• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

Dual Monitor Extra GPU worth it?

Joined
Feb 20, 2014
Messages
13 (0.00/day)
System Name CORSAIR
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz OC @ 4.50GHz
Motherboard MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming
Cooling H100i Extreme Performance CPU Cooler
Memory RipjawsX Series 8 GB PC3-12800/17000 Dual Channel DDR3 Kit (2x4GB)/(2x4GB) 16GB
Video Card(s) N760 TF 2GBD5/OCN760 TF 2GBD5/OC
Storage Samsung SSD 840 Evo 120GB X2 WDC 2TB HDD
Display(s) BenQ XL2430T
Case Vengeance® C70 Mid-Tower Gaming Case — Arctic White
Audio Device(s) Realtek on board
Power Supply Corsair
Software Windows 10
I have the 760 but it's only has 2gbs of vram thus causing some delay when I add a second monitor.
My question is, would it be worth it to add my spare 470 for the second monitor even though it draws more power and creates so much heat?
 
Joined
Dec 27, 2007
Messages
8,518 (1.43/day)
Location
Kansas City
System Name The Dove Box Rev 3.0
Processor i7 8700k @ 4.7GHz
Motherboard Asus Maximus X APEX
Cooling Custom water loop
Memory 16GB 3600 MHz DDR4
Video Card(s) 2x MSI 780 Ti's in SLI
Storage 500GB Samsung 850 PCIe SSD, 4TB
Display(s) 27" Asus 144Hz
Case Enermax Fulmo GT
Audio Device(s) ON BOARD FTW
Power Supply Corsair 1200W
Keyboard Logitech G510
Software Win 10 64x
What power supply do you have?
 

FreedomEclipse

~Technological Technocrat~
Joined
Apr 20, 2007
Messages
23,306 (3.77/day)
Location
London,UK
System Name Codename: Icarus Mk.VI
Processor Intel 8600k@Stock -- pending tuning
Motherboard Asus ROG Strixx Z370-F
Cooling CPU: BeQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 {1xCorsair ML120 Pro|5xML140 Pro}
Memory 32GB XPG Gammix D10 {2x16GB}
Video Card(s) ASUS Dual Radeon™ RX 6700 XT OC Edition
Storage Samsung 970 Evo 512GB SSD (Boot)|WD SN770 (Gaming)|2x 3TB Toshiba DT01ACA300|2x 2TB Crucial BX500
Display(s) LG GP850-B
Case Corsair 760T (White)
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V573|Speakers: JBL Control One|Auna 300-CN|Wharfedale Diamond SW150
Power Supply Corsair AX760
Mouse Logitech G900
Keyboard Duckyshine Dead LED(s) III
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
you cant SLi them in the first place...

There are 2 options here. 1. you could sell both cards and pick up a 4GB GTX770, 780 or AMD 290X. 2. sell the 470 and buy another 760 for SLi
 
Joined
Dec 27, 2007
Messages
8,518 (1.43/day)
Location
Kansas City
System Name The Dove Box Rev 3.0
Processor i7 8700k @ 4.7GHz
Motherboard Asus Maximus X APEX
Cooling Custom water loop
Memory 16GB 3600 MHz DDR4
Video Card(s) 2x MSI 780 Ti's in SLI
Storage 500GB Samsung 850 PCIe SSD, 4TB
Display(s) 27" Asus 144Hz
Case Enermax Fulmo GT
Audio Device(s) ON BOARD FTW
Power Supply Corsair 1200W
Keyboard Logitech G510
Software Win 10 64x
you cant SLi them in the first place...

There are 2 options here. 1. you could sell both cards and pick up a 4GB GTX770, 780 or AMD 290X. 2. sell the 470 and buy another 760 for SLi

I dont think hes talking about SLI, I think he wants to run a second card just to output to another monitor. Heck he could run Physx off of it too, but it would be power hungry.
 
Joined
Feb 20, 2014
Messages
13 (0.00/day)
System Name CORSAIR
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz OC @ 4.50GHz
Motherboard MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming
Cooling H100i Extreme Performance CPU Cooler
Memory RipjawsX Series 8 GB PC3-12800/17000 Dual Channel DDR3 Kit (2x4GB)/(2x4GB) 16GB
Video Card(s) N760 TF 2GBD5/OCN760 TF 2GBD5/OC
Storage Samsung SSD 840 Evo 120GB X2 WDC 2TB HDD
Display(s) BenQ XL2430T
Case Vengeance® C70 Mid-Tower Gaming Case — Arctic White
Audio Device(s) Realtek on board
Power Supply Corsair
Software Windows 10
What power supply do you have?
I have the Antec 750W PSU

I dont think hes talking about SLI, I think he wants to run a second card just to output to another monitor. Heck he could run Physx off of it too, but it would be power hungry.
And yes I wasn't thinking of putting them in SLI due to the fact that's it's not possible. Like you said I just want to run the second card to output it to the second monitor.
 

FreedomEclipse

~Technological Technocrat~
Joined
Apr 20, 2007
Messages
23,306 (3.77/day)
Location
London,UK
System Name Codename: Icarus Mk.VI
Processor Intel 8600k@Stock -- pending tuning
Motherboard Asus ROG Strixx Z370-F
Cooling CPU: BeQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 {1xCorsair ML120 Pro|5xML140 Pro}
Memory 32GB XPG Gammix D10 {2x16GB}
Video Card(s) ASUS Dual Radeon™ RX 6700 XT OC Edition
Storage Samsung 970 Evo 512GB SSD (Boot)|WD SN770 (Gaming)|2x 3TB Toshiba DT01ACA300|2x 2TB Crucial BX500
Display(s) LG GP850-B
Case Corsair 760T (White)
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V573|Speakers: JBL Control One|Auna 300-CN|Wharfedale Diamond SW150
Power Supply Corsair AX760
Mouse Logitech G900
Keyboard Duckyshine Dead LED(s) III
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
Well, Ive tried running a monitor off my second 680 and it wont let me - the only thing i can do is plug it into the first card. it doesnt give me any other choices.
 

Aquinus

Resident Wat-man
Joined
Jan 28, 2012
Messages
13,147 (2.96/day)
Location
Concord, NH, USA
System Name Apollo
Processor Intel Core i9 9880H
Motherboard Some proprietary Apple thing.
Memory 64GB DDR4-2667
Video Card(s) AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, 8GB HBM2
Storage 1TB Apple NVMe, 4TB External
Display(s) Laptop @ 3072x1920 + 2x LG 5k Ultrafine TB3 displays
Case MacBook Pro (16", 2019)
Audio Device(s) AirPods Pro, Sennheiser HD 380s w/ FIIO Alpen 2, or Logitech 2.1 Speakers
Power Supply 96w Power Adapter
Mouse Logitech MX Master 3
Keyboard Logitech G915, GL Clicky
Software MacOS 12.1
Well, Ive tried running a monitor off my second 680 and it wont let me - the only thing i can do is plug it into the first card. it doesnt give me any other choices.
Maybe it's a nVidia thing but I can say that isn't the case for me and AMD cards. I can run displays off my 6870 just fine but the cards can't be in crossfire while I do it.
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2013
Messages
954 (0.25/day)
Location
Cumberland Plateau
System Name EVGA-FX | Lenny (Lenovo Y480)
Processor AMD FX-8320 @ 4.5GHz 1.416v | i7 3610qm
Motherboard Asus M5A99FX Pro R2.0
Cooling Phanteks PH-TC14PE
Memory 2x4GB Corsair Vengeance @ 1600 | 8gb DDR3 @ 1600
Video Card(s) EVGA GTX780 Classified @ 1228MHz 1.615v | GT640m LE
Storage Crucial M500 480GB, WD Caviar Blue 500GB, WD Scorpio Blue 750GB | Samsung 250GB 840
Display(s) Qnix QX2710 1440p | 42" Vizio 3D LCD TV 1080p
Case CoolerMaster HAF XB Evo
Power Supply Seasonic G-650
Software Windows 6.3.9600
Well, Ive tried running a monitor off my second 680 and it wont let me - the only thing i can do is plug it into the first card. it doesnt give me any other choices.

With SLI disabled?
 
Joined
Nov 18, 2010
Messages
7,106 (1.46/day)
Location
Rīga, Latvia
System Name HELLSTAR
Processor AMD RYZEN 9 5950X
Motherboard ASUS Strix X570-E
Cooling 2x 360 + 280 rads. 3x Gentle Typhoons, 3x Phanteks T30, 2x TT T140 . EK-Quantum Momentum Monoblock.
Memory 4x8GB G.SKILL Trident Z RGB F4-4133C19D-16GTZR 14-16-12-30-44
Video Card(s) Sapphire Pulse RX 7900XTX + under waterblock.
Storage Optane 900P[W11] + WD BLACK SN850X 4TB + 750 EVO 500GB + 1TB 980PRO[FEDORA]
Display(s) Philips PHL BDM3270 + Acer XV242Y
Case Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO
Audio Device(s) Sound Blaster ZxR
Power Supply Fractal Design Newton R3 1000W
Mouse Razer Basilisk
Keyboard Razer BlackWidow V3 - Yellow Switch
Software FEDORA 39 / Windows 11 insider
About the current draw... it could be debatable really... Cards clock higher when two outputs are used usually...

680 does not allow other GPU's to be used...? That is really odd, against WDDM policy and whole idea as such... never had this problem with older cards, I am multi monitor junkie myself...

EDIT.

With SLI one can only use primary card, yes. Had also this with my old GTX280 pair.
 

newtekie1

Semi-Retired Folder
Joined
Nov 22, 2005
Messages
28,472 (4.25/day)
Location
Indiana, USA
Processor Intel Core i7 10850K@5.2GHz
Motherboard AsRock Z470 Taichi
Cooling Corsair H115i Pro w/ Noctua NF-A14 Fans
Memory 32GB DDR4-3600
Video Card(s) RTX 2070 Super
Storage 500GB SX8200 Pro + 8TB with 1TB SSD Cache
Display(s) Acer Nitro VG280K 4K 28"
Case Fractal Design Define S
Audio Device(s) Onboard is good enough for me
Power Supply eVGA SuperNOVA 1000w G3
Software Windows 10 Pro x64
I don't think it would be worth it with the GTX470. I'd sell the GTX470 and pick up something like a GTX650 or GTX650Ti to run the second monitor.

And nVidia has no problem doing this, as long as they cards aren't in SLI, which obviously they wouldn't be since they aren't matched. I've got 3 monitors running off my GTX650Ti and GT640, my primary monitor on the GTX650Ti and the other two on the GT640.
 
Joined
Nov 18, 2010
Messages
7,106 (1.46/day)
Location
Rīga, Latvia
System Name HELLSTAR
Processor AMD RYZEN 9 5950X
Motherboard ASUS Strix X570-E
Cooling 2x 360 + 280 rads. 3x Gentle Typhoons, 3x Phanteks T30, 2x TT T140 . EK-Quantum Momentum Monoblock.
Memory 4x8GB G.SKILL Trident Z RGB F4-4133C19D-16GTZR 14-16-12-30-44
Video Card(s) Sapphire Pulse RX 7900XTX + under waterblock.
Storage Optane 900P[W11] + WD BLACK SN850X 4TB + 750 EVO 500GB + 1TB 980PRO[FEDORA]
Display(s) Philips PHL BDM3270 + Acer XV242Y
Case Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO
Audio Device(s) Sound Blaster ZxR
Power Supply Fractal Design Newton R3 1000W
Mouse Razer Basilisk
Keyboard Razer BlackWidow V3 - Yellow Switch
Software FEDORA 39 / Windows 11 insider
I remember I used some older 8th series slow crap card for additional third screen 7400?, I made an overkill... the mouse lagged so much switching to that screen, I had to overclock it, as it didn't handle windows animations xD and obviously it helped. I guess those old times are gone... I hope so...
 
Joined
Feb 20, 2014
Messages
13 (0.00/day)
System Name CORSAIR
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz OC @ 4.50GHz
Motherboard MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming
Cooling H100i Extreme Performance CPU Cooler
Memory RipjawsX Series 8 GB PC3-12800/17000 Dual Channel DDR3 Kit (2x4GB)/(2x4GB) 16GB
Video Card(s) N760 TF 2GBD5/OCN760 TF 2GBD5/OC
Storage Samsung SSD 840 Evo 120GB X2 WDC 2TB HDD
Display(s) BenQ XL2430T
Case Vengeance® C70 Mid-Tower Gaming Case — Arctic White
Audio Device(s) Realtek on board
Power Supply Corsair
Software Windows 10
Thanks for the help, though I don't see getting much for an old 470, though buying a 650 seeks like a good idea. Would there be much of a benefit between the 470 and the 650 even though it's just going to be for a second monitor?
 
Top