Can I hook Crysis with 2 monitors?

[infernojericho]

Hi there, I am currently using a X2900XT that is hooked with a Mitsubishi 19' LCD (1280 x 1024), and a Viewsonic 20' at (1680 x 1050)

The monitors are hooked up as a large extended desktop.

But is there anyway I can hook them together for games, especially crysis?

I am aware of that I have to set the settings much lower, but I personally prefer a much, much larger screen size than quality. Is there any modification that can be done?

Thanks!!!

 

[e6800xe]

you can, but i wouldnt
suffer from insane performance loss

 

[baius]

...I personally prefer a much, much larger screen size than quality.

Hi there. I appreciate what you're trying to achieve, and don't want you to feel I'm trying to invalidate that, but please consider the following.

PART1:
Depending on how your financial standing is, why not have your Viewsonic 20" (unless you really do have 20') "monitor" connected to one of your DVI ports (I assume you do have 2 DVIs as your graphics card is quite new), and connect the second port up to a 32/37in LCD screen, prob with 1280x720 or 1280x768, or something like that?

(Note: You CAN get LCDs - from 24in up to 47in+ - that support 1080p60. They cost three times as much though.)

For the majority of the time, you could leave the LCD off, depending on whether or not you like to keep power low, but when you're ready to game, tell your 2900 to send Crysis to monitor 2. (Or disable monitor 1. There WILL be an easy way to get Crysis onto that LCD...)

From everything you've said, it sounds like a good solution for you, if you can afford it, that is. You see:
(1) The resolution's lower, but you've already said/indicated you don't mind (or could "live" with) that.
(2) The quality of a larger LCD "TV" may not match a Mitsubishi/Viewsonic dedicated computer monitor, but again, you've indicated you don't mind that.
(3) The screen size, esp at 37in (or above...) would massively dwarf even your 2 monitors combined. So in terms of having more "space", you'd be laughing (or crying with joy).

PART2:
If you have space, you may want to consider getting a "fake projector". What's that? Well, you "hack away" (gently) all the "plastic" from an "old" 15" LCD, and with ONLY THE PANEL, get a DHP projector, and get it to shine the "contents" of the LCD onto an adjacent wall - hence why you need the space.

I wouldn't personally want to do it, as I like large and I like quality (I'm currently saving up for a 1080p60 Sony VPL-VW50 projector). However, you've said you want size, happily sacrificing quality and resolution.

On eBay UK, you can pick up the "kits" to build something like this stupidly cheap. Prob about £20. If you're happy to spend the time to try and get a 30in view (20" + 19" panels combined, roughly 30in), why not do it for a 80/100" view?

WRAP UP:
I've waffled quite a bit, so if you have questions, @inferno, please ask, and I'll try and help "further".

Thanks,
baius

 

[nachowarrior]

don't buy a sony.... sony=evil for various reasons, that and infocus makes a mean projector, I happen to have an x1a, it's not super high res but it's a nice projector for a good price, plus the bulb has lasted LONGER than what it's rated for which is always a plus... I do not know the specs on the sony you're looking at, but you definitely want at least 1600 lumens to get yourself a decent sized screen with any kind of light in the room... mine is pretty bright, but fades out on sunny days and i need window treatments, but with all due respect to the all mighty projector, i have it in a room that is kind of like a sun room... tons of windows on the south side of the house. also, look at "business projectors" as well... that's what mine is... works well enough, and sometimes you can find one with the same specs for cheaper because it's labled for business use.... I would sell 2 22 inch monitors for a nice projector any day of the week. I'm actually on it right now. watching house on mythtv, got some web pages open and all at about 6 or 8 feet wide... also watch your throw distance for how big it is... you can do the math pretty easy for the room you want it in and how far away from it you need to get. I've got mine almost 15 feet away to achieve a large size... it will fill up a whole wall, the largest I've had it was a little over 10 feet, but it was pretty dim despite the fact that i had it very dark in the room. Oh, and dlp i think has a better response time than lcd... but you may want to double check that.
anyway 3 most important to recap, lumens, throw distance, and resolution.

 

[infernojericho]

Thanks for the replies, fellas.

Well, I am actually living in Hong Kong, and land is very expensive, so I am afraid I don't have any space. I already have a BenQ 26' LCD TV that runs at 1280 x 768, however, I don't have the space to plug it in the PC.

And yes, the HIS X2900XT does have 2 DVI ports. One's hooked with the Viewsonic and the other to the Mitusbishi.

I am just wondering if there are any know tweaks that allows Crysis to recognize my 2 LCDs as one big wide LCD screen of 1280 x 1024 + 1680 x 1050 combined, such are by modding the Crysis config files?

Even if Crysis doesn't allow it, do you guys know any nice games which could do that? I just want to experience some really wide screen gaming.

Double thanks.

 

[nachowarrior]

nothing that i'm aware of at this point... i would still consider getting a projector... especially if you're that tight on space... the thing is smaller than a brief case and dumps out a screen bigger than anything you've got... and there are a lot of games that support mutli monitor... especially with tripple head.

 

[baius]

don't buy a sony.... sony=evil for various reasons, that and infocus makes a mean projector
...also, look at "business projectors" as well... that's what mine is... works well enough, and sometimes you can find one with the same specs for cheaper because it's labled for business use
...you can do the math pretty easy for the room you want it in and how far away from it you need to get. I've got mine almost 15 feet away to achieve a large size... it will fill up a whole wall, the largest I've had it was a little over 10 feet, but it was pretty dim despite the fact that i had it very dark in the room
...dlp i think has a better response time than lcd... but you may want to double check that.
...anyway 3 most important to recap, lumens, throw distance, and resolution.

Thank you - I found your reply exceedingly helpful.
■I'm after a projector that does 1080p60 (i.e. 1920x1080/1200 with 60 "complete" (p=progresive) frames per second).
■I think inFocus do a 1080p projector, but does it do 60fps, progressive? I haven't checked it out.
■Business-projector wise, is there one that does 1080p60?
■My room measures 3m by 3.5m. I was planning to get a screen that was 2.2m wide in the middle of the 3m wall, with the screen about 3m back from that. Any thoughts?
■I'd have my curtains closed whenever I had the projector on, and that makes things quite dark, but your point about the screen being dimmer the further back you go is still insightful - thanks.

Thanks for the replies, fellas.
...
I am just wondering if there are any know tweaks that allows Crysis to recognize my 2 LCDs as one big wide LCD screen of 1280 x 1024 + 1680 x 1050 combined, such are by modding the Crysis config files?

Check out: http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/
(Should've said that in the first place... sorry.)

...there are a lot of games that support mutli monitor... especially with tripple head.

@nw: You seem pretty clued up, do you know a reasonably easy way of getting "triple head" - without resorting to matrox? I don't really want to run 2 modern graphics cards - heat, power and monetary concerns - but I will if I have to.
(That being said, I might even like 4 - long story. (Basically, one on desk as touch screen.))