Multiple Monitors Help!

[matta757]

Hey guys,

Hopefully those of you who are using multiple monitors can help me out. I haven't yet, but I am planning on buying a TripleHead2Go for my multiple displays. But just for kicks, tonight I tried plugging in one of my monitors to the other display port on my video card. It works and all, and through the nVIDIA display tool, I was able to set it up as a horizontal multiple display. The problem lies in the fact that the 2 monitors I was using have different resolution capabilities.

My main monitor is a widescreen 21" monitor, using a 1680x1050 resolution. The other monitor is my old regular 19", capable of 1280x1024. When I use them together, the best resolution that I can get is the 1280x1024, meaning that my widescreen monitor's picture looks like crap.

Will this always be the case? Will the best possible resolution always be that of the smallest monitor? The reason I ask is because I was planning on using 2 regular 19" displays for my MIP gauges through the TripleHead2Go and then keeping my widescreen 21" for the outside display. Will this not be possible?

Any help greatly appreciated!

Matt

[Bob Reed]

T ripple head to go works differently it sees all 3 as 1 monitor so I am not sure how that will work. But using different monitors on different outputs you should be able to assign the right res to each monitor.

[XOrionFE]

I have a th2go and have done all sorts of configurations.  For what you want I wouldn't bother with the th2go but rather would just use multiple video cards with each having dual dvi outputs.   Th2go is best used for outside views and with identical monitors

[Emesis]

Matt,
Yes it always goes to the lowest resolution, it will also be the same issue on the TH2GO. You need to have 3 monitors with the same resolution to get the best picture. If you are planning on buying new monitors then go to widescreengaming.com to get more info. Because not only do you have to have the same resolution you also have to consider what Hertz the monitors run at to be compatible with TH2GO.

For instance if you want to run 3 monitors at 1680x1050 then they have to be able to handle 57hz. Go to that website and they have a list of what brands will work and what resolution for TH2GO.

And yes Scott is right, TH2GO fir your outside view and the other DVI output on your video card for your gauges. In fact it's easier just to have separate computers for your gauges.

Cheers,
Rand

[autocadplease]

Search the Widescreen gaming forum (http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/) to see if there is a work around with different monitors - if there is it will be posted there.

[matta757]

I have a th2go and have done all sorts of configurations.  For what you want I wouldn't bother with the th2go but rather would just use multiple video cards with each having dual dvi outputs.   Th2go is best used for outside views and with identical monitors

Hey Scott,

How does having 2 video cards work? Which video card gets which output and all that? Sorry, I am not familiar with using multiple video cards on one machine, so any enlightening you can do would be great! Not only that, and I haven't look at the prices for video cards, but won't that be more expensive than a TH2GO?

As for buying more monitors, damn, I was hoping I could use this old one that I have and save myself some money, but it's not looking like that will work...

Matt

[Bob Reed]

Matt,
Yes it always goes to the lowest resolution, it will also be the same issue on the TH2GO. You need to have 3 monitors with the same resolution to get the best picture. If you are planning on buying new monitors then go to widescreengaming.com to get more info. Because not only do you have to have the same resolution you also have to consider what Hertz the monitors run at to be compatible with TH2GO.

For instance if you want to run 3 monitors at 1680x1050 then they have to be able to handle 57hz. Go to that website and they have a list of what brands will work and what resolution for TH2GO.

Cheers,
Rand

This is not the case for video card output.. I am running 2 different res screens on this computer I am using right now 1 1920X1200 and the other  1280x1024

[Emesis]

Bob,
I was referring to TH2GO mostly.
If you have the same image spread across both your monitors at different resolutions then the LCD monitor that is not running in it's native resolution will not look as good.

[XOrionFE]

A dual output pci video card can be less then a hundred bucks.  For gauges you don't need incredible video performance like you do for outside graphics

If you can get nvidia 9800 gts those are a decent cheap card these days.  I think a th2go is over 200.

Using multiple displays is easy.  Each output is useable and configurable via your display properties.   I would stick to one brand chipset.  My experience is with the nvidia chipset based cards. 

Scott

[matta757]

Hey Scott,

This excites me, I didn't realize I might be able to do it cheaper than using the TH2GO, which costs nearly $300! But I still need some clarification on how the 2 cards work; how does the computer know to put the outside view on one monitor and the panel on another? Also, can I still open other panel windows (ie. CDU) on the main monitor? Hope that makes sense...

Thanks,
Matt

[XOrionFE]

Simple, just hook up the monitors and configure their resolutions and relative positions to each other in your display properties.   In FS you simply undock various windows and move them and size them onto the various displays as you wish then once positioned, save the flight.   Make it your default startup flight and be sure to exist flight sim gracefuly to have it save properly.     From then on when you start the windows will be where you left them.   It is then optional to switch to full screen mode which is what I typically do (Alt-Enter).

[Bob Reed]

Bob,
I was referring to TH2GO mostly.
If you have the same image spread across both your monitors at different resolutions then the LCD monitor that is not running in it's native resolution will not look as good.

Let me clarify my statement...Emesis, I was not thinking of using them as one large monitor as per Matt's post of how he wanted to use it, 2 for gauges 1 for front view.  But.. You are 100% right. As one large monitor they will all run at the same res so they would drop to the res that was lowest. Sorry for the confusion.

[matta757]

Bob,
I was referring to TH2GO mostly.
If you have the same image spread across both your monitors at different resolutions then the LCD monitor that is not running in it's native resolution will not look as good.

Let me clarify my statement...Emesis, I was not thinking of using them as one large monitor as per Matt's post of how he wanted to use it, 2 for gauges 1 for front view.  But.. You are 100% right. As one large monitor they will all run at the same res so they would drop to the res that was lowest. Sorry for the confusion.

Well, let me clarify what my intentions were... one of the outputs on my video card would have been the front view alone. The other output on my card would have been the TH2GO, which would provide the 2 (and eventually 3) monitors for gauges.

[Sean]

Well, let me clarify what my intentions were... one of the outputs on my video card would have been the front view alone. The other output on my card would have been the TH2GO, which would provide the 2 (and eventually 3) monitors for gauges.

You can set different resolutions between two outputs on a single graphics card, even if a TH2G is connected to one of the outputs. The resolution on the TH2G output will be limited to the worst of the displays connected to it's three outputs.

However, as has been mentioned, TH2G is probably not the best solution for having different displays on each of it's outputs. Seperate graphics cards would be your best option in this case. The TH2G is best used for taking one signal and spreading it over 3 screens, ideal for the external visuals.

[bussgarfield]

This thread is getting to be very interesting.

Whilst it started on the whys and wherefors of the TH2Go it then went on to multiple video cards.

Matt,
I use a system that incorporates 3 Nvidia cards. I do not use TH2Go. The system came with 3 22" wide screen monitors and initially worked fine for just the forward views using one of the 2 outputs of the video cards for each monitor. Now the MIP is more or less 'shaped' and the MIP monitors are installed, I thought I would try to hook up the monitors for the MIP using the second output on the video cards. I have two 19" monitors (conected via a 'Y' lead and a smalller and older 15" monitor which I want to use for the EICAS. As soon as I connect the older 15" monitor everything crashes. The 22" and 19" are all capable of the same resolution but the 15" isn't.
I am trying all sorts of tweaks but to no avail.

I am trying to run 3 outside view monitors each connected to a video card (which is fine) and the two 19" monitors via a 'Y' lead for the PFD's connected via the second output on the first video card. The 15" For the EICAS connected to the second output of video card 2 and I want to have the OC FMC connected to the second out put of videocard 3.

Things just aint working.

At the time of writing, I do not have all the specs available of the system or video card but I thought I would just throw my views in as well.

If the specs of the system and cards are needed I will find them for you but it seems like I will be reverting to the second computer using FSXpand for the EICAS but it does not solve my FMC problem.

I do love this hobby.

Gary

[Emesis]

Wow after all of these comments now I'm even confused, and my setup works. 

So Matt I hope you're taking this all in, and not pulling out chunks of your hair. 

Cheers

[Bob Reed]

My suggestion would be to experiment! See what you can do.

[matta757]

Hey guys,

So if I decide (which I think I have haha) to go with another video card (probably another nVIDIA just to stay with my brand), how does that play into my computer's cooling capabilities? Do I need additional cooling fans since I will be running yet another card?

Matt

[bussgarfield]

Matt,
Most video cards now come with cooling fans and large heatsinks so you should not have to many problems with the build up of heat. The computer itself should also have at least 2 cooling fans I should think so any extra heat generated should be well catered for.
Good luck.
Gary

[jskibo]

Hey guys,

So if I decide (which I think I have haha) to go with another video card (probably another nVIDIA just to stay with my brand), how does that play into my computer's cooling capabilities? Do I need additional cooling fans since I will be running yet another card?

Matt

Running two GTX275's right now and the motherboard config has them so close they almost touch.  No extra cooling other than what's on the cards.

[xxilim]

Have you considered the ATI/AMD 5870 Eye infinity GPU?

It's a single card with 6 display outputs, in the specifications it states you can run 6 displays with independent resolutions.

A single card doing all the gauge displays sounds good to me, plus it's pretty powerful so I believe it could handle it.

here's a link.

http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/ati-radeon-hd-5000/hd-5870-eyefinity-6-edition/Pages/overview.aspx#1

[matta757]

Hey guys,

Anyone know if running my gauge displays off of another video card do anything to reduce the loss of frame rates from having multiple windows open? I am hoping that the fact that the multiple windows are just gauges won't tax my frame rates too much, but whatever I can do to reduce their effects would be great. Damn, now I am really wishing I had just splurged and gotten the best processor I could when I bought my computer

Regards,
Matt

[727737Nut]

Have you considered the ATI/AMD 5870 Eye infinity GPU?

It's a single card with 6 display outputs, in the specifications it states you can run 6 displays with independent resolutions.

A single card doing all the gauge displays sounds good to me, plus it's pretty powerful so I believe it could handle it.

here's a link.

http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/ati-radeon-hd-5000/hd-5870-eyefinity-6-edition/Pages/overview.aspx#1

Doesn't list FSX as supported software, bummer!!

[xxilim]

I must have missed that.

For the sake of having undocked windows for your gauges I think it would work well.

Was the supported game list you refer too labeled as "ATI Eyefinity Ready Software"?
If thats the case wouldn't it only be because a resolution that high isn't officially supported buy FSX.
I do remember reading something about customized resolutions tho?