TH2Go or quad head videocard?

[Goldmember]

What about using a quad head videocard instead of the Triple Head to Go? Like the Sapphire Radeon HD 4850x2? It costs less than the Th2Go, for which you still need a graphics adapter in your computer. Which can't be a cheap adapter because however the TH2Go has its own drivers, those pixels have to be pushed through the original adapter somehow.

The only advantage of the TH2Go that I can imagine is that you can correct the virtual part of the image that is behind the besels of the monitors. Or am I missing something?

[brynjames]

The TH2GO only requires FS to create a single (very wide) image, which TH2GO then splits between the three monitors, with very little FPS reduction compared with a normal single monitor image.

I think that your four head card will require FS to create 4 separate images which seems to be much more taxing on the system, i.e. very poor FPS. You can see this effect if you just open another window in FS.

I have never regretted my outlay on the TH2GO.

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Bryn

[Goldmember]

Any special demands on the video card that the TH2GO is connected to?

[BHawthorne]

While it might have 4 outputs, those output won't span or grid in 3D. The reason why the TH2G exists is to get past the limitations of DirectX only allowing 3D in a single video out. (Ofcourse MSFS is the very odd exception to that.)

[PDT 200]

Also you run into the problem with FS in that it only "sees" 4 outputs. So 1 video card with 4 outputs is it. You go to full screen mode and and any other video outputs are gone. That's why for multiple outside views as well as instrument panels, networked PC's, WideView and FSUIPC are needed. You will also need multiple copies of whatever FS you are using 1 for each PC.
TH2Go gives you a very wide forward outside view on only 1 video output which leaves 3 others for instrument panel and any popup panels your aircraft uses on different monitors.
I use the TH2Go with 3 projectors for a huge outside view. I also set the magnification level at .31 which allows me to see a great deal without going to side views. It is so nice to do turns about a point that you can actually see without changing the view. Turning from base to final is more fluid because my view is expanded so much more. I have both FS9 and FSX, both with frame rates fixed at 30. Both have the sliders pretty much maxed out except for AI and ground traffic, and my FPS bounce between 26-30. I am using a Quad Core with XP and 4gis of ram. This PC is used only for FltSim and is behind a physical firewall (router) with no anti-virus setup which ticks XP off every time I start it.
Regards,
Brian

[Goldmember]

Thnx all for the input. My setup is: PC1 runs FS9 with only the instrument panels (PMDG737) and PC2 does the outside view with WidevieW. The peripheral hardware (yoke, cockpit hw etc) is connected to PC1.

I'm still wondering what demands there are for the video card that the TH2GO is attached to - in my case the card in PC2.

[BHawthorne]

TH2G digital anything 8-series or newer will run it without issue. TH2G analog anything 6-series or newer. I seriously don't recommend anything older than an 8-series card though because of driver updates compatibility.

[brynjames]

Any special demands on the video card that the TH2GO is connected to?

Analog TH2GO at 3840x1024 is running well through my antique 6800GS video card.

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Bryn

[brynjames]

Thnx all for the input. My setup is: PC1 runs FS9 with only the instrument panels (PMDG737) and PC2 does the outside view with WidevieW.

Are external aircraft synchronised across both PCs with Wideview? (since you have only one outside view, do the AI aircraft in your TCAS display show up at the correct position in the external view on the other PC?).

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Bryn

[Goldmember]

Not yet but I'll get Widetraffic from the same developers that does that. Currently I'm working on the MIP so the outside is not so important yet.