How would you do 5 Displays or more from a single PC
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Hi, I'm looking for ideas on having a single PC with 5 or more independant Display outputs, prefably able to run 3D/DirectX output on any of them. What hardware configurations should I be looking into? An Embedded solution would be nice, but any tips are welcome :) Thanks Stormblade.
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Hi, I'm looking for ideas on having a single PC with 5 or more independant Display outputs, prefably able to run 3D/DirectX output on any of them. What hardware configurations should I be looking into? An Embedded solution would be nice, but any tips are welcome :) Thanks Stormblade.
How hard is it to do a search? Assuming you want all of the displays to have the same capabilities, DFI makes a motherboard with three PCIx 16x slots. Then buy three identical dual-head (DVI) video cards. At that point, you have the ability to run SIX monitors. You're not going to find a motherboard with enough embedded circuitry to run five monitors (much less, two). Despite the fact that your laziness really pisses me off, here's a link for you: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136037[^] I'll leave it to you to pick a suitable video card.
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001 -
How hard is it to do a search? Assuming you want all of the displays to have the same capabilities, DFI makes a motherboard with three PCIx 16x slots. Then buy three identical dual-head (DVI) video cards. At that point, you have the ability to run SIX monitors. You're not going to find a motherboard with enough embedded circuitry to run five monitors (much less, two). Despite the fact that your laziness really pisses me off, here's a link for you: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136037[^] I'll leave it to you to pick a suitable video card.
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001I'm not sure who stuck a stick up your rear end today, but I hope the pain eases soon (or whatever it was that made you decide to reply so venomously to a fairly reasonable request for ideas). Yes the multiple PCIx slot option is out there, I was wondering if there were any other solutions. I know that at least one regular here works with building multiple display systems a lot, and had hoped he would have some advice. As for embedded solutions, there are a number of Embedded boards that support 2 independant displays, one of which we are already using.
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I'm not sure who stuck a stick up your rear end today, but I hope the pain eases soon (or whatever it was that made you decide to reply so venomously to a fairly reasonable request for ideas). Yes the multiple PCIx slot option is out there, I was wondering if there were any other solutions. I know that at least one regular here works with building multiple display systems a lot, and had hoped he would have some advice. As for embedded solutions, there are a number of Embedded boards that support 2 independant displays, one of which we are already using.
The problem is that so many people posting on here are lazy and just expect others to do the research for them. In future it'd be a good idea to indicate in your post that you have already done some research and the result of the research. THen indicate your asking for people personal experience and opinions to build o nthat.
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The problem is that so many people posting on here are lazy and just expect others to do the research for them. In future it'd be a good idea to indicate in your post that you have already done some research and the result of the research. THen indicate your asking for people personal experience and opinions to build o nthat.
Perhaps, doesn't excuse his attitude tho... It could put people off from coming to these forums... something I don't think the forum owners would want. As it happens I am aware that he is generally a miserable git, and attacks without cause on a regular basis, an attitude not really deserving of MVP status. Stormblade
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Hi, I'm looking for ideas on having a single PC with 5 or more independant Display outputs, prefably able to run 3D/DirectX output on any of them. What hardware configurations should I be looking into? An Embedded solution would be nice, but any tips are welcome :) Thanks Stormblade.
THere're cards out there that will let you use a Y cable to split a dual link DVI port(2560x1600) into two separate single link ports (1920x1200max) to run 4 monitors at once from a single card. They're quadro's not consumer oriented geforce models though. I've seen them from a few vendors of large multipanel display systems.
-- If you view money as inherently evil, I view it as my duty to assist in making you more virtuous.
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THere're cards out there that will let you use a Y cable to split a dual link DVI port(2560x1600) into two separate single link ports (1920x1200max) to run 4 monitors at once from a single card. They're quadro's not consumer oriented geforce models though. I've seen them from a few vendors of large multipanel display systems.
-- If you view money as inherently evil, I view it as my duty to assist in making you more virtuous.
I've heard of the Quadro's but didn't know thats what they did... I'll take a look at them, thanks.
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I've heard of the Quadro's but didn't know thats what they did... I'll take a look at them, thanks.
I don't think all of them do. IIRC it was only 1 or 2 specific models of the dozenish listed. In general the difference between a quadro and a geforce is that the former is optimized for image quality instead of high frame rates.
-- If you view money as inherently evil, I view it as my duty to assist in making you more virtuous.
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Perhaps, doesn't excuse his attitude tho... It could put people off from coming to these forums... something I don't think the forum owners would want. As it happens I am aware that he is generally a miserable git, and attacks without cause on a regular basis, an attitude not really deserving of MVP status. Stormblade
Storm-blade wrote:
Perhaps, doesn't excuse his attitude tho...
Waaaah! Stop whining... It sounds like you're making a pathetic attempt at justifying your own poor attitude.
Storm-blade wrote:
It could put people off from coming to these forums..
Not at all - it hasn't kept over 4.7 million people from joining. If you had actually done some research, you would already know that there's no such thing as a motherboard with three graphics chip sets built in, much less providing 6 dvi connectors), and anyone that hasn't been living under a rock for the last five years knows PCIx is probably the best way to go. Further, anyone (even you) can type a simple phrase like "three PCIx slots" into the google search field and click "go" (there are probably more motherboards available that provide 3 PCIx slots, but I stopped at the first one I found). Failing that, NewEgg is always a good place to start when looking for hardware.
Storm-blade wrote:
As it happens I am aware that he is generally a miserable git, and attacks without cause on a regular basis, an attitude not really deserving of MVP status.
That's not entirely true. These forums are rife with lazy assholes that would prefer to come in here and start asking stupid questions without doing any research on their own before hand. In your original post, you made absolutely no mention of the fact that you did any research at all before coming here. I thought were just another lazy asshole. If you had said, "I've looked around and couldn't find a suitable reference...", my answer would have been completely different. Instead, you came in and asked a question about information that was readily available via a google search. So maybe *your* holier-than-though attitude needs more adjustment than mine.
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001 -
THere're cards out there that will let you use a Y cable to split a dual link DVI port(2560x1600) into two separate single link ports (1920x1200max) to run 4 monitors at once from a single card. They're quadro's not consumer oriented geforce models though. I've seen them from a few vendors of large multipanel display systems.
-- If you view money as inherently evil, I view it as my duty to assist in making you more virtuous.
He said he wanted to do 3D/DX. If it were me, I'd look into using three 8600GS nVidia cards since they're fairly capable, reasonably inexpensive, and readily available. The Quadro is too expensive and won't really give him any more capability. Of course, my attitude sucks, so take the above for what it's worth.
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001
