new hardware alternative to Matrox TH2GO

[N242AM]

Sure sounds like an endorsement for a product that isn't available yet. I'll take another look at the product six months after its release.

Just curious, are all those TH2G cons you mention hardware or software related?

[BHawthorne]

The standard port-out version of the 5870 now available:


The 5870 standard 2 dvi, 1 dp, 1 hdmi port-out version hit shelves for purchase a midnight last night EST. They're going for $379 on Newegg and almost immediately sold out of stock. Everywhere I looked this morning are back-ordered now. Still no 6-port out version on the market yet (that I can find). I'm holding off until the 6-port out version is available, as that gives us the ultimate expansion ability for that series card.

The "Six" still isn't out yet:

[JBaymore]

The "Six" still isn't out yet:

This will add a whole new meaning to the phrase, "Watch your six."

best,

.....................john

[andarlite]

Having dealt with the compatibility issues with 3x1680x1050 for going on a year now, it can safely be said that it's a hack that doesn't work right for many people. TH2G Digital was never designed for it. It was added in after the fact and it shows that it is a hack, with how compatible it is with LCDs and video card drivers.

I'm just curious, but what kind of compatibility issues are there? I finally got my 3rd 22inch LCD the other day so I am now running 3x1680X1050. I'm using 3 different LCD's (2 different Samsung model and an I-Inc) with a eVga nVidea 8800GTX graphic card. Took a bit of doing to get it going since I finally tried the wizard before being allowed to select 3x1680x1050. Once I was able to select that mode, seems to be working fine....or did I just get lucky?

Regards,
Henry

[Airhogg]

Hey BHawthorne,
Would you expect that the performance of the 6 output Eyefinity be better than say dual TH2Go's running 6 monitors on the 2 heads of a GTX295? Reason makes me think that using additional heads versus expanded resolution per head (or whatever the TH2Go does) has to decrease performance. Granted the ease of use and price difference are justified for the Eyefinity, but only if performance is not compromised. I would be using 6 undocked fSX view windows either way for argument sake.

[BHawthorne]

Sure sounds like an endorsement for a product that isn't available yet. I'll take another look at the product six months after its release.

Just curious, are all those TH2G cons you mention hardware or software related?

As far as endorsement, from what research I've done on the tech so far, it looks to be one of the best mutli-display gaming options available. All of my interest in this is because I've used Th2G and SoftTH since both came out and have used pretty much every variation of surround-screen gaming possible. This is just another variation on that tech that has me interested in how it compares to what is already out there. No, I've not used EyeFinity first hand, but my plan is to once the 2GB 6-port version is available.

Most of those TH2G limitations are hardware related. The limitations spring from several separate issues though. A few are driver related compatibility issues too. The largest issue is that you're having to push the resolution though a single dual-dvi cable for the TH2G Digital. It hits the maximum bandwidth limit on the cable and is why the TH2G Digital can't do any higher resolution than 5040x1050 at 57hz. EyeFinity has no such limitations because every display gets it's own cable. Also, because EyeFinity is done on a driver level, things like portrait display rotation can be done unlike Th2G where the capabilities of the GXM boxes are very rigid and limited as far as the specific set of resolutions available that they'll work at.

A few people over at the Wide Screen Gaming Forums have already purchased their 5870, so there should be some gamer first impressions soon posted over on that forum. They're pretty much the #1 site for surround-screen gaming troubleshooting and new tech. I agree that unless you want to be the one bug squashing video card driver issues, that it would be a good idea to hold off a bit on this new tech. There is a lot of things that can be improved that they've not addressed yet. Things like Crossfire not working with it is a big minus. Then again, I prefer using the largest monolithic video card possible.

[litebkt]

I purchased three 1920X1200 monitors and an ATI 8500. I also purchased the active adaptor for the display port.

I have tried every configuration possible from three, down to two, and finally down to one monitor. Only on one monitor does FSX fly. The others must be unplugged.

X-Plane seems to handle the three monitor eyefinity configuration quite nicely.

Needless to say, I'm quite discouraged. I really wanted to use FSX because it is so extensible and I've purchased software explicitly to fly with FSX.

So, here I am out somewhere around $1500 and can't use this equipment for which I purchased it.

Can someone recommend a good Nvidia card(s)? I've got two slots and would like to run at least 4 monitors (the three big ones) and a smaller one (around 17" wide display) for the cockpit instruments.

Michelle

[Airhogg]

Hi Michelle,
Nvidia will soon release a new line of cards (GF100 series), but if you don't want to wait, I would go with the GTX295. It has plenty of power for FSX and the prices are now reasonable. I would also use a TH2Go digital with one of the outputs for your 3 main monitors and the other ouput for your 17". There's really no need to use both slots for SLI in that FSX doesn't utilize SLI and my experience is that the more cards you install, the worse the performance....(unless using it for SLI with apps that support it.)

I've used 3 cards and a single monitor for each output as well as 1 and 2 cards with dual TH2Go's and found that the fewer cards used to get the job done is the best route. Others may have had different experiences, but that's what I recommend.

[litebkt]

[QUOTE=Airhogg;99699]Hi Michelle,
Nvidia will soon release a new line of cards (GF100 series), but if you don't want to wait, I would go with the GTX295. It has plenty of power for FSX and the prices are now reasonable. I would also use a TH2Go digital with one of the outputs for your 3 main monitors and the other ouput for your 17". There's really no need to use both slots for SLI in that FSX doesn't utilize SLI and my experience is that the more cards you install, the worse the performance....(unless using it for SLI with apps that support it.)

QUOTE]

Thanks Airhog for the advice. Unfortunately, the Matrox unit will not run the large 1920x1200 pixel displays.... at least in the native resolution. I've been pricing hardware today on the GT 285's ugh! To run 4 monitors would cost me over $700i... and to run 5 (I'd like two glass cockpits) it would be another card.

I think that what I am going to do is to limp along for a while to see if ATI gets their drivers fixed. I still have to build my "flight desk" to hold all of this stuff and I'm still a total noob when it comes to actually flying the planes. I'm still stuck in the Piper Cub with any proficiency.

I do have an old DELL XPS that has an Nvidia 8600 in it. I'll see if it will run the 17" widescreen displays and then play the network interface games.... boy do I want to steer clear of that. It's not the networking that's problematic for me.... it's working with this mesh of drivers and software you have to pull from several sites that is scaring me.

Michelle

[twisted8]

I purchased three 1920X1200 monitors and an ATI 8500. I also purchased the active adaptor for the display port.

I have tried every configuration possible from three, down to two, and finally down to one monitor. Only on one monitor does FSX fly. The others must be unplugged.

X-Plane seems to handle the three monitor eyefinity configuration quite nicely.

Needless to say, I'm quite discouraged. I really wanted to use FSX because it is so extensible and I've purchased software explicitly to fly with FSX.

So, here I am out somewhere around $1500 and can't use this equipment for which I purchased it.

Can someone recommend a good Nvidia card(s)? I've got two slots and would like to run at least 4 monitors (the three big ones) and a smaller one (around 17" wide display) for the cockpit instruments.

Michelle

Can you tell us exactly what happens when you run the 3 monitors together? do you have them grouped in the ATI control panel? It sound like you might be missing the grouping part.
Also do you have the right display resolution set on FSX? it should match your desktop resolutions.