3 way Monitors (Eyefinity) or 1 120hz 3D monitor

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3 way Monitors (Eyefinity) or 1 120hz 3D monitor

  • 3 Monitors

    Votes: 62 82.7%

  • 3D Vision

    Votes: 13 17.3%
  • Total voters
    75
Hearing people talking about a larger single screen reminds me when I bought a TV ~10 years ago. My friend and I went to walmart to find one, and I was looking at what they had. I had almost decided on a 27" when my friend pointed out a 32" within my budget. He was of the opinion that some people seem to still have that larger = better. 19" < 27" < 32", etc. I asked him why I should buy that one and he replied that its better then the 27" I was looking at. I told him there was no way I would be getting that 32" because 1) it lacked any inputs in the back. My 27" had the cable input, along with 3 composite/Svideo inputs with the third input also having component. 2) that 32" screen had a curve in the glass that looked like it matched the curve in the astronauts helmets. My 27" had a flat screen.

Just remember, in terms of pixels, you are getting the bigger screen.
 
Just thought I'd post my opinion here....

Last year I bought 2x GTX295's and a 120hz monitor+3D glasses, it was fun for about 2 days and then it just started to drive me nuts. It doesn't help you in any way when it comes to competitive gaming, the support for it is iffy at best, things seem blurry and out of proportion in some supported games and overall I was not impressed. The 120 Hz monitor was nice, and I used it for a lot of FPS gaming but in the end the small size and resolution were an issue.

Since then I've upgrade to 5870's in Tri-fire and I just recently picked up 3 Dell U2410 monitors. I was very skeptical of eyefinity but at the same time I HAD to try it out.

Once I set everything up and downloaded the new Cat 10.3 drivers for bezel compensation I loaded up Battlefield Bad Company 2 and was blown away. Youtube videos do NOT do this justice. The experience with triple monitors is absolutely incredible and Bad Company 2 was a fantastic game to try it out with. The feeling of immersion with eyefinity is incredible. I had a few of my friends check it out as well and they were all very impressed albeit very jealous.

So what other games did I try? I tried out MW2, TF2, L4D2, Need For Speed Shift, Dirt 2 and that's pretty much it so far. As far as support? It actually felt like a lot of these games were made with eyefinity in mind, and I'd expect most future games to support it.

For people wondering, I tested these games with 1, 2, and 3 5870's and I can definitely say that all are playable at high settings with 3 1920x1200 monitors. I'm running TF2 at max settings and 4x AA and my FPS doesn't drop below 90.... it's wonderful!

As for the bezels? Luckily the bezels on the U2410 are relatively small and the screens match up very well. With the bezel correction in 10.3 I can honestly say that within a minute of loading up a game the bezels are not noticeable (The brain is pretty good at adapting to these kind of things 😛) I wouldn't try a 6 monitor setup for anything other than perhaps flight sims but any other games the triple monitor setup is fantastic.

If you would like me to answer any questions feel free to post them here and I will try my best to answer them.
 
Would love to know the FPS you were getting on the 3 monitor setup with Game settings used for each game with:

1
2
3 5870's

If you can give us some figures to chew on it would give me a good Idea of whether I go for a few extra screens ~_^

then my biggest problem would be figuring where to put my speakers lol
 
I think if the 3 monitors all have speakers inside you can rig a surround sound system, however make sure the speakers don't suck as 3 sucky speakers is still 3 sucky speakers.
 
not a bad idea actually...

but already:

I have a really nice Kenwood System at my mums place that sounds great - I might try and find some speaker stands to bring them above the height of the screens (from behind the peripheral screens) - and kinda pointing down at me I guess is the best thing to do.

and a 530watt Technics sound system at my house ^^
(or 700 watt Sony Digital Surround when I prefer)

one way or another - is all Good!
 
Guys, what about XFX5970 -> 3 x 120's (Samsung22") -> iZ3D Anaglyph??????????????

Too late for me if it don't work ... already ordered!!!!
 
this is just my 2 cents, but the way i see things going is towards 3d instead of multipul monitors.

look at movies, there are a significant amount being billed as 3d, and ps3 also has 3d support (to what extent i dont know)

my question to you is how long are you keeping the monitors?
if its 1-2 years than get new ones, i say go eyefinity, because that has the more immediate bang for your buck.

if you are keeping it for 2+ years, i say go for the 3d, because things are going to happen soon with 3d and 3d has more life than 3 monitors, because lets face it, normal people will use 1, 2 at most. but 1 3d monitor, many of the 2 monitor people would dump that for 3d.

personally i have no depth presprespective, and the only way i see in 3d is through monitors like that and theaters like that. i make know something is 20 or 30 feet away, but i feel like i could reach out and grab it.

i hope this makes sense
 
yeah, I know what you are saying.

but multiple monitor support is here now with the hardware to run it all nice and relatively cheap.

I will consider heading 3d once monitor refresh rates hit 200Hz and get as cheap as todays decent flat screens and we have decent support for a broader range of games without various areas of display being way out of perspective.
+ better glasses for your FOV with greater than 60Hz per eye

I reckon this is still 5 years away maybe..........
 
well there are 240hz monitors now, and there are up to 600hz (dont know about that but its what the thing said)

i still stand by what i said about 3d.

3 monitors for gaming just seams retarded to me, unless its a flight sim, or you are a big racing gamer. and for desktop, normal people are just fine with a 1920x1200 monitor, or 2, if you really need it. i have never once needed more than 1 monitor if i was reasonable with what i had open. and the most i could ever see me using is 2, but that was when i had 1024x768 monitor, going to a 1920x1200, i never even cared about a second monitor. i have thought of getting a 800x600 usb monitor for a dedicated music player, but thats it.

now 3d, in games, would be awesome, but the only reason i hold out is because im waiting for the 3d desktop. take the internet for example, moving the mouse over to an image, hanging it there for a second, and the image pops out at you. ot like this text box, it pops out and makes itself bigger like a magnafing glass as you type.

when that tech comes around im so there, but really until than id say neither, and if you need one, 3d has the bigger benefit, the more practical one, and the better future.
 
well there are 240hz monitors now - sounds damn cool - though I bet not cheap yet.

The 600Hz comes from modern Plasma screens I think. My dad bought a 42" one recently - its input is still only 60Hz and it has a kinda 10x multiplier giving extra screen refreshes and producing a very stable image with no visible flicker.

I definitely like the idea of mixing 3 screens with 3D 😀

Though ultimately things need to get more Sci-Fi for the ultimate experience one way or another

I'd definitely give 3D gaming a go in a year or 2 maybe and is th way things are heading obviously.

I still like the idea of beaming the visual experience directly into the eye somehow without the need for a headset or glasses

Imagine fighting games in a sorta holodeck equivelent LOL :)

I think this kinda tech is not so far away either...
 
Yeah, exactly ... I'm a sim freak ... got a Saitek X65 coming my way as well.

LOMAC: Flaming Cliffs 2 will be heaven in a box.

Got a single 24" now, nice, but giving it to my son ....... I need panorama.

(looking forward to STALKER CoP in megawidestereo)
 
I think you guys are overlooking somethings. First, for movies to go tri screen will cost a lot. I suppose if you use a good enough lens you could use 2 cameras instead of 3, but you'd still have to totally redesign the theaters. This all adds up. Its a lot cheaper to just add 3D. Second, it also doesn't make sense for movies to go tri screen. Your enjoyment of the movie doesn't depend on being able to see that guy taking aim on your left. The movie unfolds in front you, it doesn't depend on your input for the next scenes to show you.

By the same token computers don't need to go 3d. Sure it will make things seem even more real, but I'd rather be able to see my sides then have things jump out at me. Perhaps its just me, but I already physically lean my body as I attempt to avoid rockets being shot at me in TF2. And that's not even a very realistic game.

There's no reason why both gaming and movies can't have both, but from an economic point of view I can see why they picked the opposite things.
 
im talking normal use though. not codeing, there i can see the use of a third screen, but if you are wondering 3d or 3 screens, i doubt you are wondering that for anything but entertainment.

and movies will never go 3 screen. though, imagine a mystery movie in 3 screen. the movies unfolding ont he middle screen while clues are happening on the left or right side.right now, the most realistic thing that would happen to movies, is a 3d bubble. think imax, but 6 monitors in 3d. it would have a projector where you sit, and through magic (un nable technology) makes the bubble fill with video that isnt distorted to much.

now imagin a game with a sence on your heat that recorded where you move and you the camera moves that way.

a light gun game in the buble would kick epic amounts of ass.
 
OMNIMAX wraps 180° horizontally, 100° above the horizon and 22° below the horizon for a viewer at the center of the dome - though is now old tech I think

or IMAX 3D and multiplex in 3D

They already go beyond 3 screen 😉
 
Agreed .... coding is greatly assisted by 3 ...

1 for editor (main coding on centre)
2 for run-time output / debugging info etc
3 for doco's and information relating to subject matter or library functions etc

whatever ...... possibilities are endless; the more the better, but 3 is a fairly good max for what I need.

And 3 x 120 hz .... just because 🙂
 
Personally I'd probably go 3 monitors, but be sure to do a lot of research beforehand and perhaps get 1 monitor first to make sure color/contrast/etc. is good and then buy the other two.
 
I vote for 3 monitors. While the bezels would bug the hell out of me while gaming, they would be very nice for many other uses. Wearing glasses for 3d would be worse and less useful overall. I spent a lot of money to get eye surgery to get rid of my glasses.

What they need to come out with is a triple wide monitor that has a curve to it so you don't have the bezel to deal with, or monitors with no/removable bezel as mentioned before.

For 3d I think I'll wait until they come out with displays that do not require glasses.
 


There is one but it is non-exsistant, people have been waiting over a year for this to be available, not sure whats going on.

http://gizmodo.com/341413/alienware-curved-monitor-looks-like-its-from-another-planet

DLP.jpg


http://es.engadget.com/2008/01/09/ces-2008-nec-tambien-vendera-esas-gigantescas-pantallas-curvas/
DLP_NEC.jpg
 


What do you expect? It's a niche market with low demand. That means low production and a high price to justify the cost and time to manufacture each one.

Oh yeah, they need to make a profit too. No point in selling a expensive to manufacture items for a low price, loose money, then go out of business.
 
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