Solved ATI or NVIDIA?

[Case1]

Merry Christmas everyone!

Here is the deal... I just got a new monitor for Christmas which will be a third one added to my system. I am running an ATI HD 3450 which runs two monitors. One thing I don't like is one monitor is in digital an the other one analogue, wish I could run them both in digital but not sure how...anyway, obviously with a new monitor I am going to have to either add another v card or get one that runs three monitors. Soon I will probably be adding a 4th monitor. What would be my best route to take and should I go with NVIDIA or ATI? I have an AMD processor.

Thanks,

Casey

 

[SlackerITGuy]

Merry Christmas everyone!

Here is the deal... I just got a new monitor for Christmas which will be a third one added to my system. I am running an ATI HD 3450 which runs two monitors. One thing I don't like is one monitor is in digital an the other one analogue, wish I could run them both in digital but not sure how...anyway, obviously with a new monitor I am going to have to either add another v card or get one that runs three monitors. Soon I will probably be adding a 4th monitor. What would be my best route to take and should I go with NVIDIA or ATI? I have an AMD processor.

Thanks,

Casey

Well... since no single NVIDIA card can handle 3 monitors, your best bet would be AMD.

And someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think that you can run up to 4 monitors with the new HD 6000 series cards.

 

[Mashed1316]

Actually you can run up to 6 monitors if you have one of the Eyefinity Edition HD 5800 cards, i haven't seen any of the HD 6800/6900 series in Eyefinity Edition with 6 mini display ports!

 

[SlackerITGuy]

Actually you can run up to 6 monitors if you have one of the Eyefinity Edition HD 5800 cards, i haven't seen any of the HD 6800/6900 series in Eyefinity Edition with 6 mini display ports!

Yup, I've seen that Eyefinity Edition Radeon HD 5870. Just crazy.

What I'm saying is that, IIRC, normal/vanilla 6800/6900 series cards can run up to 4 monitors.

No need to pay extra/premium for special editions.

 

[Case1]

Thanks for all the help! Well, I went to Frys and bought an ATI 5770 Eyefinity 5 which supports up to 5 displays. Now all I have to do is get the mini displayport to DVI adaptors. Problem solved thanks to all the help from the great folks at this awesome web site!

 

[Mashed1316]

Glad we could help Case! uhhh that HD 5770 Eyefinity edition was a good choice, indeed! that would be enough to handle your 4 displays...

Enjoy it

 

[Case1]

Glad we could help Case! uhhh that HD 5770 Eyefinity edition was a good choice, indeed! that would be enough to handle your 4 displays...

Enjoy it

Hi Punkster,

Now all I have to do is get the mini displayport to dvi cables so I can hook up the monitors. Dang, you would think they would be included for what this sucker cost! So this is a good card huh?

 

[Mashed1316]

Yeah it's a really good video card, if you're not gaming intensively... but i guess for what you use your PC is more than enough

Here's a MiniDP to DVI adapter, not cheap but does its job

Newegg.com - SYBA SY-ADA33006 Mini DisplayPort to DVI-D Adapter

Check it out

 

[Case1]

I really appreciate that! The only thing is the plug that goes into the back of my monitor is male. I went ahead and got 3 from this place on Ebay...you think they will be OK?

6FT Mini DisplayPort to DVI Male to Male Cable Adapter - eBay (item 150535141911 end time Jan-15-11 13:48:05 PST)

 

[Mashed1316]

Nonono, wait.. i think you got the MiniDP-To-DVI wrong hehe..

It goes like this: MiniDP Port on Video Card > MiniDP-To-DVI (female) > Your DVI connector (male) from monitor..

Although you could buy that too direct connection without any other cables.. ummm, is 6ft long enough for your setup??

 

[Case1]

Yes 6 foot is long enough... ah oh did I get the wrong cables?

 

[Mashed1316]

No no, you got the right cables! is just that i gave you an Adapter.. the adapter works like this.. you connect the adapter's mini dp into your video card, and the dvi (male) from the monitor (in the cable) goes to the female dvi in the adapter..

What you bought is a direct cable that goes into mini dp on the video card and to the monitor itself without using another cable... is direct connection!

 

[Case1]

OHHHHHHH, I gotcha now! LOL, sometimes it takes me a couple of times but once I get it I got it. Well, I payed $10 a piece for the direct cables and since I will be hooking up 3 monitors I came out pretty good. Now I am going to have to get a bigger desk to fit these monitors on lol.

 

[Mashed1316]

Haha yeah you will need a bigger desk to fit the 3 displays! don't forget to post a picture of the final result xD i'd like to see that