[MrTwoVideoCards]

Hey guys, new guy here! I love video cards hence my name, as I'm sure an great amount of you guys do too!

I currently own a GTX295, but I'd very much like to move onto Directx11. Probably a even larger reason is I spend most of my time making game content, than fully playing games . I would really like to buy two HD5870's, and use eyefinity with them. I've read around the internet, but I couldn't find a straight answer.

What I'm hoping to accomplish is run two monitors on the first 5870, and then the third monitor on the second 5870. Is this currently Possible? If not I don't really mind buying a display adapter, I've seen a pretty good one from Sapphire, but it being 100$ isn't ringing my bell all that nicely.

Thanks for the help guys!

This post has been edited by MrTwoVideoCards: 30 January 2010 - 11:15 PM

[mihapiha]

To each 5870 three displays can be connected to, except the soon coming 5870 Eyfinity edtion with 2GB memory, which can have 6 displays connected to it.

No adapters needed - other then HDMI to DVI of course...

[MrTwoVideoCards]

mihapiha, on Jan 30 2010, 11:29 PM, said:

To each 5870 three displays can be connected to, except the soon coming 5870 Eyfinity edtion with 2GB memory, which can have 6 displays connected to it.

No adapters needed - other then HDMI to DVI of course...

I don't think that actually answers my question. I understand that you can have up to three on a single card, but I want the third monitor running on the 2nd card.

I.e: 2 mointors connected to both DVI ports on the first card, and the third monitor plugged up to the DVi port on the 2nd card. I won't be using the display ports. At least, thats my Goal.

This post has been edited by MrTwoVideoCards: 31 January 2010 - 12:29 AM

[mihapiha]

The problem is that I don't think it would work the way you want it to.

First: You'd have to leave Crossfire disabled, because with Crossfire everything has to be connected to one graphic card. At least for Eyefinity. I'd have to try if it would work for an extended screen.

Second: I don't think it would work connecting to both DVI ports on one Graphic card works. It doesn't work with Eyefinity that's for sure. It might with an extended screen though.

[wumpus]

It would just be easier to connect all three screens to one card and run in Crossfire. I dont understand why you would want to plug a monitor into the second card.....its not like it is going to get better performance. It would in fact DECRASE performance as crossfire could not be utilized...

[MrTwoVideoCards]

wumpus, on Jan 31 2010, 07:56 AM, said:

It would just be easier to connect all three screens to one card and run in Crossfire. I dont understand why you would want to plug a monitor into the second card.....its not like it is going to get better performance. It would in fact DECRASE performance as crossfire could not be utilized...

"If not I don't really mind buying a display adapter, I've seen a pretty good one from Sapphire, but it being 100$ isn't ringing my bell all that nicely."

From my first post. It's mainly about saving the money.

[wumpus]

Quote

From my first post. It's mainly about saving the money.

well I guess it would be cool to plug into both, just you cant have crossfire enabled. and then you dont even need two 5870's. then you can get a cheapo card (like $50) to run the third screen and be cool

[mihapiha]

the thing is that the HDMI-DVI adapters cost like 3 bugs, and you'd only need two. Then you can have twice the performance (because of Crossfire) and use some killer features in the ATI-driver to adjust the screens just the way you want to, especially with Eyefinity.

I have never used an adapter so I can't tell you if it would be better, but I had two 22" screens for a wile with Crossfire, and the options in the driver as well as the performance was totally killer...

[That'sMe]

You can get a Display Port to DVI adapter really cheap. Here in Europe it retails ~15€, so you should be able to find it ~$20 there.

Plus, I found some at $8~$15 on eBay... Just look it up

[MrTwoVideoCards]

That'sMe, on Jan 31 2010, 01:02 PM, said:

You can get a Display Port to DVI adapter really cheap. Here in Europe it retails ~15€, so you should be able to find it ~$20 there.

Plus, I found some at $8~$15 on eBay... Just look it up

Cool, I'll take a look. The problem I've found is that they usually charge more for ones that are passive, rather than adaptive. Sapphire made theres right by having the usb plug into your pc for extra power usages, which the adapter seems to need anyways. This is major important unless I want my third screen going on or off, or getting strange 'green lines'.

[HADES - The gamer within]

i really dont see any point in getting 5xxx series now as in a month the GF100 will be launched.... and the GTX 295 u ve is more that enough for now...
so please wait till march 1st week and u will get the "latest and greatest in pc hardware" as trub says

[laram101]

To do Eyefinity on three screens you need either a monitor with a native display port, or an active display port adapter. Currently I've only seen two different models of the active display port adapter, one from Dell and one from Sapphire, but about a hundred bucks. Passive display port to dvi adapters will not work. You also cannot use the HDMI output along side of the two DVI outputs, because the HDMI output runs off of the clock of one of the DVI's, so you can use either or, but not both simultaneously. To use Crossfire with Eyefinity, you have to have all the displays outputted from one card, you can't just use DVI ports from both to get your monitors hooked up.

The only solution that might work for you, would be to use SoftTH with two cards... but that wouldn't make much sense with two 5870's because only one card would be doing the rendering and the second card would be used as only a video output; Crossfire will not work. So really you'd only need one 5870, and one cheapo card to get your third output. I've used this in the past with success in Crysis and COD4/5. I've gotten it to display everything in WOW (for a friend I don't play lol) but the mouse wasn't working right. There are pretty extensive forums online though that offer lots of support for this triple wide solution.

[MrTwoVideoCards]

HADES - The gamer within, on Feb 1 2010, 06:17 AM, said:

i really dont see any point in getting 5xxx series now as in a month the GF100 will be launched.... and the GTX 295 u ve is more that enough for now...
so please wait till march 1st week and u will get the "latest and greatest in pc hardware" as trub says

I'm still kicking that idea around a lot.

[Kinesis]

as far as we know (and as explained above)the 5xxx cards wont work like that(sharing ports in x-fire config)but supposedly that's how the new nvidia surround (screen) solution/offering will work. which is why theyre saying SLI is needed,one card will handle 2 monitors,and the second card will handle the third(monitor)
(this is their current SLI Mosiac tech re badged?)
What exactly comes of this,and if ATI "borrows" from this concept is what I too,would like to know.
Not to mention how Nvidia's multi monitor offering compares with ATI's Eyefinity with regard to monitor layout possibilities(portrait/landscape/portrait anyone?)




P.S. afaik the 5870 Eyefinity Six port edition will also require active DP adapters for every connection from the 3rd to the 6th
(will the known workaround with the passive VGA to DP converter work here??)

This post has been edited by Kinesis: 02 February 2010 - 10:22 AM

[Sam]

Hey,

I can confirm trying to run 3 screen eyefinity with 2 GPU's absolutly DOESN'T work.
Me and my friend tried for the best part of 10 hours, with 2 5770's, to no success.

So, In a state of frustration, I ordered on of these; http://www.ebuyer.com/product/183937

It's worked powerfectly ever since I got it out the box, I set eyefinity in under a minuite, no flickering, stuttering, driver problems or anything problems that people seem to be having with eyefinity, however, the only downside, the maximum resolution I've to it to is 3x22" @ 1680x1050, so 5040x1050, although I havent tried aything between that and 1920x1080 x3.

Hope this helps, If you have anymore eyefinity problems or questions, just drop me a line.

Sam

[mihapiha]

First of all you need to connect all three monitors to one GPU and activate CrossfireX if you're planing to use both cards.
DisplayPort to VGA shouldn't work at all, considering that only digital pictures can go out of the DisplayPort.

If you connect any display to any other card, you'll have to understand that wile Crossfire may work, Eyefinity won't.

[Sam]

I can 100% verify that connecting 2 displays to one card and 1 to another DOES NOT work.

And the dsp>displayport does, I can provide pics if you want.

Thanks

Sam

[mihapiha]

Like I said. If you connect all to the same GPU, everything works fine.
As soon as you connect to two graphic cards your displays I'm not even sure if you can run CorssifreX.
For sure you can't run Eyefinity.

[dirtylarryuk]

HADES - The gamer within, on Feb 1 2010, 06:17 AM, said:

i really dont see any point in getting 5xxx series now as in a month the GF100 will be launched.... and the GTX 295 u ve is more that enough for now...
so please wait till march 1st week and u will get the "latest and greatest in pc hardware" as trub says

problem is Nvidia have skimped on video out so you must have 2x GF100's for 3 displays where as a single 5850 or 5870 will spit 3x displays (as long as you get a display port out adpater).

But it might be worth waiting for the GF100's to arrive if only because the 58** series will drop in price to compete.