3-monitor system?

[gamenutt]

hmmm...ok now Im running a dual monitor system with a ti 4200 and was wondering what the best way to run a 3-monitor system would be. I know that the card I would buy would have to run under same nvidia drivers. I think atleast??? I dont know. But is there a fairly cheap way I can do this. I have the monitors but need a pci card that will do this well for cheap. Like around 60 or 70 bucks (US dollars)maybe. No more than that. Anyone have any ideas.

 

[Rubber Bullets]

Well here are a few PCI graphics cards. As you can see you can probably get a GF4 MX in your price range. Graphics output to that monitor will depend on the card, and so just pick a card which will cope with what you want to do with that monitor. If you want it for games ( and I think some of the flight sims and the like support this) then go for a good one, if you just want to keep a few web pages open or IRC etc then a cheap one would do.

As I said in our last discussion on this topic, just make sure in your BIOS that you boot up the PCI card first.

s

 

[gamenutt]

if I bought a geforce 2 mx 400 pci card would I be able to set up a true 3-monitor system?

 

[leggy]

you will struggle to get a half decent frame rate on all 3 monitors with that card though.

 

[PR.]

No, leggy that gfx card would power a 3rd monitor while his main AGP card powered the other two, make sense?

 

[danger]

I'm slightly confused... how would that work??

Would it be set up like a diamond screen.. i.e. one screen stretched across 3 monitors? would't that look err wierd?

Or is he just trying to get 3 copies of the same picture?

 

[PR.]

It will give him 3 desktops.

1 with a start button and the normal gubbins
2 with blank screens that you can drag windows to from the main one.

It works really well.

I've used it when I was designing websites, I had my laptop screen at 1400x1200 (iirc) which gave you plenty of space to move around the pages. Then previewed them on a 2nd monitor which worked at 800x600 to make sure the layout worked well.

 

[gamenutt]

Yea....right now I have it stretched across both screens and it does work and look quite nice. Its basically 1 desktop but twice the width. So much more space...great for web design, graphic design, video editing, as well as games and a lot of other things.

But do you think the geforce 2 mx 400 will be good enough? I mean I really dont want to spend a ton more on this system...I mean id love to but I dont have that kind of money...Unless someone wanted to give me some money id glady take it...anyone? c'mon I know you want to.

 

[Rubber Bullets]

Originally posted by gamenutt
But do you think the geforce 2 mx 400 will be good enough? I mean I really dont want to spend a ton more on this system.

Like I said Gamenutt, good enough for what?

I have no idea which games you play, though I know of very few that work with 3 screens. I have 2 monitors working with a GF4 4400, and it is great for Photoshop and Premiere I just keep main images on my best monitor and tool boxes on the other. I haven't got Dreamweaver installed ATM but would use it the same way.

When I play CS I tend to have IRC open on the second monitor so I can see what is said in my chosen channel, tho of course I can't join in, but anything could be on that screen, live scores etc.

The GF 2 would be good enough for most things except 3d graphics stuff; can you envisage a time when you could possibly require 3 screens all running 3d apps? I can't. Go for it.

(disclaimer - I am pissed at this time, tho I still believe all the above to be true )

s

 

[leggy]

Ok then PR ... that gfx card will struggle to maintain a good refresh rate on 1 monitor

It's shite in other words.

I never read the first couple of posts properly and just jumped to that conclusion.

Personally I think you're wasting your time if it's just for games.

 

[gamenutt]

You really think so....I was fine with my old geforce 256...I think that card would be fine for basic resolutions on some games. Id like to be able to use 3 monitors on things like flight sims and stuff like that. But main purpose if more space for things like web design and video editing. I would think a geforce 2 mx would get me enough fps that I could play a game normally. Not expection to get a 30000 3dmark score or nothin like that.