Eyefinity Configuration Suggestions

FrgMstr · Sep 11, 2009

I would like to get you guys feedback on what you think would be some of the best panels for ATI Eyefinity configurations.

3x2 Landscape - 3x1Landscape - 3x1Portrait - 5x1 Portrait

Requirements would be DisplayPort, wide viewing angle, low cost / good value.

Sound off and please link panels if you can. We will likely be linking this information in future stories.

Snowdog · Sep 11, 2009

Do they all have to be Display port? or can you have two dvi and one DP?

I really think 3X1 landscape is the most sensible config so you have unobstructed central view. 3x2 is more for display walls, tech demos, stock traders.

Or central 30" Landscape (Dell 3008 with DP) with two Dell 2007FP (DVI) wings in Portrait mode, assuming 1DP + 2 DVI works.

magoo · Sep 11, 2009

I would think the sweet spot would be three 24" monitors.

In my case, i have a Dell 2407 that I've had for several years, with DVI.
AND.....I'm sure not giving it up.
So if I was going to do this, three 2407s horizontally,(landscape,correct??)

I have to see some data on gaming framerates at this resolution before I write the check, though.

Whoisthisreally · Sep 11, 2009

Quantity over quality is the destination, eh?

Even Slashdot had a story on this. No doubt as to whether AMD and the usual rubbish TN brands are in a festive mood after such a reception.

FrgMstr · Sep 11, 2009

Snowdog said:
Do they all have to be Display port? or can you have two dvi and one DP?

You will be able to do 3 DVI out of the box with an adapter for one DP out.

FrgMstr · Sep 11, 2009

I think if you are going to buy new panels at this time, it would be prudent to purchase panels with DP. They could have DVI as well though. But I think buying non-DP panels now would not be advisable.

Unknown-One · Sep 11, 2009

What's the reasoning behind that? I don't see any reason I would want DisplayPort on my three existing 22" screens instead of DVI...

I would think finding screens with thin bezels would be higher on the list than finding one with DisplayPort.

Omegas · Sep 11, 2009

so far High end I gotta go 22Px30wLx22P and Mid 19Px24wLx19P (or was it 20's instead of 19's?)

Frraksurred · Sep 12, 2009

Configuration suggestions? How about as many ginormous monitors as you can afford squeezed as tightly together as possible?

--

Ok, ok, seriously though, I'll be going for the three 30's (3x1) in landscape. Provides plenty of real estate for my applications, and having the horizontal bezel all the way across the middle of my FOV in the 3x2 configuration is more distracting to me then simply the two verticals.

I already have 3 Gateway XHD3000's, so I'll be using the adapters to go DisplayPort to DVI-D.

gigasmack · Sep 12, 2009

Frraksurred said:
Ok, ok, seriously though, I'll be going for the three 30's (3x1) in landscape. Provides plenty of real estate for my applications, and having the horizontal bezel all the way across the middle of my FOV in the 3x2 configuration is more distracting to me then simply the two verticals.

I already have 3 Gateway XHD3000's, so I'll be using the adapters to go DisplayPort to DVI-D.

I plan on doing the same thing with the 3 KDS 26" monitors that I have, basically DisplayPort to DVI. Doesn't seem cost effective to me to plunk down money for the card and three new DisplayPort enabled monitors. I'm just going to have to make it work on my current hardware.

Frraksurred · Sep 12, 2009

Unknown-One said:
What's the reasoning behind that?

I think all he is trying to say is he believes it is what card & monitor makers will be migrating too. So, for future proofing, if you are buying a new monitor you would be safer with it. That is all.

leSLIe · Sep 12, 2009

yep, bezels are the problem, they don't help with the immersion with an Eyefinity array

have you considered getting a curved monitor like this ?
http://blogs.zdnet.com/gadgetreviews/?p=4759

MirageMobile · Sep 12, 2009

I wonder if when OLED becomes more prominent, it will be able to have much thinner bezels than current LCDs.

evilsofa · Sep 12, 2009

What are the rules about bezels for LCD monitors anyway? Can there be such a thing as a bezel-free LCD? Can you take the panel out of a monitor and still run it? Is there a list of LCD monitors with the thinnest bezels?

Whoisthisreally · Sep 12, 2009

The panels themselves can have fairly wide edges. I'm looking at a photo of a W2220P's LM220WE4, and the panel unit edges are 1 centimeter wide.

obobski · Sep 13, 2009

anything with an equal # of monitors length/width will preserve aspect ratio, and anything with an odd # total will keep the central focus point (like the crosshair) on a single display, meaning solutions like 3x3, 5x5, 7x7, etc

if aspect ratio isn't something you care about preserving, 3x1 and 5x1 are also good options, because they keep the middle on one panel, although after a point, the display becomes uncomfortably wide

Askanison2 · Sep 13, 2009

A wall of 24displays would be easy on a single PC.with quad PCI-e x16 lanes.. used to need an array/cluster of PCs a year or 2 ago..

That is a potential of 98million pixels with (24 x 30" displays)...

some of the setups posted on WSG forum...
http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16780&start=0

obobski · Sep 13, 2009

Askanison2 said:
used to need and array/cluster of PCs a year or 2 ago..

no you didn't.

there isn't really consistent performance data for 24 displays, your link is talking about XPlane (which is heavily optimized to run like that), and who knows what the performance figures are like (I've seen the Rockwell demos which run at 200 FPS with full dynamic lighting and shadows and so on on an HD 2900XTX into 1-2 3007WFP's, and the same techniques as used in FO3 or Left 4 Dead on my 4870X2 grind the thing down to 60FPS)

all I can say is that waiting for legitimate data to be published is the best route, before assuming it'll actually drive 100MP

Askanison2 · Sep 13, 2009

obobski said:
no you didn't.
.......

I did not mean 3d gaming... but other Apps.. like google maps and such...

obobski · Sep 13, 2009

Askanison2 said:
I did not mean 3d gaming... but other Apps.. like google maps and such...

eh, thats been doable for a while, you just need however many videocards, like FireMV or whatever, and it'll drive 16 or 24 displays from a single box (I think with that Asus Supercomputer board, you could run 28 in theory), so unless they've reworked the hell out of Hydravision, and made it not suck, I'm not seeing much of an advantage on that front

think about it, you can get four outputs per card, and between four and six cards into a standard ATX board, thats between 16 and 24 displays, up to 2560x1600/2048x1536 a piece, granted it has basically no capacity for full on 3D accel, but the density is there, and theres no reason to use the extra juice for 5870's or similar (even if they are efficient, they suck down too much power if you're just running google maps or something else that would be cool on 24 displays)

honestly I'm thinking the functional limit for gaming on this thing is gonna be something like 9-12 monitors with games available at its release, and that number will decline quickly as games become more demanding

DanoruX · Sep 13, 2009

I will be using 3x1 for wiiiiiiiiiidescreen gaming, and I'll have the rest of my screens run separately. 3x2 for gaming just doesn't make sense, as there is a bezel in the center and lowers your aspect ratio. But for anyone who has more than 3 LCDs lying around, it could prove useful to display Skype/Vent/Teamspeak, RSS feeds, temps, stocks, etc on the 4th or more screen.

evilsofa · Sep 13, 2009

obobski said:
anything with an equal # of monitors length/width will preserve aspect ratio, and anything with an odd # total will keep the central focus point (like the crosshair) on a single display, meaning solutions like 3x3, 5x5, 7x7, etc

if aspect ratio isn't something you care about preserving, 3x1 and 5x1 are also good options, because they keep the middle on one panel, although after a point, the display becomes uncomfortably wide

You're assuming the monitors will be equal. Several HardOCP posters have been using a 2560x1600 monitor in the center, with two 1600x1200 monitors rotated so their 1600 pixel edges are against the 1600 pixel edges of the 2560x1600 monitor, creating a 4960x1600 31:10 display.

The only trouble with that setup is that TNs do not work well at all in vertical mode due to their limited viewing angles, and non-TN 1600x1200 gaming monitors are few and far between now; it's very possible the monitor industry will just quit making that resolution entirely. There's also no such thing as a monitor that is 1080 or 1050 wide, as far as I know, and it seems unlikely we'll be able to persuade the monitor industry to do that.

SpeedyVV · Sep 13, 2009

For price\performance gaming Dell 2007FP + Dell 3007WFP-HC + Dell 2007FP with DP to DVI thingy

For performance gaming Dell 2007FP + Dell 3008WFP + Dell 2007FP

If work is also done on the same rig I would do a 3x1 Display Group plus 1 Extended with 1080p Large LCD.

Example:

With let's say an inexpensive 47" monitor like the Westinghouse VM-47F140S

Yes those are my monitors, so I know what I am talking about ;-)

s1eepy · Sep 13, 2009

3x1 landscape 16:10 or 16:9 to cover as much of the human fov as possible with the least number of monitors/bezels as possible. TN since gaming is the concern... hopefully e-ips options in the future.
samsung 2x43bw's are old but pretty cheap with thinner bezels than most monitors. only dvi though no dp.
i'm excited to see what options we'll have by top of next year

cybereality · Sep 15, 2009

I am planning to run 3x1 landscape 5040x1050 with the Zalman Trimon 22" 3D monitor (ZM-M220W). I've already got one and its pretty friggin' sick with the stereo 3D, I can only imagine what it will look like in ultra-widescreen. I am not even sure if the 3D will run with multi-monitor on the Eyefinity, but I'm a gambling man! If this works its going to be sick!!!

Erasmus354 · Sep 15, 2009

Not really released yet but I think the new Samsung ultra thin bezel monitors have to be near the top of the list assuming they don't hold too large a price premium.

Gorankar · Sep 17, 2009

3x 1920x1080 projectors turned on their sides. 3240x1920 for 27:16 which very close to 16:10, only a tiny bit wider. (16.875:10 to be exact)

Provided you could get the projectors calibrated to be identical to one another color, brightness, and gamma wise, and you managed to get all three images perfectly lined up on the screen, you would have a very high resolution with no lines. It would be a pain it the ass to set up I'm guessing. Lower end 1920x1080 HT projectors can run over $1K easily. So it would not be cheap.

Does anyone know of an up scaling Bluray player?

callius · Sep 18, 2009

Good projectors are quite expensive though, but with no bezel would look awesome.

Im aiming for 1600*1200 - 1920*1200 - 1600*1200, for 5120*1200

Omegas · Sep 18, 2009

Hmmm, I like that idea of three projectors. Think cheap for the side ones though, just as long as you can get them close it will be Amazing! Cheap 4x3, Good 16x9, Cheap 4x3 would look awesome.

Omegas · Sep 18, 2009

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Optoma-DX606v.htm x 2 for your 4x3 sides

http://www.projectorcentral.com/Optoma-EP1691.htm x 1 for your center 16x9

Sweet little 3328x768 setup for under $2000

FrgMstr · Sep 18, 2009

vjcsmoke · Sep 18, 2009

I'd say 3x1. That gives you good peripherals and you don't have to deal with ugly bezel to bezel in the middle. 3x2 would be hard to get used to because of that exact reason.

10e · Sep 21, 2009

I think for a 3x1 (3-wide) config three 16:10 monitors would be best, or even 3x4:3 because you still want to get some extra height/resolution in there.

3 Dell 2209WAs are a very nice and inexpensive set up. Bezels aren't too wide, and viewing angles are great for an under $300 screen. Also dot pitch is close to a 24" 1920x1200 screen so it's not too small, even though they are all 22" monitors with 1680x1050 resolution. The only caveat being that they don't have DisplayPort, only DVI and VGA. These are also sRGB panels with low input lag, making them great for gamers, as well as the ability to rotate them to portrait (10:16) if required from the get-go with the stock stands. Otherwise 3x2007FPs would be good for a 4:3 3x1 setup.

I would never recommend a 4:3 monitor for a 3x2 config. Too much height.

Otherwise I think a 3x2 setup will be well served by either 6 x Dell U2410 or 6 x HP LP2475W, though that's close to $3.5 to 4k of monitors, but at least they both have Displayport and good viewing angles due to H-IPS panels. The 2408WFP would be an alternative but input lag and (maybe) impending end-of-lifing by Dell would be factor against it.

For a cheaper set up, 3x2 NEC EA231WMi screens would also be good, as you can counteract their slightly lower 1080 vertical resolution with the added "top row" of screens for a nice viewing experience. IMHO though 3x1 would probably be best, or possibly 3x1 with an extra screen on top of the middle screen in 3x1 possibly.

For exactly ZERO of these configs would I ever look at a glossy panel due to viewing angle induced reflections. Matte only IMHO.

Zorachus · Sep 21, 2009

SpeedyVV said:
For price\performance gaming Dell 2007FP + Dell 3007WFP-HC + Dell 2007FP with DP to DVI thingy

Thank you, I would like to know if that exact setup will work with "Eyefinity" ? I currently have the Apple 30" Display, and would like to just add two 20" monitors of 1600x1200res to each side of the 30" but flipped upright into portrait mode of 1200x1600res to line up with my Apple.

So can the 5870 handle a setup that is Portrait+Landscape+Portrait ?

10e · Sep 23, 2009

Zorachus said:
Thank you, I would like to know if that exact setup will work with "Eyefinity" ? I currently have the Apple 30" Display, and would like to just add two 20" monitors of 1600x1200res to each side of the 30" but flipped upright into portrait mode of 1200x1600res to line up with my Apple.

So can the 5870 handle a setup that is Portrait+Landscape+Portrait ?

That setup should work very well. You just have to use Catalyst control Centre to make sure that it knows what orientation the portrait screens are in. Otherwise the side monitors will be rotated 90 degrees, which, on second thought would be kind of funny.

Askanison2 · Sep 24, 2009

multiple cheap 1280x1024 (or 1024x768) projectors for 3840x1024 (done with TH2Go) or at side-ways 3072x1280 (exact 24:10 ratio of anamorphic wide-screen cinema/Panavision/CinemaScope)

gigasmack · Sep 24, 2009

Askanison2 said:
multiple cheap 1280x1024 (or 1024x768) projectors for 3840x1024 (done with TH2Go) or at side-ways 3072x1280 (exact 24:10 ratio of anamorphic wide-screen cinema/Panavision/CinemaScope)

That's interesting, I never thought of doing a Eyefinity setup like that. You would have a nice widescreen setup that would allow you to enable all the in-game eye candy without lag.

Askanison2 · Sep 29, 2009

Heads up.... 5870 can power 2 dvi input monitors only, additional monitors will require DP input.

For exp. 5870 Eyefinity six edition will require 4DP monitors and another 2 can be DVI/HDMI/DP for 6 displays. Having only 2 DP+ sockets (passing SL-DVI through DP port passively).

This would make Eyefinity adoption harder... (may require a powered DP to DVI converter to power legacy input displays)

switchg3ar · Sep 30, 2009

I've been looking around and there doesn't seem to be a stable solution for DP to dual link DVI adapter. What I have been reading is that these adapters have random periods of instability unless these issues have been fixed and I don't know about it. Does anyone have any experience with these adapters?

zainali · Oct 4, 2009

SpeedyVV said:
For price\performance gaming Dell 2007FP + Dell 3007WFP-HC + Dell 2007FP with DP to DVI thingy

For performance gaming Dell 2007FP + Dell 3008WFP + Dell 2007FP

If work is also done on the same rig I would do a 3x1 Display Group plus 1 Extended with 1080p Large LCD.

Example:

With let's say an inexpensive 47" monitor like the Westinghouse VM-47F140S

Yes those are my monitors, so I know what I am talking about ;-)

what mount are you using? i am thinking of going with the 3008wfp and 2x20's.

Eyefinity Configuration Suggestions

Just Plain Mean

[H]F Junkie

[H]F Junkie

[H]ard|Gawd

Just Plain Mean

Just Plain Mean

[H]F Junkie

[H]F Junkie

2[H]4U

Gawd

2[H]4U

Fisting is Too Mainstream for Me

Limp Gawd

[H]F Junkie

[H]ard|Gawd

2[H]4U

Weaksauce

2[H]4U

Weaksauce

2[H]4U

n00b

[H]F Junkie

Supreme [H]ardness

Limp Gawd

[H]F Junkie

[H]F Junkie

[H]F Junkie

n00b

[H]F Junkie

[H]F Junkie

Just Plain Mean

Supreme [H]ardness

2[H]4U

[H]F Junkie

2[H]4U

Weaksauce

Gawd

Weaksauce

Limp Gawd

Gawd