thoughts on triple 24" 1080 monitors

[Trik'Stari]

So, I've just come into barely enough money to get 2 more 24" monitors, but I find myself having some second thoughts.

 

I only have the one Strix gtx 970. I wouldn't be able to afford a second one, as much as I wish I could. I'm not sure I'd be very happy with having to turn down the graphics settings, and having never played on triple monitors before, I've no way to judge whether or not it's worth it.

 

I usually play things like Dying Light, BF4, and I plan on playing Star Citizen and GTA 5 when that comes out.

 

So, if you had a system equal to mine (4690k watercooled, single gtx 970, no heat worries, 16gb of ram) and only $400 to get two more monitors, would you do it?

 

(gonna @ some people who I know have triple monitor setups. @RevoltTrain)

[LarsReviews]

@KamiKatze

 

Not with the 970 and the 3,5gb stuff.

[Timopomer]

another 970

 

:huh:

[Chasem121]

I have triple 21.5 inch 1080p monitors, and my single r9 290 is able to run Titanfall at 60 fps if I turn down anti aliasing while running it in eyefinity. You should be able to run the games fine imo

[Fulgrim]

If you have an R9 295 X2, yes. If not, then no.

[Trik'Stari]

 

another 970

 

:huh:

 

I don't see the point of a second one, when I currently only game on a single 1080p monitor.

[Ganz]

So, I've just come into barely enough money to get 2 more 24" monitors, but I find myself having some second thoughts.

 

I only have the one Strix gtx 970. I wouldn't be able to afford a second one, as much as I wish I could. I'm not sure I'd be very happy with having to turn down the graphics settings, and having never played on triple monitors before, I've no way to judge whether or not it's worth it.

 

I usually play things like Dying Light, BF4, and I plan on playing Star Citizen and GTA 5 when that comes out.

 

So, if you had a system equal to mine (4690k watercooled, single gtx 970, no heat worries, 16gb of ram) and only $400 to get two more monitors, would you do it?

 

(gonna @ some people who I know have triple monitor setups. @RevoltTrain)

I run 3 24" 1080 currently on 1 MSI 970 and plan on getting a second.  It works great.

[Arty]

unless you got a titan x

 

 

u may see some dips

 

 

your not playing on the other 2 screen correct?

just 1 of them

 

then yea it will work, but it would probbly be better to get a another card for Just those 2 if your not gaming, like a 750 or 960 or something, if not another 970

[luke_2bossly]

Absolutely its worth it

[Trik'Stari]

I run 3 24" 1080 currently on 1 MSI 970 and plan on getting a second.  It works great.

What kinda performance you get, on what kinda game, and what settings?

 

Just curious, it is a lot of money to me since I don't work.

 

unless you got a titan x

 

 

u may see some dips

 

 

your not playing on the other 2 screen correct?

just 1 of them

 

then yea it will work, but it would probbly be better to get a another card for Just those 2 if your not gaming, like a 750 or 960 or something, if not another 970

 

My current second monitor will be moving to my moms PC since it's bigger, and her current one is tiny.

[Timopomer]

I don't see the point of a second one, when I currently only game on a single 1080p monitor.

400fps hype

[Timopomer]

why not just buy 1 1440p monitor and have a better experience overall?

[Trik'Stari]

why not just buy 1 1440p monitor and have a better experience overall?

Because a larger monitor, is not equal to triple monitor gaming, in the type of games I play, you get more peripheral vision, instead of just a larger image.

[Ganz]

What kinda performance you get, on what kinda game, and what settings?

 

Just curious, it is a lot of money to me since I don't work.

Guild Wars 2 (not GPU intensive) I can run maxed minus character limit (cpu bound) 40-60fps

Elite Dangerous: Ultra 60fps

Borderlands 2: Maxed 60fps

 

 

My setup is fairly new so I haven't gotten a chance to test everything as I have been playing a lot of Elite recently

 

I wouldn't be surprised to be on high or mid-high on Star Citizen with 60fps

[Ganz]

why not just buy 1 1440p monitor and have a better experience overall?

Have you played a flight/space sim or racing?  The 'better' experience is on 5760x1080 vs 1440p.

[dmanschramm]

Given that your single graphics card is the GTX 970, triple surround wouldn't really be a great option in 1080p.

 

Why you might ask? I don't think the 3.5 GB stuff is the reason, but just the shear amount of pixels you will be pushing is a lot more than you might think.

Triple surround 1080p equates to a resolution of 5760x1080 which is around 6.2 megapixels.

4k resolution is about 8.3 megapixels.

Note that 1080p in your current setup is only about 2 megapixels

I suggest you take a look at benchmarks for the 970 in 4k resolution, and see what they look like, and what's required. I'm not exactly sure but medium settings will get you around 50 fps? (I'm not sure).

 

So if you're an ultra settings gamer and you love all them fps then no, surround on a single 970 isn't for you

But if you can cope with low to medium settings in such a high resolution, then no one's stopping you

 

I do recommend though purchasing another GTX 970 if you really want to make this upgrade. The VRAM shouldn't be a large issue, its just the fact that the GTX 970 is more of a single monitor card that can only be truly pushed to a single monitor at 1440p. I run bf4 on my 1440p monitor on ultra settings with AA maxed out and Ambient Occlusion and the thing looks absolutely amazing hovering around 60 fps in game.

 

But multiplying the pixel count by about 2 (because mine's 1440p) will reduce the fps by about one half of what I'm getting in your case. 

 

The surround gaming experience is truly unlike anything else.

The bottom line is that surround gaming really needs two GTX 970s to thrive, but if you want to scrape by, and you don't mind the lower fps or graphics, then you can get by without dropping an extra $400

 

Hope this helps

[dadasmithywinkle]

Not on a single card but maybe on two.

[Trik'Stari]

Given that your single graphics card is the GTX 970, triple surround wouldn't really be a great option in 1080p.

 

Why you might ask? I don't think the 3.5 GB stuff is the reason, but just the shear amount of pixels you will be pushing is a lot more than you might think.

Triple surround 1080p equates to a resolution of 5760x1080 which is around 6.2 megapixels.

4k resolution is about 8.3 megapixels.

Note that 1080p in your current setup is only about 2 megapixels

I suggest you take a look at benchmarks for the 970 in 4k resolution, and see what they look like, and what's required. I'm not exactly sure but medium settings will get you around 50 fps? (I'm not sure).

 

So if you're an ultra settings gamer and you love all them fps then no, surround on a single 970 isn't for you

But if you can cope with low to medium settings in such a high resolution, then no one's stopping you

 

I do recommend though purchasing another GTX 970 if you really want to make this upgrade. The VRAM shouldn't be a large issue, its just the fact that the GTX 970 is more of a single monitor card that can only be truly pushed to a single monitor at 1440p. I run bf4 on my 1440p monitor on ultra settings with AA maxed out and Ambient Occlusion and the thing looks absolutely amazing hovering around 60 fps in game.

 

But multiplying the pixel count by about 2 (because mine's 1440p) will reduce the fps by about one half of what I'm getting in your case. 

 

The surround gaming experience is truly unlike anything else.

The bottom line is that surround gaming really needs two GTX 970s to thrive, but if you want to scrape by, and you don't mind the lower fps or graphics, then you can get by without dropping an extra $400

 

Hope this helps

The thing that I am trying to think about, with a higher resolution, don't you get slightly better detail, even with lower settings? I guess it's really one of those things a person needs to see up close, in real life.

 

I just want triple monitors so bad, it looks like amazing good fun.

[RevoltTrain]

So, I've just come into barely enough money to get 2 more 24" monitors, but I find myself having some second thoughts.

 

I only have the one Strix gtx 970. I wouldn't be able to afford a second one, as much as I wish I could. I'm not sure I'd be very happy with having to turn down the graphics settings, and having never played on triple monitors before, I've no way to judge whether or not it's worth it.

 

I usually play things like Dying Light, BF4, and I plan on playing Star Citizen and GTA 5 when that comes out.

 

So, if you had a system equal to mine (4690k watercooled, single gtx 970, no heat worries, 16gb of ram) and only $400 to get two more monitors, would you do it?

 

(gonna @ some people who I know have triple monitor setups. @RevoltTrain)

You should be fine to add those other two panels, especially for GTA V considering the low specs required for it

[Trik'Stari]

You should be fine to add those other two panels, especially for GTA V considering the low specs required for it

That's what I'm hoping. Granted I'm going to wait for the next big newegg sale or something to get them. I'm also thinking about the added benefit of 3 monitors when I am doing school work (I like to have a lot of windows open sometimes).

 

If the monitors are relatively the same size, and run at 60hz max, how much of a difference does the response time make? I was considering getting 2 monitors slightly different than my Asus 2ms monitor, specifically one with display port, so that I can just plug and go, and not have to buy a DP to DVI adapter.

[dmanschramm]

The thing that I am trying to think about, with a higher resolution, don't you get slightly better detail, even with lower settings? I guess it's really one of those things a person needs to see up close, in real life.

 

I just want triple monitors so bad, it looks like amazing good fun.

 

I've always wanted triple monitors too.

 

But I think detail will be the same on the single monitor, considering per monitor you get the same amount of pixels as currently.

But you will have a wider FOV will means you can see more on the screen. The detail might be better because you will have a smaller FOV 'per monitor' thus having more pixels displaying certain objects, if you understand what I mean.

 

But there are cons to triple monitor setups too.

(though having waaay more pixels to push) required triple crossfire R9 290Xs with 8GB of VRAM (though its over double the resolution you're planning). Also, people talk about distortion in the outer monitors, which I think is normal for peripheral vision. This

 was more negative than I think it is in reality, but presents some cons about FPS's in triple monitors, including distortion, and that he found his overall performance in game was reduced by the experience. But, he found simulators were a great experience (Star Citizen) and MMOs were alright.

 

I speak for Battlefield 4 (I absolutely love the game) and know the scaling on it is good (despite what that JayZTwoCents vid says). Check out the other games on the widescreen gaming forum (link next paragraph) to see how they do scaling in widescreen. BF4 got a gold rating. Also, Nvidia's surround setup I believe is better than the eyefinity one by separating each monitor into its own unit, and then putting most of the UI for games on the centre screen for easy access (don't quote me on this, I'm pretty sure this is different from eyefinity, but again I'm not sure).

 

But in all, I really want to have a triple monitor setup, regardless of what others say. I think the surround gaming experience is so immersive (I've tried it a couple times) and it makes it feel all that more realistic. If you're serious into getting into triple monitor gaming be sure to check out the widescreen gaming forums and

for some really good information. 

 

I do think though that some $200 monitors might pose a problem. To take full advantage of the experience of widescreen gaming, you need frameless monitors, which will typically cost more than that. Also, with 4k coming into the picture so quickly, maybe waiting and then going all out with 1440p surround frameless monitors might be a better option. It'll be expensive, yes, but the experience may be all the more immersive.

 

And if you expect to work on it, then buying it now might be a good solution, if productivity with one screen is an issue (it usually isn't). Also, once you go widescreen, you can't go back hahaha

 

So to finish off another massive forum post, I don't think right now you should go for the setup. You only have $400 to spend and those monitors will only be much slower in game (because you won't be able to purchase another graphics card), and you'll have the borders to worry about (I assume the monitors aren't borderless because its only $200). And then you run into the problem of whether you should replace your old monitor, because it has borders too.

 

I recommend when you have the cash, go all out with the best possible setup that you want. Then you don't have to worry about getting something 'better' while dealing with something 'sorta-almost there' for some time. Also, prices for monitors will drop, and maybe in a couple years you can get borderless 1440p Gsync 144Hz monitors cheap... who knows? And by then, single GPUs the cost of a 970 will be able to single-handedly power an entire setup like that or like the one you're planning easily (maybe).

[Trik'Stari]

I've always wanted triple monitors too.

 

But I think detail will be the same on the single monitor, considering per monitor you get the same amount of pixels as currently.

But you will have a wider FOV will means you can see more on the screen. The detail might be better because you will have a smaller FOV 'per monitor' thus having more pixels displaying certain objects, if you understand what I mean.

 

But there are cons to triple monitor setups too. Linus's eyefinity setup (though having waaay more pixels to push) required triple crossfire R9 290Xs with 8GB of VRAM (though its over double the resolution you're planning). Also, people talk about distortion in the outer monitors, which I think is normal for peripheral vision. This JayZTwoCents triple surround video was more negative than I think it is in reality, but presents some cons about FPS's in triple monitors, including distortion, and that he found his overall performance in game was reduced by the experience. But, he found simulators were a great experience (Star Citizen) and MMOs were alright.

 

I speak for Battlefield 4 (I absolutely love the game) and know the scaling on it is good (despite what that JayZTwoCents vid says). Check out the other games on the widescreen gaming forum (link next paragraph) to see how they do scaling in widescreen. BF4 got a gold rating. Also, Nvidia's surround setup I believe is better than the eyefinity one by separating each monitor into its own unit, and then putting most of the UI for games on the centre screen for easy access (don't quote me on this, I'm pretty sure this is different from eyefinity, but again I'm not sure).

 

But in all, I really want to have a triple monitor setup, regardless of what others say. I think the surround gaming experience is so immersive (I've tried it a couple times) and it makes it feel all that more realistic. If you're serious into getting into triple monitor gaming be sure to check out the widescreen gaming forums and Linus' triple monitor stand video for some really good information. 

 

I do think though that some $200 monitors might pose a problem. To take full advantage of the experience of widescreen gaming, you need frameless monitors, which will typically cost more than that. Also, with 4k coming into the picture so quickly, maybe waiting and then going all out with 1440p surround frameless monitors might be a better option. It'll be expensive, yes, but the experience may be all the more immersive.

 

And if you expect to work on it, then buying it now might be a good solution, if productivity with one screen is an issue (it usually isn't). Also, once you go widescreen, you can't go back hahaha

 

So to finish off another massive forum post, I don't think right now you should go for the setup. You only have $400 to spend and those monitors will only be much slower in game (because you won't be able to purchase another graphics card), and you'll have the borders to worry about (I assume the monitors aren't borderless because its only $200). And then you run into the problem of whether you should replace your old monitor, because it has borders too.

 

I recommend when you have the cash, go all out with the best possible setup that you want. Then you don't have to worry about getting something 'better' while dealing with something 'sorta-almost there' for some time. Also, prices for monitors will drop, and maybe in a couple years you can get borderless 1440p Gsync 144Hz monitors cheap... who knows? And by then, single GPUs the cost of a 970 will be able to single-handedly power an entire setup like that or like the one you're planning easily (maybe).

That right there, is a great post.

 

I definitely want triple monitors. I tossed a coin, it came up in favor of triple monitors, but I think I am still going to wait a bit, if I do anything it will be in the summertime. I just see a lot of benefit from it besides gaming, especially with my school work, and my love of multi-tasking (for instance, watching videos on one, posting to the forums on another, and playing eve on a third).

[dmanschramm]

That right there, is a great post.

 

I definitely want triple monitors. I tossed a coin, it came up in favor of triple monitors, but I think I am still going to wait a bit, if I do anything it will be in the summertime. I just see a lot of benefit from it besides gaming, especially with my school work, and my love of multi-tasking (for instance, watching videos on one, posting to the forums on another, and playing eve on a third).

 

Glad to hear it helped hope you get those triple monitors eventually and when you do it will be awesome!

[Trik'Stari]

Glad to hear it helped hope you get those triple monitors eventually and when you do it will be awesome!

I expect so.

 

like.....90% of my brain is screaming "FUCK IT, JUST BUY IT, WOOOHOOO!" and I'm struggling to resist.

 

I'll admit, a HUGE portion of that, is that part of me that wants to get it set up, get my desk looking all clean and nice, and post a picture to facebook, to make my console playing friends jealous.