Multi Screens

[zkcav]

Is anyone using more than 3 screens out there? If so how?

The reason I'm asking is I have 5 monitors I want to get running. 3 are currently spanned as the primary display used with Track IR using the 2 PCIe slots in my motherboard which I want to keep this way. The intent is to use the fourth for Instrument panel and 5th for overhead.

I tried USB – VGA adaptor and that didn’t work out, and the only option I can see now is to upgrade the motherboard to one that has 3 PCIe slots and drop another GFX card in. Unless anyone has a better idea?

Cheers Paul

[IslandBoy77]

Ooooo - greedy!

Are you wanting to run them all off the same computer, or were you planning on having a 2nd PC to handle weather and traffic and such? I have a friend who's got 4 monitors running off 2 PCs. I think you'd run into all sorts of problems trying to run that many screens off the same PC, not to mention a drop in performance. Is your system a bit of a beast?

EDIT:
The matrox device will give you 3 screens off 1 monitor - don't know if you can run 2 of those of 2 cards, or 2 off one card. Might be all sorts of fun and games trying to get it all to work together without spiking, crashes and FPS stutters.

[Ian Warren]

I run three screens .. one real world Google earth , one Com's , last FS on 27" .. put three monitors together you do loose res unless powered to the max

[deeknow]

QUOTE

Are you wanting to run them all off the same computer, or were you planning on having a 2nd PC to handle weather and traffic and such? I have a friend who's got 4 monitors running off 2 PCs. I think you'd run into all sorts of problems trying to run that many screens off the same PC, not to mention a drop in performance. Is your system a bit of a beast?[/quote]

Intent is to run off one computer ... The PC is a bit of a beast

QUOTE

put three monitors together you do loose res unless powered to the max[/quote] as above - 2 x GTX 580 SLI for main screen giving a native Res of 5760 x 1080 which it handles FSX nicely at the moment the 2 extra screens will only have 2d panels which will only have things like VSI / DI etc or MDF changing so can't see that taxing the system to drive them.

zkcav

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[creator2003]

A Matrix triple head to go unit is what you are looking 4 google it or look at the deals going at online fsim shops ,another way mite be dicksmiths which uses them for TV links and i think ive seen 4 sale there also ..

[mfraser]

I run four screens from one PC. Its a 'relatively' low spec PC so I've decided to stick with FS9 until I can justify an upgrade.

I run two graphics cards (Non-SLI'd) with the first outputting to a Matrox TripleHead2Go (Digital Edition) which drives the triple widescreen outside view @ 5760x1080. The second card runs a single monitor for an 'instrument panel' view. See my setup here...... I also tried SLI'ing the cards and running the views using the two DVI outputs from the primary card, but I didn't seem to get any performance gains doing it that way......

Hope this helps. I know you'll be reading screeds of info all over the internet - I know I did before settling on the TH2GO!!
Best of luck,
Mat

PS - My next 'to-do' is to add a small touchscreen LCD using the 2nd DVI output of the second graphics card to the side of the throttle quadrant to use as an FMC/CDU. Five monitors!!

[deeknow]

Hey Matt, have Matrox ever released an update or new TH2Go? They came out some time ago right? Are they still up to the task? Seem to have the multi-head market cornered am surprised noone else has had a crack at it

[SeanG]

QUOTE (deeknow @ Apr 21 2012,2:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey Matt, have Matrox ever released an update or new TH2Go? They came out some time ago right? Are they still up to the task? Seem to have the multi-head market cornered am surprised noone else has had a crack at it

There is a digital version which does up to 1920x1080 per output...

Assuming you are using "span all displays" in the driver, and using 3 out of the 4 ports on the cards, why not throw a digital TH2GO into the 4th port, and span onto that as well..... be a hell of a wide picture

Optional solution would be to run the TH2GO window as your primary FS view, and then use the 2 other outputs to undock views onto in a "Dual View" type setup, rather than one large display....

Option options

SeanG <who has spent far too long playing with visual system options!>

[spongebob206]

QUOTE (zkcav @ Apr 19 2012,9:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is anyone using more than 3 screens out there? If so how?

The reason I'm asking is I have 5 monitors I want to get running. 3 are currently spanned as the primary display used with Track IR using the 2 PCIe slots in my motherboard which I want to keep this way. The intent is to use the fourth for Instrument panel and 5th for overhead.

I tried USB – VGA adaptor and that didn’t work out, and the only option I can see now is to upgrade the motherboard to one that has 3 PCIe slots and drop another GFX card in. Unless anyone has a better idea?

Cheers Paul

Hi Paul

Have just set up my new machine.

Running the new GTX 680. Have 3 monitors running, looks good but seems too close. i normally hit the - key to zoom out so I can see the top of the instruments. i cannot.... zoom doesn't move out that far. Is there a tweak for that?

Any idea's?

[Sonnyj]

Hi, I run 4 and sometimes 5 screens off 1 PC/.

Using an ATI 5870 card PCI express with eyefinity (triple screens) and a second ati lower spec card running gauges and on 5th screen moving map. Seems OK 2 me ;-). Just moved house Everything is all packed away for now...so cant show any pic.s FPS is all OK as well. Cheers

[zkcav]

Thanks for all your replies. I've gone with the least practical of all.

Upgrade to a new motherboard with 3 PCI-E slots that way I can get full noise out of the GTX 580s since now I've gone to spanned desktop I can't go back, is so functional outside FSX - and run the 3rd Vid card for the overhead and insterment panels.

Build happens on Friday... Can't wait to try it!

[mfraser]

QUOTE (deeknow @ Apr 21 2012,2:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey Matt, have Matrox ever released an update or new TH2Go? They came out some time ago right? Are they still up to the task? Seem to have the multi-head market cornered am surprised noone else has had a crack at it

Hi Dean - the last update was firmware to do the 5760x1080 widescreen (Previously they could only to 5040x1050 with a really weird refresh rate). And you're right - they don't seem to have any competition apart from the card makers doing Nvidia Surround/Eyefinity. My hardware is a little dated which meant I couldn't run Nvidia Surround properly without upgrading all the other components. No such issue with the TH2Go - I can run FS9 at max settings with heaps of complex addons and FSX at low settings with basic aircraft/scenery.

QUOTE (zkcav @ Apr 23 2012,8:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

... upgrade to a new motherboard with 3 PCI-E slots that way I can get full noise out of the GTX 580s since now I've gone to spanned desktop I can't go back, is so functional outside FSX - and run the 3rd Vid card for the overhead and insterment panels.

Thats EXACTLY what I wanted to do except I couldn't afford the upgrade at the time - hence why I settled on TH2GO!! Let us know your specs/performance and be sure to post lots of pictures for us to drool over!!

[Sinz]

QUOTE (spongebob206 @ Apr 21 2012,9:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Paul

Have just set up my new machine.

Running the new GTX 680. Have 3 monitors running, looks good but seems too close. i normally hit the - key to zoom out so I can see the top of the instruments. i cannot.... zoom doesn't move out that far. Is there a tweak for that?

Any idea's?

OMG--Should have waited a few months. Been looking at the GTX 680.

Try this dude. Im pretty new to FSX and flightsimming and with all the information out there its hard to get a bead on things, with an antiquated (spelling I know its wrong, but cant be bothered) FlightSim exe.

Try going to your C:\Users\"Username"\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX Fsx.cfg and change WideViewAspect= (to True. If its at False). Doing so improved the load on my No#1 CPU buy a S@%tload and made things "Run and Look" a heap better.

That is of course if your running a Wide Screen Monitor. I couldnt believe FSX didnt change that setting when I selected "Mode=1680x1050x32" I need a New Wide Screen been looking...http://www.mightyape.co.nz/product/Alie ... /19758811/

Have a Look If you havent already.

[spongebob206]

Thanks Sinz

Have done this, did not fix my issue thought

Still good flying, just cant zoom back as far.

Cheers

[mfraser]

QUOTE (spongebob206 @ Apr 21 2012,9:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Running the new GTX 680. Have 3 monitors running, looks good but seems too close. i normally hit the - key to zoom out so I can see the top of the instruments. i cannot.... zoom doesn't move out that far.
Any idea's?

Try changing the viewpoint/eyepoint in your affected aircraft. This will require delving into the aircraft.cfg file. I've done that in all my simpit aircraft......

[Ian Warren]

QUOTE

Let us know your specs/performance and be sure to post lots of pictures for us to drool over!![/quote]

A wee bit of a snag... got a Gigabyte GA-Z77-UD3H mobo ordered in which has 3 PCI-E slots and when the third GPU was installed the dreaded BSD!!!! Apparently it has 3 slots but only supports 2 GPUs??? Go figure.

Thats the problem with bleeding edge stuff - don't know the pitfalls. Hopefully Monday may have some progress with a different mobo.

QUOTE

i normally hit the - key to zoom out so I can see the top of the instruments.[/quote]

Ref the eyepoint, its been answered, change the .cfg file, to see over the panel it's something like alt enter or ctrl enter to raise eyepoint - ifI can't give you any more info because the machine is in the shop!

Last edited by zkcav on Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

zkcav

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[spongebob206]

Thanks guys, will try the cfg file.

I can still move around the aircraft with the hat switch, no issue there.

Thanks

[zkcav]

Just to update, rebuild is complete: Ended up with a Asus P8Z77 Pro mobo to put the GPUs in. That forced me to upgrade to i7-2700K 3.50GHz CPU - bugger. the 3rd GPU is a GT430.

The rebuild forced a re-installation of Windows, so that means I'm having to reinstall FSX and all the add-ons too since registry was wiped - which I'm starting now -yay!

I've just got all 5 screens working with NVidia's 301.24 beta drivers. So the 3 main 23" screens are in surround giving a native resolution of 5760 x 1080 using 2 x GTX 580s, with a Samsung 22" above it for overhead panels and a Phillips 19" below for instrument panels running off the GT430.

For some reason Track IR has decided to give up working after about 4 years too so headache after headache

I'm hoping to have it to a point that I can post some working pics by the end of this week.

[mfraser]

Two words...... PHOTOS PLEASE!!!

[Ian Warren]

Tell ya Mat , Paul can be such a bloody tease