Crazy multi-monitor setup

[comicsansms]

This is a "because I can" project, and not because it is a good idea.

The idea came up because I bought a Lenovo Thinkvision L192 for $5 on Friday and I thought it would be a cool idea to have a 6 monitor setup using my R9 280 and GTX 760.

This is not going to be a final version of this project, the finished product will not be fancy and well polished and it will be disassembled when I am done with it.

I have been working on this since early Friday and now it is very early Sunday Morning.

 

System Specs:

• FX 6300
• ASRock 970 Pro3 R2.0
• 12GB 1600MHz CL11 DDR3
• Antec Earthwatts EA380
• Cougar RS-650W (Do not buy this garbage)
• 500GB 850EVO
• 4 GPUs.

The GPUs used include:

• Sapphire R9 280 Dual-X (displaying out of DP and DVI-D)
• MSI GTX 760 Gaming (Displaying out of DP, DVI-D, DVI-A, HDMI)
• ASUS Neon 8400 GT with an ATi cooler (Displaying out of S-Video)
• Diamond Stealth 64 (S3 Vision 868) (Currently not available)

The monitors used include:

• Samsung SycMaster 730B (Running off DVI-D)
• Benq FP71g+ (Running off VGA)
• Samsung SyncMaster 940a (Running off DVI-D)
• Soniq L42V11A (Running off HDMI)
• Lenovo Thinkvision L192 (Currently not used)
• Palsonic TFTV1520D (Running off S-Video)
• HP L1950 (Running off DVI-D)
• HP W2027a (Running off DVI-D)
• Chimei CMV221D (Currently not used)

Planned Upgrades:

• DMS59 to dual VGA adapter for the 8400 GT
• PCI GPU with DMS59 (I don't know what it is, but there is a couple spare ones at work) plus DMS59 to dual VGA adapter
• Better PSU (EVGA G2 750W)
• 12+ Displays instead of my measly 7

Problems I have experienced so far

• Back before this version of the project started, I wanted to slap a X300SE or X600Pro into my desktop so I could have 3 or 4 screens, but the drivers clashed with my R9 280
• Nvidia drivers clashing, overall mostly fixed but I have bluescreened and have had the system crash a couple of time and multiple driver crashes.
• Only 2 displays outputting on the 280, I thought I could get 3 with 2 different pictures, but it doesn't work, I thought I had that working ages ago.
• S3 Vision 868 not liking any OS newer than XP, I expected I could get it displaying in black and white (since I have used it on Win10 before and it was only in black and white), but it doesn't like the other GPUs, that said it will be replaced.
• Dual PSUs

 

Pictures of the Beast (Not saying it is fast, it is not that fast):

 

Initial idea

Spoiler

Some early versions of the project (9550 was not going to in it, so ignore it's photobomb)

Spoiler

Amazing crashes and bluescreens

Spoiler

It's mostly done (latest pictures of it)

Spoiler

Screenshots

Spoiler

 

 

[MadG4mer]

Only thing that I found terrible was that thing in the last hardware pic. What is that?

[comicsansms]

1 hour ago, MadG4mer said:

Only thing that I found terrible was that thing in the last hardware pic. What is that?

That is a switch smashed into the green and a black pin of the 20+4pin ATX connector. It is used since that PSU is only powering one GPU and not a motherboard, that just makes the PSU think there is a computer plugged into it which is on.

 

[MadG4mer]

44 minutes ago, Comic_Sans_MS said:

That is a switch smashed into the green and a black pin of the 20+4pin ATX connector. It is used since that PSU is only powering one GPU and not a motherboard, that just makes the PSU think there is a computer plugged into it which is on.

 

Oh cool, it just looks little like fire hazard if it was powering anything expensive.

[Tech_Dreamer]

Remember those fun house mirrors that show varying sizes of the same things as you go from left to right , kinda reminded me of that. #ResolutionMatters

[comicsansms]

19 hours ago, MadG4mer said:

Oh cool, it just looks little like fire hazard if it was powering anything expensive.

It is powering a R9 280 which is worth about $150AUD used, but the PSU is good, I refer it to as the "Seasonic" since it is made by Seasonic, the other PSU is referred to as "The fire in a metal box" which is self explainitory. 

 

15 hours ago, Tech_Dreamer said:

Remember those fun house mirrors that show varying sizes of the same things as you go from left to right , kinda reminded me of that. #ResolutionMatters

Are you talking about the curved mirrors that make people look skinny or fat depending on your height? 

 

 

Update:

Moved all of the monitors other than the Soniq TV into my room, the lounge room isn't my study quite yet. 

 

New monitors have been added to the mix. 

• HP LP1965
• ASUS MW221
• A projector maybe added to the list later on, subscribe to and you will see it too. 

 

I am also going to work tomorrow, fingers crossed I can aquire some Dsm59 abandonware. 

 

 

Edit 1.

Just ran power cables to each monitor, I have used 11 of my 13 C13 power cables, I need more. 

 

Edit 2.

Just found 4 C13 power cables, hopefully 6 spare will be enough. 

[comicsansms]

Small update. My GPUs and PSUs are now screwed together using some old PCIe Slot covers. Also PSU cables have been tidied up a bit (including the 24pin) 

Spoiler

 

 

[malon]

even though i think this is a silly project, i do appreciate it with all my heart.

All of the screenestate 

[comicsansms]

The GPU and adaptors have been aquire. 

The GPU is a Quadro NVS280

 

Spoiler

 

[TheCamba]

This is an exciting post to read through.  Always fun to have a crazy project.

[DanielWGK]

I'm gonna leave this here for inspiration.

[Necromonger]

Looks like a fire hazard to me. A hot CPU plus hot GPUs x4!!!!

 

I hope you live in Antarctica.

[comicsansms]

2 hours ago, Necromonger said:

Looks like a fire hazard to me. A hot CPU plus hot GPUs x4!!!!

 

I hope you live in Antarctica.

*A GPU from 1996 and a low very low power GPU from 2007. The other 2 GPUs are nice, but older gaming cards (R9 280 and GTX 760).

The FX 6300 isn't that hot and it is in a completely open 'test bench' (Shoe rack). 

 

Also you have to remember these GPUs and CPU are not running much, if it is running unigine heaven, the R9 280 280 does all the work, the other 3 GPUs are displaying only. 

 

No, it isn't that hot running though I haven't checked the temps. 

[comicsansms]

9 hours ago, DanielWGK said:

I'm gonna leave this here for inspiration.

Yes. 

[comicsansms]

Update.

The NVS 280 doesn't have any slightly new drivers for it. The latest drivers are from 2008 and the newest OS it supports is XP, it isn't going to work.

http://www.nvidia.com/download/driverResults.aspx/6760/en-us

 

The DMS 59 to VGA Adapters do work, but the 8400 GT only supports 2 displays at a time so the S-Video is off.

 

The R9 280 still only supports 2 screens, I'll have ti live. That said it is acting very strangely, the fans are at 100% an it feels unresponsive. I'll run some tests, if it is dead hopefully I get a RX 480 in exchange, if it is fine, good. RMAs are probably not fun and the card is only 1.25years old.

 

The GTX 760 is still a beast, it is powering 4 screens. (The picture I'll show only shows 3 because I wasn't able to plug in a VGA cable to the last screen.)

 

Off means it is not plugged in

XXXX (off) means the GPU isn't working as of now but it is plugged in

XXXX (off Max) means the GPU is a its max display limit and cannot show on more screens.

 

 

 

Edit:

I think the 280 was overheating since the 8400GT was blowing hot air onto the R9 280 and the NVS 280 was blocking the airflow.

I also think chrome was running off the 8400 GT when I expected it to be running on the R9 280.

It is fine, it is a bit audible, but fine. 

[The Benjamins]

I have been wanting to do a 4+ projector setup for shit and giggles but I can't find cheap descent resolution projectors.

[alphastrata]

pcmasterrace < monitormasterrace

[comicsansms]

3 hours ago, alphastrata said:

pcmasterrace < monitormasterrace

PCMR is not my priority at all, so much that PCMR got auto corrected to PCjr.

 

I like the concept of buy what you want/need and upgrade when you want/need more, but the community is cancer and very ignorent/close minded and there is no one to back you up when you are defending something that is correct, I haven't been on there in months and I am not planning to go back. 

[comicsansms]

12 hours ago, The Benjamins said:

I have been wanting to do a 4+ projector setup for shit and giggles but I can't find cheap descent resolution projectors.

My projector is SVGA and it's inputs are S-video and VGA, it will probably be added to this project. 

[The Benjamins]

1 hour ago, Comic_Sans_MS said:

My projector is SVGA and it's inputs are S-video and VGA, it will probably be added to this project. 

I was looking for digital inputs, it would make it a lot easier. 

[comicsansms]

3 minutes ago, The Benjamins said:

I was looking for digital inputs, it would make it a lot easier. 

I am too cheap to buy stuff. I might be able to borrow another projector, but that isn't a promise.