Matrox Parhelia and FS

[Darrell Lloyd]

Hello Everyone,

I am hoping to get some feedback about the how well the Matrox Parhelia Video
cards work with MSFS.

At present, Matrox has Two PCI-e X-16 cards available that support 3+
monitors. The QID LP, which supports 4 DVI monitors, sells for about $800.00. The
Parhelia APVe supports 3 monitors, (2 DVI + 1 VGA or 3 VGA)and sells for
about $350.00.

I really want 3 forward view monitors, Preferably DVI. But before I invest in
an $800.00 video card, I would really like to here from someone who has
used one. Any input on the APVe would be good also.

I know I could use WidevieW, but for me that would require building two more
computers just like my current FS computer. I like keeping things equal and
that would cost far more than the QID LP.

I hope someone has some experience with at least one of these cards.

Thanks to all for reading, and happy Simming.

[Vanantwerpen Gilles]

hi
today (very recently and actualy in test)i use a double pciexpress video
card (2 X MSI NX7800GTX 256) on P5N32-SLI ASUS motherboad
with : P4 3.8Ghz 2 Go DDR2 power 580Watts . (some fans also!!!)
so i can use a four monitors desktop. but my need is only 3 to have an
extended cockpit view.
i have today only 2 display in 1024x768 and 1 in 800x600 when i switch to
full screen.(it's my onlyone problem, else it's realy splendid , smoothly,
and a real pleasure to have the same wheater and AI to the 3 screens)
when i'm in windowed mod i can put the three screens in 1200x1024.
the 2 good screens aren't on the same card.
if somebody have an idea.....
best regards


fsfan@free.fr
"Darrell Lloyd" a écrit dans le message de news:
379315.76143@wb.onvix.com...
> Hello Everyone,
>
> I am hoping to get some feedback about the how well the Matrox Parhelia
> Video
> cards work with MSFS.
>
> At present, Matrox has Two PCI-e X-16 cards available that support 3+
> monitors. The QID LP, which supports 4 DVI monitors, sells for about
> $800.00. The
> Parhelia APVe supports 3 monitors, (2 DVI + 1 VGA or 3 VGA)and sells for
> about $350.00.
>
> I really want 3 forward view monitors, Preferably DVI. But before I invest

> in
> an $800.00 video card, I would really like to here from someone who has
> used one. Any input on the APVe would be good also.
>
> I know I could use WidevieW, but for me that would require building two
> more
> computers just like my current FS computer. I like keeping things equal
> and
> that would cost far more than the QID LP.
>
> I hope someone has some experience with at least one of these cards.
>
> Thanks to all for reading, and happy Simming.
>

[Peter Dowson]

On 1/6/2006 9:12:56 PM, Darrell Lloyd wrote:
>At present, Matrox has Two
>PCI-e X-16 cards available
>that support 3+ monitors. The
>QID LP, which supports 4 DVI
>monitors, sells for about
>$800.00. The Parhelia APVe
>supports 3 monitors, (2 DVI +
>1 VGA or 3 VGA)and sells for
>about $350.00.

Hey, this is good news! I have two of the original Parhelia cards and it
looked for a while as if they were never going to bring out any faster ones!

>I hope someone has
>some experience with at least
>one of these cards.

I am interested too.

BTW I use the Parhelia with FS in full screen mode and the Parhelia set to
provide the three screens as one wide window. So it isn't "3 views"
left/fwd/right, but one view, forward, but so wide that you make the zoom wide angle
(i.e. use 0.5 -- any wider and you get fish-eye effects near the edges).

That works well, with good frame rates (scenery only, no panel of course),
because FS only has one window and it is all accelerated. Trying to run
separate views still wrecks frame rates.

Please let us know what you find about the new Parhelias!

Regards

Pete

[Darrell Lloyd]

I had considered switching to an SLI capable motherboard, but I think I read
somewhere that even with two dual head SLI cards, you are still limited to
a horizontal span across only two monitors. Is your system capable of
spanning the FS forward view across three monitors?

[Darrell Lloyd]

Hi Pete,
Yes that is good that they finally came out with Parhelia PCIe cards. The 3
monitor horizontal span is what I was leaning toward anyway. It would give
the same basic effect as having Forward left-Forward-Forward right views
without the hassel of having to use and synchonize(weather,terrain
mesh,scenery etc) three computers.

If you are pleased with the older Parhelia card, I assume it must be an AGP,
then I'm sure I would be very happy with the PCIe version.

I currently have two Sceptre 19" Gamer monitors, with the third one soon to
be purchased. They are VGA/DVI monitors and have excellent everything. I
hooked one of them up in the DVI mode by itself, and all I can say is that it
left my eyes begging for more. But unless I can get a report from someone
who has used the Parhelia QID, which is the 4head DVI card, ($800) I'll have
to opt for the lesser expensive VGA card.

Thanks for the reply. If or when I get the card, I'll let you know how it
performs.

[Darrell Lloyd]

BTW Pete I meant to attach a PDF of matrox's line with specs, but I posted
too soon. Darn fast fingers.

Here it is:

[Peter Dowson]

On 1/7/2006 7:09:07 PM, Darrell Lloyd wrote:
>If you are pleased
>with the older Parhelia card,
>I assume it must be an AGP,
>then I'm sure I would be very
>happy with the PCIe version.

Yes. The speed isn't up to other modern cards (nVidia 6800/7800, even ATI
9800) but it doesn't need to be with no panel, only the scenery. I use 3 x 18"
TFTs and they could work at 3840 x 1024 res, but there is a frame rate hit
at that, and, quite honestly, I think the scenery looks just as good at
2400 x 600 with higher frame rates. At that res panels and aircraft wouldn't
look so good (close up), but if anything it helps remove that glittery mip
mapping flicker you get with higher resolutions and insufficient
filtering.

>But unless I can get
>a report from someone who has
>used the Parhelia QID, which
>is the 4head DVI card, ($800)
>I'll have to opt for the
>lesser expensive VGA card.

Well, the original Parhelias only supported 1 x DVI plus 2 x VGA. I have the
centre one as DVI and the others on VGA, and I cannot tell any differnce to
be honest. I think with high quality monitors there's little difference --
I'd certainly find it hard to justify $800 over a mere $350 just for that
-- performance, though, that's another matter.

My two Parhelias were £350 (UKP) each -- i.e. about $550 or so -- when I
bought them several years ago, so it seems you get really good value now in any
case

Regards,

Pete

[Peter Dowson]

On 1/7/2006 7:18:22 PM, Darrell Lloyd wrote:
>BTW Pete I meant to attach a
>PDF of matrox's line with
>specs, but I posted too soon.
>Darn fast fingers.
>Here it is:

Thanks!

Reading that it seems to imply that on my AGP Parhelias you can have 2 DVIs
plus 1 Analog, but that isn't so. I think you can have 3 Analog or 2 Analog
and 1 DVI. Maybe, if you only want 2 monitors, you can connect 2 DVIs. I've
never only wanted two, so I've not investigated that.

So, take care -- check these things first!

Regards,

Pete

[Tony Van der Voodt]

Hi Darrell,

For our flightdeck a Parhelia 256 MB (AGP 8x) with 64 bit XP OS works
excellent for a 3 monitor horizontal span.
(see PM references, private projects page for our set-up).

The 64 bit video drivers are perfect and overall we are enjoying nice frame
rates (set at 24 fps).

With an SLI system, that we used before, we never could obtain the same
results.
Matrox Parhelia is worth the money and at the time, Pete's advice gave us the
last push to go for it.

Tony

[Darrell Lloyd]

Thanks Tony,

Just last friday I ordered the 64 bit version of XP. It should arive one
day this week. I checked to ensure Matrox had the drivers for 64bit, and
they did. So last night I ordered the PCIe Parhelia.

Hopefully, next week i'll let all know how it works.

Thanks to the good people on this forum i was able to make a decision.