Eyefinity question/rant

[polonyc2]

Do you stare at the wall next to or the bezels on your single screen? Most people get used to the fact that their single screen has bezels and that there is a wall surrounding that bezel

that's not the same at all...you can't compare a single screen bezel versus multiple monitor bezels...completely different...with a single screen the images are projected into a single viewable area...bezels do not detract at all from the experience...with multiple monitors you are looking at 3 separate areas projected as a single screen so the bezels do get in the way, especially when gaming

you made some good comments and posts up until that statement...hopefully that was just a misstep on your part

 

[Finkus]

that's not the same at all...you can't compare a single screen bezel versus multiple monitor bezels...completely different...with a single screen the images are projected into a single viewable area...bezels do not detract at all from the experience...with multiple monitors you are looking at 3 separate areas projected as a single screen so the bezels do get in the way, especially when gaming

you made some good comments and posts up until that statement...hopefully that was just a misstep on your part

He was right though. You're advocating painting the side door windows of your car black because you can't stand the posts breaking up the view. You're only saying this because you haven't experienced life with side windows. Once you do, you'll realise how ridiculous it sounds to only want a windscreen.

 

[Unknown-One]

If I may quote myself on the subject...

A couple back bars off to the sides are better than having no peripheral vision at all.

This is a matter of aspect ratio. With a single 16:10 monitor, no matter how large, you only see this much:

If you add monitors to either side, you increase the width of your aspect ratio, and increase your field of vision:

It's like taking blinders off. Boosts the immersion factor far more than just making a larger single screen.

Now, if you can find a seamless 48:10 monitor, I'm all for it, but so far such display systems are extremely expensive compared to just buying three normal panels.

 

[polonyc2]

If I may quote myself on the subject...

it actually looks more like this...

 

[oldpablo]

Whether or not you stare at the bezel is your choice.

 

[Kinesis]

Whether or not you stare at the bezel is your choice.

I'm fairly certain,the majority do so,from screen shots only.

 

[Tamlin_WSGF]

that's not the same at all...you can't compare a single screen bezel versus multiple monitor bezels...completely different...with a single screen the images are projected into a single viewable area...bezels do not detract at all from the experience...with multiple monitors you are looking at 3 separate areas projected as a single screen so the bezels do get in the way, especially when gaming

you made some good comments and posts up until that statement...hopefully that was just a misstep on your part

No, its not a misstep on my part. On single screen bezels, the brain filter out the bezel and the walls around the bezel (and all the other junk people have on their desks next to their screen). Same goes with bezel on TH setups.

You see, the gameplay happens on the center screen, just as always. The side screens are there adding to the immersion of it. Here's a picture from the upcoming Nvidia surround to show it even with large bezels:

On a single screen, you can use the same picture as the center screen and add walls instead of scenery. Surround gamers wants scenery, not walls. Adding peripherial vision to gaming makes it even easier to "dive into the game" and shut out the walls and real world.

I'm fairly certain,the majority do so,from screen shots only.

Thats true. At least many stare at the bezels when they only see screenshots. Experiencing gaming infront of 3 screens puts things much more into perspective. When gaming, bezels fade away and you are caught up in the immersion of surround gaming instead.

 

[Kinesis]

Thats true. At least many stare at the bezels when they only see screenshots. Experiencing gaming infront of 3 screens puts things much more into perspective. When gaming, bezels fade away and you are caught up in the immersion of surround gaming instead.

And to be honest I did too,when I used to see screenshots of matrox triplehead2go users
on widescreengamingforum

The proof of the pudding is in the eating they say
I think this(bezel)issue and the eyefinity wonky-ness with all the DP related issues are the two biggest detriments to people looking in from the "outside"

One(issue) i know is unsubstantial,the other,I'm unfamiliar with(eyefinity)
Hopefully both issues will fade with time

 

[don_xvi]

it actually looks more like this...

Funny, at first I didn't notice what you'd done there...
I should have my Eyefinity set up within a month, of course.

 

[Finkus]

Which is more immersive then?

This?

or this?

If you're still thinking it's the non-Eyefinity one then I shall refer you to your own post a few pages back where you talk about being in denial.

 

[oldpablo]

To make it easier on you bezel haters you can just pretend you are wearing a helmet and are looking through face grill!

 

[revenant]

To make it easier on you bezel haters you can just pretend you are wearing a helmet and are looking through face grill!

I like the driving in a car analogy the best..

 

[AlvinMaker]

To make it easier on you bezel haters you can just pretend you are wearing a helmet and are looking through face grill!

Classic

 

[polonyc2]

On a single screen, you can use the same picture as the center screen and add walls instead of scenery. Surround gamers wants scenery, not walls. Adding peripherial vision to gaming makes it even easier to "dive into the game" and shut out the walls and real world.

Thats true. At least many stare at the bezels when they only see screenshots. Experiencing gaming infront of 3 screens puts things much more into perspective. When gaming, bezels fade away and you are caught up in the immersion of surround gaming instead.

your argument about single screen bezels is flawed to say the least...you keep saying that single monitor users are using the side walls as their peripheral vision??...so you're saying that the human eye does not have the capability to focus on a singular object in front of it?...if this was the case then no one would be able to function in the real world as our attention would constantly be diverted by peripheral objects...when you put 2 more objects in front of a person your brain is telling your eyes to shift its focus

if bezels don't matter then why are Samsung and other leading LCD manufacturer's rolling out bezel-free Eyefinity monitor's for?...why are bezel and screen gap issues the source of the most frustration for multiple monitor users according to the Center for Human-Computer Interaction?...how come a movie theatre screen is 1 giant screen instead of 3 or more screens separated by bezels?

bezels introduce particular problems when game elements stray across them...a perfect illustration was provided by the flight simulator that ATI used to demonstrate its 6 monitor Eyefinity setup..the six-monitor setup, in which the speedometer and altimeter, in the middle of the display, ended up splitting across two screens, leaving them basically illegible...what about as objects moving at regular speeds suddenly leap forward by an inch or more as they pass from screen to screen?...that certainly doesn’t help the player to track opponents with the precision required to target/overtake/frag them in Modern Warfare 2 or similar types of games

freeze the video below at the 49 second mark...see how the gray cockpit outline is not aligned properly between screens

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHHxY8l00io&feature=player_embedded

Which is more immersive then?

of course Eyefinity is more immersive...that's not the issue...yes when looking at screenshots or videos of Eyefinity setups the WOW factor is definitely there initially...but once that cool factor wears off and you start to use it for an extended period of time its shortcomings become more evident

the immersion factor you keep referring to could/should be so much better if bezel management was improved...the fact that Eyefinity is considered a high end or luxury item only amplifies this issue...the cost of ownership being so high people deserve to get the very best experience out of it...unless people don't care about long term value and will go out and purchase 3 more new monitors once the bezel free designs start being produced

 

[Derangel]

of course Eyefinity is more immersive...that's not the issue...yes when looking at screenshots or videos of Eyefinity setups the WOW factor is definitely there initially...but once that cool factor wears off and you start to use it for an extended period of time its shortcomings become more evident

the immersion factor you keep referring to could/should be so much better if bezel management was improved

They're working on bezel management.

 

[oldpablo]

Blah blah blah you guys are too dumb to realize your gaming sucks.

 

[Uberbob102000]

Well, I have to say I messed with it at a friends and I loved it. It made playing games way more immersive.
About the bezels: It was annoying at first but after about 15 minutes I didn't even notice them at all anymore.
EDIT: I feel like this thread is polonyc2 vs. everyone else.

 

[Tamlin_WSGF]

your argument about single screen bezels is flawed to say the least...you keep saying that single monitor users are using the side walls as their peripheral vision??...so you're saying that the human eye does not have the capability to focus on a singular object in front of it?...if this was the case then no one would be able to function in the real world as our attention would constantly be diverted by peripheral objects...when you put 2 more objects in front of a person your brain is telling your eyes to shift its focus

Where did it go from having walls as peripheral vision to focusing on a singular object in front of it (central vision)? Do you have any idea about vision?

Central vision filters out objects and also can zoom into objects. Peripheral vision is about environmental awareness. This is why 3 screens are ideal vs. one screen. With one screen, you have "tunnel vision", where you only view through the central vision, while with 3 screens, you add peripheral vision to the sides. Your brain filters out the bezels.

Central vision on center screen is constantly shifting focus regardless if you have one or 3 screens.

if bezels don't matter then why are Samsung and other leading LCD manufacturer's rolling out bezel-free Eyefinity monitor's for?...why are bezel and screen gap issues the source of the most frustration for multiple monitor users according to the Center for Human-Computer Interaction?...how come a movie theatre screen is 1 giant screen instead of 3 or more screens separated by bezels?

Why do you keep telling that bezels doesn't matter? I told you early in the discussion that I am going for the Samsung MD230 due to the thin bezels. Its to what extent bezels matter. People are trying to tell you that bezels matters less then having a single screen. The benefits of 3 screens clearly outweighs single screen setup for us.

bezels introduce particular problems when game elements stray across them...a perfect illustration was provided by the flight simulator that ATI used to demonstrate its 6 monitor Eyefinity setup..the six-monitor setup, in which the speedometer and altimeter, in the middle of the display, ended up splitting across two screens, leaving them basically illegible...what about as objects moving at regular speeds suddenly leap forward by an inch or more as they pass from screen to screen?...that certainly doesn’t help the player to track opponents with the precision required to target/overtake/frag them in Modern Warfare 2 or similar types of games

Are you over to 6-screens setups now? Normal setup consists of 3 screens. Some flight simulators benefit largely with several screens though, provided that the simulator have support for this in-game. Again, nobody prefers bezels over no bezels. But people who buy triplehead setups (3 screens), prefer 3 screens over one screen.

Edit: Just to specify it: People prefer 3 screens with 3X game content vs. one screen with 1X game content. A single screen giving the same effect/content as 3 screens would be preferable.

of course Eyefinity is more immersive...that's not the issue...yes when looking at screenshots or videos of Eyefinity setups the WOW factor is definitely there initially...but once that cool factor wears off and you start to use it for an extended period of time its shortcomings become more evident

This is what people are telling you. Its more immersive. And thats the whole point of getting 3 screens. Those who have used it over an extended period of time, still love it and find it more immersive. I can't remember reading about a single person going back from 3 screens to single screen because they found single screen gaming better. Considering my background, odds should dictate that I would have if people actually preferred single screen gaming after using triple.

the immersion factor you keep referring to could/should be so much better if bezel management was improved...the fact that Eyefinity is considered a high end or luxury item only amplifies this issue...the cost of ownership being so high people deserve to get the very best experience out of it...unless people don't care about long term value and will go out and purchase 3 more new monitors once the bezel free designs start being produced

I agree. There are lot of things that can be improved. Bezel management exist both in TH2G and softTH (can be used with Eyefinity btw, but with a performance penalty). Soon its coming on Eyefinity and Nvidia surround also advertise bezel management. I wish to see more ingame support (native support) for it and more finished setups like Samsung Eyefinity.

PLED and OLED are technologies that might bring us bezel-less screens. But that doesn't mean we should wait. Already now I find 3 screens better then one and I see no reason to wait. PLED and OLED are way superior to IPS, but that didn't prevent you from buying a screen now, did it?

People love their multi-monitor setups, if they use TN's, PVA's, IPS's, TH2G, softTH etc. You don't find it attractive? Fair enough. I don't think anyone minds if you are getting Eyefinity or not. Just learn to accept the fact that others find it attractive and respect their point of view, especially when you are starting a whole thread asking for their point of view.

 

[polonyc2]

This is what people are telling you. Its more immersive. And thats the whole point of getting 3 screens. Those who have used it over an extended period of time, still love it and find it more immersive. I can't remember reading about a single person going back from 3 screens to single screen because they found single screen gaming better. Considering my background, odds should dictate that I would have if people actually preferred single screen gaming after using triple

Bottom Line: and this is the question that I posed in Post #1 of this thread...would slapping together 3 of the cheapest monitors I could find and grouping them into an Eyefinity setup be better then having 1 high end 24" or larger LCD?...since most of the people in this thread keep going on about the 'immersion' aspect of having 3 monitors then it should stand to reason that the answer to my question would be yes...but I want to hear you say "Yes"...you'll get the immersion/peripheral vision factor with any 3 monitors regardless of quality or brand name, so tell me that this would be an upgrade

immersion in and of itself is great but is the cost/performance aspect of having this immersion in its current state (Eyefinity 1.0) worth it?

I'll finish this off with an analogy...I live in New York City...there is an area in downtown Manhattan where they sell counterfeit or 'knock-off' merchandise...this area is always very busy and bustling with potential buyers of said merchandise...you can get fake Gucci, Coach etc...now the thing is the people that buy these knock offs, they realize that the items they are buying are not the real thing BUT they buy it anyway because they don't care that's it's not real...they feel that it looks the same, performs about the same, costs less and most importantly other people will not be able to tell the difference from the fakes to the genuine products

current Eyefinity users are the same...they know their product is not Gucci but they don't care as long as it works, costs less, looks the same and people will not notice its flaws...I'm trying to tell people that you don't have to buy the knock-offs...you can get the real thing...slapping together 3 crap LCD's is not what Eyefinity was intended to be...sort of like buying an ATI 5970 card and playing all your games at 800 x 600 resolution

EDIT: I feel like this thread is polonyc2 vs. everyone else.

quite a few people in this thread agreed with me but they got drowned out

 

[R3MF]

um...I think the person that posted a few posts before you said it...so my facts are not wrong...take emotion out of the equation...further back in this thread another person wrote that TN panels are "good enough"...another fact

please don't selectively quote me, because the context of your argument is that people are wasting their money by getting TN eyefinity setups, and opinion i absolutely disagree with.

 

[don_xvi]

Bottom Line: and this is the question that I posed in Post #1 of this thread...would slapping together 3 of the cheapest monitors I could find and grouping them into an Eyefinity setup be better then having 1 high end 24" or larger LCD?...since most of the people in this thread keep going on about the 'immersion' aspect of having 3 monitors then it should stand to reason that the answer to my question would be yes...but I want to hear you say "Yes"...
...
current Eyefinity users are the same...they know their product is not Gucci but they don't care as long as it works, costs less, looks the same and people will not notice its flaws...I'm trying to tell people that you don't have to buy the knock-offs...you can get the real thing...slapping together 3 crap LCD's is not what Eyefinity was intended to be...almost like buying an ATI 5970 card and playing all your games at 800 x 600 resolution

I'm voting YES YES YES to the tune of about $1000 in monitors and video cards shortly.
It would be awesome to have something even more immersive, like triple projectors, but that's more than I'm willing to spend. I also just ordered some AmbX lights to add more spirit to the room when I'm playing. I'm pretty confident this will be more INTENSE for me playing Battlefield than having a great monitor that captures the colors better when I'm busy running & flying for my life.
And I'll be using my new peripheral vision to see if there's a tank coming at me from the side.

 

[Tudz]

I'm not really sure what you're trying to get at. If its a toss up between $1200 for a single good monitor and a video card or $1200 for 3 good but not awesome monitors and a slightly better video card to power them, I'd probably go for the 3 monitors.

Then you may argue if you are going for the best why not go or 3x awesome monitors... well der... 3x awesome monitors is really friggin expensive and out of the PC budget for the vast majority of people (its like triple SLI of the highest end video cars you can get, sure its nice, but its far from essential and very few people would consider the price reasonable to be wasting on a PC).

I've seen racing sims and flight sims played on 3x monitors and it makes me jealous. Makes me want to give up on my current 24" out and buy a 5850 and a cheap 20" monitor so I can run my old 22" in the middle, my old 20" on one side and a new 20" on the other side. It'll be a downgrade in image quality, but damn its some nice scenery to watch while I play my flight and racing sims

Also, you have to remember that a lot of people dont give a damn between a cheap monitor and an expensive one. Its only when you start sifting through the displays forum you learn more about monitors and become picky. Most people wouldn't see enough of a difference between a high end monitor and a low end one.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

Bottom Line: and this is the question that I posed in Post #1 of this thread...would slapping together 3 of the cheapest monitors I could find and grouping them into an Eyefinity setup be better then having 1 high end 24" or larger LCD?...since most of the people in this thread keep going on about the 'immersion' aspect of having 3 monitors then it should stand to reason that the answer to my question would be yes...but I want to hear you say "Yes"...you'll get the immersion/peripheral vision factor with any 3 monitors regardless of quality or brand name, so tell me that this would be an upgrade

You'll get the "effect" of eyefinity with almost any monitor, which is to increase the horizontal FOV and allow you to see more around you.

But if you spend your money on shit TN monitors because you can't afford several high quality models then you're going to have bad image quality which is a seperate thing altogether.

I have a 30" S-IPS panel and seeing it next to TN panels really just puts them to shame, I would never go back to TN panels. So it depends what is more important to you, Image quality (proper vibrant colours, good blacks, good contrast and even colour/brightness) or immersion in games (a wider more natural field of view)

Im sure eyefinity is nice to use, but I'd personally never sacrafice image quality for it, thats a step backwards in my book. Then again most people run pretty naff TN panels to begin with so for them the choice is a bit easier since they probably dont know any better.

 

[polonyc2]

So it depends what is more important to you, Image quality (proper vibrant colours, good blacks, good contrast and even colour/brightness) or immersion in games (a wider more natural field of view)

Im sure eyefinity is nice to use, but I'd personally never sacrafice image quality for it, thats a step backwards in my book. Then again most people run pretty naff TN panels to begin with so for them the choice is a bit easier since they probably dont know any better.

absolutely correct on both counts...and I'm in the image quality over immersion camp myself...immersion is nice but it's not like it affects the core gameplay in any way which is happening in the center monitor 99.9% of the time...the immersion of seeing a wall, some more background trees etc is not something I consider critical

now if they made Eyefinity central to gameplay it might be a different story...but as it stands now I'll forego seeing a few extra buildings and walls and stick with deeper blacks, accurate colors and gameplay mechanics

EDIT: the one exception to this is in racing games where I can definitely see Eyefinity having an affect on gameplay

you hit the nail on the head as far as most people not knowing any better because they've never experienced what a really high end LCD looks like...even when I was using my Sony 21 " CRT most people had the same argument that their low quality CRT's or TN panels were better...it's something that's hard to explain to people

 

[don_xvi]

I'll forego seeing a few extra buildings and walls and stick with deeper blacks, accurate colors and gameplay mechanics

When I'm fragging away as fast as my fingers can run, I'm not stopping to admire the depth of the blackness or accuracy of the colors, I'm only concerned with "can I tell what color his uniform is?"
I'm not sure what "gameplay mechanics" are that are enhanced by a high quality display.

I'm looking at playing FPS games, this ain't no walk in the park. Maybe you're thinking of people that play games that move slower or somesuch. Different strokes for different folks. I'm competing against the people that turn off all of their visual effects already for framerate. Eyecandy is just a bonus. Seeing a tank coming at you from the side is life and death!


I don't know how I got sucked into this.

 

[Deadgye]

The entire TN vs IPS debate seems reminiscent of the SD vs HD debates. "Once you've tried it you won't want to go back; the old stuff will look like shit, etc." And while this is true, and I completely agree, there's a reason my household sadly does not yet have an HDTV. I'm only a college student so I currently can't even afford 3 monitors on top of the computer I'm building; but in the near future I hope to have an eyefinity setup. I will of course, be using 3 TN panels. If I manage to get myself a really good amount of money I will try to get one more TN panel and then an IPS panel for the center instead of 2 more TN panels. I doubt I'll ever have enough money to go for 3 IPS panels. It's superior, all of us will agree to it, but for most of us it's not superior enough to justify the price tag.

 

[Finkus]

of course Eyefinity is more immersive...that's not the issue..

Of course it is the issue. Nobody is arguing that a bezel free world isn't uptopia. People with experience are trying to explain to you that the bezels matter less in practice than they look like they would in a screenshot, as your attention is focused elsewhere when playing.

It also depends on the game you're playing. They are very noticeable in Dawn of War2 or Dragon Age, where the view is top-down isometric, with frequent pausing of the action to issue commands and survey the fight. They don't bother so much because you're looking top down at a dungeon which also has great big black gaps between the rooms anyway (walls!). But they are quite noticeable in that game.

Take a first person shooter and you will not notice them when you're playing. Dirt2 is the same deal, you won't even see them until it's time for the replay and then they suddenly pop out at you and break up the replay image.

Bezel free would be ideal, bezel management would be nice when it arrives but it will bring its own problems too (blind spots).

 

[Lateralus]

When I'm fragging away as fast as my fingers can run, I'm not stopping to admire the depth of the blackness or accuracy of the colors, I'm only concerned with "can I tell what color his uniform is?"
I'm not sure what "gameplay mechanics" are that are enhanced by a high quality display.

No, not during a fast paced fragfest but what about during slower games where part of the purpose is to admire the scenery? Also, unless you use your Eyefinity setup for gaming only, a high quality display will enhance your general day to day usage as well. I purchase IPS panels because I prefer the image quality and viewing angles over TN panels, and well...the only 30" monitors available happen to be IPS. I'm willing to spend the extra money; others are not and THAT'S OK. I'm not putting anyone down for their purchases; just stating what *I* prefer.

Of course it's not worth it to everyone; that's why you don't see me joining in trying to get everyone to dump their TN panels for something else. Heck my laptop has a TN panels and although I would prefer something else, I'm OK with it. But I hope this thread gets locked soon because it's not going *anywhere*. You guys aren't going to convince polonyc2 that TNs are suitable or that the bezels disappear, and he's not going to convince any Eyefinity owners that bezels ruin the experience and that only IPS panels are worth spending money on.

Both sides have some valid points but at this point the back-and-forth is getting a bit ridiculous, and not accomplishing anything.

 

[Nenu]

With respect to those that must have a top quality display, can you have a look at a Dell 2209Wb TN monitor.
I am seriously thinking of getting another 2 of these for Eyefinity (and I am about to get a HD projector for gaming) as it looks very good and you have to move a LOT to see any colour or brightness shift while gaming.
The colour shift is a completely mute point on this display if you arent sitting at a silly angle.
There are bound to be lots of other TNs that are equally good.
I'm wondering if TN doubters havent seen a decent TN.

 

[Breath_of_the_Dying]

Triple monitors are also useful for day to day activities too. When I develop software, I multi-task like crazy, code in 1 screen, output on another, and watching pron on the third!

 

[jamhamm]

quality doesnt have to be expensive - you just have to be smart...

im running 3 2007fp's in portrait / equivalent in size to a 40" tv and almost 6 million pixels to boot - they are standard gamut and s-ips panels

it is a wall of gaming bliss - 3600x1600 / colors are accurate, blacks are black, the aspect [vert and hor] are perfect for shooters which is what i play the most of...

and if i want to play a racing game i can flip them into landscape mode and its on like donkey kong!

all 3 of my displays cost about the same as 1 new 24" 'gaming' display - they are not cheap panels nor was there any sacrifice

in a year or two if amazing eyefinity displays show up ... im not out any significant money... and if not, this setup here will last and last...

that was the rationale behind my purchase / i spent less than $500 total and in return i have quality ips panels which have expanded my gaming space and work perfectly with eyefinity

win/win/win

 

[AlvinMaker]

Bottom Line: and this is the question that I posed in Post #1 of this thread...would slapping together 3 of the cheapest monitors I could find and grouping them into an Eyefinity setup be better then having 1 high end 24" or larger LCD?...since most of the people in this thread keep going on about the 'immersion' aspect of having 3 monitors then it should stand to reason that the answer to my question would be yes...but I want to hear you say "Yes"...you'll get the immersion/peripheral vision factor with any 3 monitors regardless of quality or brand name, so tell me that this would be an upgrade

immersion in and of itself is great but is the cost/performance aspect of having this immersion in its current state (Eyefinity 1.0) worth it?

I'll finish this off with an analogy...I live in New York City...there is an area in downtown Manhattan where they sell counterfeit or 'knock-off' merchandise...this area is always very busy and bustling with potential buyers of said merchandise...you can get fake Gucci, Coach etc...now the thing is the people that buy these knock offs, they realize that the items they are buying are not the real thing BUT they buy it anyway because they don't care that's it's not real...they feel that it looks the same, performs about the same, costs less and most importantly other people will not be able to tell the difference from the fakes to the genuine products

current Eyefinity users are the same...they know their product is not Gucci but they don't care as long as it works, costs less, looks the same and people will not notice its flaws...I'm trying to tell people that you don't have to buy the knock-offs...you can get the real thing...slapping together 3 crap LCD's is not what Eyefinity was intended to be...sort of like buying an ATI 5970 card and playing all your games at 800 x 600 resolution



quite a few people in this thread agreed with me but they got drowned out

I think there is some flaqwed logic, here...

Asking the question "would slapping together 3 of the cheapest monitors I could find and grouping them into an Eyefinity setup be better then having 1 high end 24" or larger LCD?..." - ther are some inherent issues with that arise-
First, since we are dealing with Eyefinity, we are talking about people that have a 5XXX series Radeon card, which is NOT the bottom of the barrell GPU- so by definition these people aren't looking for the "cheapest monitors they can find".
Second, the people who who don't want to drop 3K+ on 3 30" Dell 3008WFPs are using/considering 22-24" TNs- I think the problem is you have made the conclusion that all TNs are crap- I say that because I have seen Eyefinity on the Dell 2310hs, and it rocked in Landscape- Yes, I went IPS... but my IPS setup only cost 100.00 more than the TN setup.
Third- the "fake Gucci bag" analogy doesn't really apply here. I don't necessarily believe people are "less immersed" because they didn't spend over 1000.00 on their Eyefinity monitors. The logic that says we are all "in denial" is just ludicrous.
Fourth- Would I go back to a single 24" screen after using my "cheap/crap" 22" Eyefinity setup- ablsolutely not. (And yes, I have other options, including a 24" higer end LCD, a 40" LCD, and a 1080p projector.
NOw if YOU would prefer it- only you can answer that. If you don't want Eyefinity on anything less that the "big bucks" setup, wait it out. But please don't imply we are all gaming on inferior setups, just because we didn't go with something you deem "authentic".
Happy gaming.

 

[revenant]

When I'm fragging away as fast as my fingers can run, I'm not stopping to admire the depth of the blackness or accuracy of the colors, I'm only concerned with "can I tell what color his uniform is?"
I'm not sure what "gameplay mechanics" are that are enhanced by a high quality display.
[snip]

my thoughts also...

...and it's the same old song and dance.. went through it with SLI and other tech when it was new(ish).. there are always a few people, almost exclusively people who don't have it and have very little or no time on a system with it, but seem to have some very strong negative opinions on it.. maybe I should make it a point to see how much better IPS panels are though.. before I become too much of a hypocrite here

 

[Breath_of_the_Dying]

The Gucci bag is a horrible one sided analogy. This analogy implies IPS is better than TN in every aspect except price. I think everyone here agrees that TN's are generally faster while IPS gives better image quality + better viewing angles. Also, merchandise like purses are bought mostly for extrinsic purposes (looks, brand name, ect) and fake or not generally serve the same purpose. Monitors are bought mainly for improving personal experience, which is why Real estate vs Image quality is so subjective to which gives a better gameplay experience

A better analogy would be choosing between two houses (no furniture)

House #1 is fairly close to work is has 5 bedrooms (pretty spacious), and looks pretty decent.
House #B is a little further from work (noticeable but not unbearable), is only 3 bedrooms (less real estate), but is decked out with all those extra features that give houses pizaz (chandeliers, better flooring, better wall textures and paint, ect).

House B also cost more than House 1, which is the better choice?

The answer is neither, its all up to preference. Some people want to be closer to work and have more space, while others dont care about as much space but wants better looking stuff. No one is better or worse for choosing one over the other. I have issues claiming superiority for one over another.

If you've seen my posts it's pretty obvious I prefer triple TNs vs a single IPS, but I never claimed people are stupid for preferring the more expensive approach. PolyC is the exact opposite in thinking as me, and thats perfectly cool, but I have issues with how he's been speaking discussing to those who dont share his opinion in a derogatory manner.

Also his argument is extremely hypocritical, He claims non-IPS users just dont know any better because they've only been using TN, but then downplays eyefinity and the distraction of bezels without ever using it before.

Off topic: My 5870 comes in today for my 25.5" Monitors, anyone want to play Mad Moxxi's arena ?

 

[revenant]

Well said.. and on the whole bezel distraction thing.. I mean, if you get distracted while driving your car by the borders between your windshield and your passenger door windows, then maybe multi-monitor gaming is not for you.. but I think anyone who has ever driven a car and/or has spent a bit of time as a passenger in one can agree, you tune those out..

 

[Aristeidis]

Well here is something else for you to think guys instead of arguing ips vs TN
I have opened a topic as well on the dispays sub-forum but i haven;t received any answers so i thought to try my luck in this thread.
I recently bought a 5870 to pair with my u2410. I am thinking of buying two more monitors for an eyefinity setup but i can't afford to buy two more u2410. So i am thinking of buying two s2443bw (samsung). Do you think this configuration will work well, 2 tn panels pairing with an ips. There aren't many models to choose from since there aren;t many 24" monitors with 1920x1200 res.
I am also considering to sell my dell and get 3 x NEC EA231WMi but that's only if i don't come up with a proper 3 x 24" config.

Thanks in advance.

P.s Sorry for the use of bad English (if any)

 

[kllrnohj]

absolutely correct on both counts...and I'm in the image quality over immersion camp myself...immersion is nice but it's not like it affects the core gameplay in any way which is happening in the center monitor 99.9% of the time...the immersion of seeing a wall, some more background trees etc is not something I consider critical

now if they made Eyefinity central to gameplay it might be a different story...but as it stands now I'll forego seeing a few extra buildings and walls and stick with deeper blacks, accurate colors and gameplay mechanics

I wouldn't claim that IPS has better IQ than TN when discussing games. Does IPS have more accurate colors? Yup. Does that matter in games? Not in the least. It doesn't matter at all whether the color green on the grass is exactly accurate or a little off. That doesn't change the IQ of the scene as a whole.

Immersion, on the other hand, is extremely important to games. Immersion absolutely affects core gameplay.

 

[Lateralus]

I wouldn't claim that IPS has better IQ than TN when discussing games. Does IPS have more accurate colors? Yup. Does that matter in games? Not in the least. It doesn't matter at all whether the color green on the grass is exactly accurate or a little off. That doesn't change the IQ of the scene as a whole.

I agree. Once you start playing you're not as likely to take notice and say "Hey waitaminnit, that water is several shades lighter than what it should be!!"

Black levels are a different story though, as poor black levels are immediately noticeable. I think many people will be happy with TNs if that's what they choose to get, but one of the main concerns brought up earlier was that the poor vertical viewing angles of TNs might have a severe detrimental effect when in portrait mode. I believe that would only matter if you had all three monitors on the same plane, though. If you angle the peripheral monitors toward you, as most seem to be doing, it should be acceptable.

 

[oldpablo]

Bottom Line: and this is the question that I posed in Post #1 of this thread...would slapping together 3 of the cheapest monitors I could find and grouping them into an Eyefinity setup be better then having 1 high end 24" or larger LCD?

People keep saying yes but you just ignore them. You aren't interested in knowing the truth. Gaming is not staring at a wall, it's playing.

 

[AlvinMaker]

The Gucci bag is a horrible one sided analogy. This analogy implies IPS is better than TN in every aspect except price. I think everyone here agrees that TN's are generally faster while IPS gives better image quality + better viewing angles. Also, merchandise like purses are bought mostly for extrinsic purposes (looks, brand name, ect) and fake or not generally serve the same purpose. Monitors are bought mainly for improving personal experience, which is why Real estate vs Image quality is so subjective to which gives a better gameplay experience

A better analogy would be choosing between two houses (no furniture)

House #1 is fairly close to work is has 5 bedrooms (pretty spacious), and looks pretty decent.
House #B is a little further from work (noticeable but not unbearable), is only 3 bedrooms (less real estate), but is decked out with all those extra features that give houses pizaz (chandeliers, better flooring, better wall textures and paint, ect).

House B also cost more than House 1, which is the better choice?

The answer is neither, its all up to preference. Some people want to be closer to work and have more space, while others dont care about as much space but wants better looking stuff. No one is better or worse for choosing one over the other. I have issues claiming superiority for one over another.

If you've seen my posts it's pretty obvious I prefer triple TNs vs a single IPS, but I never claimed people are stupid for preferring the more expensive approach. PolyC is the exact opposite in thinking as me, and thats perfectly cool, but I have issues with how he's been speaking discussing to those who dont share his opinion in a derogatory manner.

Also his argument is extremely hypocritical, He claims non-IPS users just dont know any better because they've only been using TN, but then downplays eyefinity and the distraction of bezels without ever using it before.

Off topic: My 5870 comes in today for my 25.5" Monitors, anyone want to play Mad Moxxi's arena ?

Well said , sir. Well said.