Quad monitor set up

[johno47]

hi...i am attempting qms and wondering if what i have will work...hp xw6400 dual dual xeon 2.66 processors..4 gb ram..onboard graphics nvid 285 dual head..hoping for nvid view on quad set up via pci card (quadro4 400 nvs)and also have 2 monitors running on dual head onboard grahics. os is win xp pro

 

[Proximon]

This is confusing. You refer to onboard graphics but according to this there is none:
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12505_ca/12505_ca.PDF

Apparently what you actually have is a NVIDIA Quadro NVS 285 (128 MB)?
You could add a second one of those.
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12312_na/12312_na.HTML

No, I don't think you can use the two different cards in the system for a total of 6 monitors. You would have to use matching cards, I think.

 

[johno47]

This is confusing. You refer to onboard graphics but according to this there is none:
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12505_ca/12505_ca.PDF

Apparently what you actually have is a NVIDIA Quadro NVS 285 (128 MB)?
You could add a second one of those.
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12312_na/12312_na.HTML

No, I don't think you can use the two different cards in the system for a total of 6 monitors. You would have to use matching cards, I think.

how about i take out the 285 and put 2 nvs 440 in pci express slots

 

[johno47]

would i need to bridge them

 

[Proximon]

No bridge, and yes that should work fine.

 

[johno47]

thanx prox

 

[johno47]

now i need to know what are the minimum specs required in this xw range for quad set up

 

[Proximon]

While I think the power supply in the case may be adequate, there is a chance it is not. There are not many "575W" PSUs and the only ones I have heard of are inferior HEC units. If you encounter any issues with the setup, suspect the PSU first.


The rest of the system seems very good.

The maximum monitor resolution is going to be 1920x1200.

 

[johno47]

thanx again proximon....the monitors will use 34 watts each according to specs...

 

[johno47]

and comp specs do state up to 8 monitors

 

[johno47]

change of plan ...more is better...now got 2 nvs 440 8 samsung 19 inch whats your views on this

 

[Proximon]

Your monitors get power from the wall not the PC 19" monitors seem small to me for multi-monitor setup, but then I don't know what you are using them for. I would guess you are needing to monitor many applications and/or windows at once, so if those are going to work well at 19" I guess that's OK.

 

[johno47]

thanx again proximo...hoping to use them to do some trading on betting exchanges with constantly refreshing markets and also running some trading software... so more would be better. really appreciate the info

 

[johno47]

not too sure how to calculate how much the visual interface affects the psu obviously

 

[Proximon]

It's just a matter of what the cards will draw. Total system draw is going to be somewhere between 30 and 40 amps (12V) I think. A 575W PSU covers that, or should if it's a decent one.

 

[johno47]

just as a guide for various configs ...how much would a 40 inch samsung draw if it was in the equation ie 4 19 inch and 1 40 inch

 

[coldsleep]

just as a guide for various configs ...how much would a 40 inch samsung draw if it was in the equation ie 4 19 inch and 1 40 inch

It should indicate on the specs page from the manufacturer. As Proximon pointed out previously, the monitors draw directly from the wall and don't affect your PSU choice.

 

[johno47]

i understood that cs but the draw from the graphics cards does affect psu choice

 

[coldsleep]

If you don't already have the monitors, you might consider going with a new ATI card that supports up to 6 monitors on its own. The 55xx and 56xx series are good low-power choices, but you would need two (for 3 monitors apiece). The 68xx series can drive up to 5 or 6 monitors on a single card with DisplayPort chaining, I believe.

The downside would be that some, possibly most of the monitors would need to have a DisplayPort input, rather than the traditional DVI or DB9 port.

 

[johno47]

thanx cold ..think i ve decided on 5 19 inch and the big screen 40 inch ...already have the cards and monitors

 

[Proximon]

You don't need to worry about a larger monitor taxing the card more. It will be fine.

While you are at it, you might want to have a look at a program that puts a task bar and start menu on each monitor:
http://virtuawin.sourceforge.net/

http://www.displayfusion.com/