Best card/cards to support the most simultaneous 2560x1440 monitors?

[yqrrp]

I'm looking to expand my desktop significantly, so I need some advice on which graphics card/s to use. I have one Dell U2713HM and plan on getting more (when I can find those sales again) and pivoting them vertically to make a 4320x2560 (3x1 monitors) space. Or more if the cards can support them.

Unfortunately I'm a bit behind the times wrt display connections and technologies and even though I've worked to catch up I am still a bit confused as to what is possible with each of the connection types (and each version of them - and how much the cables' quality affects that) and, moreso, with the available graphics cards.

The U2713HM has DisplayPort 1.2, DVI-D, and HDMI inputs. At least one site says to go with DP connections wherever possible, but I don't know how universally applicable that is.

Assume I'm building a new machine and, for now, I'll be using Windows 7. If possible... could you suggest something that works with a Linux? (please suggest a distro that works with the hardware...). I'm willing to spring for 4GB cards, etc, though I'm not that interested in paying purely for game performance.

I've seen people state there are problems using multiple monitors with multiple cards - is that a problem with both AMD and NVidia? (It worked back on Macs in the 1990s - why are there problems now?)

Thanks!

 

[zyky]

It depends on what you want to do with them. Running multiple monitors on multiple cards mainly going to be an issue for either 3D or accelerated video playback or video overlays. If you're only wanting to use 3-4 monitors, there are many options available, However if you want more, there are far fewer options unless you want to delve into cards with very little 3D performance and are just meant for multiple monitors displaying 2D graphics.

If you do a power search for graphic cards on newegg to include 4-6 display port or mini display port connections, it only returns 2 products that are in stock.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=48&Description=&Type=&N=100007709&IsNodeId=1&IsPowerSearch=1&srchInDesc=&MinPrice=&MaxPrice=&PropertyCodeValue=6925%3A104102&PropertyCodeValue=6925%3A117866&PropertyCodeValue=6925%3A56930

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129274
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121560

and the 7750 seems overpriced for that specialized version of the card, although it does come with several mini display port adapters.