Help for multi-monitor setup

[andarlite]

I was for granted that you'd be using a PCIe motherboard with more than 1 PCIe 16x slot. Any use of old PCI cards for external views are going to be limited because they simply can't handle the frame rates needed. To go multi-monitor beyond 3 displays, you really need to look into getting a SLI motherboard or something like one with multiple PCIe 16x slots.

My motherboard has a 2nd PCI-E slot but it's only x4. At some point I will probably upgrade from my current 790GS to a 8800GT or the new 9800 series. If I use the 7900GS in the x4 slot, do you think it will be able to handle the frame rates?

Thanks,
Henry

[BHawthorne]

My motherboard has a 2nd PCI-E slot but it's only x4. At some point I will probably upgrade from my current 790GS to a 8800GT or the new 9800 series. If I use the 7900GS in the x4 slot, do you think it will be able to handle the frame rates?

Thanks,
Henry

Yep, it should. The 7900 is still a quite solid card. By 4x, you mean 16x slot/4x electrical right?

I use my 7800GTXKO as my third card in my 790FX computer. It runs the 5-6th monitors when needed. It's perfectly capable of taking over one of the main 8800GT card's exterior rendering if anything bad goes on with one of the 2 8800GTs in the system.

[manhattan]

I was for granted that you'd be using a PCIe motherboard with more than 1 PCIe 16x slot. Any use of old PCI cards for external views are going to be limited because they simply can't handle the frame rates needed. To go multi-monitor beyond 3 displays, you really need to look into getting a SLI motherboard or something like one with multiple PCIe 16x slots.

Hi Brad.

Thanks for your comments. I am not really a computer builder, but would like to obtain a more suitable motherboard that would allow me to use a dual head or two single head cards for left and right outside views as well as a 3togo for forward views - plus 2d cards for instruments. Can I build such a beast? Can you recommend mother board, processor and cards to me?

Sorry for the tall order - hope you can help me and no doubt others reading my requirments.

TONY

[Matt Olieman]

Brad is a world of information to this subject, I certainly would appreciate the info too. As I'm building a "MEAN" machine

Tony you're needs are somewhat different then mine, but many builders use the same concept. One computer for all

Mine is, "ONE" computer for my FSMS (FS9 or FSX) front outside view only using Triplehead2Go (3 projectors). I want to be able to use full scenery, get high frame rates. Or at least the best I can get

Brad, I consider you the expert, when it comes to this, and you're comments here, have always been well respected. I look forward toward your response.

Matt O.

[BHawthorne]

My general recommendation for motherboards right now would be to go with a nForce 780i or 790i based motherboard. 780i is for DDR2 memory and the 790i is an update and uses DDR3 memory. DDR3 memory is ungodly expensive at the moment. I'd only suggest the 790i if you can find a deal on DDR3. Both have very comparable capabilities though. They are the tri-SLI motherboards, so that means you have 3 slots capable of running PCIe video cards in. You might not need all 3 of the 16x slots, but they're handy for future expansion needs for things like raid cards.

It's what I'd be using right now if I didn't get greedy for that 4th PCIe slot the AMD 790FX motherboards have. In hindsight the 790FX was a mistake purchase. I traded off performance and overclocking overhead for just 1 more PCIe slot.

[manhattan]

My general recommendation for motherboards right now would be to go with a nForce 780i or 790i based motherboard. 780i is for DDR2 memory and the 790i is an update and uses DDR3 memory. DDR3 memory is ungodly expensive at the moment. I'd only suggest the 790i if you can find a deal on DDR3. Both have very comparable capabilities though. They are the tri-SLI motherboards, so that means you have 3 slots capable of running PCIe video cards in. You might not need all 3 of the 16x slots, but they're handy for future expansion needs for things like raid cards.

It's what I'd be using right now if I didn't get greedy for that 4th PCIe slot the AMD 790FX motherboards have. In hindsight the 790FX was a mistake purchase. I traded off performance and overclocking overhead for just 1 more PCIe slot.

Hi Brad.

Many thanks for the info. Not being too bright with PC construction, what processor would you recommend to install with the motherboard? In my current setup, I have a 2.7g processor, with 2g ddr ram. Would this type of power be sufficient for the new machine? Do you feel that PCie can handle an outside view OK?

Sorry for even more questions - I am hoping to build a more efficient computer that will handle extra views with reasonable frame rates.

TONY (novice pc builder!)

[BHawthorne]

Hi Brad.

Many thanks for the info. Not being too bright with PC construction, what processor would you recommend to install with the motherboard? In my current setup, I have a 2.7g processor, with 2g ddr ram. Would this type of power be sufficient for the new machine? Do you feel that PCie can handle an outside view OK?

Sorry for even more questions - I am hoping to build a more efficient computer that will handle extra views with reasonable frame rates.

TONY (novice pc builder!)

No worries, it's one of the reasons why this forum exists.

The 780i/790i motherboards use the LGA 775 socket type. It fits a wide range of Intel processors. Quad-Core, Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 Duo, etc. It's flexiable enough to where you can get an economy processor at first then upgrade to the top quad core later on when you have more budget.

For example, it'll work with any of the following processors:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...nd&Order=PRICE

My personal suggestion would be to get a Q6600 quad-core. They're a good price and have lots of performance overhead and overclockability.