Eyefinity tearing us apart - A real problem or not?

[cliffie]

Hi everyone. My first post on this board so I beg my pardon if I'm opening up subjects that has been discussed (I have searched a bit around the forum but no answers so.. here it goes!)

I'm just about to get my first Eyefinity setup and a third monitor (all three will be DP ready) and I'm looking at what graphics card to get. After searching the net high and low I found some scary forum posts discussing a issue called tearing, where there are some trouble with the timings of DVI and DP connectors? Anyway not 100% sure of the problem, but is this a real problem for most users who run Eyefinity out there or just a few handful sorry souls who have encountered this problem? :/

This matter lead me to look into graphic cards that have three or more display ports. The only card I can find retail in the 6000-series are the ASUS 6970/6950 CUii that have four DP (support at least three screens by DP). They cost a bit more than the others and the 6950 version is apparently not "upgradeable" to 6970 by BIOS alteration. I was acctually thinking of getting a good 6950 card and then "upgrade" it to a 6970, but when I heard of this tearing problem I got worried.

But now to sum this matter up, is there a real problem with tearing, and should I go DP all they way to be sure of not ending up having this problem?

Would really appreciate all help I can get regarding this matter :)
/Cliff

[LordJuanlo]

If you go all DisplayPort you won't suffer this problem. My monitors support VGA and DVI input only, so I have center and right monitor connected to DVI ports, and the left monitor using a DisplayPort to DVI adapter.

I have tearing on the left monitor only, and sincerely... I don't notice it at all while gaming, because I'm always concentrating on the central monitor. However it's a bit annoying when I'm using desktop: tearing is noticeable when you are moving or resizing windows or watching a movie on left monitor, so it depends on how you use it.

If I were you (and if my budget allowed it) I would buy a card with 3 or more DisplayPort outputs, that's the only way to be sure you won't have any problems. However if you prefer to save a bit or buy a different card with mixed outputs... it's not THAT annoying. If gaming if your primary concern don't worry, you won't notice tearing... unless you look for it.

[cliffie]

Thank you LordJuanlo for your answer! I'm sorry to hear that you have the problem, but good that you don't seem to mind it to much :) I decided to get the ASUS 6970 CUii with 4dp and dual linkDVI just to be sure. Why not do it right from the start.

A little bit off topic, but does anyone know if there would be problems if I combine a 6950 (upgraded to 6970) with a real 6970 in CF. Will the real 6970 clock down to the 6950, even if it's "upgraded"?

[matrices]

The problem is misunderstood.

To be clear, it only happens when you are using V-sync. Why anyone would choose to use V-sync, I don't know - that is, if you are in landscape mode. In portrait mode, I've heard that tearing is bad without V-sync, so people try to enable V-sync, only to get the other kind of tearing induced by the DP/DVI timing issue already mentioned.

Also to be clear, you can't "go all Display Port" unless you dropped 10 billion dollars on an AMD 6990, because each 6950/70 only has two DP and you can't even use the DP or any other ports on the second card if you want to retain CF. Stupid AMD design decision, no surprise there.

[Gilly]

A little bit off topic, but does anyone know if there would be problems if I combine a 6950 (upgraded to 6970) with a real 6970 in CF. Will the real 6970 clock down to the 6950, even if it's "upgraded"?

The card in effect becomes a 6970 to all intensive purposes, so I don't see what problems would/ could arise.

[cliffie]

The problem is misunderstood.

To be clear, it only happens when you are using V-sync. Why anyone would choose to use V-sync, I don't know - that is, if you are in landscape mode. In portrait mode, I've heard that tearing is bad without V-sync, so people try to enable V-sync, only to get the other kind of tearing induced by the DP/DVI timing issue already mentioned.

Also to be clear, you can't "go all Display Port" unless you dropped 10 billion dollars on an AMD 6990, because each 6950/70 only has two DP and you can't even use the DP or any other ports on the second card if you want to retain CF. Stupid AMD design decision, no surprise there.

From other forums people have complained they get tearing w or w/o vcync on. For example http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1576329

Regarding "you can't "go all Display Port"", the version of 6970 that I'm about to buy actually have 4 dp, ASUS EAH6970 DCII/2DI4S/2GD5 - http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=jX64GujNeYxnA4sd&templete=2. So if I went CF that' shouldn't be a problem.

[tepescovir]

I used ati for eyefinity but i always got tearing both with vsync on and off. never had it with nvidia.
as for vsync on or off. I always have it on as it gives you a smoother image. but can cause a very slight mouse lag. but personly i have never noticed it.

[cliffie]

do anyone have any confirmation regarding the problem that matrices says is misunderstood? Do people who have vsync off suffer an other problem that are similar to the one you describe with vsync on?

Or what's going on?

[Westernesse]

do anyone have any confirmation regarding the problem that matrices says is misunderstood? Do people who have vsync off suffer an other problem that are similar to the one you describe with vsync on?

Or what's going on?

Well I never really had problems with tearing in 3x1 landscape w/ 6950 w/ vsync on or off. A few games that are bad about tearing like civ 5 would do a bit of micro tearing when you jumped around the world.

In 3x1 portrait mode the DVI/DP timings is correct. Portrait is imo virtually unplayable on a 6950, 5 minutes will give you a nasty headache as one screen will have constant lines which mess up your peripheral vision.

I ended up getting a full refund and upgrading to a Asus 6970 DCU2. Three DP cables going to 3 DP native monitors. Everything works well in portrait or landscape, V-sync definitely reduces some tearing in some games in portrait mode.

[hippos]

6950 running 3 monitors
2 DVI monitors
1 DP to DVI monitor

Tearing with v-sync on or off.

[LordJuanlo]

I always get tearing on left monitor, with or without vsync. I didn't have it with the same monitors on my old 5870

[dmanna]

Back when I was using 2 5870's I got tearing with V-sync on or off.. I personally dont know how you can game with V-sync off because the tearing drives me nuts. I got tearing and a stuttering effect.. very sh*tty feel.. drove me to the brink so I just sold a 5870 and I dont get any tearing with 1 card. And stuttering is gone.. but then I also dont get 60 fps in a lot of games.. and using AA is out of the question a lot of times .. which really bugs me also.

I am thinkingg about huckign these 22's and grabbing 3 24" IPS dells with built in DP ports.. and a 2 6970's.

But if the GTX 590 can run 3 screens on that 1 card I might go with that instead.

[Agent999]

hey guys, just to resurrect this thread, does anyone know if the screen tearing still exist for 3x portrait with 6950/6970 even with the current 11.7 drivers? or do I have to invest a bit more and get the asus 6950/6970 DUII with 4 dp ports just to be safe? thanks a bunch

[suiken_2mieu]

idk about the newer cards, but i'm using a 5870 and when in portrait mode i had a lot of issues with tearing, but if you turn on tripple buffering, most of those issues are gone.

[Agent999]

ah I see, too bad I only have a 5850 =( so I can either go with a 5870 like yours or invest a bit more to get the 6950 dcu ii, and that's if I can even find a 5870 eye 6 nowadays =/

thanks for your reply, cheers.

[sirtim3]

Can't remember the last time I seen tearing and I'm on tri-fire 6950's landscape.

[Agent999]

it's supposed to happen more prominently on 3x portrait setup as the tearing is horizontal.

[sirtim3]

I have gone back and forth with portrait mode and landscape. I know I have played bulletstorm and AVP without any tearing in portrait. Those are the last two I finished in that mode. Honestly I don't know if it was a driver that fixed it or not. But I haven't seen anything in months. Its just something that totally slipped my mind. But I did suffer from it early on like everyone else

[stangflyer]

I have had my 5970 pretty much since release. Been playing portrait for about 10 months now and do not notice tearing. Will not go back to landscape at all. Less stretching of the side monitors!

[Abram]

It's only on the 6xxx series. My 5870 never had the issue, either.