Can the GTX 690 handle 3 monitors @ 120Hz?

[davidstrongarm]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to find out if a single GTX 690 is capable of running 3 monitors at 1080p 120Hz, through the dual link DVI-D (x2) and dual link DVI-I slots.
I'm pretty sure it can, but I can't find any solid info from nVidia or a review that confirms this.

More specifically, I'm trying to verify that this GTX 690 can run 3 of these monitors at 120Hz.

Thanks,
Dave.

(I've double posted this over at the Guru3d forum. If I get a solid answer their I'll post it here too)

 

[blazorthon]

I think that it can do it, but IDK why you'd want to. I can't think of many modern games where you could get decent performance in such a setup without making some serious sacrifices in settings quality.

 

[amuffin]

I wouldn't do it, 2GB VRAM is NOT enough for 3x1080P monitors!

 

[willyroc]

Nope.

 

[blazorthon]

I wouldn't do it, 2GB VRAM is NOT enough for 3x1080P monitors!

It would be if you drop quality enough to actually get around 120FPS across all displays in most games.

 

[davidstrongarm]

It would be if you drop quality enough to actually get around 120FPS across all displays in most games.

The card I linked has 4GB VRAM doesn't it?

Currently I own a very outdated ATI 5870 2GB, and it is handling 3x1080p fine, generally with frame rates well over 60fps. Ok, so I'm not playing any games released after 2011 at high resolutions, but I generally tend to play games that are 1-2 years old anyway.

e.g. DiRT 3 and F1 2011 both run at 6024x1200 comfortably over 60FPS, and surely the GTX 690 is heaps better than an ATI 5870?

 

[amuffin]

The 690 is NOT a 4GB card.

It's 2GB per GPU.

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-690/specifications

Dual 4GB 670's would be a better choice at higher resolutions. Or even 2 3GB 7970's.

 

[amuffin]

It would be if you drop quality enough to actually get around 120FPS across all displays in most games.

Assuming you're willing to do that.

I'm sure people expect to get the best with the best card out there.

 

[bystander]

I wouldn't do it, 2GB VRAM is NOT enough for 3x1080P monitors!

There are VERY few games were 2GB isn't enough at that resolution, and only at the very highest settings. If attempting to get high FPS, you aren't likely to push the settings high enough that 2GB isn't enough.

 

[davidstrongarm]

The 690 is NOT a 4GB card.

It's 2GB per GPU.

Ah ok, thanks for clearing that up.

But still, granted that my old 2GB 5870 has satisfied me with gaming at 3x1080p, surely the 690 will blow it totally out of the water?

 

[blazorthon]

The card I linked has 4GB VRAM doesn't it?

Currently I own a very outdated ATI 5870 2GB, and it is handling 3x1080p fine, generally with frame rates well over 60fps. Ok, so I'm not playing any games released after 2011 at high resolutions, but I generally tend to play games that are 1-2 years old anyway.

e.g. DiRT 3 and F1 2011 both run at 6024x1200 comfortably over 60FPS, and surely the GTX 690 is heaps better than an ATI 5870?

Ahh, but what settings are you playing at? I doubt that you have things maxed out in all of those games, let alone modern games with respectable MSAA. You should be able to raise settings significantly while still breaching 120FPS because the 690 is simply that much faster. The performance boost most certainly does "blow the 5870 out of the water".

 

[davidstrongarm]

Ahh, but what settings are you playing at? I doubt that you have things maxed out in all of those games, let alone modern games with respectable MSAA.

Yes well generally I've got AA turned down and maybe some of the other ultra high performance hogging stuff tuned down slightly. It varies a lot from game to game.

You should be able to raise settings significantly while still breaching 120FPS because the 690 is simply that much faster. The performance boost most certainly does "blow the 5870 out of the water"

That's what I wanted to hear

Getting back to the original question, can anyone see any reason why I won't be able to connect a single 690 to 3x120Hz monitors?

 

[blazorthon]

I see no problem with it. It supports more than three displays and at least at 1080p, I don't see reason for 120Hz to be a problem.

 

[Ironslice]

I think you would be fine with it.

 

[bigcyco1]

It would be if you drop quality enough to actually get around 120FPS across all displays in most games.

+1

 

[bigcyco1]

I would buy two 670 4gb models but that is not your question lol to stay on topic yes it will work

 

[davidstrongarm]

Best answer selected by davidstrongarm.

 

[davidstrongarm]

Brilliant. Thanks for the quick responses guys! Much appreciated.

 

[theLiminator]

Actually, the 4gb gtx 690 is a 4gb card, not 2 2gb cards. People are spreading misinformation. In a normal sli setup, 2 gtx 670's would NOT be 4gb (as the ram in both cards contain the same information and are mirrored) but in the gtx 690, the ram isn't mirrored or anything, they share the same ram, and therefore have access to the full 4gb frame buffer.

 

[bigcyco1]

Actually, the 4gb gtx 690 is a 4gb card, not 2 2gb cards. People are spreading misinformation. In a normal sli setup, 2 gtx 670's would NOT be 4gb (as the ram in both cards contain the same information and are mirrored) but in the gtx 690, the ram isn't mirrored or anything, they share the same ram, and therefore have access to the full 4gb frame buffer.

who said two 670 would be 4gb you can buy 4gb models the ram will be 4gb with two of these http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121659&name=Desktop-Graphics-Cards i think your either misinformed or are thinking of 2gb models

 

[nadz953]

The card I linked has 4GB VRAM doesn't it?

Currently I own a very outdated ATI 5870 2GB, and it is handling 3x1080p fine, generally with frame rates well over 60fps. Ok, so I'm not playing any games released after 2011 at high resolutions, but I generally tend to play games that are 1-2 years old anyway.

e.g. DiRT 3 and F1 2011 both run at 6024x1200 comfortably over 60FPS, and surely the GTX 690 is heaps better than an ATI 5870?

The asus GTX 680 TOP is pretty much the best for price. A GTX 690 is WAYYYYYYY to expensive for not that much gain.

 

[bystander]

Actually, the 4gb gtx 690 is a 4gb card, not 2 2gb cards. People are spreading misinformation. In a normal sli setup, 2 gtx 670's would NOT be 4gb (as the ram in both cards contain the same information and are mirrored) but in the gtx 690, the ram isn't mirrored or anything, they share the same ram, and therefore have access to the full 4gb frame buffer.

The 4gb 690 may have 4gb on board, but the 690 has 2 680's on a single card, and they do not share their ram with each other. Each of the GPU's on the 690's PCB get their own vram. In essence, a 4gb 690 is the same as two 2gb 680's in SLI, only slightly underclocked.

 

[blazorthon]

Actually, the 4gb gtx 690 is a 4gb card, not 2 2gb cards. People are spreading misinformation. In a normal sli setup, 2 gtx 670's would NOT be 4gb (as the ram in both cards contain the same information and are mirrored) but in the gtx 690, the ram isn't mirrored or anything, they share the same ram, and therefore have access to the full 4gb frame buffer.

The 690 does not share the frame buffer at all between its two GPUs. IDK where you got such an idea. I don't think that there is even a single graphics card can share the memory at all between multiple GPUs and I know that no modern graphics card can, at least not in AFR.

 

[MechSpartin2]

I wouldn't do it, 2GB VRAM is NOT enough for 3x1080P monitors!

LOL gtx 690 uses keppler technology so that means its a dual gpu card so it actually run in sli on a single card.. which means that it has 4gb vram. Not 2gb.. and you call yourself the gpu master. Yes, it will work.