Page 1 of 1

3x2 Eyefinity good for first-person shooters?

Posted: 26 Feb 2010, 19:38
by dirtypop
I'm thinking about getting a couple 5876s and the md230 monitor from Samsung when it comes out. Anyone know if this is a good setup for someone who plays mostly FPSs?

(I'm picturing playing Stalker and trying to use a scoped weapon only to see a big black bezel across where my aiming reticule should be.)

Re: 3x2 Eyefinity good for first-person shooters?

Posted: 26 Feb 2010, 23:00
by suiken_2mieu
I'm going for a similar setup (im using 6 Dell S2309w Monitors). I play mostly shooters and was considering a 5x1 setup. I think for the most part if you can get use to it, you'll be fine. Plus with a 3x2 setup you can always just go to using 3x1 in a snap (which is the main reason im sticking with a 3x2 setup). Just something to think about.

Re: 3x2 Eyefinity good for first-person shooters?

Posted: 27 Feb 2010, 01:15
by r3v3nant
3x2 would be nifty.. but the split in the middle of the FOV for the upper and lower portions might be hard to look past unless you get very thin bezel displays.. well, that's just my wild add guess gut reaction.. personally I would get large displays (28" or larger) and go 5x1 for uber wrap around immersion.

Re: 3x2 Eyefinity good for first-person shooters?

Posted: 27 Feb 2010, 01:51
by dirtypop
I want to go 3x2 because I want to keep close to a standard aspect ratio for watching movies.

I guess if I can switch to 3x1 on the fly, it shouldn't be a problem. I didn't think of that.

Re: 3x2 Eyefinity good for first-person shooters?

Posted: 27 Feb 2010, 03:05
by suiken_2mieu
for the most part, when you have a giant screen at 3x2 you're gonna move back from your screens and it'll be a more cohesive display. Like he said it's close to standard aspect.

Re: 3x2 Eyefinity good for first-person shooters?

Posted: 27 Feb 2010, 04:25
by DaFox
You could always go for 3x1 in portrait.

Re: 3x2 Eyefinity good for first-person shooters?

Posted: 27 Feb 2010, 05:01
by suiken_2mieu
You could always go for 3x1 in portrait.

Well if you go 3x1 portrait, might as well go 5x1 portrait.

Re: 3x2 Eyefinity good for first-person shooters?

Posted: 27 Feb 2010, 07:22
by Downtown1
I'm going to go with 3x2 is bad for the same reason 2x1 is bad, split right down the middle.. heck I saw a 3x2 review recently and they kept badmouthing the idea because pretty much everything important is drawn in the middle (well and they turned on bezel 'correction' which means they couldn't see anything in the middle).

Re: 3x2 Eyefinity good for first-person shooters?

Posted: 27 Feb 2010, 08:12
by dirtypop
I'm going to go with 3x2 is bad for the same reason 2x1 is bad, split right down the middle.. heck I saw a 3x2 review recently and they kept badmouthing the idea because pretty much everything important is drawn in the middle (well and they turned on bezel 'correction' which means they couldn't see anything in the middle).

Do you have a link to the review?

Re: 3x2 Eyefinity good for first-person shooters?

Posted: 27 Feb 2010, 18:55
by Downtown1
I'm going to go with 3x2 is bad for the same reason 2x1 is bad, split right down the middle.. heck I saw a 3x2 review recently and they kept badmouthing the idea because pretty much everything important is drawn in the middle (well and they turned on bezel 'correction' which means they couldn't see anything in the middle).

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2010/02/25/ati-eyefinity-on-six-screens-first-look-review/

PCPro takes a look at the 3x2 -- no video, just screenshots (of Race Driver: GRID) and text. They had bezel correction on and their chief complaint was things in the middle disappearing making it discard vital information.

Now personally I believe it's their own fault for having bezel correction on, I always leave it off because of precisely this reason.. but who knows I've previously played FPSes at a competitive level so missing even a few pixels would be vital. Though who knows I may just try it one of these days since I only play casually now, the only other thing is rendering extra pixels = worse performance.

Re: 3x2 Eyefinity good for first-person shooters?

Posted: 27 Feb 2010, 22:43
by dirtypop
The bezels on the MD230 look about half the thickness of the Dell set-up used in that review, so that should mitigate the problem a little bit.

Hm, now we just need a proper review of the MD230....

Re: 3x2 Eyefinity good for first-person shooters?

Posted: 28 Feb 2010, 00:34
by Downtown1
Nothing's going to mitigate the fact that there's going to be a cut across the middle.. except game support to render the central camera on either the top or bottom monitor. And the top could basically be a way to give you more vertical FOV? I'm not sure.

Basically IMHO the only games that will be playable on 3x2 are the ones that don't require a central camera like top down RTSes (Dawn of War II) or RPGs where you have a free cam (e.g. Dragon Age Origins in tactical mode). Also the GUI/HUD will need to not pop up across the middle but docked to one of the sides.

Re: 3x2 Eyefinity good for first-person shooters?

Posted: 02 Mar 2010, 02:26
by dirtypop
You could always go for 3x1 in portrait.


Yeah, I'm starting to think this is gonna be the way to go....