3 Monitor Set Up Resolution Problem (Nvidia Surround) (Gaming Intent)

[cubbieshater]

ALL PICTURES ARE BELOW
Wow just typed a long message just to hit ctrl-z and then ctrl-r to delete the entire thing.


Here I go again...
When creating my account I detailed all of the specs for my computer so I hope to only reference the pieces and that be enough to guide anyone reading, if not I can specify.

I have three monitors as of late and I would like to successfully run games across all three when possible. I plan to accomplish this using:

1. EVGA gtx 770,
2. BenQ 27" 120hz 1920x1080 -DisplayPort
3. Asus 23" 60hz 1920x1080 -Dvi
4. Acer 21.5" 60hz 1650x1050 -Dvi
5. Various other PC specs
6. Windows 8.1

When plugged in each monitor works perfectly fine, on the correct resolution, and aspect ratio, all at the same time.

I run into trouble when turning on NVIDIA surround. My outer monitors (Asus and Acer) have the correct resolution displayed, but the BenQ in the middle loses the 1080p and changes to 1024x1024 (Or something really close). The problem with this is obvious, it leaves large black bars on the left and right of the picture creating a large gap between monitors. I can stretch the picture, but the look is atrocious and unplayable.

If my math is correct, my optimal resolution should be about (1920+1920+1650= 5490)x(1080~)
so 5490x1080 or 5490x1050.

With surround on the highest resolution I can apply seems to be 3840x1024, also the resolution in the second picture below.

What I already have (tried) :
Updated Drivers
Different resolutions
Different hz (Including one I have seen work for other people: 60.0001 hz)
General tinkering around with settings.

any help or advice would be great;y appreciated, if I forgot to include anything, just ask, or check my profile for specs.

Thanks a ton in advanced!!!!


Zac R.

Without Surround, no problems:

With Surround, Problems

 

[photonboy]

It's never going to match up correctly when you have different screen sizes and resolutions, but I'm not sure why the black bars. I'll think about that a bit, but my recommendation would be to stick with all 1920x1080 screens with the same diagonal size.

 

[lostmenoggin]

They all need to be the same resolution, refresh rate and have the same sync polarity. You could try changing the 1920x1080 monitors to 1680x1050 and see how that looks. Found this cruising the web..

"For Surround (2D), you can use different monitors sizes. However, each monitor must display the same resolution - and they will default to the lowest common denominator. Two displays at 1680x1050 and one display at 1920x1200 will all display a 1680x1050 image - stretching that image across the 1920x1200 display. If you utilize different aspect rations (i.e., 2x 1920x1080 and 1x 1920x1200), the image on the "odd display" will either be letterboxed or stretched."

 

[photonboy]

The ABOVE sounds correct.
Think of this as a SINGLE SCREEN chopped up into three pieces. Thus, the lowest common denominator is probably 1680x1050. In that case, however, you'd then get BLACK BARS on the 1920x1080 screens on the left and right.

No matter what you do, I don't think this is going to work out mainly because of the wrong ASPECT RATIO (1680x1050 is 16x10, not 16x9 like the 1920x1080 screens).

If you had a 1920x1080, 1920x1080, and a 1600x900 screen that would work if they were the same diagonal because they are the same ratio. You'd be running every screen at 1600x900 but it would line up.

*So again, you need to replace that 1680x1050 screen with a 1920x1080 with the same diagonal size.

(Keep in mind this is still pretty demanding for a GTX770. Three screens are going to drop you to roughly HALF the frame rate of a single screen)

 

[cubbieshater]

Thanks photonboy I hope this will work, my only concern is that it put my middle screen not to 16:10, but to a 1:1 aspect ratio. Using your logic shouldn't the other monitors default to a 1:1 ratio? Unfortunately my progress has just been halted due to a blue screen I just got when I rotated my center monitor and chose portrait mode. As of right now it won't turn back on. Great.

 

[photonboy]

"1:1 aspect ratio"

These are separate things:

1:1-> just show the EXACT pixels for the resolution showing

ASPECT-> Scale with aspect until one side hits the screen.

For example, if I chose a resolution of 800x600 and "1:1" scaling was chosen I'd see EXACTLY 800 pixels wide by 600 pixels high and black bars all around. If I chose 800x600 but scale by ASPECT then everything would be scaled proportionately to fit the screen with black bars on the SIDES.

You generally just want to scale by ASPECT.

There are also TWO different places to set up scaling:
#1 on the monitor itself
#2 via the GPU (Nvidia Control Panel)

If you choose "GPU scaling" then it always outputs the native resolution of your monitor (i.e. 1920x1080) then scales/stretches as needed. "Full Screen" just stretches it to fit even if it doesn't look right, and "No Scaling" is the "1:1" method mentioned above.

Sounds confusing I know, but one is just done within the monitor, while the other is done BEFORE the monitor.

 

[cubbieshater]

"1:1 aspect ratio"

These are separate things:

1:1-> just show the EXACT pixels for the resolution showing

ASPECT-> Scale with aspect until one side hits the screen.

For example, if I chose a resolution of 800x600 and "1:1" scaling was chosen I'd see EXACTLY 800 pixels wide by 600 pixels high and black bars all around. If I chose 800x600 but scale by ASPECT then everything would be scaled proportionately to fit the screen with black bars on the SIDES.

You generally just want to scale by ASPECT.

There are also TWO different places to set up scaling:
#1 on the monitor itself
#2 via the GPU (Nvidia Control Panel)

If you choose "GPU scaling" then it always outputs the native resolution of your monitor (i.e. 1920x1080) then scales/stretches as needed. "Full Screen" just stretches it to fit even if it doesn't look right, and "No Scaling" is the "1:1" method mentioned above.

Sounds confusing I know, but one is just done within the monitor, while the other is done BEFORE the monitor.

Thanks again photonboy, I have another question though, how do i determine what the resolution will be on each monitor once the surround comes on in Nvidia's settings? I cant change the individual resolutions so therefore my benQ is stuck at a low resolution like you said " it matches the lowest resolution. When I set my resolutions on each individual monitor to compatible ratios and numbers (before turning on Surround) everything still works good, but once Surround comes on, it seems to ignore previous resolutions set by me, and only lets my choose from some set resolutions that all include giving my middle monitor (benQ) black bars.

So my new question is how to keep those perfectly compatible resolutions on each monitor when Surround comes on? The wide resolutions they give me all keep black boxes on each side of my middle monitor.

 

[photonboy]

I've never tried to MIX different screen resolutions so I can't answer the question.

I would have expected the MIDDLE monitor to have black bars on the top instead so the middle content would be 16:9 to match the other monitors. NVidia SURROUND has to split up that virtual screen into pieces so it can only give you a limited number of choices. It might look at the LOWEST height for a monitor (1050), the lowest ratio (16x9) and see what it can match for all three monitors.

Sorry that's not too helpful, but again this will be an automatic process though it doesn't sound like it's happening correctly. If you had 3, identical monitors it would getit right and it would be a virtual (3x1920) X (3x1080) screen chopped into three pieces of 1920x1080 (left, middle, right).

If the middle monitor was 1600x900 (different resolution; same 16:9 ratio) it would work out right. You would end up with three, 1600x900 screens comprising a 4800x2700 virtual screen. If "1:1" was chosen on the 1920x1080 monitors you'd have black bars. If "ASPECT" scaling was chosen that 1600x900 image would be stretched to fit.

 

[lostmenoggin]

They all have to be the same resolution for it to work properly. Both 1920x1080 monitors will downsize to 1680x1050 and will either be stretched or have black bars to compensate for the 240x30 pixel difference between 1920x1080 and 1680x1050. If they were the same aspect ratio you could find a common resolution between them and make it work but since 1680 is 16:10 and 1080 is 16:9 there will be some issues. The way Nvidia Surround works is it essentially turns all 3 monitors into one big monitor and uses one resolution to apply across them all. Dont think of it as right-center-left anymore in Surround. View it as just one big monitor. Here's my setup and the background might help you understand what I mean by one big monitor and why all the native resolutions need to be the same. Also check this thread..

http://forums.evga.com/tm.aspx?m=1660586

 

[cubbieshater]

Ok thanks for the input lostmenoggin!

Nice setup! I hope to have the space someday!

What about monitor drivers? Some people where saying if you force install some drivers to a monitor, it will just allow your other monitors to stay the correct resolution while only making the third resolution look a bit odd.

 

[cubbieshater]

They all have to be the same resolution for it to work properly. Both 1920x1080 monitors will downsize to 1680x1050 and will either be stretched or have black bars to compensate for the 240x30 pixel difference between 1920x1080 and 1680x1050. If they were the same aspect ratio you could find a common resolution between them and make it work but since 1680 is 16:10 and 1080 is 16:9 there will be some issues. The way Nvidia Surround works is it essentially turns all 3 monitors into one big monitor and uses one resolution to apply across them all. Dont think of it as right-center-left anymore in Surround. View it as just one big monitor. Here's my setup and the background might help you understand what I mean by one big monitor and why all the native resolutions need to be the same. Also check this thread..

http://forums.evga.com/tm.aspx?m=1660586

Ok thanks for the input lostmenoggin!

Nice setup! I hope to have the space someday!

What about monitor drivers? Some people where saying if you force install some drivers to a monitor, it will just allow your other monitors to stay the correct resolution while only making the third resolution look a bit odd.

 

[lostmenoggin]

Sorry, I haven't heard or read anything regarding that.

 

[cubbieshater]

Sorry, I haven't heard or read anything regarding that.

Ok that's fine, I just tried a new set up which brings new troubles.

I just unhooked the 1680x1050 monitor and replaced it with a 1280x720 HdTv (That supports 1080x1920 as well)

That should complete my setup so I now have 3 monitors that have 16:9 aspect ratio.

But my problems are still the same!

Each monitor only gets a 1280x1024 resolution (roughly)

So everything is either streched, or there is black bars.

I JUST WISH I COULD SET INDIVIDUAL RESOLUTIONS WHILE IN SURROUND !
WHY NVIDIA!? WHY??!!!