Eyefinity R U (For/Against)? And, ___

I look around the web and see varying opinion on the eyefinity setup. Some like it, some would like to try it, and some hate it.
I became a member of Hard Forum because of this issue. There seems to be more information, debate, how-to, etc going on in this forum than anywhere else that I've found.

However, it is not enough. The information is disparate and separated by many obsure posts and threads.
To help some of us newbs before we embark on hundreds or thousands of dollars, please present your argument FOR or AGAINST EYEFINITY. And, add the ancillary bits of information like how you use your setup when not gaming, how burdensome it was and why you don't recommend, what is the best screen size, do bezels really bother you, what software besides games flourish under eyefinity, etc, so on and so forth. Go off the beaten path if you can. I'd like to learn some other possible cool functionalities of eyefinity if there are any?

I am currently stationed overseas. I'm researching this issue to see if I will buy myself and Son 3 screens? Would I prefer 3 projectors? Is there a benefit to buying a stand? Should I go landscape or portrait? Is AMD eyefinity better than NVIDIA surround gaming? Does it really matter if I use an LED vs TN panel, and does IPS or 120mhz really make enough difference to make the splurge?

Please express your wisdom on these matters. There are many on the fence that would like to hear as many opinions and situations as possible so that we may learn from your experiences/mistakes/triumphs.

Thank you,

Fingerman

I have 3x24" and I like it, but you will run into an issue with most games as support for it is still pretty weak.

I am thinking that I should buy displays that have a stand that will allow portrait, or just buy a stand.
So, when I'm not gaming, I can turn the screens portrait for word/excel/web viewing.
However, I don't know if this is possible with eyefinity setup? I should be able to switch out of eyefinity, and go to three displays at the click of a button right?

Fingerman said:

I am thinking that I should buy displays that have a stand that will allow portrait, or just buy a stand.
So, when I'm not gaming, I can turn the screens portrait for word/excel/web viewing.
However, I don't know if this is possible with eyefinity setup? I should be able to switch out of eyefinity, and go to three displays at the click of a button right?

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yea using amd ccc profiles even windows key + modes might work also.
some issues might be but should work without a hitch normally.
120hz eyefinity for me is here to stay.

i LOVE my eyefinity setup and wouldn't want to go back. I am mainly a FPS / Battlefield guy so I am lucky with having good support from Dice for the most part.
So it is mainly dependent upon the types of games you play, you have to look up to see if they are supported.

But even when I am not gaming and I am doing work, I don't like to go without my eyefinity. I first had 2 screens for a long time, then went to 3 and can't see myself going back. Once you have the space it is hard to do without.
I watch most of my video content on my computer as well.
I'll be watching a video on 1 screen, have a browser open in another and work on a the third. So having 3 screen is perfect for my needs. I have screens that swivel to portrait but don't use it often being that it is a pain in the rear to switch all three screens back and forth between portrait and landscape depending on if I am web browsing or gaming. Also, for me playing FPS games, I like having all three screens in landscape. So I just leave them like that.

But when I switch between gaming in eyefinity mode (ie windows treats 3 screens as 1) and just browsing etc on the 3 screens (ie. 3 separate screens that separate windows can maximize to) I use "displayswitch.exe" which is in the system32 folder. Or you can pull it up using the Windows P combo.

I can't comment on the projectors etc. But for me, the bigger the screens the better. However, the bigger you go the more horsepower you will need.

I have a bit of a weird setup for screens as all of my screens are different sizes (22, 23, 26), which isn't Ideal but I can't justify spending the money on getting new ones, yet. Even though the screen sizes make me change to an odd resolution, I still love having the extra monitors on the sides. It gives me an advantage for FPS games because I don't have to move my "aim" around so much when I am scanning my surroundings. Plus I can see things out of my peripheral vision which you can't with just 1 screen. Good as well for when you are flying.

The bezels are bothersome, but you can get used to having them. With AMD you get the bezel adjustment which is helpful but not perfect. 1 of my screens has a large bezel and the other 2 are rather small, so if you can find screens with small bezels and unobtrusive lights and buttons etc, you will like it better.

As for other uses, my computer is right in my living room, and near my TV, so I also hook my computer up to my tv and use it as an HTPC with a wireless mouse and keyboard. So technically I have 4 screens hooked up, but I usually have the TV connection disabled.

To the question of types of monitors, I'm not a videophile so you need to take my opinion with a grain of salt. But I like my dell u2311H which is a e-IPS display. I got it at a good price and will probably change my other monitors to the same, sometime in the future. I'll put the 22 on another computer and mount the 26" LCD up above the 23" LCDs.
I'd love to have 3 26" LCDs but, they discontinued making this size of monitor
If money were no object, of course, the 3 30" LCDs would be great.

Hope this helps

you work more efficient with more screens.

I would hate to have 2x 3cm black lines between a display. If you use a projector than you should have a room with ambient lights. If you want to use Monitors than IPS would be the best option but you must live with the IPS-Glow or use PLS Monitors they have no pink glow but white glow.

I have had a 3x27" setup for a while now, and I love it! After buying some monitor stands that can swivel, I go back an forth between PPP and LLL... I really want a 5xPPPPP setup. I love eyefinity!!

My only complaint, is that some games don't support eyefinity all that well. Even then, it's easy to disable, and swivel an LCD if I have to; not a big deal..

Flopper said:

you work more efficient with more screens.

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Yup. OTOH, it is annoying looking for patches for games since most games do not support it and those that do need 3rd party patches...which gets annoying when they break EVERY time Steam stealth updates your game even though you thought you turned auto updates off and you did. If I have time to enjoy I want to enjoy, not spend an hour trying to male something work.

Outbreaker said:

I would hate to have 2x 3cm black lines between a display. If you use a projector than you should have a room with ambient lights. If you want to use Monitors than IPS would be the best option but you must live with the IPS-Glow or use PLS Monitors they have no pink glow but white glow.

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Meh. It isn't much different than looking out a paned window.

If I had the money I would drop my 3*22" Eyefinity and get a high res 30" IPS. The hassle of Steam breaking patches, and needing patches in the first place is obnoxious. Further most games never get patches, and only being able to enjoy Eyefinity on select titles really limits what games you can play your hardware to the fullest.

Good input!
I am an FPS whore!
So, I love the online gameplay. And that extra vision seems like a must!
Although, it would piss me off to be used to the wide screen view just to have to play an unsupported game on one screen.

Outbreaker said:

I would hate to have 2x 3cm black lines between a display. If you use a projector than you should have a room with ambient lights. If you want to use Monitors than IPS would be the best option but you must live with the IPS-Glow or use PLS Monitors they have no pink glow but white glow.

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Brain deletes the black lines when gaming.
Its a non issue IMO.
Never see them when playing.

Fingerman said:

Good input!
I am an FPS whore!
So, I love the online gameplay. And that extra vision seems like a must!
Although, it would piss me off to be used to the wide screen view just to have to play an unsupported game on one screen.

Click to expand...

Its a toss up between a 30inch and eyefinity IMO.
I preference 120hz screens, I cant use 60hz or my eyes start to strain with headache following at age 48 my eyes aint as good as when I was 30. still own kids in fps shooters and the ragequits, language in chat and so few very few contexts allows me to play at the same with younger kids on equal terms.

If there was a 120hz 30inch I might go there but current set up dont make me think i need to go there.

Fingerman said:

Good input!
I am an FPS whore!
So, I love the online gameplay. And that extra vision seems like a must!
Although, it would piss me off to be used to the wide screen view just to have to play an unsupported game on one screen.

Click to expand...

You are right! Getting used to playing on 3 screens, then switching to 1 SUCKS. But eyefinity is great for those games that are supported.

Also, if you can be patient, I've found waiting 2-4 weeks or more, to get a new game after the release date, helps tremendously! Save the frustration and let the other people work out all of the bugs for you.

I have both Eyefinity and Surround.
I would never go back.

I have to say that Surround is a bit easier to work with versus Eyefinity.

For one, the game HUD is usually always centered in Surround, whereas in EF it may or may not be.

Currently Crossfire is really hit and miss in games in EF. You can read my rants in the Cat 12.8 thread.

I do feeel the same way, that some games work really well in EF/Surround right out of the box, while others you have to spend a week tweaking or waiting for one of the Widescreengamingforum gurus to come up with a hack.

I just love Eyefinity myself. Need to change my 3x Dell monitors with monitors with a thinner bezel and perhaps jump to 27". I have tried to go with one monitor, but that just feels wrong now. Once eyefinity, there's no way back !

I'm a huge fan of Eyefinity and NVSurround in general. There are a few issues with some games not supporting it all that well. I'd definitely recommend monitors that can do both portrait and landscape. My setup only allows for landscape and it sucks for games that don't handle multiple monitors well. Still I can drop down to a single 30" if I need to. Not that I like doing that.

I usually only play on 1 monitor, but tried a few games with eyefinity. The 5850 handled it well except had to turn off AA, thats with 3 1080 lcd's.

I think I would use it more if i could sit back a bit more and actually see it all at once. hehe

lhhbjw said:

You are right! Getting used to playing on 3 screens, then switching to 1 SUCKS. But eyefinity is great for those games that are supported.

Also, if you can be patient, I've found waiting 2-4 weeks or more, to get a new game after the release date, helps tremendously! Save the frustration and let the other people work out all of the bugs for you.

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That is really good advice.
I too have found that most of the time, after a couple of weeks the guys who are really good at fixes will come through, if you can hold off.

no doubt eyefinity is dope. i dont think anybody disputes that. but i consider it to be quite luxurious and at those high resolutions you need to pay a lot extra for the necessary power. Personally I'd rather pay 1200$ to play everything on ultra at 1920x1200 then pay 2000$ to play at 5760x1200..

I'd wager 99% of people that "hate" eyefinity either cannot afford a multi-monitor setup and the steep hardware requirements that go along with it, or they simple haven't tried it, especially on a good setup. I've never had anyone over who wasn't blown away by my 5x1 120 Hz portrait setup that has less than 1/4" bezel gaps.

Vega said:

I'd wager 99% of people that "hate" eyefinity either cannot afford a multi-monitor setup and the steep hardware requirements that go along with it, or they simple haven't tried it, especially on a good setup. I've never had anyone over who wasn't blown away by my 5x1 120 Hz portrait setup that has less than 1/4" bezel gaps.

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Yeah, that setup would work if I had to use it......



Blown away is an understatement.

dremic said:

no doubt eyefinity is dope. i dont think anybody disputes that. but i consider it to be quite luxurious and at those high resolutions you need to pay a lot extra for the necessary power. Personally I'd rather pay 1200$ to play everything on ultra at 1920x1200 then pay 2000$ to play at 5760x1200..

Click to expand...

Dont need much power nor cost with good planning.
I got 3x120hz 1680x1050 screens.
sure there are better but for what I got them for its a good deal.
Runs good with one card (7970) since 5040x1050 isnt as demanding as 5760 level.
I waited until 7970 dropped in price and got it at absically half the cost as it was the first few months of release.

Good planning and patience.

Vega said:

I'd wager 99% of people that "hate" eyefinity either cannot afford a multi-monitor setup and the steep hardware requirements that go along with it, or they simple haven't tried it, especially on a good setup. I've never had anyone over who wasn't blown away by my 5x1 120 Hz portrait setup that has less than 1/4" bezel gaps.

Click to expand...

Vega,
I haven't had the time to read through the massive thread of yours. Very well done Sir!
I'm just wondering though, why do you choose portrait over landscape in BF3?
Wouldn't landscape give you more view?
Can you do 5 displays in landscape? I haven't seen that done competently yet.

Your debezel job is amazing.

Since this is a "catch all" eyefinity thread:

1) Is 120mhz worth it in eyefinity? I've read that it's nigh impossible to run 3 screens at a high rez with 120mhz going at the same time.

2) Has anyone done 3D with eyefinity? Is it gimmicky?

3) What specs do you recommend, on average, to run an eyefinity setup? I currently have a single 6970 2GB. Do I need to upgrade?