GPU for 3-screen setup

[thbrix]

Hi

 

I hope some of you, can give me some recommendations, on wich card to choose for my next upgrade.

 

I would like to be able to run with 3 screens in landscape mode. system is i7-2600K, 8gb ram, SSD...

 

After reading posts about this subject, it seems most people recommend Radeon for multiscreen, why is that? but if thats the case, would a 6970 be sufficient for 3-screens?

 

EDIT: Heard the a 6950 can be changed to a 6970 with software, is this recommended? Or is there still a reason to get the 6970?

 

Is it correct that with AMD you only need one card for 3-screen, and with Nvidia you need 2 in SLI? I was considering the GTX580, what are your opinions for that card?

 

Other than A-10 i would like to run FSX PMDG 737 smoothly, does that change anything with regards to hardware/GPU?

 

I know, lot of questions, but i would be greatfull for all your inputs, thanks.

Edited December 26, 2011 by thbrix

[Kuky]

I recommend you wait till HD7970 gets out and get that one. HD6970 is good now also but I am sure to run 3 large® size monitors you'll be better of getting faster card and that will be HD7970 if you want good performance (3 monitors = lot of pixels output required)

 

ATI cards are better for this because you need only 1 card while nVidia does need 2 as each of their card can run 2 monitors only. Also I don't know if SLI works in Windowed mode, for ATI CF it doesn't so reason more to stick with 1 single GPU video card instead of going 2 or dual GPU like HD6990 or GTX590 (these also use lot of power and get rather hot)

 

HD7970 will be in between, single GPU which is fair way faster then GTX580 and it should be able to run up to 4 monitors with its 4 outputs and you won't have any possible issues with CF/SLI doesn't work (or work well) in some titles

Edited December 26, 2011 by Kuky

[GregP]

Just rephrasing Kuky's answers and adding a little bit -- bottom line is, for multi-monitor setups, yes, Radeon card offer more flexibility:

 

- With GTX580, in 3D (and here I mean 3D gaming as distinct from 2D desktop work; I'm NOT talking about stereoscopic 3D gaming) you're limited to 2 outputs per card, and 3 total even with an SLI setup

- 6970 cards allow 4 outputs per card in 3D, but none on 2nd card if you do CF: so 4 total for CF

- neither CF or SLI will work in windowed mode

- a single 6970 is sufficient to run DCS on 3 monitors at 1920x1080 resolution each, at high graphics settings, and get average FPS ranges of about 15-30

- CF does not seem to work in DCS, regardless of whether you use fullscreen or windowed mode

 

For FSX, if you can run fullscreen, and CF would presumably be working, you'd get a substantial improvement in FPS with a 3-screen setup if you added a second 6970. In fact this would be true in every game other than DCS, which seems to just flat-out refuse to work with CF (the very few reports of it working also mention severe graphics anomalies that make it nearly useless).

[thbrix]

Ok thanks for your advises. I have now ordered the new system including a 6970, the system is prepared for CF, so i can by another 6970 if needed, AND DCS is going to support it, in the future.