Wanting to do a triple-quadruple monitor rig.

[B1gg3stN00b]

But I'm wanting to run XP and Vista and I don't own a copy of 64 bit XP.

 

[CY:G]

OK..

First, this is my setup:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7GeaaCmh3k

1.Having 3 monitors rocks, there are no problems with games that use only one screen, the game will always run on the monitor that you have selected as your "primary" display. The other screens will keep whatever they had before you ran the game, of course if you move your mouse outisde the game it will minimize and some games just dont recover after that.

2. Not all games work on 3 screens, specially with ATI... here is why: what im doing right now to play some games on 3 screens is using a software called SoftTH that divides the frame 3 times and throws each frame to each port on your video cards, it works on some games but others just dont like it... if you really want to play a LOT of games on 3 screens you need to get Matrox's Triple Head 2 Go which is an external device that goes connected to your video card and it drives 3 screens. BEWARE THOUGH, i was really excited to get my TripleHead 2 GO to finally play tons of games on 3 screens but BAAAM, it doesnt work too well with ATI video cards, so i just gave up on it until i change my Rig to use an nVidia video card.

3. my advice would be to spend on the screens and a good nVidia card and then save for a TripleHead 2 Go, of course this is from a gamers perspective, for normal usage, ATI is just fine with triple screens, i have a 4870x2 and a 3870 and they work indepent of each other...

If you have any questions, let me know...

 

[Darknova]

But I'm wanting to run XP and Vista and I don't own a copy of 64 bit XP.

And? you can still use 4Gb in XP.

 

[aCid888*]

And? you can still use 4Gb in XP.

Since when????? 32bit OS will only address around 3GB~ and the other is wasted.

If he had a 64bit OS he would be fine with 4GB of ram, plus if you add 2x512MB gfx cards in there that'll give him 5GB as Windows sees it....but he doesnt, so 4GB of RAM is useless to him, and at the max with a 32bit OS your able to run 3GB

Edit: Nice CoD4 multi display CY

 

[Darknova]

Since when????? 32bit OS will only address around 3GB~ and the other is wasted.

64bit OS he will be fine with 4GB of ram, plus if you add 2x512MB gfx cards in there that'll give him 5GB as Windows sees it


Edit: nice CoD4 multi display CY

Actually no. 32-bit OS addresses 4Gb of Memory space, some of that is just taken up by your VRAM.

Either way it's not a waste, not only that but he's dual-booting with Vista. Eventually he will get rid of XP (like I have) and then 4Gb will be fully useable.

Not only that but unless you have the correct configuration (which limits future upgrades) it won't be running in dual-channel, which is a big drop in performance, and with prices of DDR2 you'd be an idiot not to get 4Gb.

 

[MKmods]

crossfire and SLI are incompatible with more than one screen. You would be running outside of crossfire/SLI in order to do this.

(modern) Video cards can only handle 2 screens at a time. Very, VERY few games work with multiple screens enabled - and you wont be running a TV tuner display on one and a game on another without problems.

how about this?
http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/gxm/th2go/

 

[aCid888*]

Well seeing as he will be using 2 gfx cards, I make it that the max addressable size is 3GB, so that puts 1GB to waste..and when the time comes when he will jump onto Vista and dump XP (lets hope he sees sense and waits for the next MS OS to come out!) DDR2 will be so cheap you'll be able to pick up 8GB for the price of 2GB now...so to be honest, I'd pick up 2GB of 1066MHz DDR2 with tight timings and be happy, instead of 4GB of 800MHz ram with sloppy timings and only be able to use it once I boot into Vista..and by the sounds of it, he likes XP more so that wont be often lol

 

[CY:G]

Since when????? 32bit OS will only address around 3GB~ and the other is wasted.

If he had a 64bit OS he would be fine with 4GB of ram, plus if you add 2x512MB gfx cards in there that'll give him 5GB as Windows sees it....but he doesnt, so 4GB of RAM is useless to him, and at the max with a 32bit OS your able to run 3GB

Edit: Nice CoD4 multi display CY

Thanks, cant use it online tho , punkbuster hates it, thinks its a hack

 

[Darknova]

Well seeing as he will be using 2 gfx cards, I make it that the max addressable size is 3GB, so that puts 1GB to waste..and when the time comes when he will jump onto Vista and dump XP (lets hope he sees sense and waits for the next MS OS to come out!) DDR2 will be so cheap you'll be able to pick up 8GB for the price of 2GB now...so to be honest, I'd pick up 2GB of 1066MHz DDR2 with tight timings and be happy, instead of 4GB of 800MHz ram with sloppy timings and only be able to use it once I boot into Vista..and by the sounds of it, he likes XP more so that wont be often lol

I doubt it, the price of DDR2 is set to go up. currently there is a glut of DDR2, and with most makers focusing on DDR3 stocks of DDR2 are going to dwindle, not completely, but there won't be anywhere near as much as there was 6 months ago and when AMD goes to DDR3 at the start of next year DDR2 will lose demand, seen the price of DDR now? it's ridiculous. I paid the same for 2Gb of DDR500 as I did for my 4Gb of RAM 6 months ago.

 

[B1gg3stN00b]

It's not like I'm wanting to spread my games across the 3 monitors or anything, I'd probably have one monitor with my IMs and another with my Email client. I'd just want to run games on one monitor.

 

[Deusxmachina]

Some poo pooing here watching TV and playing a game or other things at the same time.

I never had much of a problem on two monitors. Play a game or whatever on one, have TV or whatever video playing or browsing on the other. I tended to play the game in window mode so I could more quickly switch back and forth between all applications. That may require upping the 2D clocks on your videocard if it doesn't switch to 3D settings.

Dunno about 3+ monitors except that some other people do it.