Cheapest GTX option to run 6 or 8 monitors

[JasperR]

Hi,

Through a friend I will have 8 or 10 monitors by the end of the next week. I am already running 4 monitors as I write this. It has been a boyhood dream to run a massive set of monitors on a single computer, so I see this as the perfect opportunity to fulfil this wish.

Now I was wondering what my best options are. I've been digging around the GTX website as well as Tweakers (Dutch website for anything IT-related, such as reviews and a pricewatch) and I'm not really sure what to do. As for now I am running 2x GTX 650 without SLI so they don't work together and as you can probably imagine, that is not the best performance one can hope for. On these two GPU's I am running 4 monitors, 2x 27" and 2x 22".

This weekend I will be building a new desk that is able to hold a lot of monitors (more than 10) for my room, so space is not an issue.

Now my question is what you guys would advice me as my best option. I have only 2 working GPU slots in my motherboard so I can not run 3 graphical cards. I am not planning to play games on these monitors as this setup is solely work-related.

I've noticed the GTX 760 Ti claims to have 4 monitor output slots. Does this also mean all 4 can be used, thus resulting in 8 if two are used?

Is it possible to bridge (if I have to) the cards even if there is an empty mothrboard GPU slot inbetween them? I've never used a bridge before.

So, my main question: what would be my cheapest option to run 6 (or 8, if possible) monitors on just graphical cards (no USB graphic adapters, they don't work as good as I was hoping previously).

If it's important to know, I will have the following monitors available:
1x ultrawide 29" in the center or on-top of the rest
2x 27"
4x 24"
2x 22"
1x 20"


Thanks a lot,

Jasper

 

[mmaatt747]

Another technical discussion appears to be missing from this discussion of multiple monitors. I've noticed with GTX SLI using multiple monitors for gaming means they have to be as identical as possible. If the EDID codes from the monitors aren't agreeable to the GTX's driver then framebuffer gaming won't be possible, at least for me. I'm only able to use Borderless mode in BF4 to game on 3 monitors. Gaming through multi-monitors within a single framebuffer might be easier with Radeon cards, but I haven't tried that.

Castl3bravo, he is not going to be running SLI, nor is this setup for gaming.

 

[JasperR]

Another technical discussion appears to be missing from this discussion of multiple monitors. I've noticed with GTX SLI using multiple monitors for gaming means they have to be as identical as possible. If the EDID codes from the monitors aren't agreeable to the GTX's driver then framebuffer gaming won't be possible, at least for me. I'm only able to use Borderless mode in BF4 to game on 3 monitors. Gaming through multi-monitors within a single framebuffer might be easier with Radeon cards, but I haven't tried that.

I don't think it's missing, considering this setup is not at all meant for gaming over multiple monitors. Besides, if you run SLI you will be unable to attach monitor output cables to the 2nd card, which defeats the whole purpose for me personally.

Desk is finished pretty much. Getting there!

 

[JasperR]

The battlestation is complete except for the wall. Thanks everyone for the help.

Pictures: http://imgur.com/gallery/dCqbQ/

 

[Eggz]

Cool! What did you end up installing in the rig, and how did you configure it?

 

[JasperR]

Cool! What did you end up installing in the rig, and how did you configure it?

Thanks! I'm also very pleased with the outcome.

I ended up using a GTX 760 4GB card along with a GTX 650 2GB card. Not much configuring, really. Built the desk and cable management holders myself.

 

[mmaatt747]

Cool! What did you end up installing in the rig, and how did you configure it?

Thanks! I'm also very pleased with the outcome.

I ended up using a GTX 760 4GB card along with a GTX 650 2GB card. Not much configuring, really. Built the desk and cable management holders myself.

Nice job on the cable management! That could have easily been a bird's nest under all those monitors.

 

[JasperR]

Cool! What did you end up installing in the rig, and how did you configure it?

Thanks! I'm also very pleased with the outcome.

I ended up using a GTX 760 4GB card along with a GTX 650 2GB card. Not much configuring, really. Built the desk and cable management holders myself.

Nice job on the cable management! That could have easily been a bird's nest under all those monitors.

Thanks!

I know right. It was all laying on the ground for like two weeks and it was pure hell. Now it's all connected to a single light switch which I put under my desk which turns of everything when I go to sleep (a lot of small leds in a dark room).