Multiple PCI-E video plus 1 PCI video. Performance degredation?

[borra]

Hello everyone,

I have two PCI-E GeForce 6800 GT video cards, and one PCI GeForce 6200 in my system. I have an Intel Quad Core Q6600 Overclocked to 3GHz with 2Gig G.SKILL DDR2 800 RAM.

I am not running SLI, but running 5 monitors. Each PCI-E card is a dual DVI card, and the PCI is a single DVI. I wanted to know if I am limiting my performance by having that PCI card in my system. I don't know how windows will handle graphics. Is windows smart enough to use my PCI-E card to the max when I have a graphics intensive app which is being displayed on a monitor handled by the PCI-E card? Will windows limit all processing to the max speed of the slowest card aka the PCI card?

I am running XP Pro.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[groo]

6800GT?
were did you dig those dinosaurs up from? I'm looking to sell my 7900gs, and it looks like I might be getting $35 or less for it these days.

I don't know if there is a limit to the number of screen XP will use, but apart from that; I don't think you are hurting your performance apart from the limitation of sending so much graphical data through the stream.

 

[borra]

ROFL, yah that was a typo. I meant to say 8600 GT PCI-E card and 6200 PCI card.

Windows runs fine with the setup. I did notice that if my "primary display" is setup to a monitor on the PCI-E card that I seem to get faster graphics processing. I loaded up Crysis and when my primary display is on the PCI card, the auto-max video setting in Crysis will go to low. When I switch the primary display to a PCI-E monitor, the autodetect video setting goes to medium. I tried to run Crysis in the low setting with the lowest resolution of 800x600 in windowed mode on a PCI-E monitor and it seems like I am getting about 5FPS. The game is unplayable, and the cut scenes are unviewable.

I heard that game was a beast. I figured the game and scenes would be slow, but not that bad. I figured it was something to do with the slow PCI card in my system. I will have to do a benchmark with the card inserted and without some time.