[SOLVED] Questions about GPUs with Dual Monitor Setups

[MasterYoda327]

I have some questions about GPUs being used with dual monitor setups. I am currently holding off on building a new gaming PC until Nvidia and AMD release their new RTX 4000 and RX 7000 series GPUs. My plan is to purchase a mid to upper range GPU and, depending on it's capabilities, use either a 1440p or 4K Freesync monitor that works with both Nvidia and Radeon GPUs. I am also considering the possibility of going with a dual monitor setup. Now, I understand resolution can impact framerates-per-second such as 1080p offering higher framerates-per-second while 4K offers lower framerates-per-second. Now, based on your past experiences with dual monitor setups using Nvidia and/or Radeon GPUs, these are my questions:

1. Would using two identical 1440p or 4K monitors place more demands on the GPU and lower framerates or impact framerates and other areas of performance in any other way?
2. If I bought a GPU that can handle 4K gaming such as the recommended 60 Hz framerate on a single monitor, would it work just as well with two 4K monitors (using either DispalyPort or HDMI), or would I be better off getting two 1440p monitors instead?
3. Similar to my previous question, if I bought a GPU that can handle 1440p gaming such as the recommended 60 Hz framerate on a single monitor, would it work just as well with two 1440p monitors (using either DispalyPort or HDMI), or would I be better off getting two 1080p monitors instead?
4. On Black Friday of 2020, I bought an Acer XG270HU 1440p gaming monitor (which is still in its original packaging) with the intention of purchasing either an RTX 3070 or RX 6800/6800 XT, before it became apparent that the GPU shortage would be a long-term issue. I am considering using this monitor for the setup I intend to build after the new GPUs are released if the GPU I select can handle gaming well up to 1440p and is backwards compatible with the older DisplayPort and HDMI standard. My current understanding is the RTX 4000 and RX 7000 series will use newer HDMI and DisplayPort standards. Based on your past experiences, would the GPUs with the newer HDMI and DisplayPort standards be backwards compatible with my monitor? If yes, what would be the pros and cons of using a gaming monitor with an older HDMI/DisplayPort standard when compared to using a gaming monitor with the current HDMI/DisplayPort standard with the newer GPUs set to be released this fall or early winter? Would I be better off holding on to my existing monitor or replacing it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Lutfij]

1| It's hard to say right now, mid to high range GPU's should handle them with ease. We still don't know much of what's going to be available to the masses.
2| + 3| Look into the GPU purchase first, after you've read into reviews by reviewers/sites.
4| The ports should be backwards compatible, which shouldn't prevent you from getting display to the panel, the question is how much are you loosing with a new standard and if the new standard will be widely adopted, since new standards mean expensive hardware which people tend to shy away from until they become more affordable.

 

[sizzling]

Are you planning to only game on 1 monitor? I assume yes as you wouldn’t want the join of the 2 screens down the middle.

I use a 1440p 240Hz and a 1440p 144Hz. I game on the 240Hz. It makes no measurable difference if I have the 2nd monitor on or off.

 

[Karadjgne]

You don't game on 2 monitors. Only 1. So anything on the second screen is 2D not 3D. Even at 4k, that's maybe a 1-2% loss of onscreen fps if you are lucky. Onscreen fps is only the fps the gpu can field, not the fps the cpu supplies, and anything above refresh rate isn't seen anyway, so realistic performance difference with a strong gpu is Zero.

Hdmi/DP is Hdmi/DP whatever the version. The only thing that changes is potential bandwidth generally doubles. So if your gpu is DP 1.5 and the monitor DP 1.4 the gpu will be restricted in transmitable bandwidth, but that's normally the case anyway even with matching versions.

For example dvi single link can carry upto 1920x1200 at 60Hz or 2560x1600 at 30Hz. If you use a 1080p monitor, that's 1920x1080, so the gpu could supply that upto 75Hz, but generally the monitors are 60Hz, leaving the gpu with bandwidth it can't use.