3 display ports on GPU?

[Fincotts1]

Hi Toms HW,
i have a question concerning the interface ports on two GTX 980s
The EVGA 04G-P4-2986-KR
and
The EVGA 04G-P4-2983-KR

These 2 Cards have similar specs except for Clock and boost speeds (however they are very similar) I wanted to know whether having 3 displayports (2983) but lower clock speeds or
higher clock speeds but 1x hdmi 1x dp and 2 dvi is better.

Also, is there any advantage to having 3 display ports and 1 hdmi with 1 dvi against having 1 dp 1hdmi and 2 dvi?

Thanks!!

 

[jimmysmitty]

The benefit of Display Port is that each one has their own clock generator. SO you can hook up a monitor to each one with active adapters (two for some) and get a display out.

In your case though it would be better to have the higher clock speeds. If you are planning 3 monitors you could use a DVI, HDMI and then an active display port adapter to DVI or HDMI for the third monitor. The higher clock speeds will benefit gaming in terms of performance, the ports don't really matter there.

 

[Fincotts1]

The benefit of Display Port is that each one has their own clock generator. SO you can hook up a monitor to each one with active adapters (two for some) and get a display out.

In your case though it would be better to have the higher clock speeds. If you are planning 3 monitors you could use a DVI, HDMI and then an active display port adapter to DVI or HDMI for the third monitor. The higher clock speeds will benefit gaming in terms of performance, the ports don't really matter there.

Ok thanks for your fast response!
I sort of get what you mean, and i am likely to get the higher clock speed card!
But can you explain in depth about active adapters and their benefit?
Thanks

 

[MarkW]

It might not matter for 1080p or 1440p... But if you want to game on 4K monitors, you will want the 3 DP. DP 1.2 will do 4k video @ 60Hz. DVI cannot do 4K, and HDMI can do 4K, but if it is HDMI 1.4 or lower, the best it can do is 30Hz, and only HDMI 2.0 can do 4K at 60Hz. And I believe there is only one video card on the planet with an HDMI 2.0 port and that is the GTX 980Ti which is just now beginning to reach vendors. In late June, AMD will release their new AMD Radeon Fury flagship card, and it should also have an HDMI 2.0 port, and we know it will have 3 DP 1.2 ports.

It is likely to be next summer before we see lower priced cards with 3 DP and an HDMI 2.0 port.

 

[Fincotts1]

It might not matter for 1080p or 1440p... But if you want to game on 4K monitors, you will want the 3 DP. DP 1.2 will do 4k video @ 60Hz. DVI cannot do 4K, and HDMI can do 4K, but if it is HDMI 1.4 or lower, the best it can do is 30Hz, and only HDMI 2.0 can do 4K at 60Hz. And I believe there is only one video card on the planet with an HDMI 2.0 port and that is the GTX 980Ti which is just now beginning to reach vendors. In late June, AMD will release their new AMD Radeon Fury flagship card, and it should also have an HDMI 2.0 port, and we know it will have 3 DP 1.2 ports.

It is likely to be next summer before we see lower priced cards with 3 DP and an HDMI 2.0 port.

Thankyou very much!! The card with the higher clock speeds actually has a HDMI 2.0 port so would this be sufficient for 4k gaming? but i guess on only one monitor right?

 

[MarkW]

Yes. The massive number of pixels a 4k monitor needs is why it can only support 1 4k monitor.

A 4k monitor needs 8,294,400 pixels per frame, and at 60Hz, that is 497,664,000 pixels per second.. Yes half a billion pixels per second, per monitor.

 

[Fincotts1]

Yes. The massive number of pixels a 4k monitor needs is why it can only support 1 4k monitor.

A 4k monitor needs 8,294,400 pixels per frame, and at 60Hz, that is 497,664,000 pixels per second.. Yes half a billion pixels per second, per monitor.

so would it be worth buying the one with 3 display ports and overclocking it to the same mhz as the other? Maybe more?
In the future i plan on SLI With this card

 

[MarkW]

You can most certainly try to do that. Every processor is different. Some will overclock like champs, and some can be pretty wimpy overclockers. But most of them will give you a decent overclock.

SLI with these should not be a problem as long as you have a power supply strong enough to handle a pair of cards that can draw 275 watts each. Power supplies function most efficiently at roughly 50% loads. And when computing what capacity of a power supply I need, I figure the rest of the system draws 200 watts just to be safe. So if you want to get a power supply now to handle an SLI setup with those cards, I would do math of 200 watts (system) + 550 watts (SLI cards) = 750 + 300 extra to get to roughly 50% load = 1050 watts. Or something near the ballpark of 1000 watts to 1200 watt power supply. Some people say you don't need all that extra power. But I look at it this way. I do not want my system to ever be in a position where the power supply is being pushed to its limits. No matter what I do. So I buy Seasonic power supplies, and I do the math like I just showed you.

Beyond that, its just a normal system.

 

[Fincotts1]

You can most certainly try to do that. Every processor is different. Some will overclock like champs, and some can be pretty wimpy overclockers. But most of them will give you a decent overclock.

SLI with these should not be a problem as long as you have a power supply strong enough to handle a pair of cards that can draw 275 watts each. Power supplies function most efficiently at roughly 50% loads. And when computing what capacity of a power supply I need, I figure the rest of the system draws 200 watts just to be safe. So if you want to get a power supply now to handle an SLI setup with those cards, I would do math of 200 watts (system) + 550 watts (SLI cards) = 750 + 300 extra to get to roughly 50% load = 1050 watts. Or something near the ballpark of 1000 watts to 1200 watt power supply. Some people say you don't need all that extra power. But I look at it this way. I do not want my system to ever be in a position where the power supply is being pushed to its limits. No matter what I do. So I buy Seasonic power supplies, and I do the math like I just showed you.

Beyond that, its just a normal system.

Thanks ever so much for your help Mark, it will all be taken into consideration!!

If i was to buy the graphics card without the 3 displayports, would i still be able to use NVSurround with 3 monitors at 1080p
60Hz? Maybe if i SLI 144Hz?

 

[MarkW]

I believe so. I only have one monitor, so I cannot test that myself. But that is why Nvidia created that technology. What resolution you operate at should have no effect on NvSound at all. Personally though, I would want the card with 3 DP ports. You do not want to buy the other one, and then in 6 months or a year need to sell it so that you can then buy the one with the 3 DP ports... I would definately buy it now, and overclock it. You can do overclocks as well as the factory could, if you are just patient and do it very slowly, and test each step up (which means you need to play games... the horror!!).

Obviously, lower resolutions need less pixels per second than those 4k monitors would. I still chuckle when I think about a system that needs 1.5 BILLION pixels a second. Thats just one massive bunch of dots.

 

[Fincotts1]

I believe so. I only have one monitor, so I cannot test that myself. But that is why Nvidia created that technology. What resolution you operate at should have no effect on NvSound at all. Personally though, I would want the card with 3 DP ports. You do not want to buy the other one, and then in 6 months or a year need to sell it so that you can then buy the one with the 3 DP ports... I would definately buy it now, and overclock it. You can do overclocks as well as the factory could, if you are just patient and do it very slowly, and test each step up (which means you need to play games... the horror!!).

Obviously, lower resolutions need less pixels per second than those 4k monitors would. I still chuckle when I think about a system that needs 1.5 BILLION pixels a second. Thats just one massive bunch of dots.

Thanks so much Mark!! Helped me ever so much !!
i think i will settle with the 2983-KR with the 3 dp's and overclock it!
Thanks again!
Fin

 

[MarkW]

Glad I could help.