2 monitors for Lightroom - understanding Z68 ??

E

expatCanuck

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May 21, 2009
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Greetings -

I've built a half-dozen or so systems over the years,
but I've never really grokked video. Still don't.

My current goal: a Sandy Bridge system that can (ultimately) support 2 monitors.
I don't game. Really. (A character flaw perhaps attributable to my upbringing.)
The PC's most taxing use will be Lightroom & photo editing.
I also record my tunes, so fewer fans is better.

I don't mind spending $100-$200 on a card or two -- but not if there's no benefit.
My reading to date suggests that high-end cards benefit one's gaming experience, but not photo editing. Is that correct?

1a) If I opt for a Z68 motherboard, do I even need a video card ...

1b) ... or perhaps, strictly speaking, I don't need it, but performance would suffer without it?

1c) in which case, is it preferable to get a P67-based motherboard?


2) If I need (or should get) a video card, is 512MB of RAM enough?
(Again, I don't game.)


3) For my purposes, any performance benefit to 128-bit over 64-bit
memory interface?


4a) For a (future) second monitor, could one use the Sandy Bridge/Z68 video
(assuming that I've correctly understood what I've read), and then add
a modest (< $100) card for a future additional monitor?

4b) or do I need to find a board that will accommodate 2 video cards
(or a card that will accommodate 2 monitors)?

Insight most welcome.

Thanks kindly,

- Richard
 
I'm not sure what Lightroom is optimized for (if anything) as far as GPU computing goes, but if it isn't GPU-intensive, just about any video card on the market in the last couple years will easily support two monitors. Definitely no need to run two cards.

I'm not certain whether or not the integrated video can output to two different monitors (assuming the board has something like DVI and HDMI out). I do believe you can use the integrated HD 2k/3k graphics as a secondary device to an add-in card, but there really isn't any point in doing so when the add-in card would handle two monitors to beginwith.

I guess the important items would be: Does Lightroom benefit from a particular or stronger GPU, and if not, can the integrated graphics run two separate monitors?

With that said, using the integrated graphics means you're using system RAM and bandwidth that might otherwise be helpful for Lightroom.

Bottom line.. if Lightroom doesn't care much about the GPU, go pick up a Radeon 4350/5450 with the right outputs for ~$40-50 and be done with it.
 
Lightroom appears to use CUDA for something, but I am not sure what exactly.

In any case, get a H67 or Z68 motherboard (latter for overclocking) and use the integrated outputs - watch out, you can't use HDMI to DVI for higher than 1920x1200, so better get something with DisplayPort - I recommend Intel DH67GD. You can always get an add-on graphics card later if you find out it would speed up some features you need.

You can't go wrong with DH67GD.
 
Is the Intel IGP support for dual monitors that good? Dunno, I can't help feel that a basic dedicated card like an HD5450 might be a better way to go.
 
samuelmorris said:
Is the Intel IGP support for dual monitors that good? Dunno, I can't help feel that a basic dedicated card like an HD5450 might be a better way to go.
Click to expand...

Sigh... dual monitor support has been around for A DAMN DECADE. What's so special about two monitors?
 
If I was in that situation, I would go for an ati 5770 or 6770 and (2) dell U2410's
ips panels at 1920x1200, 16:10 ratio
if you wanna go bigger, (2) 3007wfp's at 2560x1600, 16:10 ratio.

both the u2410 and 3007wfp are ips panels. you want an ips panel for light room as color accuracy is a lot better than the chepo TN panels and slightly better than pva panels.
if you havnt noticed, all the NEC pro grade and apple cinema monitors are ips panels.

you're also not gonna want a 1920x1080 panel for lightroom. it wont look right picture editing. no dslr takes native pictures in 16:9. 16:10 is closer to 4:3 aspect ratio, so thats your best bet.
 
there are plenty of motheboards that support dual monitor onboard, but not that many that support dual digital monitors. if you want 2 digital monitors you want to get a cheap card ($50)
also if you want to run monitors larger than 1900x1200 you need to run a graphics card that has 2 displayport OR DVI-D, (or 2 graphics cards)
i dont know about lightroom, but photoshop uses GPU acceleration for 3d models ONLY. if you work in 2D, than you dont need it.

in most cases onboard video will be disabled when you use a dedicated card, because it actually shares the bus with the fastest PCIe slot.
you dont need a motherboard dedicated to handling dual video cards since you wont be interested in sli/cfx.
any motherboard with the accommodating slots will handle 2 video card.
 
Last edited:
iconiK said:
Sigh... dual monitor support has been around for A DAMN DECADE. What's so special about two monitors?
Click to expand...

Procyon12 said:
there are plenty of motheboards that support dual monitor onboard, but not that many that support dual digital monitors.
Click to expand...
This is the sort of thing I'm talking about.
 
samuelmorris said:
This is the sort of thing I'm talking about.
Click to expand...

They all support dual digital today. This isn't 2003.

aznofazns said:
I would skip the Intel graphics and get a lower midrange card
Click to expand...

Why? No need to.

Intel HD Graphics supports two digital monitors, up to 1920x1200 on first-generation (Clarksdale/Arrandale), up to 2560x1600 on second generation (Sandy Bridge). Getting a discrete graphics card for the same of getting one is pointless.
 
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