Eyefinity or One Big display?

BIGGRIMTIM

Gawd
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Messages
943
I currently have an Eyefinity setup with 3 Dell U2410 displays. I am starting to tire of the configuration hassles. Should I sell the setup and get a nice size HDTV? I find that I am not playing certain games because they do not support Eyefinity. Thoughts please.
 
Depends if you can live with not buying 3 30" 2560x1600 monitors shortly after you buy the first one :p

Since resolution, detail, and sheer panel space (in that order), are what sold Eyefinity to me (initially, I eventually went U2711 after a few other panels :p)
 
I am not looking at getting a 30" panel. I am looking at getting a 40" or 42" HDTV. I only use this rig for gaming.
 
What I've learned from these forums is that a 40-42" HDTV would not be good for gaming. This is due to the fact that those are PVA or another type of Panel that introduces a higher amount of "lag". The pixel sizes will also be larger, and intended to be viewed at a greater distance.


Like you though, I'm looking to buy a 40"~ HDTV to plug into my computer for watching tv/movies. I'm also in the market for a 30" ISP Panel to game on.
 
What Eyefinity issues are you having? The games just don't support a high enough resolution? I ask because I've heard there's two settings, one where the computer thinks you have 3 monitors of x resolution and one where the computer thinks you have one monitor of 3x resolution, which would be used for gaming. If it's just the wrong setting, might be a lickity-split quick fix.

I have gamed on my 37" LCD TV and while it's enjoyable, you definitely get more ghosting and the colors are ludicrously pathetic compared to my 2407wfp. Plus, the large screens have the same resolution as your "small" 24 inchers do or maybe a smidge less, so text will appear a little blocky and you'll want to use anti-aliasing on full blast to desperately try to get the edges smoothed out. Chances are, though, if a game won't support an Eyefinity resolution it won't support a 30" resolution either.
 
If eyeinfinity is anything like Nvidia Surround - then the configuration issues are the hassle - not the ability to run the resolutions. I run three 24" Asus monitors with Nvidia Surround and some games you have to switch to one monitor to play because of one reason or another - point is you find yourself going from single screen to three screen configurations and back and forth and the set up time with nvidia is bad, it takes forever for the software to get it right on which monitor is in what place.

So with that in mind - personally I wish I had gone with a single 30" with a 2560x1600 - Granted I love the width of 5980, but the 1080 height is a limitation for me as well as a single screen seems to work much better IMO.

So if you care for an Nvidia users vote - go with the 30"
 
I've been running Eyefinity for the past year and have found that one large 30" monitor is preferable for many games, as well as pretty much any other standard computer task. I'm personally switching to a 30". I think an Eyefinity setup would be better than a ~40"ish TV simply because there's way more detail and pixels.

All I can say is: you won't know until you try it out.
 
Personally:

3007WFP >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 3 x 2407WFP

It's simply not comparable.
 
Use both. use the 30" for games when you're tired of configuring, else use the 3x24.

I simply disable the 2 side screens for games that don't work well in eyefinity and play on the center 22.
 
Use both. use the 30" for games when you're tired of configuring, else use the 3x24.

I simply disable the 2 side screens for games that don't work well in eyefinity and play on the center 22.
I can't afford both and it pains me to have 2 displays just sitting there doing nothing.
 
Sell 2 of the 24's and get the 3007wfp. Keep 1 24" and turn it to portrait off to the side of your 3007 for web browesing. the 30" in landscape and 24" in portrait are a great blend. Eyefinty is a fad and get's tiresome. I have a 27" as my main screen now that I game on or watch a movie or tv show and my old Dell 2005 in portrait off to the side I use for web surfing. I tried eyefinity and it seemed my 3rd screen was never doing anything unless I was gaming.
 
Personally:

3007WFP >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 3 x 2407WFP

It's simply not comparable.

This I kind of disagree with. I used to run 5 1080p panels in portrait. For both games and work I found them more useful. More crisp as well. A 1920 pixel height is the sweet spot imho. I think I'm going to "Downgrade" from 7680x1600 to 6000x1920 in the coming months. I'll probably keep 1 30"r for movies in which is the only real benefit.

EDIT: That being said, I would rather have 3 1920x1200 va/ips panels over over 1 30"r

Sell 2 of the 24's and get the 3007wfp. Keep 1 24" and turn it to portrait off to the side of your 3007 for web browesing. the 30" in landscape and 24" in portrait are a great blend. Eyefinty is a fad and get's tiresome. I have a 27" as my main screen now that I game on or watch a movie or tv show and my old Dell 2005 in portrait off to the side I use for web surfing. I tried eyefinity and it seemed my 3rd screen was never doing anything unless I was gaming.

You say ti's a fad, but I personally know many people who have been running surround resolutions since the matrox cards were introduced (that could do it).
 
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Sell 2 of the 24's and get the 3007wfp. Keep 1 24" and turn it to portrait off to the side of your 3007 for web browesing. the 30" in landscape and 24" in portrait are a great blend. Eyefinty is a fad and get's tiresome. I have a 27" as my main screen now that I game on or watch a movie or tv show and my old Dell 2005 in portrait off to the side I use for web surfing. I tried eyefinity and it seemed my 3rd screen was never doing anything unless I was gaming.
Why a 3007wfp and not a newer display? Is that because of price?
 
I like the 27" 2560x1440 I have (with a smaller monitor in portrait mode on each side).. for everything, including gaming on the main monitor. But I might go with eyefinity next year too.
..
.. TV's should be totally ruled out for a main computer display imo, though I wouldn't mind have a refurb/open box 32" pva on the side for some good blacklevels and detail-in-blacks HD video playback. I can't justify that when I should really go to TV room/living room to watch HD movies though. I had a 37" westinghouse at my desk as my computer monitor for awhile several years ago. Huge screens seem like they would be great but after you use one awhile and become more mature about it you should realize that they are too big for right in front of you at a desk - due to the pixel pitch, the perimeter and especially the corners of the screen being pushed into your periphery (fine for racing games perhaps , but on desktop usage and games where you actually 'read' the outer edge and corners of the of the screen - annoying amount of darting eyes/gaze imo).. and the fact that tv's generally have scalers and processing that create a lot of input lag no matter what "mode" you put them in. Many also have trouble displaying text very well, though some can... I think they need "4x4x4" in order to display text properly.
...
... Eyefinity on the other hand uses the side monitors as peripheral by design .. for immersion while keeping all the critical game data on the main screen within a normal computer users gaze. All HUD, chat windows/game dialogs, notification interfaces, etc all stay within a reasonable viewing angle on the main central monitor.
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.. With eyefinity you can use hotkeys to swap your monitor setup from eyefinity gaming to triple monitor desktop in one step, so can switch to more desktop space when not in game. Anyone who works with graphics and photos/video and/or web authoring should appreciate three monitors.. you can most certainly utilize two with multiple toolboxes and multiple preview windows, histories, timelines, workspaces, scripting windows, etc.. even if you don't want to use the third for the main app, you can use it for web browser(s), file manager windows, music players, ftp/download apps, progress indicators for various processes, chat interfaces, volume mixer, RSS, or another application that ties in with your graphics work importing/exporting between the two. Some people like messing with VM's too. Even if some games need the gpu power more or don't work in eyefinity as well and you are using only the middle monitor, you can keep ventrilo/teamspeak open on another so you can see whoever is talking highlighted as well as managing chat rooms and servers, you can also keep a browser open and keep a music playback app open , or any of the other previously mentioned uses (among others).
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.. I'm not saying choose eyefinity over one monitor. A high rez 2560x 27" or 30" monitor (without a scaler) is great too (though many of the current gen have over-aggressive AG coatings). I'm just advising against anything much larger than 27" at a desk because of the size vs distance to eyeballs/viewing angle, the resolution, and because they are TV's. Personally I think anything 23" to 27" is the sweet spot at normal desk viewing distances, though I would prefer at least a dual monitor setup. A few inches larger or smaller are ok too if the distance is changed (20"-22", or 30") I'm typing this from my 23" samsung 1080p screen fed from my 17" 1080p laptop in dual monitor mode, using a wireless keyboard and a mouse. Its pretty nice for a secondary setup in my front hall. :)
 
I'm just advising against anything much larger than 27" at a desk because of the size vs distance to eyeballs/viewing angle, the resolution, and because they are TV's. Personally I think anything 23" to 27" is the sweet spot at normal desk viewing distances, though I would prefer at least a dual monitor setup.

How far do you sit from your screen out of curiosity? I have found that the PPI of a 27" at 2560x1440 is too high for me at the distance I sit, while a 30" at 2560x1600 is perfect. The distance between my eyeballs and the screen is approximately 3 feet.
 
I have it on a nice ergotron mx arm I got off amazon so I could move it a little closer or further if I really wanted to, but it would wreck the PLP arrangement vs the side monitors until I moved it back to its regular position. I do have very acute eyesight so normal viewing distances work well with it.. Three feet is prob good for 30" - a lot of people view their monitors at 2' to 2.5'. (I think my 27" is around 2.5' from my eyeballs currently) .. -- you have to factor in screen size, pixel density and viewing angle vs distance though. When I had a 37" 1080p I eventually moved it back around 4' on a pillar microwave stand before I sold it. The 27" quad HD monitors due out in the next year (or two) would prob be too tiny at default font sizes being 3840x2160 unless you moved them up fairly close. You can't move things too close however or your viewing angle gets too steep to the perimeter imo. Luckily scaling isn't too bad on text for the most part.. I scale things all the time on my tablet (browsers mostly) and they look very clean. I don't find myself having to scale anything on the 27" though.
 
Why a 3007wfp and not a newer display? Is that because of price?

Because it's virtually the same panel with half the price tag.

I also can't stand the new design.

3007WFP-HC is the absolute perfect monitor. Until there's a higher resolution/higher refresh rate, it's my best.
 
Because it's virtually the same panel with half the price tag.

I also can't stand the new design.

3007WFP-HC is the absolute perfect monitor. Until there's a higher resolution/higher refresh rate, it's my best.

Do you know any non-second hand reputable dealers where you can buy one new? Or only used?
 
Do you know any non-second hand reputable dealers where you can buy one new? Or only used?

Unfortunately not. Dell was selling them Refurbished about two years ago (which is when I snatched mine), but that's the closest thing so far.

That said, the Refurbished quality was practically new.

And you can find them for UNDER 600$ on eBay used.

It's too good to miss. Better jump on it before they're all gone :)
 
What I've learned from these forums is that a 40-42" HDTV would not be good for gaming. This is due to the fact that those are PVA or another type of Panel that introduces a higher amount of "lag". The pixel sizes will also be larger, and intended to be viewed at a greater distance.


Like you though, I'm looking to buy a 40"~ HDTV to plug into my computer for watching tv/movies. I'm also in the market for a 30" ISP Panel to game on.

Not all HDTVs have tons of lag. Many do these days because of the ungodly amount of processing features they cram in. Check good reviews and you'll find which work for gaming and which don't. hdtvtest.co.uk has pretty good ones.

I have a 30" display + 40" HDTV setup at home and I much prefer watching movies and gaming on the HDTV. The lower resolution of the HDTV means games run better and that particular TV (several years old Sony KDL40V4000) has nonexistent input lag. I feel movies work better too because the resolution is closer to their actual resolution. It's terrible for desktop use though because you'd have to sit too close.

The 30" Dell 3008WFP A02 I have is great for anything done on the desktop and works just fine for gaming too since it has an excellent scaler (graphics card scalers = blurry shit in lower resolutions) because my graphics card can't run everything in 2560x1600.
 
Because it's virtually the same panel with half the price tag.

I also can't stand the new design.

3007WFP-HC is the absolute perfect monitor. Until there's a higher resolution/higher refresh rate, it's my best.

The HP ZR30W would be a good, more recently introduced panel where one can get a full warranty and buy new.

Low lag, decent response time.
 
I've always preferred a single monitor and single graphics card...too many hassles and issues with multi-anything (except multi-cores CPU's)...seems like a lot of people with Eyefinity etc love it in the beginning but after a few months they grow tired of it
 
What I've learned from these forums is that a 40-42" HDTV would not be good for gaming. This is due to the fact that those are PVA or another type of Panel that introduces a higher amount of "lag". The pixel sizes will also be larger, and intended to be viewed at a greater distance.


Like you though, I'm looking to buy a 40"~ HDTV to plug into my computer for watching tv/movies. I'm also in the market for a 30" ISP Panel to game on.
panels don't cause lag no matter the type/size
the electronics in hdtvs do
 
I've always preferred a single monitor and single graphics card...too many hassles and issues with multi-anything (except multi-cores CPU's)...seems like a lot of people with Eyefinity etc love it in the beginning but after a few months they grow tired of it
...Multiple monitor desktops (for the most part dual and triple monitor setups) have been around long before eyefinity and nvidia surround, can be run off a single card.. and they are and have always been awesome imo. Eyefinity and nvidia surround brought the side panels into the game by extending the game viewport as peripheral sides for immersion without taking the performance hit that windowed mode across the much wider resolution desktop space causes.
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I've used multiple monitors for many years. I love it for desktop space and application space..
..
.. more desktop space when not in game. Anyone who works with graphics and photos/video and/or web authoring should appreciate three monitors.. you can most certainly utilize two with multiple toolboxes and multiple preview windows, histories, timelines, workspaces, scripting windows, etc.. even if you don't want to use the third for the main app, you can use it for web browser(s), file manager windows, music players, ftp/download apps, progress indicators for various processes, chat interfaces, volume mixer, RSS, or another application that ties in with your graphics work importing/exporting between the two. Some people like messing with VM's too. Even if some games need the gpu power more or don't work in eyefinity as well and you are using only the middle monitor, you can keep ventrilo/teamspeak open on another so you can see whoever is talking highlighted as well as managing chat rooms and servers, you can also keep a browser open and keep a music playback app open , or any of the other previously mentioned uses (among others).
..
..
 
I have done every monitor configuration there is and my favorite is 3 U2410s in portrait mode...literally I have done EVERY configuration...see pics, lol

Current 3 U2410s in portrait
2011-02-10153526.jpg

2011-01-08092246.jpg

2010-11-24122332.jpg


Two 1080p projectors next to each other with three dell u2410s in landscape below
2010-10-02171012.jpg


Three 2007fps with the bezels stripped to the bone:
0306201012723.jpg

0306201012722.jpg

0306201012710.jpg


A 20"+30"+20" PLP setup (loved it but no eyefinity or surround support for different sized monitors...STILL!!)
112220098264.jpg

112220098260.jpg

112220098259.jpg


And then of course there was my descent into madness using two 1080p projectors with edge blending technology on a gigantic 12' curved projector screen that I had to invent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWm9PtzWvko
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-LNm60np9U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul8f9zOF8XQ

I've always preferred a single monitor and single graphics card...too many hassles and issues with multi-anything (except multi-cores CPU's)...seems like a lot of people with Eyefinity etc love it in the beginning but after a few months they grow tired of it
And you know at the end of the day, I get the most gaming enjoyment out of one 1080p projector hooked up to my xbox playing halo reach or my ps3 playin Uncharted...go figure!
 
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Funny, but day before yesterday I was bored, so I added a spare 20" monitor for 3x1600x1200 Surround gaming.

It is great. No doubt about that. But after about 12 hours of gaming, something was wrong...I could not quite put the finger on it. then I realized...

I NEEDED my 2560x1600 monitor back.

So I did, and there was this Ahhhhhhh feeling.

While Surround gaming definately gives you an advantage, from now on, unless it is 3x2560x1600, I dont think I will go back.

BTW, I have been a multimon monitor fan since my beginnings about 4 years ago, and been using SoftTH from 20+30+20 gaming when possible.

That is actually a great setup unfortunately neither Surround nor Eyefinity suppost that.

So for me 20"+30"+20" > 30" > 3x20" > 47" > 20".

I have never tried projectors, so I cannot tell.

Good luck in your decision.
 
I like PLP setups but I don't use the side panels for gaming. Not only does eyefinity and nvidia surround not work with PLP (though some games can be sized across all three in desktop mode with slight performance hit) ... but crossfire doesn't work in windowed mode. When I had a single gpu I would prefer to run games in windowed mode even if it gave a performance hit, so that I could easily move my mouse offscreen without alt-tabbing. Its still nice having the side monitors display stuff I pre-launched before I jumped into game though.. and alt-tabbing is just an inconvenience but works without actually minimizing the game usually so I can live with it.
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.. I don't get the most gaming fun out of consoles, but I do like rockband and ps3 move games on my ps3... a projector might be in my future for basement rec room for that. I like "playing" - 'TheFight:Lights out' on ps3 but its really an exercise game with 1:1 motion on arms when calibrated properly.. I sweat my ass off playing it. It's like sprinting with your arms. I sometimes add weighted ufc gloves and wrist weights too , but I can't do that for too many rounds lol. Bocce, mini golf, and sports games are also a lot of fun. Arcade games, racing games, and 3rd person adventures are good. Rock band has awesome master tracks as always for some kind of simon/tertris hybrid with great surround sound tunes. Lots of fun stuff.. but pc gaming is still the best by for fps and rpg/mmos. Console interfaces and gamepad controllers are just like training wheels or duplo/nerf playthings by comparison. The whole turn speed , targeting and aiming perversion (coding) in console games to suit the controllers is a joke, the interfaces tend to be jumbo, the rez is usually sub 720p, and forget a mature rpg/mmo it would be like rendering mechanical drafting in a coloring book with those giant crayons lol.
..
.. Anyway very cool pics of your setups, they are much appreciated. I love seeing stuff like that.
 
I like PLP setups but I don't use the side panels for gaming. Not only does eyefinity and nvidia surround not work with PLP (though some games can be sized across all three in desktop mode with slight performance hit) ... but crossfire doesn't work in windowed mode. When I had a single gpu I would prefer to run games in windowed mode even if it gave a performance hit, so that I could easily move my mouse offscreen without alt-tabbing. Its still nice having the side monitors display stuff I pre-launched before I jumped into game though.. and alt-tabbing is just an inconvenience but works without actually minimizing the game usually so I can live with it.

You didn't have issues with in-game cursors going off the edge of your windowed games? I tried to run a few games in windowed mode, but I found it was more annoying having my cursor "leave" the game in the middle of action than alt-tabbing out of a game had been in full screen mode. Maybe there's some option I missed to prevent this?

On the eyefinity vs. single topic...
I've currently got a couple 24" 16:10's and I'm debating getting a third for eyefinity or trying to sell my 24's and go with a 30". My 24's aren't matched currently so I'm leaning towards the 30", but I like to have a web page or video (or both) in my second monitor atm, and I think I'd miss having a second screen if I went with the 30". I've been playing a lot of X3:TC since I picked it up in the steam summer sale and it basically requires I have external information available (if you've played it, you know what I mean). I'd probably have to get another display even if I did go with a 30"...and then there's the price issue.
 
..I never found my cursor click-falling off the edge so to speak a problem really after I trained myself where the limits of the screen were. I didn't use anything to keep the mouse in the game screen. Now that I have dual gpu its not an option anyway.
...
You could put any other screen rez as a side monitor to your 30" (if you bought one) as long as its not for eyefinity or nvidia surround gaming - for looking stuff up on web-browsers, keeping pictures of game maps and encounter walkthrough data/vids handy, .. character builds, and other misc game reference materials. So you could keep one of your 24" ones for that (in landscape or portrait mode) if you wanted to. They don't really have to match heights or resolutions, people just tend to go for that look because it has a cleaner external look, so that the mouse and windows move across the screens with a linear/uniform desktop space, and so the text and other element sizes stay the same size to your eye. Nothing stopping you from keeping them different though.. you'd still gain plenty of extra room on the side(s).
....
.... I don't think your 24" 1920x1200 would be bad next to a 30" 2560x1600 or a 27" 2560x1440. Centered it would be 200 pixels short on top and bottom , or 120 short on top and bottom , respectively. Thats only like 11 or 3 lines of vertically spaced text short top/bottom at 12px font I'm guessing.
..
... Either way it doesn't seem like a huge adjustment dragging things between them if it were centered landscape across two or three monitors, and you could always use the top edge snap in win7 to plant it fullscreen on the sides... and there is always the portrait mode option for long web pages and file manager windows, scipting/coding, toolboxes, etc. You could always pair it with another monitor of closer resolution later on (availability of 1600x1200 might come into question though if you wanted x1600 high PLP setup with a 30").
..
..
... Alternately... picking up another 24" so you would have three 24" 1920x1200 for eyefinity gaming is more than adequate resolution for gaming or extra desktop space while gaming on the central monitor too imo, and you'd be able to play games in eyefinity for the peripheral immersion effect. It would also be a cheaper route I think even vs you selling your 24incher's.
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..
 
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I have done every monitor configuration there is and my favorite is 3 U2410s in portrait mode...literally I have done EVERY configuration...see pics, lol

I have an U2410 and was planning on selling it for a HP ZR30W. You've made the decision a bit more difficult, thanks very much. :p
 
.
.. I don't mind having narrower side monitors in portrait mode.. currently my side panels are x900 wide 19" screens to match the x1440 height of my main monitor and they are wide enough for some nice long file manager windows, most web pages, status bars/progress bars, download managers, chat apps, music apps, volume mixer, etc., as well as providing some good extra desktop/workspace and tool-bar real-estate for full screen adobe and other apps across all three panels. I haven't tried it so I can't say from experience, but I just know I wouldn't like middle screen being narrow in 3x portrait mode at x1200.. even if I had three 30" in PPP with 1600 wide, I feel the game content and my perspective vs the bars would be too narrow on the middle screen. The closest I'd rather have is centered portrait "ears" longer on each side of a landscape monitor | |==| | though it wouldn't work for eyefinity/surround gaming. But thats just my own personal taste vs the bar's orientation to my viewing perspective. Besides that - eyefinity gaming is designed to keep the side monitors in your periphery for immersion like an imax curved screen sortof. You aren't supposed to be sitting back so far that you have the side monitors in your direct gaze. PPP wouldn't really work for that unless you had your nose against the screen on the middle monitor with the side panels angled toward your ears.
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What kind of games do you play. If its mostly non-fps
you can't go wrong with the panasonic P42ST30, an excellent 42" plasma.

I still use it for fps, however the 19-26ms input lag (considered to be among lowest in HDTV) is noticeable if i really try to notice it, otherwise i still enjoy TF2, BF BC2 etc.
Hands down its amazing for driving games MMO's etc. Gotta watch out for image retention though. I got some already being stupid, it fades
with A LOT of time though.
 
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2 projectors + 3 monitors
:eek::eek::eek:
holy monitor overload

if i had the money, i'd do 3 monitors in portrait.
 
I'm actually at the other end of the pool with this issue.

I've been gaming with a 40" samsung led c6500 for about two years now. I sit, maybe 3 feet from the tv. At 1080, the image clarity is absolutely fantastic, I cant see any pixels. I also don't notice any input lag. Now, that doesn't mean it's not there, it's just imperceptible to me. My gaming consist of bf3 and other twitch fps shooters.

I've recently realized that I really dont need a tv and I'm wondering if switching to some ultra thin bezel 27-30" monitors in eyefinity will improve my gaming experience in a substantial manner.
 
I have done every monitor configuration there is and my favorite is 3 U2410s in portrait mode...literally I have done EVERY configuration...see pics, lol

Current 3 U2410s in portrait
2011-02-10153526.jpg

2011-01-08092246.jpg

2010-11-24122332.jpg


Two 1080p projectors next to each other with three dell u2410s in landscape below
2010-10-02171012.jpg


Three 2007fps with the bezels stripped to the bone:
0306201012723.jpg

0306201012722.jpg

0306201012710.jpg


A 20"+30"+20" PLP setup (loved it but no eyefinity or surround support for different sized monitors...STILL!!)
112220098264.jpg

112220098260.jpg

112220098259.jpg


And then of course there was my descent into madness using two 1080p projectors with edge blending technology on a gigantic 12' curved projector screen that I had to invent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWm9PtzWvko
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-LNm60np9U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul8f9zOF8XQ


And you know at the end of the day, I get the most gaming enjoyment out of one 1080p projector hooked up to my xbox playing halo reach or my ps3 playin Uncharted...go figure!

That 12' screen is just epicly awesome. Very well done sir.
 
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