Aces High Eyefinity 5760x1080 U2311H TrackIR

[burnerski]

burnerski, why did you go with 5 monitors in portrait mode vs 3 monitors in landscape mode? Is it to reduce the stretching on the side monitors?

I have 24" monitors. If I ran 3x1L I would have 61.5" by 13" with 5X1P I get 65" by 20.5" . So I basically get 7.5" more vertical view at the expense of
more bezels. The stretching is there and is the effect of the widescreen I dislike most. I know nothing about programming but I suspect
the stretching is the result of programming the software for a single monitor. I would love to see them program the software to reduce stretching.
Iracing programmed their software to eliminate stretching but only for 3 screens. Racing sims work good with 3X1L but I just don't like flight sims in that mode, the vertical view is too narrow.
There is a good article that Ibrin wrote over at widescreengaming forum which discusses the differences between 3x1L and 5x1p . I'll never go back to single screen.

[Kazaa]

You bring up a fantastic point Burn.

[Skuzzy]

Actually, the "stretching" you are talking about is the result of using a field of view wider than 90 degrees in order to allow you to see a wider field of view.

It is not done by the game.  It is done by DirectX.  It is the "fish eye" effect, which happens when the field of view moves beyond 90 degrees.

The effect would not be noticeable at all, IF your monitors were curved as a partial sphere, with the center point being your eyes.

The only way to prevent this is to keep the field of view at 90 degrees, or less, and then crop the top off to fill the screens width.

[Kazaa]

Skuzzy, there's an option in iRacing called "render 3 screens separately" which helps reduce stretching drastically over multiple screens.

Render 3 screens disabled.

Render 3 screens enabled.

[Skuzzy]

Skuzzy, there's an option in iRacing called "render 3 screens separately" It involves inputting a load of measurements which will help reduce stretching drastically over 3 screens.

Again, the "stretching" is not something an application can control.  The "stretching" occurs when the field of view is greater than 90 degrees.  DirectX does this.  The application does not.  The application sets the field of view, the resolution and DirectX runs with it after that.

Yes, a game can render each monitor on its own.  If you have three monitors and one video card, then it would take 3 rendering passes, as an example.

You can get rid of the fisheye in Aces High, but you will crop the screen across the top and bottom in doing so.

[vafiii]

Thanks Skuzzy for the explanation.

[Krusty]

I got my passive mini-DP adapters the other day. Set up my new system with the Radeon 6970. I got 2x 1280x1024 that I normally use, but... I couldn't resist. I put an older 1024x768 on as well!

Set it up in eyefinity. Gets pretty darned good framerates at 3072x768 with maxed details in BFBC2, Aces High, HL2:Ep2. Even running FRAPS with full details, at least 4x MSAA, and sliders set to middle-road quality (vs. max speed) I never dropped below 30 FPS.

It's definitely interesting!

I just need another 1280x1024. I can't do this 768 stuff. 3 monitors, but can't use any one of them for what I really want. Also gaming with the distortion might take a little getting used to.

Also, even at half-size, FRAPs videos hit 4Gb *VERY* fast. LOL! It was an interesting test.

[SectorNine50]

Interesting.

Just was reading through this thread:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/279498-33-displayport-adapter-eyefinity

I guess you can do passive DP adaptors if you have 2 DVI monitors and 1 VGA, for some reason.  I guess the cards can only put down two digital signals at once.

Only 2 Digital displays at a time without an Active adapter, only with VGA can you use a Passive adapter for a third monitor.

[Krusty]

That's not it. It's the resolution. Passive adapters work but only up to "X" resolution settings. I think it's 1600. Above that you need active adpaters. OR, you need the dual-DVI adapter. Same thing applies there. Single DVI is fine up to a set resolution, above that you need the dual DVI mode.

Barring that you can use either DVI out on its own monitor.

I'm running 1 direct DVI and 2 passive mini-DP adpaters to VGA right now because I have rather old monitors. The mini-DP to DVI is more common than the mini-DP to VGA, just from browsing online.

It's all about the resolution being passed through it, though. Not the number of them.

EDIT: HD 6970 video has 2x DVI, 2x mini-DP, 1x HDMI, just to show what I used.

[SectorNine50]

Hmm...  I'm reading conflicting information.

...Passive will work for TMDS + RAMDAC solutions, but for any combo of just three of one of those types, THEN requires an active adapter.

3 DVI requires an active DP to DVI adapter.

2 DVI + 1 VGA will work on a passive DP-VGA adapter.

[Skuzzy]

Seems to be some confusion about "DisplayPort".  "DisplayPort" is a network connection (i.e. you can have hundreds of monitors on one physical connection).  The active DP adapters work over the DP network.  The passive ones do not.  The passive ones own the entire network.  The active ones use a unique ID so they can all be on the same physical cable.

[SectorNine50]

Seems to be some confusion about "DisplayPort".  "DisplayPort" is a network connection (i.e. you can have hundreds of monitors on one physical connection).  The active DP adapters work over the DP network.  The passive ones do not.  The passive ones own the entire network.  The active ones use a unique ID so they can all be on the same physical cable.

So basically, you could have an active display port "hub" of sorts with multiple monitors attached to the hub, but with a passive, just one monitor?

Do you know how that interacts with the graphics card in terms of something like Eyefinity?

[icepac]

Seeing these rigs makes me so much happier when I manage to shoot one of you guys down.

[Yenny]

(Image removed from quote.)

Did you build the monitor stand yourself? I want to make mine like yours instead of horizontally, but I can't find any stand that supports it.

[Skuzzy]

So basically, you could have an active display port "hub" of sorts with multiple monitors attached to the hub, but with a passive, just one monitor?

Do you know how that interacts with the graphics card in terms of something like Eyefinity?

ATI has full DisplayPort support in thier cards.  How many monitors they want to attach to the port is up to them. Originally, you had to have DisplayPort monitors to use Eyefinity, but they finally gave in and added support for DVI ports later.

DisplayPort works over one cable via daisy chaining the devices together.  There is no hub.