Tri monitor setups?

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.xXLucidXx.

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 14, 2004
Messages
148
alright i was thinkin about goin with a dual monitor setup because my new video card has 2 monitor plugs on the back of it, but i was wondering how you have a tri monitor setup i would rather have that but im not sure how it works, post pics of ur tri monitor setups as well as how it works.

thanks

video card is a chaintech fx5900xt
 
Matrox has a card out that supports 3 monitors attached -- the Matrox Parhelia.
You could also just pop-in an additional PCI graphics card to add more monitors.
 
First system in sig, two on the 5900, one on the 440, works great.

It was really painless to set up, so...

NO PICS FOR YUO!
 
Just install a second PCI video card...

You can get a nice GeForce 4 MX460 with DUAL vga outputs...have FOUR monitors!

(nerd-o-rama!)

I did it...
 
What do you want to do with triple monitors?
If it's just for desktop type stuff, just add another PCI card.
If you're looking for triple-head surround gaming, only Matrox Parhelia can do that.
I run triple screens on my Parhelia. Couple years old, but still a solid card for my needs.
 
Wtf do you guys need more than one monitor for anything the sliding mouse thing is pretty annoying during gaming in a dual monitor setup can't imagine that shit in a triple or quad setup.
 
czech09 said:
Wtf do you guys need more than one monitor for anything the sliding mouse thing is pretty annoying during gaming in a dual monitor setup can't imagine that shit in a triple or quad setup.
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huh? sliding mouse what?

full screen games generally lock the mouse to that screen/game...perhaps update your drivers to something made this decade.
 
KingPariah777 said:
huh? sliding mouse what?

full screen games generally lock the mouse to that screen/game...perhaps update your drivers to something made this decade.
Click to expand...

A few games doesnt lock the mouse on primary, im playing one that doesnt and have the newest drivers.

@czech09

Dual monitors ROCK, for working with graphics and stuff, when i game i just turn off the secondary, only a few clicks.
 
Kruzin said:
If you're looking for triple-head surround gaming, only Matrox Parhelia can do that.....
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I run a flight simulator across all three screens here.
 
MindBuster said:
Dual monitors ROCK, for working with graphics and stuff, when i game i just turn off the secondary, only a few clicks.
Click to expand...

I definitely second that - dual monitors are Godly when it comes to productivity, and instill a wicked sense of awe into un-initiated friends / coworkers when you drag windows accross monitors :D Wish I had mine here at the dorm, but left at home, for laptop here instead.

Also - Windows XP supports up to 9 monitors natively, i am told. Use your good vid card for your main and one secondary display. Start adding PCI cards and monitors. It pretty well works on its own, just as display 2, with minimal driver loading etc. I've had up to 4 on a system, just to try it out, but 2 really is the sweet-spot. two 19 inch .. or in my case a 19 primary 17 secondary. You can use dirt cheap pci cards in most cases - like the really old 1, 2, or 4 meg cards you find in bargain bins at computer shows. Don't necessarily need new PCI graphics cards.. although i can see some uses (CAD)
 
cerwinvega said:
Hmmm, I run a flight simulator across all three screens here.
Click to expand...

Some flight sims (most notably, the MS sims) will work with an independant mode desktop setup. Most games that support multi-monitor require a stretched mode desktop, which can only be done when all outputs are from the same GPU.
 
another possibility would be to go with an ATI based mobo and one GPU, as ATI does support tri-monitor setups through useing both the onboard grafics as well as the AGP/PCIe at the same time if i'm not mistaken. ...just for the sake of listing another optione, here, as it's mainly OEM boards out there until the Xpress 200 hits the enthusiasts' market within the next month.
j
 
I just got my hands on 2 more 19" NEC monitors this week for cheap (Free) and was looking in to setting up mine for 3 19" monitors. But after reading up on it there doesn't seem to be away to play the games I play with all three. So for now I guess they will just sit in the closet. I like the Matrox Parhelia, but I am affraid it will be a turd in games compaired to my 9800 Pro. Have any of you played games with Parhelia? If so how is it and how do you think it will do with some of the newer games coming out?
 
i did the 3 monitors once, wasnot that much better than 2 IMO.
I use a 19" crt for primary and a 17" for second. Some games support spanning which is cool, but mostly I use it for development/web site work

what I really wanna do is save the cash for some nice LCD's.....
 
I use a tri monitor setup here at work (am on it right now).

It started out as a joke, graduated into an everyday productivity aide. WebBrowser (Mainly [H]ardForum :D) on far left monitor, database program I spend most of time in on the middle monitor, and my Outlook on my far right monitor. Takes up desk space, but Ive got some to spare.

For you guys who spat upon multi-monitor setups...You should try it sometime. Its really nice once you use it with a purpose.
 
NotSoSimple said:
I use a tri monitor setup here at work (am on it right now).

It started out as a joke, graduated into an everyday productivity aide. WebBrowser (Mainly [H]ardForum :D) on far left monitor, database program I spend most of time in on the middle monitor, and my Outlook on my far right monitor. Takes up desk space, but Ive got some to spare.

For you guys who spat upon multi-monitor setups...You should try it sometime. Its really nice once you use it with a purpose.
Click to expand...

isn't more computer better than multi-monitor setup? so that when you playing a game, you don't have to minimize to AIM.
 
I have been using two 17"s for a good while now, it comes in handy when for example you are on ftp and a/the website at the same time, or say fireworks/pshop, or even a game and ventrilo/teamspeak.
They are just some of the occasians that are very usful to me, as for spanned games I havent got any that can use it (at least that I know of) apart from MS simulator 04 and I havent even tried that yet :)
 
ibwalkn2 said:
I like the Matrox Parhelia, but I am affraid it will be a turd in games compaired to my 9800 Pro. Have any of you played games with Parhelia? If so how is it and how do you think it will do with some of the newer games coming out?
Click to expand...

I play games almost daily on my Parhelia.
Does it compete with today's high frame rate gaming cards in 'games' like 3dMark or timedemos? No.
Is it a "turd"? No.
If you like to brag about your 3dMark or timedemo scores, it's not the card for you. If you just want to enjoy your games in surround mode, there's nothing wrong with the card.
It provides playable frame rates in surround mode. Not too good with OpenGL, but pretty good with D3D (though the card is not fully DX9 capable).
I play several current games in surround mode with playable frame rates. What it will do on future games won't be known till those games are available for testing.
 
Thanks for your input Kruzin.. I have never really cared to have braggin for the fasted 3D-Marks. But it's hard to know what your getting by just reading a review. So you have to try and look at the benchmarks and see how it compares or find someone with 1st hand experience with one. All I care about is a smooth frame rate @ 1024x768. Really the only games that I play are Joint Operation, DF Blackhawk Down and BF Vietnam. I may have to keep my eye out for a Parhelia to try out. Plus it would be awesome with AutoCAD....
 
ibwalkn2 said:
Thanks for your input Kruzin.. I have never really cared to have braggin for the fasted 3D-Marks. But it's hard to know what your getting by just reading a review. So you have to try and look at the benchmarks and see how it compares or find someone with 1st hand experience with one. All I care about is a smooth frame rate @ 1024x768. Really the only games that I play are Joint Operation, DF Blackhawk Down and BF Vietnam. I may have to keep my eye out for a Parhelia to try out. Plus it would be awesome with AutoCAD....
Click to expand...
That card is ancient.
 
I'm running tri monitors at the office. Two are on a 5200 PCI (I know, I know.. but it is a work PC) and the third is just using the onboard intel.

As for the mouse problem with games ( I run dual monitors at home.) Just install ultramon, and setup profiles for those games. That way when you hit the shortcut to run the game, the second monitor is disabled.

Laban
 
laban said:
I'm running tri monitors at the office. Two are on a 5200 PCI (I know, I know.. but it is a work PC) and the third is just using the onboard intel.

As for the mouse problem with games ( I run dual monitors at home.) Just install ultramon, and setup profiles for those games. That way when you hit the shortcut to run the game, the second monitor is disabled.

Laban
Click to expand...
But does it just disable it virtually, or does it actually go into the drivers and disable it the same way a user would through the driver properties?
 
Two computers, on three screens. 2 17" microns, and a 21" KDS. I'm currently using a crappy GF4 MX AGP, and a PCI Radeon 7000. They're usable, but dont really like to play well together. Two cards from the same vendor is ideal. Soon, I'm going to seperate my machines, put one in my room, and keep one in here. Anyway, pics. :)

http://upload.localnetsys.com/upload/tria.JPG (2560x2224, 934 KB)

http://upload.localnetsys.com/upload/trib.JPG (1600x1200 256 KB)

I run 12x10 on the 17's, and 16x12 on the 21, which is shared between them on a KVM switch.
 
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