Three monitor system + HDMI out

[tbglassman]

Hi,

I am building an i7 system for HD video editing as well as basic office work. I want to have three monitors, with two monitors used for internet, email, video editing apps, etc, and the third monitor used for HD video display. I also want to be able to output the same display on the third monitor to an HDTV via HDMI at the same time. I am thinking that the best solution is to get a 4000 series card with dual dvi, and another 4000 series card with single dvi and hdmi.

Something like this:

SAPPHIRE 100254HDMI Radeon HD 4650 1GB 128-bit DDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
(this has 1 dvi and 1 hdmi)

and

XFX HD-465X-ZDF2 Radeon HD 4650 1GB 128-bit DDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
(this as 2 dvi outs)

Would this work?

Thanks,
Todd

 

[N.Broekhuijsen]

nope, well yes if you don't mind using two cards.

The 5 series cards from ATI has eyefinity. you can plug up to 3 monitors into one card, so you might want to look into that

 

[tbglassman]

I should add that I don't mind using two cards, and it is much cheaper to do so anyway. I would think an eyefinity card that supports 3 monitors and also hdmi out at the same time (so effectively supporting 4 monitors at the same time) would be much more expensive than thse two cards combined. Any downsides to using the two cards I proposed?

 

[N.Broekhuijsen]

uh, well it's not really much more expensive. you can get a 5570 I believe for under $50.

oh and no, you cannot use 4 monitors. it will only support up to 3 per card, regardless of it having 4 ports.

 

[tbglassman]

xbeater, I really don't understand your response. You say that I am better off getting a 5 series card with eyefinity, but in the same breath go on to say that it will not support what I am trying to do (three monitors via DVI + have the output of one of the monitors also go to a fourth via HDMI). Perhaps I misunderstood. So I ask the question again, what is the optimal setup for what I am trying to accomplish.

 

[N.Broekhuijsen]

you want FOUR monitors. ok.

I thought you were talking about three. (two DVI, one HDMI).

You are right, if you want four, you need two cards, one with two DVI ports, and one with one DVI port, and one HDMI port.

What you proposed at the start is indeed a better option then. Two different 4650's.

Sorry for the confusion.

When you set it up, you will need to toy around seriously with driver setup's to get the monitors displaying what you want. that might be tough, but there are plenty of tools. I can't help you with that

 

[tbglassman]

Thanks, xbeater.

Regarding setup, at work I have a two monitor setup and that works well. All I do is drag windows to different screens. I suppose having three monitors is the same. Is the difficulty going to be to get the HDMI out to mirror what is on one of the monitors? Or is their something else that will make the driver setup difficult?

Thanks again,
Todd

 

[N.Broekhuijsen]

yes pretty much making a three monitor setup will be easy, it will be mirroring one of the three that might be tricky.

there are plenty of 3rd party tools out there though, a quick google should do the trick.

 

[sttrebble]

sorry to drag up an old post, but...

I have a 5870 card with 3 monitors (2 DVI, 1 DP) and was wondering if the HDMI port could be used for BD movie watching on the large plasma in the next room. I wouldn't need the other 3 screens when doing that.
It would be nie to be able to do so without a switcher, or to have to reconfigure the video application.

TFAR ...Scott

 

[N.Broekhuijsen]

well the card is not going to operate 4 screens, but I know that the drivers can have different modes, so you can switch around various display setups.. I believe it should be possible.

Yet I have no experience with eyefinity in person though, It's all based on a crapload of reading reviews and research for own purposes