[Fordy]

I don't think that's right because I read about Windows only supporting a max of 10 monitors, but the latest version (not sure if that was referring to Win7 or Vista) supporting up to 64, but what kind of single graphics card even has ouputs for 10?

Not at all uncommon for people to have 3 or 4 displays showing a completely different thing at home stock traders have pretty much a minimum of 6.

[Razer]

Upon some research and asking questions, you're right, I was incorrect. All the video heads are enabled and ready to go so you could use CrossFire X or SLi to solve your problem. Both ATi and nVidia offer cross card scaling so you could buy a 9800GT for your dual monitors if you wanted to play games say then use a 9400 or something cheaper in the 9 series to do HD display to your TV. That would work fine as long as both cards are in the same series (Not sure about the GTX series though).

[Carbon]

SLI and Crossfire have nothing to do with multi-monitor setups. Cards work in multi-card configurations without Crossfire or SLI fine.

Each monitor can be run at whatever resolution you want independent of what they're hooked up to. nVidia control panel or whatever should scale it down if it is set to "cloned", there is no reason to mess around with splitters.

Razer's solution is optimal in that you would run one card for gaming on the HD with another monitor cloned off it and one 9400 for the other monitor. I would suggest if all possible to skip this whole business and just run two off the 9400 and the HD off the other, though.

If you are running XP, you can get a 4850 or such for the primary and run two different drivers. If Vista, you can't. I recommend you get rid of the 9400 as it will either lock you into running a poor price/performance nVidia card for your primary or heavily restrict you (in the case of XP) and buy a 4350.

You could also buy a 4850X2 and just run all three monitors off it. Perhaps you could get a dual-DVI card with HDMI and do the same.

Whatever the case, I hope you have lots of patience and this is your only resort for what you plan on doing, as in any case it's a very complicated mess and there is a reason people tend to set up alternative ways of doing 3 or 4 monitors.

[serverguy]

Originally Posted by Carbon

Whatever the case, I hope you have lots of patience and this is your only resort for what you plan on doing, as in any case it's a very complicated mess and there is a reason people tend to set up alternative ways of doing 3 or 4 monitors.

I concur on this statement.

I have two monitors hanging off a 4850, and whilst it is excellent when it works, it is forever changing it's settings by itself, changing resolutions, both monitors swap sides??? and then you have to unplug them from the graphics card and swap them around. Grr. It is so annoying.

But it is very useful having two screens :)

This is with two identical cards, I can't imagine what a pain your setup is going to be.

[Fordy]

Originally Posted by Carbon

Cards work in multi-card configurations without Crossfire or SLI fine.

Yeah I know, I just wrote the reply poorly, what I meant was that if I was having 2 cards I might as well have them in SLi, just because I'm like that

Originally Posted by Carbon

Each monitor can be run at whatever resolution you want independent of what they're hooked up to. nVidia control panel or whatever should scale it down if it is set to "cloned", there is no reason to mess around with splitters.

No because theres 2 monitors plugging into the 1 socket in this scenario, nVidia won't recognise that they're different and supply different signals will it?!


And yeah it's Vista.

Thanks for the replys guys.. and ServerGuy.. Hmm I can see it will be a pain I'll let you know how it pans out.

[mctw]

i think the extra port can be used actually, but dont take my word for it.

took me a while to find, and i know its not quite what your aiming at, but still, you'll probably find interesting man i want a set up like this, if only i had the money!!
http://allthemods.com/project.php?id=76
you might have to sign up to view this actually.

MCTW

and sorry, didnt notice the 2nd page of posts, ignore the first line please

[Fordy]

Thanks for the link, didn't need to sign up. I think what he's done there though is hardwire a split between all three, from one ouput on his graphics card.

His case is just an ugly mess though don't you think?!?

[mctw]

aye, i think cable (or tube) management isnt all that important to him!
i dont think it is a hardware spilt thought, if you look at the bottom picture, you can see a pair of graphics cards, with 3 DVI cables coming out the back. you can also see 3 seperate cables going into the PCB for each screen on another photo.
sorry ive digressed from your orginal point a bit, just thought it might be of interest.

[Fordy]

Oh yeah, I see now.

No don't worry about it, it was worth a look.

I'll try it in my current setup as is. If not I'll buy a second card thats SLI compatible (my current one isnt) and do it with the two.

Then when money passes through my hands again I'll get another of whatever card I got and have them run SLi
EDIT: Would need new mobo of course, got my eye on the XFX 720 I think it was..?

Either way it was *borat voice* veeerrry niiice */borat voice*

[Carbon]

Again, SLI has nothing to do with multimonitor.