Eyeing for a triple-monitor setup - but don't want 3 x SLI!

[max2go]

Anyone has any experience with triple-monitor setup for E:D on one GTX?

Here's my system specs and my concern:

Mobo, CPU, mem:
ASUS ROG Maximus VII Formula, 4790K, 32GB

GPU:
ZOTAC GeForce GTX 970 AMP! Omega 4GB GDDR5 (1080p)

Monitor: Samsung 27-Inch Curved (S27D590C) @ 1080p - getting 2 more for triple-head

Concern:
basically, running 3 monitors on 1 graphics card means that E:D will use 3x the GPU mem. Even though my GTX has 4GB GRAM, that's not gonna be enough, I speculate, plus tripling the performance usage (running just fine w/ one monitor on max settings) i'd have to cut down the settings drastically.

I don't want to run SLI, so I'll have to spend the $1k and get a Titan X w/ 12GB RAM...

Any other ideas? Also, any ideas for a triple-monitor arm that supports 27" monitors? The one I found on Amazon only supports triple 24" at most :/

[Mouse]

http://lifehacker.com/how-to-set-up-triple-monitors-for-super-widescreen-gami-1680863770?inset_alt=off&utm_expid=66866090-55.VeucWPObSOiOW4XRx2RJDA.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/surround

These will help.

[smartroad]

I am running a 3 monitor setup with surround. Each monitor is 1080 and connected to a GTX960. I can run it with each monitor at full res with graphics set to medium and a few highs. With a 970 I would guess you could run it at high.

My 960 has 4GB as well.

[blazingmaniac]

Hi,
I am running 3 x1080p monitors as well on a GTX 980 and it is not really pushed. I tend to use V sync for a smoother experience and it is not even utilizing half the resources on the card so i would thin a 970 would be more than capable doing this.
You have the same MOBO and CPU as me but more RAM so that side of things is plenty good enough.

With resolution you might want to run it over the standard resolution of 5750 x 1080 depending on the screens you use. Mine is at something like 6080 x 1080 which allows for bezel correction. Basically you set it when you set up the surround and it gives some custom resolutions .

As regards monitor stands, I mounted mine on wall brackets with extending arms, that way when I am not using the monitors I can fold them almost flat to the wall. Before I had the wall brackets I just used the standard monitor stands which was fine.

I think I have some pictures of the setup somewhere if you want to see.

Happy to answer any questions you might have. I have run surround for a long time and on a lot of games so ask away

[TorTorden]

You should be plenty fine, unless you expect absolute full tilt graphics settings in all games at 3xUHD resolutions, then again I don't thing you are

I was running three 1920x1080p monitors on a SINGEL gtx 960 2gb just fine at just slightly below ultra settings and bezel correction
sure I was getting mostly 30fps inside stations, but outside, stable 60fps using all screens.

A amped up single 970 should get at least 40-50fps inside a station.

I am personally not really a fan of how the image is stretched so grossly across the left\right screen that they honestly just serves as high resolution mood lights than actuall screens for seeing 'stuff', I prefer mostly to just use downsampling (gets rid of jaggies and it does change distance rendering to the better) and only play on the center screen, I then have two other screens ready for web browsing, TS, netflix etc etc

I have had this three screen setup for at least 6 years now, and even though I started off trying Eyefinity as they called it back then, it allways boiled down to actually being quite useless for gaming imo, but three screens for desktop duties and spreadsheet o-boy I don't think I could live with just a singel screen anymore, it would be like trying to work off my 7" tablet..


I as mentioned is much more intrigued by the new super wide monitors, they seem to actually offer a bit more gaming usefullness other than two very large mood lights at either side that makes you think you are wearing somebody else's glasses.

[Loriath]

I think I am going to look for a 21:9 projector for my next display. If we ever get walking around in ships, and VR, I want to take off the goggles and see out the windows with my own eyes, life size....

[TorTorden]

I think I am going to look for a 21:9 projector for my next display. If we ever get walking around in ships, and VR, I want to take off the goggles and see out the windows with my own eyes, life size....

That would be awesome, but its not going to happen.

Practically all projector chips are built to about 16:9 format ( the earliest sony 4k projectors had a pixel ratio closer to cinema or slightly wider than 16:9 or you old 4:1 powerpoints projectors that just plain suck) and for cinemascope you either just zoom to fit screen or you run it through an anamorphic lens to stretch the 16:9 Image.
That would work with some rather specialized rendering to support the field of view but you could then get standard 2.4:1 aspect or 2.39:1 and would be a bit hinky i suspect.

And the projectors that support lens attachments well start in $4000 range and the lenses themselves cost at least as much. Trust me you don't want to cheap out on a lens.

But I guess if you won the euro jackpot you could get Sony or another projector manufacturer to custom build you one, it would cost something insane though..

[Sozzac]

I been running a four setup on a single grafik card. With no Problem beside high cost

Got a AX 4 screen rack able to hold 4 27"

Got 3 hdmi conn 1 dvi running on high3st res.


/problem is If you use the setup as I do you en up buying 4 screen 2 just died in a spann of 1 week.

[CMDR Abil Midena]

I don't think you'll have any problems 3 screen with your 970, depending on the resolution you use. *edit: make sure your card has the right number and type outputs your monitors will take.

My set up:
CPU: i7 2700k @ 3.5 GHz.
16 Gig ram.
Single EVGA GTX 780ti, stock settings.
Win 7 64.
3 x34" screen at 5760x1080.

Graphics settings all max except super sampling at 1.0. I also run in 'borderless', but that is required for TCE to work. I run track ir and TCE while playing, although I doubt they take up much resources.

I get FPS of 60 (vsync on) outside station, and around 40-45 in the station.

As for monitor mounts, I could not find much of anything that supported 27". There are a few out there though. I guess us peasants with larger screens are SOL. There's Ergotech for you: http://shop.ergotechgroup.com/monitors-up-to-27/ With a youtube for Ergotech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-raKOW9LUc

[max2go]

Thank you all for the infos!

Projector... I've been considering that, but all things considered, I'll probably do that in a year or so and then probably something like that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV7ZN_G9Exg

I've been playing with the idea of a VR headset, but IMO I don't like the pic quality of the Oculus Rift, once it moves to 4k then things might be different. There are also other VR headsets out or about to be coming out, but E:D has limited / no support for those (yet - and might not get them in the near future, from what I've read).

Also, because the monitors I have are curved(!), that'll help with the immersion factor, plus I'll remove their case (that's really just for protection) and that way there won't be any borders, which would take away from the immersion factor.

About the stand, I've ordered a Deluxe Triple Monitor Stand Free Standing Supports up to 3 28":
http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B006JG9RQ2

So, I've been watching a bunch of YT vids - this one convinced me to go with a Titan X (it's quite a lengthy vid but also quite hilarious):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsCIdqIqbgM

This is actually the one I've ordered:
http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YDAYMIE

That way I'm ready for triple 4k in a year or two and I can just get another one or two or three (though I'll need a new mobo, mine supports only 1 x PCIe-16) and go SLI if needed, performance wise. Also I can go the VR route then - which is very demanding of a graphics card, and the Titan X actually has a technology to help with that ("Context Priority Asynchronous Time Warp") and that tech also supports SLI. So, this setup is, I'd say, future proof for the next 3 or so years.

On top of that I ordered TrackIR pro and I ordered and already received yesterday (Amazon Now FTW!) the Logitech Extreme 3D pro - I was looking at the Thrustmaster HOTAS and Saitek X-55 Rhino, but they seem to have a lot of issues, for that price point at least, so I'll wait until a better-quality product becomes available. I haven't done a lot of combat with the Logitech yet, just some practice flying around and shooting into empty space, but it seems quite accurate and will improve at least the combat aspect of things (though I enjoy all aspects of E:D).

I'll have everything on Monday, once it's set-up I'll take a pic and post it here, but that might take a day or more.