutes to solve the issue, or get a replacement within hours. A normal retail gtx could take a couple weeks for RMA.
 

CummingsJ

Prominent
Aug 11, 2017
3
0
510
Is it possible to install multiple Quadro GPUs with out connecting them and still be able to extend a picture over the 6 monitors before mentioned? Could I purchase 3 Single slot duel DVI GPUs and still be able to operate 6 monitors with none of them acting as a duplicate of another?
 

Karadjgne

Titan
Ambassador
If you want to go with an older card, a single HD 7870 of certain editions has 6x mini-DP on a single card that'll support 6x 4k monitors, just need adapters for mini to standard DP. Brand new from. Amazon or newegg is $370. In this case, you'd use AMD eyefinity which will split the desktops or combine to a single picture. From what I've read up on in the last few minutes, Eyefinity seems to work a whole lot better than any drivers from Nvidia. The downside is that it's an older card, and at 2Gb relatively wimpy when faced with modern gaming cards or high end production cards like the Quadro's. But if all you really need is desktop usage, photoshop etc and no real need for uber gpu power, it's plug-n-play in 1 bundle, no worries about sli/xfire tearing etc.
 
Solution