3-4 DVI outs?

[stanglover37]

So I am wanting to run at least 2 monitors, maybe 3, and have a plasma hooked up to my computer. The only card I have found is a saphire 2 gpu card with 4 DVI outs. Is anyone aware of other cards with higher performance that have 4 dvi outs?

My other question is if I can run all these monitors with 2 cards in cross fire, that way I can just get regular cards with 2 DVI outs each.

Opinions?

 

[rewindlabs]

Are you wanting to game? you do know you are going to have to get a card strong enough to push the res of your high res plasma...and if your monitors are high res...

 

[stanglover37]

Yea, I know. The gaming screen is 1920 x 1200. Honestly I don't game at all anymore, but want the ability to. Waiting for SC2 and D3.... But I am an engineering student and do work with solidworks a lot.

Card I was looking at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102809

 

[daedalus685]

Ok, first of all, be aware that the only card I know for sure that has 4 dvi outs is a 4850X2 from sapphire. Please note that in order to use all 4 (in fact more than two) you have to have internal crossfire turned off. Thus you only get the performance of one 4850.

I am pretty sure there are no cards that support more than 2 outputs. I also know that vista cant support span settings, certainly not for gaming.

IMO, your best bet would be to get the most powerful card you are willing to pay for for your primary 2 displays and a cheep-o card for the rest. (in vista both cards would ahve to be the same driver release, you also would need open slots on the MB)

If you don't have room on the MB you will ahve to go with the 4850x2, and you would only be getting single core performance, which may limit your gameplay at that res.

 

[stanglover37]

Oh boy thank you for filling me in on these details. So would my best bet be to have two cards with dual DVI out and switch between crossfire and normal use when im gaming vs working..? I am not finding much support for multiple monitor setups...

By the way, this is going to be a complete setup. I was planning on going with the AM3 platform once they got some better chips out there.

Ok given I want to run 3-4 screens and I am buying components around this including MB and proc, what do you guys think I should go with. I am open to all suggestions, was hoping to go with AMD. I have asked my computer peeps and im finding they dont really know much more than I in this area. Also I want to be able to game with some serious graphics on 1920.


"IMO, your best bet would be to get the most powerful card you are willing to pay for for your primary 2 displays and a cheep-o card for the rest. (in vista both cards would ahve to be the same driver release, you also would need open slots on the MB) "

Is it easy for windows to run two vid cards of different specs? Is this what is frequently done for multi screen setups? I think I like this idea since I can just use my current card in addition to the new card.

I know people are going to want to know price, so Ill throw out 600 max for vid cards so I can hear ideas.

Thanks all.

 

[vgdarkstar]

Any workstation graphics card with dual DMS 59 connectors can do 4 DVI displays.

 

[daedalus685]

AMD just came out with a new top end Phenom for AM3. That is an excelent choice for gaming.

With crossfire you can use 2 monitors while it is enabled, as many as tehre are outputs for when it is not. It is easy to set up a profile in teh drivers to switch between work and play.

Depending on your needs and budget I would consider one of two configurations:

1) A true crossfire setup for gaming, soemthing like 2 4870's or 2 4890's whcih will tear up games in crossfire, and allow 4 monitors when not.

2) A unbalanced setup with budget in mind. Get whatever the most expensive card you can afford as your primary and gamign card. With something like a 4650 as a second card, not to run crossfire, but to use extra monitors.

For the rest of the system a socket AM3 motherboard( a few to choose from, pick it based on features you need such as overclocking, SATA, crossfire, etc.) with a Phenom II X4 955 would be great.