Mulitple monitor question (crossfire and gtx 295)

[Proffit]

I wanna be able to use 3 monitors. So the cards Im considering are two 4870 in crossfire or a gtx 295.

Questions:
1. How easy is it to switch crossfire mode on and off, cause Im assuming only two screens work in crossfire mode.
Can it be done automatically? Like when u start a 3D game it turns itself on? Or some kinda quickbind?

2. Gtx 295, I read something that you can have two monitors in the DVI connectors and a TV in the HDMI and they would all work.
Is this true? Must the TV be some other screens clone?

Thanks

 

[evongugg]

CrossFire X has a few other nice attributes that SLI doesn't share. One of those is the ability to work seamlessly with multiple monitors—no more enabling and disabling multi-GPU mode in order to switch between single-screen gaming and multi-display productivity sessions. AMD says this capability has been extended to more than two GPUs. Even four GPUs and eight displays ought to work effortlessly, as I understand it, though I've not had the chance to try it out myself. The one drawback here is that 3D apps running in a window are only accelerated by a single GPU.

 

[Proffit]

Hmm, is that the same with all windowed mode gaming? Cause that would be horrible, I play way too many games in windowed mode to have it work like that >_<

 

[drums101]

actually nvidia sli can support multpile monitors now this is something rather new for them...check this link out http://www.slizone.com/object/sli_multi_monitor.html it explains how to connect multiple monitors for the 295 it says u can only have 2 monitors but to add a third u could put a crappy card in another slot and run it off there hope this helps

 

[Proffit]

So I could just get an gtx 295, have 2 monitors plugged into that, then put my nvidia 7950gt in another slot and have the 3rd monitor plugged into that?
And all 3 monitors would work at all times while getting full effect on main monitor from the gtx 295?

 

[evongugg]

Yes, that will work.