Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphic & Displays > Graphics Cards > [Solved] Crossfire with three monitors
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jsrudd   10-19-2009 at 03:48:27 AM

I recently purchased another 4850 so that I could have three monitors. I've yet to purchase the third monitor and was wondering about 3 monitors and crossfire. I know that while my cards are in crossfire they won't be able to drive all three monitors, and so i was wondering how hard it is to turn crossfire on and off. I'm more interested in three monitors than gaming, so will crossfiring be worth the trouble?

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Best answer from daedalus685
To answer the OP's question.. which you guys seemed to have missed.

It is easy to disasble crossfire, you can do it with a single click in the tray, or set up a profile for each desktop work and games.

You will be able to use up to four displays without crossfire enabled just fine, only two (games or otherwise) with it on.

On a side note, eyefinity does not yet work while the 5xxx cards are crossfired.
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dougie_boy   10-19-2009 at 02:50:28 PM

are you wanting to use the 3 monitors for games or desktop? if just desktop, knock yourself out and buy them. if for gaming i doubt you would be able to run a game on a single 4850 across 3 monitors.

you could purchase a matrox triple header. that would enable 3 monitors across the GPUs.

or

a new 5xxx series from ATI supports 3 monitors from the package.

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OvrClkr   10-19-2009 at 04:52:27 PM

The triplehead2go is almost 300 dollars.... My suggestion would be that you return the 4850 and invest in a 5 series, this way you wont need any adapter since the 5 series can run 3 monitors off of a single card.

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jsrudd   10-19-2009 at 06:43:50 PM

I've got two 4850s. And I wondering how much trouble it is to turn crossfire on and off, because when crossfired they will only be able to drive two monitors, not four (at least that's what i've read).

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1ce   10-19-2009 at 06:46:10 PM

So you want to game on one (or two) monitors, but when not gaming you want to do regular stuff on three monitors, right?

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OvrClkr   10-19-2009 at 06:48:51 PM

Crossfired or not you can drive 2 monitors, that is what the dual DVI connectors are for. If you want a 3 monitor setup you will need a 5 series GPU or the triplehead2go adapter.


Message edited by OvrClkr on 10-19-2009 at 07:09:19 PM
------------------------------ 550 @ 4.0 Ghz 1.425v
BFG GTX 260 (216)
4GB G.Skill @ 940MHz
Thermaltake TP 850w
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jsrudd   10-19-2009 at 07:04:03 PM

1ce is correct. I want to use three monitors except for when gaming, then i want to enable crossfire.

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dougie_boy   10-19-2009 at 07:33:50 PM

then that will be fine. xfire currently only supports one monitor but for desktop use you can use all 4 display ports.

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daedalus685   10-19-2009 at 08:20:59 PM
Best answer

To answer the OP's question.. which you guys seemed to have missed.

It is easy to disasble crossfire, you can do it with a single click in the tray, or set up a profile for each desktop work and games.

You will be able to use up to four displays without crossfire enabled just fine, only two (games or otherwise) with it on.

On a side note, eyefinity does not yet work while the 5xxx cards are crossfired.

Reply to daedalus685
jsrudd   10-19-2009 at 09:22:03 PM

Thank you. I had just given up. Do you have any experience with doing this. Like does it mess up the placement of icons and windows etc. when you switch to only monitor and then switch back

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daedalus685   10-19-2009 at 09:29:28 PM

The desktop is redrawn when you enable or disable crossfire. Far as I know any windows you have open on the third screen when yuo turn CF on will simply be redrawn on the new desktop, where ever windows see's fit to put them. You won't have to worry about any being stuck in a no mans land where you can not see.

As for icons, If you put any on the third display they will be moved to the edge of the second (probably), I don't think they will move back to teh third unless you put them back. You'll ahve to play with it a bit. I never move icons over when I work with multiple displays though, only ever windows.

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spider83   10-30-2009 at 08:38:26 PM

Correction:

You CANNOT run 3 monitors off a 5XXX card unless one of the monitors supports DisplayPort or you get an adapter. There is an HDMI, a DisplayPort, and two DVI's. One of the DVI connections is shared with the HDMI. This means you need to use the DP port for the third monitor...which will work with a passive adapter for office programs..but WILL NOT work in eyefinity without an active adapter/converter...which costs about $100.

These HD 5XXX cards are not a simple plug and play three monitor solution. Read the fine print. Extra hardware is needed.

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