3 Screens of Productivity + Gaming?

[zmthomas]

I've had a Parhelia 128 MB 8x AGP card since about 02 or 03. I slowly collected three sony SDM-M81 monitors, and finally bought an Ergotron 3 monitor stand about a year ago. My setup is nice.

The system is getting on in years and I'm about ready to upgrade. I'm committed to a 3 monitor setup because it works great for writing software, simulation based reasearch, and video editing, but I'd also like to run some Battlefield 2 in all its glory.

I'd like to get one of the latest ATI / nVIDIA PCI express cards but I haven't noticed any support three displays. I assume I could get a PCI parhelia but that seems like a step backwards. What have others done to satisify the need to game while also not stepping away from the productivity benifets having 3840x1024 of real estate? Also is anything even competing with the Parhelia for the 3 screen market?

Zach

[schmosef]

There's nothing that will give you triple screen gaming on a current GPU. Sorry.

I have an ATI AGP card and a P650 PCI card to drive my second and third LCD monitors.

[borat]

the best you could hope for is to buy a nice widescreen monitor and game in widescreen on a new geforce on that single screen. This is a bit of s stupid idea because you have gone to so much trouble collecting 3 lovely screens already - but unfortunately when the industry throws one of the most exciting new developements in the bin then thats what we are all faced with. I cant understand why nvid or ATi have not taken on the surround gaming concept - was it so low key that they don't even know it exists. Imagine store demo's of the latest cards in SLI running on 3 monster LCD's in full surround glory.
As for me im sticking with my P untill i upgrade to dual core.

[Mikko]

As a temporary solution, you could buy the fastest possible PCI card from NVIDIA/ATI and still keep your Parhelia as a primary card. NVIDIA FX5500/5600/5700LE PCI are DX9 cards, for example. I'm not so sure about the performance, though. I guess you'll have to keep graphic details pretty low.

[Whirl-Secret]

Perhaps some extra monitor management software could help if you went with the 2-card solution. I have not used this but it might make life easier with 2 cards:

http://digitaltigers.com/tigervista_manager.shtml

As for games on new cards.... well I have posted about this a few times and I say the same thing I can't see a reason for me personally to upgrade even from my P650 at the moment. I am happily kicking Egyptian arse in Rome: Total War and before that I played HL2, C&C Generals / Zero Hour and Homeworld2 without thinking "damn i need more fps". The only unacceptable performance was with Doom III, where it completely choked. Yes I am a very casual gamer but I used to be pretty hardcore into Quake3 so I do appreciate the need for speed also.

I remember installing the Far Cry demo on my neighbour's AthlonXP 2800 / 9600 AIW and not being too impressed with it compared to mine. But that's just me - everyone else thinks I am crazy Even a 100k polygon scene in 3DS Max 4-viewpoint setup didn't really make me throw the monitor out the window. Either my tolerance for crap gfx speed is enormous or I am simply not under the spell of the gfx card manufacturers who want to sell me a £300 card every year.

[zmthomas]

thanks ya'll for your replies.

i'll let you know what I end up doing if I make a move.

Cheers,
Zach

[Mikko]

FYI, there is "ASRock 939Dual-SATA2" motherboard available now, witch is based on ULi M1695/M1567 chipsets. It has AGP8x slot plus PCIe x16 slot, so you can keep your Parhelia for triplehead and you can use the fastest PCIe x16 card from ATI/NVIDIA for gaming at the same time...

http://www.asrock.com/product/product_939Dual-SATA2.htm