Nvidia Surround Question

[Caveman656]

Hello, I've been thinking about getting another graphics card "GTX 580".
I've heard with Nvidia Surround that everything get's stretched onto the three screens. Unlike Eyefinity when you can have one thing on one screen and have other things on the other two screens. Is this true about Nvidia Surround, and if it is can you get it to be like Eyefinity?

Hope you understand my question and thanks.

 

[benski]

Nvidia surround requires 2 graphics cards running in SLI, It is the same thing as eyefinity, both span (not stretch) your display over all 3 screens with a single taskbar across the bottom. If you disable surround or eyefinity you can then display separate things on the separate displays, but that's just extending your desktop it's not spanning displays. A single GTX 580 can only use 2 screens at a time and can not span a game across them.

 

[Caveman656]

Nvidia surround requires 2 graphics cards running in SLI, It is the same thing as eyefinity, both span (not stretch) your display over all 3 screens with a single taskbar across the bottom. If you disable surround or eyefinity you can then display separate things on the separate displays, but that's just extending your desktop it's not spanning displays. A single GTX 580 can only use 2 screens at a time and can not span a game across them.

Ok thanks.
I'm fairly new to this.
So I have one 580, is it possible to have my desktop on one screen and have a game on the other screen?
Or doesn't it work like that.

 

[benski]

Yes it's possible. Just go to the nvidia control panel under set up multiple displays and tell it to extend your desktop. I think games will always launch on your primary display and you can move your browser or media player or whatever on to the secondary display just by dragging it over.

 

[Caveman656]

Yes it's possible. Just go to the nvidia control panel under set up multiple displays and tell it to extend your desktop. I think games will always launch on your primary display and you can move your browser or media player or whatever on to the secondary display just by dragging it over.

Ok thanks.
I'm running a 24" screen as my main, but a 19" next to it. When I load anything with the 19" nothing fits on the screen even when I lower the resolution. Is that just because it's too small, and if I get another 24" screen the problem will be fixed. Also can I have two DVI cables running off the graphics card or does it have to be one DVI and one HDMI.

 

[benski]

You might have some overscan ajdustements on your 19" screen you can use to make it fit, I'm guessing its an old CRT screen? You shouldn't have that problem if the screens are set to there native resolution unless you are launching something full screen that doesn't support a resolution as low as your monitor.

 

[Caveman656]

You might have some overscan ajdustements on your 19" screen you can use to make it fit, I'm guessing its an old CRT screen? You shouldn't have that problem if the screens are set to there native resolution unless you are launching something full screen that doesn't support a resolution as low as your monitor.

No it's a LCD screen, but can I use two DVI cables or does it haft to be one DVI and one HDMI.

 

[benski]

You can use two DVI cables.

 

[Caveman656]

You can use two DVI cables.

Ok, I adjusted the screen with the remote and still the same, I even lowered the res all the way down and it's still the same. I'm using HDMI could it be that? I also tried using a VGA cable with a DVI connector on the end but I didn't get any picture on the screen.

I'm just thinking that the 19" wont work with the 24" screen.

 

[benski]

What is the brand and model # of your 19" screen?

 

[Caveman656]

What is the brand and model # of your 19" screen?

Samsung SyncMaster 932mw

 

[benski]

That's an older HDTV, the HDMI port probably only supports 1080i and 720p, you should be using either the VGA port or the DVI port and then set it to 1440x900. I don't know why the DVI to VGA adapter wouldn't work for you, I use them all the time and have never had a problem.

 

[Caveman656]

That's an older HDTV, the HDMI port probably only supports 1080i and 720p, you should be using either the VGA port or the DVI port and then set it to 1440x900. I don't know why the DVI to VGA adapter wouldn't work for you, I use them all the time and have never had a problem.

I will be getting another monitor like my Samsung SyncMaster P2450H, so I will just have to wait until then.

Thank you very much for your help.

 

[Caveman656]

That's an older HDTV, the HDMI port probably only supports 1080i and 720p, you should be using either the VGA port or the DVI port and then set it to 1440x900. I don't know why the DVI to VGA adapter wouldn't work for you, I use them all the time and have never had a problem.

Sorry for double posting.
But I got the VGA cable to work and it looks like this.
http://i.imgur.com/rjuEQ.jpg
Is it meant to look like that? you can see that it still doesn't fit on the screen and I also lowered the res down and it was still the same.

 

[benski]

I don't think it should look like that, it looks like the bottom and right side are being cut off. I don't use the windows control panel to set my resolution I use the nvidia control panel. You might try that instead although I don't know what difference it would make. If you right click on your desktop you should have nvidia control panel in the menu, select that and then try the set up multiple displays tab and see if you can adjust it there.