I lived in Arizona. In fact I was there the day the record high temperature was set in Phoenix which was around 1990 I believe and the tempeerature hit 122F. It wasn't that bad. Count yourself lucky. Nice temperature drops at night, virtually zero humidity. Yeah it's scorching in the summer time but the winters are quite nice. In Texas our weather is unpredictible. I've seen 14" of snow in Febuary and snow on the ground for the better part of two weeks. We've seen snow in April and hailstorms in July. Then a week later were in triple digit temperatures with humidity that basically tops out the meter. It's worse in Houston. Triple digit temps more frequently and humidity which defies most scales. 15 minutes doing something physical outside results in sweating all the way through your clothes. Then when you go inside the sweat never evaporates. It just dries in a sticky mess of salt patterns and you get swamp ass virtually every day if your outside enough.
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Eyefinity Configuration Suggestions
- Thread starter FrgMstr
- Start date
I lived in Arizona. In fact I was there the day the record high temperature was set in Phoenix which was around 1990 I believe and the tempeerature hit 122F. It wasn't that bad. Count yourself lucky. Nice temperature drops at night, virtually zero humidity. Yeah it's scorching in the summer time but the winters are quite nice. In Texas our weather is unpredictible. I've seen 14" of snow in Febuary and snow on the ground for the better part of two weeks. We've seen snow in April and hailstorms in July. Then a week later were in triple digit temperatures with humidity that basically tops out the meter. It's worse in Houston. Triple digit temps more frequently and humidity which defies most scales. 15 minutes doing something physical outside results in sweating all the way through your clothes. Then when you go inside the sweat never evaporates. It just dries in a sticky mess of salt patterns and you get swamp ass virtually every day if your outside enough.
I just mean that a rectangle, when viewed straight on, looks bigger than if viewed at an angle. Perspective means the edges are fading away to a vanishing point. If viewed straight on then the image is (more or less) perpendicular. There is still lensing, but you'll see a bigger view-able area. It will still fill more of your vision if each of the monitors are perpendicular to you instead of on a plane.
I am still busy making adjustments so the wiring is a mess - hopefully I will have time on the weekend to do some much-needed wire management and while I am back there I'll take some photos. The biggest challenge is getting everything in one shot as my room isn't big enough for me to back up - I had to leave one monitor (46" TV) out of the shot I posted. I will try to get panoramic mode working on my iPhone.
Allisons Dad
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2012
- Messages
- 192
Just wondering if anyone has experience with this monitor.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0098Y77N2
Seems like a good deal with decent reviews.
Considering these for 3x1 landscape setup.
I've searched but can't seem to find anyone using this monitor in eyefinity.
I currently have a 28" Hanns G but its discontinued so I can't buy more like
The one I have.
I'm new to eyefinity and appreciate any help.
Thanks
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0098Y77N2
Seems like a good deal with decent reviews.
Considering these for 3x1 landscape setup.
I've searched but can't seem to find anyone using this monitor in eyefinity.
I currently have a 28" Hanns G but its discontinued so I can't buy more like
The one I have.
I'm new to eyefinity and appreciate any help.
Thanks
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dhanson865
n00b
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2013
- Messages
- 3
I was thinking it might be nice since I already have a 24" L to add some cheap/small P's to the setup.
My 24 is a 1920x1080 and I'd be willing to add most any P to the mix as long as the power draw is low, cost per scren is low, and then I'd have to figure out how to get them in portrait orientation at the right height.
My 24 is sitting on an old dell monitor stand (the 4 post type that used to partially cover a laptop and docking station). I've actually got two motherboard boxes raising the height of the 24 on top of that as the current monitor stand isn't height adjustable.
So if I had a 17" to 22" or could buy some cheap enough I'd consider adding one to the right and one to the left presumably being taller in portrait mode than the 24" is in landscape.
I'm not sure if the side monitors would end up lining up with the top of the middle montor and hang down lower or if they would be both lower and higher (tie fighter style) until I actually set it up but I've been using dual screens at work for so many years I miss having an extra screen at home.
I know everyone loves to brag about the PLP configurations that match in vertical size but I want to keep the cost and power draw down and I'm not so worried about matching size or resolution.
fwiw my computer room is on the west/southwest side of the house and it gets warm in there especially on summer evenings if I run ineffecient equipment. I keep the blinds closed most of the year in that room and keep the AC on continuous fan mode but it's still a noticable heat difference walking in or out of that room most nights.
It's a shame that older LCDs draw so much power. I have a 19" TN and 22" TN LCD that draw more than twice the energy of my 24" VA.
Given the desire for low cost and low power I expect I'll be looking at 1920x1080 or 1600x900 for the portrait displays but I don't know, if the cost is low enough I'd consider any resolution even 1368x768 but it looks like those mostly are limited to dsub connectors and I'd want some sort of digital input.
It also looks like I can't use a 3 monitor stand easily to do this as the central monitor has 100mm vesa mounting and many of the smaller monitors have 75mm vesa mounting. So maybe I just use 3 seperate stands.
My 24 is a 1920x1080 and I'd be willing to add most any P to the mix as long as the power draw is low, cost per scren is low, and then I'd have to figure out how to get them in portrait orientation at the right height.
My 24 is sitting on an old dell monitor stand (the 4 post type that used to partially cover a laptop and docking station). I've actually got two motherboard boxes raising the height of the 24 on top of that as the current monitor stand isn't height adjustable.
So if I had a 17" to 22" or could buy some cheap enough I'd consider adding one to the right and one to the left presumably being taller in portrait mode than the 24" is in landscape.
I'm not sure if the side monitors would end up lining up with the top of the middle montor and hang down lower or if they would be both lower and higher (tie fighter style) until I actually set it up but I've been using dual screens at work for so many years I miss having an extra screen at home.
I know everyone loves to brag about the PLP configurations that match in vertical size but I want to keep the cost and power draw down and I'm not so worried about matching size or resolution.
fwiw my computer room is on the west/southwest side of the house and it gets warm in there especially on summer evenings if I run ineffecient equipment. I keep the blinds closed most of the year in that room and keep the AC on continuous fan mode but it's still a noticable heat difference walking in or out of that room most nights.
It's a shame that older LCDs draw so much power. I have a 19" TN and 22" TN LCD that draw more than twice the energy of my 24" VA.
Given the desire for low cost and low power I expect I'll be looking at 1920x1080 or 1600x900 for the portrait displays but I don't know, if the cost is low enough I'd consider any resolution even 1368x768 but it looks like those mostly are limited to dsub connectors and I'd want some sort of digital input.
It also looks like I can't use a 3 monitor stand easily to do this as the central monitor has 100mm vesa mounting and many of the smaller monitors have 75mm vesa mounting. So maybe I just use 3 seperate stands.
suiken_2mieu
2[H]4U
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2010
- Messages
- 2,911
^most monitor stands have holes for both 100mm and 75mm.
Any 30" monitor will work, not just Dell - I have a Gateway XHD3000, a Samsung 305T, and a Samsung 305T+ which I've used with the 2001fp and it lines up great.
Thanks rtangwai. I was mainly looking at the 3008wfp because it was in the same line as my other ones and it'd look consistent. I like the thinner bezels on the Dells, but I'm really open to anything. I'm sure this information is somewhere else, but can someone point me towards some models to look at? I'll probably be buying used unless there's a good deal going, but my range is around <$600 but it depends on the model. I'll be using it for gaming as well, so <8ms response would be nice.
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A major problem buying used is that there are a lot of problematic models out there. The XHD3000 and the 305T are both prone to scaler board failure due to overheat, and the 305T is also prone to power supply failure due to bad caps. The only reasons I got my 3 30" are that they were cheap ($300 for all three) and I know how to fix them. If you are buying used I recommend Dell or HP as their failure rate is much lower.
You *DO* realize that Eyefinity doesn't support PLP, right?
You *DO* realize that Eyefinity doesn't support PLP, right?
Thanks for your suggestions. I'm pretty set on a Dell mainly for the reasons you stated. I think I'll wait until March for the new model to come out and see if the U3011 price drops.
I did know that Eyefinity did not support PLP, but can someone elaborate on what that means? I was tinkering with a few extra monitors while I wait for my 2007FPs, but it looked like I could flip the side ones to portrait and keep the middle one as landscape when working on my desktop (but tbh, I didn't spend a lot of time playing with it). Does this just mean mean that, when using programs, it sees each monitor individually instead of as a single display (i.e. not 4960x1600)? So for example, if I'm playing a game, it will only play on the middle screen unless I were playing in a window or custom resolution?
I hope that this is the case, but since I haven't ordered the middle screen, I guess I'm not totally committed yet. Although I don't think it'd be a dealbreaker, it would be nice if AMD came out with PLP support soon.
Eyefinity works only if all the monitors are the in same orientation (portrait or landscape). We've been waiting forever for PLP support from AMD and nVidia so don't hold your breath. The reason I have 3x30" in Eyefinity is because I got tired of waiting for AMD to support PLP.
PLP will work, just not as a SLS which is fine for every application *EXCEPT* video games. If you weren't actually planning on spanning then you'll have no problems, but if you intended on using Eyefinity then PLP is currently a no-go.
PLP will work, just not as a SLS which is fine for every application *EXCEPT* video games. If you weren't actually planning on spanning then you'll have no problems, but if you intended on using Eyefinity then PLP is currently a no-go.
dhanson865
n00b
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2013
- Messages
- 3
You aren't using the term Eyefinity properly when you say "Eyefinity works only if all the monitors are the in same orientation (portrait or landscape)."
SLS (making all monitors act like one large monitor) might not work with PLP but Eyefinity does. Just look at he AMD FAQ
http://www.amd.com/us/products/technologies/amd-eyefinity-technology/how-to/Pages/faqs.aspx
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What is AMD Eyefinity technology?
AMD Eyefinity technology is a solution developed by AMD that allows consumers to run up to six simultaneous displays off of a single graphics card. This is a unique feature of AMD graphics products that cannot be found on any other consumer graphics solution at this time.
I’ve heard all of the monitors need to be the same resolution for AMD Eyefinity technology to work. Is that true?
It’s partially true. AMD Eyefinity technology is a brand name that actually describes three distinct functions:
1.Hardware support for three or more monitors attached to a single graphics card.
2.Software support to independently configure and run each of those displays.
3.And software support to combine the resolutions of all of those displays into one big resolution.
At a basic level, many users like AMD Eyefinity technology for the first reason: connecting more than two displays is no longer a challenge as it has been in the past. And whether you run Linux, Microsoft® Windows® or Mac OS®, each operating system works seamlessly with AMD’s hardware/software to connect and configure multiple displays.
Assuming for a moment that you never perform any additional configuration once the monitors are connected, these displays are running in what’s called “extended mode.” Monitors do not have to be the same size or resolution in this mode, and you should feel free to rearrange your games and applications across the extended displays as you see fit.
The primary drawback to extended displays is that a game or video cannot readily be maximized to take advantage of all the displays at the same time, which is where AMD Eyefinity technology’s SLS mode steps in.
Single Large Surface (SLS) mode is activated when you create an AMD Eyefinity technology display group in the AMD Catalyst™ Control Center. SLS mode combines the resolutions of all the connected displays, and then essentially “tricks” the operating system into believing that there is one display with that large combined resolution.
SLS (making all monitors act like one large monitor) might not work with PLP but Eyefinity does. Just look at he AMD FAQ
http://www.amd.com/us/products/technologies/amd-eyefinity-technology/how-to/Pages/faqs.aspx
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is AMD Eyefinity technology?
AMD Eyefinity technology is a solution developed by AMD that allows consumers to run up to six simultaneous displays off of a single graphics card. This is a unique feature of AMD graphics products that cannot be found on any other consumer graphics solution at this time.
I’ve heard all of the monitors need to be the same resolution for AMD Eyefinity technology to work. Is that true?
It’s partially true. AMD Eyefinity technology is a brand name that actually describes three distinct functions:
1.Hardware support for three or more monitors attached to a single graphics card.
2.Software support to independently configure and run each of those displays.
3.And software support to combine the resolutions of all of those displays into one big resolution.
At a basic level, many users like AMD Eyefinity technology for the first reason: connecting more than two displays is no longer a challenge as it has been in the past. And whether you run Linux, Microsoft® Windows® or Mac OS®, each operating system works seamlessly with AMD’s hardware/software to connect and configure multiple displays.
Assuming for a moment that you never perform any additional configuration once the monitors are connected, these displays are running in what’s called “extended mode.” Monitors do not have to be the same size or resolution in this mode, and you should feel free to rearrange your games and applications across the extended displays as you see fit.
The primary drawback to extended displays is that a game or video cannot readily be maximized to take advantage of all the displays at the same time, which is where AMD Eyefinity technology’s SLS mode steps in.
Single Large Surface (SLS) mode is activated when you create an AMD Eyefinity technology display group in the AMD Catalyst™ Control Center. SLS mode combines the resolutions of all the connected displays, and then essentially “tricks” the operating system into believing that there is one display with that large combined resolution.
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You are correct, Eyefinity does address the extended desktop when using more than 2 monitors attached to a single card. Since Eyefinity in extended desktop mode is practically invisible setup-wise compared to SLS (in extended desktop you can setup and arrange everything without the use of CCC whereas in SLS you must use CCC) most people including myself think of Eyefinity only when setting up SLS.
Having said that, I *DID* say PLP would work, just not in SLS.
Having said that, I *DID* say PLP would work, just not in SLS.
Thanks for your responses!
I feel like I have a way better understanding now than when I started looking into it. I heard that AMD has PLP on its todo list (not holding my breath), but I expect with softth source code coming out a couple months ago, someone will figure something out before AMD. I know there are some people working on it now, so hopefully we'll see something soon. Unfortunately, we're still pretty much in the dark on how long that could take.
rtangwai, I'm curious how you like your 3x1 LLL setup compared to PLP. The reason PLP caught my eye was because it seemed more manageable (7680 vs 4960 is about 50% more width). Do you find it easy to work/play across the setup and is there any distortion or negative aspects when playing games? I already grabbed my 2007FPs, but it wouldn't be too late to switch now, especially if I could get eyefinity working right off the bat.
I feel like I have a way better understanding now than when I started looking into it. I heard that AMD has PLP on its todo list (not holding my breath), but I expect with softth source code coming out a couple months ago, someone will figure something out before AMD. I know there are some people working on it now, so hopefully we'll see something soon. Unfortunately, we're still pretty much in the dark on how long that could take.
rtangwai, I'm curious how you like your 3x1 LLL setup compared to PLP. The reason PLP caught my eye was because it seemed more manageable (7680 vs 4960 is about 50% more width). Do you find it easy to work/play across the setup and is there any distortion or negative aspects when playing games? I already grabbed my 2007FPs, but it wouldn't be too late to switch now, especially if I could get eyefinity working right off the bat.
Don't get dependent on the SoftTH idea - it is currently limited to DX9 and it is far from perfect (tried it on my PLP, in fact it was the straw that broke the camel's back and made me go LLL). There is no timeline on when it will be extended to DX10/11.
The biggest advantage of LLL (when using 30") is that it is *EXTREMELY* immersive - the monitors stretch out to the limits of my side peripheral vision so it's like being there. In Star Wars The Old Republic I can open up nearly every menu and have them on the screen while I'm fighting or moving around. In Dragon Age 2 I can keep an eye on the big picture during combat to prevent enemies flanking me.
Major disadvantages include useful secondary information such as gaming tips from websites and monitoring programs for system temps are not on the eye-level plane of the user, the fact that driving 12 megapixels means you need a *REALLY* big CPU and video cards (and I do mean cards plural - it's Crossfire or SLI or a slideshow), and the screens are so large it can be easy to miss important information as you head ends up on a swivel all the time. In my particular case I put the secondary monitors above the primary ones so I'm moving my head up and down as well as sideways, which makes for a sore neck after long gaming sessions. The alternative was to put the secondary monitors on the outer edges of the primary monitors, but at that point I was twisting my neck well past 45 degrees which made it distracting and impractical.
I have no major regrets going LLL from PLP, the narrowness of a single monitor (even a 30") drove me nuts in games. I'm an information freak, I like to have everything I need to know available at a glance. It's been suggested (and I have in fact done this in the past) I use a second computer and link the displays together with InputDirector and possibly even MaxiVista as it makes for a simpler main workstation, but I find that running a second workstation alongside the main one makes for a lot of application focus problems.
I have been seriously contemplating lately changing my rig to PPP from LLL on the lower row.and switching the upper row to 3x20" Dell 2001fp's (I have 6 lying around, I have been musing on the possibility of building a triple-stack PLP just for the hell of it). The problem is height - the lower monitors become so tall I can't see the upper ones at all with peripheral vision. Of course the ultimate would be 5x30" PPPPP to maximize the viewing angles, but 20 megapixels would kill my poor 3570K even with quad-fire (I use tri-fire at the moment) and I have *NO* idea where the heck I would put the secondary monitors, plus there is a practical limit of 7 monitors for my setup (if I enable Crossfire - if I disable Crossfire I can go 17).
The biggest advantage of LLL (when using 30") is that it is *EXTREMELY* immersive - the monitors stretch out to the limits of my side peripheral vision so it's like being there. In Star Wars The Old Republic I can open up nearly every menu and have them on the screen while I'm fighting or moving around. In Dragon Age 2 I can keep an eye on the big picture during combat to prevent enemies flanking me.
Major disadvantages include useful secondary information such as gaming tips from websites and monitoring programs for system temps are not on the eye-level plane of the user, the fact that driving 12 megapixels means you need a *REALLY* big CPU and video cards (and I do mean cards plural - it's Crossfire or SLI or a slideshow), and the screens are so large it can be easy to miss important information as you head ends up on a swivel all the time. In my particular case I put the secondary monitors above the primary ones so I'm moving my head up and down as well as sideways, which makes for a sore neck after long gaming sessions. The alternative was to put the secondary monitors on the outer edges of the primary monitors, but at that point I was twisting my neck well past 45 degrees which made it distracting and impractical.
I have no major regrets going LLL from PLP, the narrowness of a single monitor (even a 30") drove me nuts in games. I'm an information freak, I like to have everything I need to know available at a glance. It's been suggested (and I have in fact done this in the past) I use a second computer and link the displays together with InputDirector and possibly even MaxiVista as it makes for a simpler main workstation, but I find that running a second workstation alongside the main one makes for a lot of application focus problems.
I have been seriously contemplating lately changing my rig to PPP from LLL on the lower row.and switching the upper row to 3x20" Dell 2001fp's (I have 6 lying around, I have been musing on the possibility of building a triple-stack PLP just for the hell of it). The problem is height - the lower monitors become so tall I can't see the upper ones at all with peripheral vision. Of course the ultimate would be 5x30" PPPPP to maximize the viewing angles, but 20 megapixels would kill my poor 3570K even with quad-fire (I use tri-fire at the moment) and I have *NO* idea where the heck I would put the secondary monitors, plus there is a practical limit of 7 monitors for my setup (if I enable Crossfire - if I disable Crossfire I can go 17).
It's really hard to resist going bigger hearing you talk about all those options. My wallet says no, but well see what happens in March when the U3014 comes out 
I forgot about it until now, but I hear these setups give off a ton of heat. I can understand that LCDs give off quite a bit of heat by themselves, but I'm sure driving 9.5 megapixels in a 20/30/20 setup is no easy task. Anyone know how much of it comes from the GPU/CPU? I have a first gen i7 920 (from release date but it's still able to keep up) and a 7950 that's hooked up to my main monitor, tv, and a 17" monitor on the side for chat windows and whatnot. If I managed to do multiplication and addition correctly, it's just about half the megapixels of my proposed setup. I think it'll run fine in terms of hardware, but I work in a 1200sq ft room. Should I be worried about it turning into an oven during the summer (I live in Sacramento, CA, where outside temperatures get to 110+ during the summer)?
I just looked up the U3014 and it looks like it was released today! Have to keep an eye on people unloading their U3011s
http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/12/dell-intros-color-accurate-u2413-u2713h-and-u3014-displays/
Looks like an unconfirmed $1500 pricetag might deter most non-graphics professionals
I forgot about it until now, but I hear these setups give off a ton of heat. I can understand that LCDs give off quite a bit of heat by themselves, but I'm sure driving 9.5 megapixels in a 20/30/20 setup is no easy task. Anyone know how much of it comes from the GPU/CPU? I have a first gen i7 920 (from release date but it's still able to keep up
) and a 7950 that's hooked up to my main monitor, tv, and a 17" monitor on the side for chat windows and whatnot. If I managed to do multiplication and addition correctly, it's just about half the megapixels of my proposed setup. I think it'll run fine in terms of hardware, but I work in a 1200sq ft room. Should I be worried about it turning into an oven during the summer (I live in Sacramento, CA, where outside temperatures get to 110+ during the summer)?I just looked up the U3014 and it looks like it was released today! Have to keep an eye on people unloading their U3011s
http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/12/dell-intros-color-accurate-u2413-u2713h-and-u3014-displays/
Looks like an unconfirmed $1500 pricetag might deter most non-graphics professionals
My setup gets really hot in the summer because none of my monitors are LED. If I didn't have central A/C I'd probably die of heatstroke. Fortunately I live in Canada so in winter the setup keeps me toasty warm. My video cards probably give off way more heat than the monitors, but if you have enough (and I do) the monitors themselves contribute significantly to global warming.
Not too many people will be giving up their 30" monitors for the U3014 unless they have ticking time bombs like the XHD3000 or the 305T. They would see it as an opportunity to go multimonitor in a big way.
If you are really worried about the budget and want to go LLL get those cheap 27" 1440p - three of those cost about the same as a single U3014. As a bonus they are LED so they give off far less heat which might be a real consideration for you. The only problem is if you want to add more monitors later you are strictly limited in matching PPI as the 27" are 108PPI while the 30" and 20" (and others like the 22" 1080p and the 20" 1680x1050) are 100PPI (one of the reasons 20-30-20 PLP is the standard). Only a handful of LCD screens other than 27" are 108PPI, mostly laptop displays so you would have to wire them up properly - someone on the [H] forums has already done it quite successfully, but the wing monitors are so small (15") they are of limited usefulness:
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1038710563&postcount=9
His results are quite impressive, but I swear he's even crazier than me and that takes some doing. It also doesn't address PLP's greatest weakness, lack of support in SLS.
Don't get me wrong, I love PLP and I would be using it right now *IF* AMD/nVidia would get off their butts and write that functionality into their drivers. I'm just concerned that with monitors trending towards wider and wider screens (such as the Dell U2913wm) that PLP will become history before the drivers get fixed. Why bother supporting such a niche monitor layout when single monitors as wide as a PLP are coming down the pipe? Not only that, with those low price 27" 1440p available it's actually cheaper to go LLL 1440p than 20-30-20 PLP if all the monitors are new. 20-30-20 PLP made a lot of sense when monitors prices were about three times higher than they are today, but now it's more of a showpiece (although still useful in non-SLS applications).
Not too many people will be giving up their 30" monitors for the U3014 unless they have ticking time bombs like the XHD3000 or the 305T. They would see it as an opportunity to go multimonitor in a big way.
If you are really worried about the budget and want to go LLL get those cheap 27" 1440p - three of those cost about the same as a single U3014. As a bonus they are LED so they give off far less heat which might be a real consideration for you. The only problem is if you want to add more monitors later you are strictly limited in matching PPI as the 27" are 108PPI while the 30" and 20" (and others like the 22" 1080p and the 20" 1680x1050) are 100PPI (one of the reasons 20-30-20 PLP is the standard). Only a handful of LCD screens other than 27" are 108PPI, mostly laptop displays so you would have to wire them up properly - someone on the [H] forums has already done it quite successfully, but the wing monitors are so small (15") they are of limited usefulness:
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1038710563&postcount=9
His results are quite impressive, but I swear he's even crazier than me and that takes some doing. It also doesn't address PLP's greatest weakness, lack of support in SLS.
Don't get me wrong, I love PLP and I would be using it right now *IF* AMD/nVidia would get off their butts and write that functionality into their drivers. I'm just concerned that with monitors trending towards wider and wider screens (such as the Dell U2913wm) that PLP will become history before the drivers get fixed. Why bother supporting such a niche monitor layout when single monitors as wide as a PLP are coming down the pipe? Not only that, with those low price 27" 1440p available it's actually cheaper to go LLL 1440p than 20-30-20 PLP if all the monitors are new. 20-30-20 PLP made a lot of sense when monitors prices were about three times higher than they are today, but now it's more of a showpiece (although still useful in non-SLS applications).
Ultranifty
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2012
- Messages
- 167
Eyefinity is bleh, NV surround is where it's at, because AMD crossfire drivers are lol.
Nvidia and NV surround all the way for me.
/soapbox off
I went with three Dell S2340M 23" due to:
- great clarity/vivid IPS screen with a rated 5ms input lag according to pcmonitors.info
- extremely thin/small bezel for max immersion
- awesome value for the money, only $160 a piece at costco/frys
- glossy screen's and 23" is a great .265mm dot pitch
I used to have a 27" Asus VG278H 120hz screen, and it was very smooth, however I feel triple monitors even at 60hz is a better experience to be had than a single screen at 120hz. (Triple 120hz is reserved for crazy rich people willing to spend thousands on SLI GTX690s, etc. etc.).
NV surround for life
Nvidia and NV surround all the way for me.
/soapbox off
I went with three Dell S2340M 23" due to:
- great clarity/vivid IPS screen with a rated 5ms input lag according to pcmonitors.info
- extremely thin/small bezel for max immersion
- awesome value for the money, only $160 a piece at costco/frys
- glossy screen's and 23" is a great .265mm dot pitch
I used to have a 27" Asus VG278H 120hz screen, and it was very smooth, however I feel triple monitors even at 60hz is a better experience to be had than a single screen at 120hz. (Triple 120hz is reserved for crazy rich people willing to spend thousands on SLI GTX690s, etc. etc.).
NV surround for life
Wow nickchong's setup looks stunning with those laptop displays; the bezels are barely noticeable and looks well under 1cm (I think he just has them in front of the larger screen, but it looks great nonetheless). I just wish it were just a tad bigger. I'm no proponent for bigger is better and maybe I've been spoiled with all these massive multiscreen displays, but I just don't feel that setup is immersive... enough? I'm comparing the monitor to the keyboards so I don't know if that's a fair assessment.
I think your argument for lack of PLP is very accurate though. I knew they made wider displays, but the 1080 model you linked looked more affordable than anything I've seen previously. Hopefully, they'll continue developing both hardware and software, but like you said, it might just make more economical sense to cut out the middleman and just make really wide monitors. With the advent of 4k and oleds, I'm seeing the prospect of multimonitor setups diminishing. I'm sure most of us will be laughing at ourselves in the future when we look back and see PPPPP with one inch bezels until someone here posts their 120 MP 360º LLLLL setup
You've opened my eyes to so many options that I sort of regret grabbing the 2007FPs so quickly. However, I can still honestly say PLP is still my favorite and the pair was only <$250usd shipped so no big loss. I'm sure I can find a way to incorporate them into whatever I end up going for. I shot an email to AMD asking if they have any estimated date for PLP support. I'm pretty sure they won't give me a straight response, but it couldn't hurt to let them know there's still people waiting for it; and if it comes out before Nvidia, well that couldn't hurt either.
rtangwai, what exactly are you running right now? I checked your signature but I counted at least 7 monitors on your workstation (envious). I'd like to gauge what kind of heat I'm looking at if you can keep yourself warm during Canadian winters with videocards and monitors lol
Ultranifty, what is your argument for Surround>Eyefinity? I have an AMD card right now (just upgraded) and don't have any immediate inclination to go back to NV, but what about Surround makes it "better" for you? I haven't researched it much, but I know it came out later, so it probably has a few more features and is a bit more polished, but it seems more difficult and costly to implement as well as more restrictive in what you can run. From what I read (correct me if I am wrong), you max out at three screens and they have to be in the same orientation.
Edit: So I'm guessing from the lack of availability, the U3014 isn't actually out yet? I checked Dell's site and there doesn't seem to be any information up about it, even though the new stands they announced during the same press release are already up and for sale.
I think your argument for lack of PLP is very accurate though. I knew they made wider displays, but the 1080 model you linked looked more affordable than anything I've seen previously. Hopefully, they'll continue developing both hardware and software, but like you said, it might just make more economical sense to cut out the middleman and just make really wide monitors. With the advent of 4k and oleds, I'm seeing the prospect of multimonitor setups diminishing. I'm sure most of us will be laughing at ourselves in the future when we look back and see PPPPP with one inch bezels until someone here posts their 120 MP 360º LLLLL setup
You've opened my eyes to so many options that I sort of regret grabbing the 2007FPs so quickly. However, I can still honestly say PLP is still my favorite and the pair was only <$250usd shipped so no big loss
. I'm sure I can find a way to incorporate them into whatever I end up going for. I shot an email to AMD asking if they have any estimated date for PLP support. I'm pretty sure they won't give me a straight response, but it couldn't hurt to let them know there's still people waiting for it; and if it comes out before Nvidia, well that couldn't hurt either.rtangwai, what exactly are you running right now? I checked your signature but I counted at least 7 monitors on your workstation (envious
). I'd like to gauge what kind of heat I'm looking at if you can keep yourself warm during Canadian winters with videocards and monitors lolUltranifty, what is your argument for Surround>Eyefinity? I have an AMD card right now (just upgraded) and don't have any immediate inclination to go back to NV, but what about Surround makes it "better" for you? I haven't researched it much, but I know it came out later, so it probably has a few more features and is a bit more polished, but it seems more difficult and costly to implement as well as more restrictive in what you can run. From what I read (correct me if I am wrong), you max out at three screens and they have to be in the same orientation.
Edit: So I'm guessing from the lack of availability, the U3014 isn't actually out yet? I checked Dell's site and there doesn't seem to be any information up about it, even though the new stands they announced during the same press release are already up and for sale.
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dtfer:
My workstation looks like this:
IMG_0305_edited by rtangwai, on Flickr
4x20" 1680x1050 monitors above, 3x30" 2560x1600 monitors below. I eventually want to replace the upper row with either 3x29" 2560x1080 or 4x22" 1920x1080 monitors to better balance the display layout.
This is the 6-monitor PLP layout that got replaced by the 7-monitor layout:
asymetric_six_monitors by rtangwai, on Flickr
This layout was 3x20" 1680x1050 above, 20-30-20 PLP below.
The computer itself is a [email protected] with a HD6950 and a HD6990 running in Crossfire. 2 monitors are plugged into the onboard graphics. With all the overclocking I do it sounds like a jet engine at full speed and gets pretty darn warm. I use headphones when gaming (the only time I max out the video cards).
My workstation looks like this:
IMG_0305_edited by rtangwai, on Flickr
4x20" 1680x1050 monitors above, 3x30" 2560x1600 monitors below. I eventually want to replace the upper row with either 3x29" 2560x1080 or 4x22" 1920x1080 monitors to better balance the display layout.
This is the 6-monitor PLP layout that got replaced by the 7-monitor layout:
asymetric_six_monitors by rtangwai, on Flickr
This layout was 3x20" 1680x1050 above, 20-30-20 PLP below.
The computer itself is a [email protected] with a HD6950 and a HD6990 running in Crossfire. 2 monitors are plugged into the onboard graphics. With all the overclocking I do it sounds like a jet engine at full speed and gets pretty darn warm. I use headphones when gaming (the only time I max out the video cards).
Wow that's simply gorgeous. I especially like your old 6 monitor setup, but I think a 3x2 29"/30" setup would look even better. It kind of makes me wonder how you actually make use of that much desktop. I can't really tell from the pictures, but have you thought about angling the top monitors down maybe 30º? It might make it easier to see those top ones without straining the neck. I feel like eventually, it'll turn into half a dome.
I finally ordered the U3011 and it should be here sometime next week. I'll take pictures when I get everything set up. Super excited
I heard back from AMD and I thought I'd post their response here in case anyone was interested in PLP development:
"While the new Eyefinity 2.1 options do present a much larger gambit of options for Eyefinity configurations, the multi-orientation Eyefinity group is still a work in progress. The Eyefinity 2.1 does offer a lot that implies that we're close to getting the multi-orientation Eyefinity group available for our customers, it has not been confirmed as of yet. With 2.1, we're seeing more resolution options, resolutions up to 8kx8k, and far more options than before (LLLLLL, PPPPPP, LLLLL, PPPPP, PPPP, 2x3 landscape, 1x4 landscape, 1x5 and 1x6). While this doesn't help you currently with your PLP aspirations, at least the development team is moving in the right direction. They know that we have many customers who want this option, so it's being worked on, but there is currently no official release date or ETA for this to be available on our products. Once the 8xxx cards come out however, there may be some more information available to us from the development team."
It was more information than I had expected tbh. They confirmed that they're working on it and they hinted there might be some advancements with the release of the 8xxx series which I'm guessing will be July-October from their past releases. Hopefully there's some news in between to confirm it, but it does instill some hope.
I finally ordered the U3011 and it should be here sometime next week. I'll take pictures when I get everything set up. Super excited
I heard back from AMD and I thought I'd post their response here in case anyone was interested in PLP development:
"While the new Eyefinity 2.1 options do present a much larger gambit of options for Eyefinity configurations, the multi-orientation Eyefinity group is still a work in progress. The Eyefinity 2.1 does offer a lot that implies that we're close to getting the multi-orientation Eyefinity group available for our customers, it has not been confirmed as of yet. With 2.1, we're seeing more resolution options, resolutions up to 8kx8k, and far more options than before (LLLLLL, PPPPPP, LLLLL, PPPPP, PPPP, 2x3 landscape, 1x4 landscape, 1x5 and 1x6). While this doesn't help you currently with your PLP aspirations, at least the development team is moving in the right direction. They know that we have many customers who want this option, so it's being worked on, but there is currently no official release date or ETA for this to be available on our products. Once the 8xxx cards come out however, there may be some more information available to us from the development team."
It was more information than I had expected tbh. They confirmed that they're working on it and they hinted there might be some advancements with the release of the 8xxx series which I'm guessing will be July-October from their past releases. Hopefully there's some news in between to confirm it, but it does instill some hope.
I don't need to angle the monitors downwards because they are IPS whenever possible - the replacements I have planned will be IPS or MVA to keep the viewing angles good.
Now you see why I'm seriously thinking about the Del 29" - it would simplify things enormously for me (mounts, alignment, etc.). The downside is that I would be spending a considerable amount of money on very good monitors that I won't be looking at that much. 4x22" 1920x1080 would be a lot less money and be exactly the same width (there are new MVA monitors for $110 each right now so 4 of them would be cheaper than *ONE* Dell 29"), but then I have to make custom stands for them. I have asked every major manufacturer of monitor stands, nobody has what I want and none of them will create one. The Ergotron LX series is the closest to what I need but I would need 4 stacking arms (and I would have to ignore the lower arms because they are not rated for the weight of a 30" LCD). The price of the stands means that the total project cost would be close to 3 Dell 29".
No 8xxx series this year (nVidia must be drooling about that). A huge concern for me is that should they actually get PLP working it will be for newer cards only, especially in my case as I have HD6950's which uses an older technology than the 7xxx series - that's why the performance enhancements from the latest Catalyst drivers affect the 7xxx far more than the 6xxx. Dunno how close the 8xxx series will be to the 7xxx - could be AMD moved the release date to 2014 because they are completely rethinking the design, similar to nVidia radical jump from their 8xxx/9xxx series (which took nVidia years to refine and were the butt of a lot of AMD jokes). If the 8xxx is different enough then we may never see PLP Eyefinity on 7xxx and below.
Now you see why I'm seriously thinking about the Del 29" - it would simplify things enormously for me (mounts, alignment, etc.). The downside is that I would be spending a considerable amount of money on very good monitors that I won't be looking at that much. 4x22" 1920x1080 would be a lot less money and be exactly the same width (there are new MVA monitors for $110 each right now so 4 of them would be cheaper than *ONE* Dell 29"), but then I have to make custom stands for them. I have asked every major manufacturer of monitor stands, nobody has what I want and none of them will create one. The Ergotron LX series is the closest to what I need but I would need 4 stacking arms (and I would have to ignore the lower arms because they are not rated for the weight of a 30" LCD). The price of the stands means that the total project cost would be close to 3 Dell 29".
No 8xxx series this year (nVidia must be drooling about that). A huge concern for me is that should they actually get PLP working it will be for newer cards only, especially in my case as I have HD6950's which uses an older technology than the 7xxx series - that's why the performance enhancements from the latest Catalyst drivers affect the 7xxx far more than the 6xxx. Dunno how close the 8xxx series will be to the 7xxx - could be AMD moved the release date to 2014 because they are completely rethinking the design, similar to nVidia radical jump from their 8xxx/9xxx series (which took nVidia years to refine and were the butt of a lot of AMD jokes). If the 8xxx is different enough then we may never see PLP Eyefinity on 7xxx and below.
I heard back from AMD about PLP support and unfortunately, it looks like it's going to be limited to the newest cards. Here's their response:
"I was talking to our Eyefinity contact and he said that it's in the works, and would definitely require a 7xxx or newer, and could possibly be limited to the 8xxx series. The software is the primary driving force in getting this type of Eyefinity configuration set up, but the hardware has to reflect it as well (hence the Eyefinity 2.1 being limited to 5xxx cards and newer, for example). Our Eyefinity contact said that it will definitely require a newer card, and could be limited to 8xxx and newer depending on how the team implements the software to get that PLP Eyefinity setup (and how reliant it is on the card's specs and VBIOS instead of just the driver software). Sadly there is no official confirmation as of yet, but I have him asking the Development team to get any insight, if it is available."
"I was talking to our Eyefinity contact and he said that it's in the works, and would definitely require a 7xxx or newer, and could possibly be limited to the 8xxx series. The software is the primary driving force in getting this type of Eyefinity configuration set up, but the hardware has to reflect it as well (hence the Eyefinity 2.1 being limited to 5xxx cards and newer, for example). Our Eyefinity contact said that it will definitely require a newer card, and could be limited to 8xxx and newer depending on how the team implements the software to get that PLP Eyefinity setup (and how reliant it is on the card's specs and VBIOS instead of just the driver software). Sadly there is no official confirmation as of yet, but I have him asking the Development team to get any insight, if it is available."
I'm not terribly surprised as the 6xxx are internally quite different from the 7xxx. The 4xxx series and below are already legacy status, I bet by the time PLP Eyefinity comes out the 5xxx and maybe even the 6xxx will be legacy too so it won't be a shock to anyone when it supports only the newest cards. Hell, I'd make that a selling point just to get more people to upgrade if I were AMD.
That's assuming it comes out at all - given how difficult it is to do PLP properly on any other setup than 20-30-20 and the premium pricing on 30" vs. 27" I can't see AMD having any real incentive to bother with this if it takes much more than just a programming change in the drivers, it's a pretty small niche market and getting smaller every day with super-wide monitors being released. PLP will become a memory the moment 4K hits mass-market, it's a question of whether that is 3 years from now or 30. From what I've seen of AMD's test lab (took a tour once, security had to drag me out of that room) they'll know quicker than most what will be hitting the monitor market soon and at what price point so AMD will be able to judge whether or not its worth making PLP Eyefinity happen or not if hardware changes/additions are involved.
That's assuming it comes out at all - given how difficult it is to do PLP properly on any other setup than 20-30-20 and the premium pricing on 30" vs. 27" I can't see AMD having any real incentive to bother with this if it takes much more than just a programming change in the drivers, it's a pretty small niche market and getting smaller every day with super-wide monitors being released. PLP will become a memory the moment 4K hits mass-market, it's a question of whether that is 3 years from now or 30. From what I've seen of AMD's test lab (took a tour once, security had to drag me out of that room
) they'll know quicker than most what will be hitting the monitor market soon and at what price point so AMD will be able to judge whether or not its worth making PLP Eyefinity happen or not if hardware changes/additions are involved.It's too bad that everything you said is probably true. The manufacturers know what's going on in the industry far better than we ever will and they're not going to dump money into developing support for outdated hardware (talking both displays and cards). I think I'll be happy with my PLP setup for now and try to get as much gaming out of it as I can. If nothing else, the extra side monitors will be an upgrade from my single 24". Once wide panel monitors become more affordable, I'll think about upgrading.
The Korean 27" 1440p are pretty reasonably priced right now - 3 of them cost less than one U3014. *THAT* is what will kill PLP, not technical limitations. It's different if you buy used monitors like I do - I spent less than $400 on acquiring 3 30" monitors. No GPU manufacturer is going to support the used end of the market.
<$400 on 3 30" screen (that's $133/screen)
If you don't mind me asking where were you looking, any tips or hints for finding deals like that?
<$400 on 3 30" screen (that's $133/screen)
If you don't mind me asking where were you looking, any tips or hints for finding deals like that?
Fairly straightforward enough - turns out not many people who post on Craigslist and Kijiji read [H] so they know their monitor is broken but they have no way of knowing how to fix it and many of them get ridiculous quotes from repair shops. The Gateway XHD3000 and Samsung 305T/305T+ (I own one of each) are prone to scaler board overheating, with the Samsungs having the additional problem of bad capacitors in the power supply and inverter. Just poke around and wait for someone to post "broken monitor", be prepared to fix them with your oven and soldering iron, and you're good to go.
Ah, thanks for the reply craigslist in my area isn't that big...but I'll keep my eyes open. I have replaced bad caps on a couple of monitors in the past so I'm not afraid to crack them open...its just a matter off having time to do it
Ah, thanks for the reply craigslist in my area isn't that big...but I'll keep my eyes open. I have replaced bad caps on a couple of monitors in the past so I'm not afraid to crack them open...its just a matter off having time to do it
Trust me, when you see how big a 30" monitor really is you *WILL* find the time
Trust me, when you see how big a 30" monitor really is you *WILL* find the time
The extra resolution real estate would be nice, I've seen some in the comp sci dept
I move from a 24" LCD 1920x1200 to 3-24" 1920x1080 LED screens (all 3 use less power than my one old 24"), but I really like the higher rez for working on stuff.
With 30" screens I'd need a new desk, but it would be awesome
Ok, 30" screens are added to my list if I happen to see them come up on craigslist...hmm even 27" 2560 x 1440 would be a big step up.
videodrone83
Gawd
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2006
- Messages
- 527
I could spend days going through this thread but wondering if anyone knows off hand best IPS displays to use for eyefinity setup? Id love to go with 3 monitors but dont know which one has small/thin bezel's
elvn
Supreme [H]ardness
- Joined
- May 5, 2006
- Messages
- 5,376
The extra resolution real estate would be nice, I've seen some in the comp sci dept
I move from a 24" LCD 1920x1200 to 3-24" 1920x1080 LED screens (all 3 use less power than my one old 24"), but I really like the higher rez for working on stuff.
With 30" screens I'd need a new desk, but it would be awesome
Ok, 30" screens are added to my list if I happen to see them come up on craigslist...hmm even 27" 2560 x 1440 would be a big step up.
Note that while the 30" has +80px top and +80 px bottom vs the 27" -- the 30" does not have any more pixels across the width than the 27" , its pixels are just that much larger.
The 80px top and bottom size 'gap' would be much smaller size-wise at the same pixel sizes --> .75 inches top and .75 inches bottom (3/4inch top and bottom) 1.49" total to be exact if both were 108.8ppi.
Another way to look at it on more equal terms is that if you moved the 30" panel back enough until its width (and ppi) looked equal to the 27" to your viewing perspective, there would be .75" peeking out top and bottom (about the diameter of a dime coin) in relation to the 27" screen, 80px tall each.
As always, perceived pixel density (and screen size/perspective for that matter) is relative to viewing distance as well.
elvn
Supreme [H]ardness
- Joined
- May 5, 2006
- Messages
- 5,376
You might want to do a search for vega's 120hz-133hz korean 2560x1440 overclocked + debezeled portrait mode setup he formerly did. Availability of such screens is bad atm though, and they seem to have jacked the price through the roof. He is currently trying to do a similar setup with 144hz 24" TN's at 120hz with lightboost2 backlight strobing enabled to get essential zero blur / crt motion clarity. (check the asus/benQ lightboost2 thread).
The extra resolution real estate would be nice, I've seen some in the comp sci dept
I move from a 24" LCD 1920x1200 to 3-24" 1920x1080 LED screens (all 3 use less power than my one old 24"), but I really like the higher rez for working on stuff.
With 30" screens I'd need a new desk, but it would be awesome
Ok, 30" screens are added to my list if I happen to see them come up on craigslist...hmm even 27" 2560 x 1440 would be a big step up.
There are a lot of cool desk setups if you poke around here. If you're planning on getting more or bigger monitors, start looking around the workstation threads for inspiration. I'm currently setting up a 20x30x20 PLP setup on an Ikea Jerker that has a modular shelf. I installed LEDs under it and put a TV on top. I also have the arms/printer shelves with lamps and speakers so I have my entire desktop free. I'll post a pic when I get everything set up and organized, but I gathered a lot of ideas around here. If you're planning on 3x30 or really any 3x[24+], have a look at the Ikea Galant. It comes in an L shape and has a massive desktop area if you can afford the room. You can also find them relatively cheap (~$100 on CL).
Eyefinity ends up being quite an investment after all the screens, cables, stands, desk, etc, but piecing it together has been an absolute blast. If you're like me, you'll spend a lot of time researching and browsing CL to find exactly what you want
There are a lot of cool desk setups if you poke around here. If you're planning on getting more or bigger monitors, start looking around the workstation threads for inspiration. I'm currently setting up a 20x30x20 PLP setup on an Ikea Jerker that has a modular shelf. I installed LEDs under it and put a TV on top. I also have the arms/printer shelves with lamps and speakers so I have my entire desktop free. I'll post a pic when I get everything set up and organized, but I gathered a lot of ideas around here. If you're planning on 3x30 or really any 3x[24+], have a look at the Ikea Galant. It comes in an L shape and has a massive desktop area if you can afford the room. You can also find them relatively cheap (~$100 on CL).
Eyefinity ends up being quite an investment after all the screens, cables, stands, desk, etc, but piecing it together has been an absolute blast. If you're like me, you'll spend a lot of time researching and browsing CL to find exactly what you want
Right now I have a 1930-40s oak office desk I got free from a school that was crushing them
Its actually very nice, VERY sturdy, 2 people can easily stand on it with no problems. I have 3 - 24" Dell ST2421L screens that JUST barely fit side to side and then a wall mounted Toshiba 40" TV above that.I've been trying to build my system on a budget...if that can be done for eyefinity
It taken me about 4 months of searching ebay, watching for sales, stacking them with rebates, cashback and coupons. With staples saving up my ink rewards, and doing their deals I managed to get the 3 dell screens for less than one on sale
Here's a picture with everything put on the desk, hopefully this weekend I'll finish putting everything together, havn't even peeled of the protective plastic, sorry for the poor quality...
