new hardware alternative to Matrox TH2GO

[ECMO1]

Hello, very good information, thanks for sharing.

Could you post your pc specs? I would like to know what motherboard are you using for non crossfire setup, thanks.

Kurby,

I'm using an ASRock X58 Extreme motherboard. Might upgrade to ASUS if necessary. I have 2 ATI graphics cards installed: (1) 5870 and (1) 5770. Although they are each capable of Crossfire (not with each other until Catalyst 10.3 is released, so I'm told) I run them as seperate cards. Both cards are supported by Catalyst 10.2. The 5870 is running 3 X 1080p monitors in Eyfinity and the 5770 is only running 1 monitor (not eyefinity). I'd hoped to use the widescreen Eyefinity for the main view and the 4th monitor (or more, if able) for panel/exterior views. But so far I can't.

I'm stumped but not defeated!

[twisted8]

No problem, glad to be able to help!
I really didn't have to do anything special to get the two cards working. Two things I would highly recommend to be able run FSX in full screen is to disable directx10 preview and to check, double check and triple check that the display resolution set in the FSX is the same exact resolution you are using in windows for your desktop, if I have a different resolutions in FSX I get blank screens. I have a 7" monitor and FSX likes to force a different resolution, different than my desktop so I have to manually set the resolution in the fsx.cgf
So what i mean is make sure the resolutions when you righ-tclick on your desktop and go to screen resolutions is the same as when in FSX you go into the display settings.

here is my pc specs:

* ATI Radeon HD 5850 1GB
* ATI Radeon HD 4670 512MB
* Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor (OC to 3.6Ghz)
* Foxconn BlackOps X48 LGA 775 Intel X48 ATX Intel Motherboard
* 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
* CORSAIR 850W PSU

*Windows 7 ultimate 64bit

I'm using the latest ATI drives 10.2 I believe but it has work with any 10.x version.
Hope this helps!

[litebkt]

twisted8,

After installing the 5670 card, I was able to connect all 5 monitors. However, I'm still having problems with the 2D cockpit with an unacceptable "quivering" mouse which makes it impossible to do anything and a flight will eventually crash. I unplugged the big monitors and plugged them into the 5670 leaving the ports on the 5850 unused. The problem went away. I've got a bad 5850 card!

Can you tell me which brand of the ATI 5850 card you are using? Mine is an XFX. I don't know if I can return it to NewEgg or not but I can't deal with this problem any longer. I'm ready to fork out whatever it takes to get this working.

Thanks again for your help.

Michelle

[RhodeNet]

Hi Michelle,
Well, seems I had better luck today, than you did, Michelle!
Moved my FSX box to my den, where I am going to build my simpit.
I configured my t hree Dell 24" monitors in a group, and no problem. Added my 4870, and put another monitor off that for the panels and now have 3 running in a wide configuration. Opened up a window for the instrument panel, undocked it and moved the window to the nuimber 4 monitor on the 4870, with no problems.
I will say, the frame rates dropped dramatically, but did did a short flight from KBOS to KPVD at sunset, and it was great. In fact, my wife joined me in the cockpit and we did cocktails as we did the flight (thank God for ILS).
Honestly, we have to keep in mind the Eyefinity is brandy new and they do have a lot more work to do. I still have my PM GAIFR panel, and it works great too. Not difficult to setup, and offloads a lot from the FSX maching. Found some good open source panels for the jets, so I may look at this as "plan B".
Twisted, I really appreciate you pointing me this w ay, and you have me interested flying the "heavy iron"

By the way, updated Catalyst today, and the quivering mouse went away. I have the Sapphire 5850 and sapphire 4870.

[ECMO1]

O.K. I think I've put all of the pieces together and figured it out. Thanks to everyone for

the ideas and help.

Multiple issues are at work here.

1. When I open FSX it causes Catalyst to "forget" my carefully planned desktop

configuration. The position and resolution settings for the monitor connected to my second

graphics card (not in eyefinity) is zeroized somehow.

Answer: After starting FSX, check and set display options for each card. Minimize FSX and

open Catalyst. Setup desktop displays and resolution to match what you set in FSX. For

example: I run 3 monitors in eyefinity (1080p) on a 5870 card; on a second card I run a

signle monitor that likes 1280 x 720. FSX allows me to set the resolution for each card

seperately.

2. FSX doesn't like DirectX and causers all sorts of bad display stuff.

Answer: Ensure the DIrextX 10 option in the FSX display settings page IS NOT CHECKED before

starting your flight!! Seems to be very important.

3. FSX doesn't seem to like creating and moving undocked windows while the primary display

(eyefinity) is in full screen mode.

Answer: Before selecting full screen mode on your primary display (eyefinity) create, undock

and move your undocked alternate screens to the monitor you want to put them on. Resize as

required. Then, switch primary discplay into full screen. Always pause and come out of full

screen before adding new undocked windows.


I also added a TrackIR head tracker to use in virtual cockpit views. Just playing with it

right now but it's very easy to install and use.

Next, I'll connect and configure my CH Products Flight System.

See attached picture for my first success. I love it!!


CPU: i7 920 (unclocked and cool: 102 Deg F)

MOBO : ASRock X58 Extreme

Memory: Corsair XMS3 (3X2GB DDR3) (unclocked)

GPU 1: Radeon HD5870 (Eyefinity 1X3)

GPU 2: Radeon HD5770 (Single monitor)

PSU: Corsair HX1000W

OS: Win 7 Pro 64bit

Driver: Catalyst 10.2

Directx 11 (Win 7) Don't select in FSX!!

[twisted8]

that's good news, glad it's working now!
Haven't had issues with #3 but that's good to know just in case. Looking good!

twisted8,

Can you tell me which brand of the ATI 5850 card you are using? Mine is an XFX. I don't know if I can return it to NewEgg or not but I can't deal with this problem any longer. I'm ready to fork out whatever it takes to get this working.

Thanks again for your help.

Michelle

Michelle, in case you didn't get my PM my 5850 is a Sapphire card

Hi Michelle,
Well, seems I had better luck today, than you did, Michelle!
Moved my FSX box to my den, where I am going to build my simpit.
I configured my t hree Dell 24" monitors in a group, and no problem. Added my 4870, and put another monitor off that for the panels and now have 3 running in a wide configuration. Opened up a window for the instrument panel, undocked it and moved the window to the nuimber 4 monitor on the 4870, with no problems.
I will say, the frame rates dropped dramatically, but did did a short flight from KBOS to KPVD at sunset, and it was great. In fact, my wife joined me in the cockpit and we did cocktails as we did the flight (thank God for ILS).
Honestly, we have to keep in mind the Eyefinity is brandy new and they do have a lot more work to do. I still have my PM GAIFR panel, and it works great too. Not difficult to setup, and offloads a lot from the FSX maching. Found some good open source panels for the jets, so I may look at this as "plan B".
Twisted, I really appreciate you pointing me this w ay, and you have me interested flying the "heavy iron"

By the way, updated Catalyst today, and the quivering mouse went away. I have the Sapphire 5850 and sapphire 4870.

Not a problem, glad you can enjoy it now! for better FPS also try a lower display resolution, it might still be sharp enough for your liking! also are you using full screen?

[litebkt]

3. FSX doesn't seem to like creating and moving undocked windows while the primary display

(eyefinity) is in full screen mode.

Answer: Before selecting full screen mode on your primary display (eyefinity) create, undock

and move your undocked alternate screens to the monitor you want to put them on. Resize as

required. Then, switch primary discplay into full screen. Always pause and come out of full

screen before adding new undocked windows.

How do you start FSX "not" in full screen mode?

Michelle

[litebkt]

Okay..... I think I've got my set up working.... at least with a 20 minute flight, the system did not crash. Here is what I did.

I paused the flight. I made sure that the menu bar was visible and that the window's control boxes (in the upper left of the screen) were visible. Alt + Enter puts/takes the view in and out of the full screen mode and makes this happen. My outside view filled the three big screens.

Then, I still had problems opening a control guage. It would be three times to wide and about a third taller than it should be with horrid resolution. Note that my cursor was still quivering. So, I resized my window on the big screens (making it smaller) to where it fit on one screen. This was done in 2D mode with a full view outside forward (don't do it with the 2D cockpit showing because it just plain won't).

I opened the guages I wanted and a couple extra views and placed them on to my smaller screens. Note that my cursor was still quivering. I sized the extra views to where I wanted them. The guages looked fine. I saved the flight and then reopened it and paused the flight.

The guages went where they were supposed to be as well as the additional views. But they were not displayed properly. There was a box outlining their proper size but the guages themselves were very small and located in the upper left corner of each box. I clicked on each and they assumed their shape and size as I had placed them. The additional views however were also small and I had to resize them.

But... no quivering cursor! And everything looked great and performed quite nicely.

Note that with my setup working I can not do anything that invokes any thing involved with the 2D cockpit controls. So, if I try to bring up the mini display.... the cursor starts acting up again (the W key) If I try to swap the outside view to the 2D cockpit, the cursor goes nuts and I lose the bottom third of my large display. I may have to remove the W and F10 keys from a keyboard to prevent this from happening.

I'm hoping that ATI addresses this problem. It is strange that their lower end cards handle this without any problems. It's when you get to the cards that run 3 monitors that the problem shows itself. I've been scouring the web about this problem and many people are having similar issues.

Now that I have the hardware working. It's time to build the flight desk! I've done some pencil drawings. I've thought about doing a CAD drawing of some sort... but nah.... I'll just go cut some wood.

Michelle

[ECMO1]

How do you start FSX "not" in full screen mode?

Michelle

Michelle,

Sorry, you are absolutely correct. FSX does start in Full Screen mode. The first thing I do is Pause and deselect Full Screen in the Views Menu. Then, I open and undock add'l views and place them on my 4th monitor, resize them and finally return my primary display to Full Screen. This may just be a peculiarity of my setup. If I try to open and move windows around while I'm in Full Screen mode FSX becomes unstable and usually locks my system.

I did one other thing that I forgot to mention before but don't think it matters. I downloaded and installed DirectX 9.0C. I don't know if it helped and don't even know if it runs with DirectX 11 already installed by Win 7 and the DirectX 10 option not selected on the setup page. Can multiple DirectX versions be installed and run at the same time? I don't know. DXDIAG reports DirectX11 running and I have not tried to stop it or remove it. In retrospect, maybe it's just the DirectX 10 option that crashes FSX and not DirectX 11. I think DirectX 11 runs even if I don't select the DirectX 10 option (running Win-7).

[twisted8]

In case anybody missed it, ATI's CC 10.3 now supports bezel management! I tried last night it works good on both windowed mode and full screen! Good stuff