3 displays, 2 graphic cards, how to optimize?

[andreichirtes]

Hey there! I'm completely new here, and I've decided to join this forum in order to ask people that are much more knowledgeable than me in this field, how could I optimize the use of my current setup?

So here goes:
I currently have 3 displays, all 21-22 inch, almost exactly the same sizes, one from Samsung, one from BenQ and an LG. (they were new, on sale, long story)
I have 2 graphic cards, a new GTX 980 and my old 570, that I hooked up in order to use it for its processing power, for work.
I've setup the monitors on custom stands, so that now they're all aligned.
When I work, I turn one or both of my side monitors in portrait mode, mostly for coding, but when I game, I'd like to be able to enjoy my setup as much as I can.

So my question is: if I wanted to try multi monitor gaming, how should I proceed?
In order to use all my 3 displays, do they have to be connected to the same graphics card?
If so, does it help in any way, the fact that I have 2 cards connected ?

Any other pro tips for my specific setup?
I feel like a noob in this field ...

Thank you in advance, guys.
Andrei.

[andreichirtes]

bump?

[ColdSun]

So you have 2 cards of different generations.
They should all ideally be plugged into your GTX980.
Yes, having 2 cards, even if they're different generations can help for gaming but not in the way you're thinking.

The 570 should be set as a designated/dedicated physics cards. Your 980 will be what is driving the actual graphics.

[coroner_]

Not sure if this is the case here with these two cards or not but...
I had a config recently with an older card and a newer card, became a hassle when the older card was no longer on the "supported cards" list.
If I wanted to use both cards I was stuck at a driver level since if I upgraded the newer card drivers it would undo the multi-monitor config using the older card (note I was using the older card to drive the 3rd monitor instead of getting an active adapter). I gave up on that config pretty quick.