Widescreen Gaming Forum

Hello! Long time lurker, first post noob.
I have a tri-fire eyefinty6 setup, but need to run 8 identical UXGA DVI displays in a 4x2. I can run the last 2 via SoftTH, but @ 15MP, I really need all the horsepower I can get (for games that actually scale to tri-fire). Since I have no more slots, I'd have to sacrifice an e6 to be monitor outs and stuck with Crossfire to drive it all (and I'm already pushing the limits as it is, so that's not exactly ideal). Videos and standard stuff like Google Earth would only fullscreen across 6 of the 8, even assuming SoftTH could handle 2xUXGA without bringing my fps to a crawl, which is questionable. Getting all of them onto one card is ideal, keeping tri-fire and saving all of the headaches of SoftTH in the process.

So, I was thinking (4) DH2G Digital's would give me an apparent 2x2 SLS to eyefinity, that would really be the correct 4X2 array. I realize that the Matrox website states that only 2 GXMs are supported. However, from what I have read (no personal experience), the software is required to setup/program the GXM unit, and then really isn't required after that. I assume the support of 2 is in conjunction with their management software; I have no need for their desktop management; I won't be changing resolutions or desktop setups with extended monitors or hotkeys and such.

I am hoping someone here has experience with this, and can answer: can I set up each indiviually, delete the software, and be done with it? Each would be set to a (non-adjustable) 3200x1200 resolution, and all 4 then being statically programmed, would present itself to the Radeon as 4 screens? I would lose all of the "features" and management utilities, but I JUST need them to split the outputs. That's it.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can answer this before I waste cash on 4 boxes and (more) active adapters....this setup has already cost more than anything I ever bought other than cars and my house.

On another (but relevant) note, I had been planning a rear-projection setup that I am scrapping for my new incoming units, so I have a pile of short throw (0.76:1) XGA DLP units that I am about to sell...I'd happily trade a couple, if anyone has Dualhead2go units (Digital or DP versions) and mini-dp to VGA active adapters would be nice too. I need 4 of each.

As long as you don't need to fiddle with settings on the GXM, i don't see why it wouldn't work. Matrox themselves only support up to 2. But I've seen similar products running 3 at a time no issue. Just remember you'll probably be limited to 1280x1024 per screen.

EDIT: Also SoftTH doesn't work with crossfire.

Thanks for the reply. Why do you figure it would only work to SXGA? I asked Matrox because their site listed UXGA for *supported* screens (which I found odd)...they said mine hadn't been tested but saw no reason it wouldn't work.

I thought that Crossfire+SoftTH got sorted in the new 2.0x versions?

huh ? Shouldn't Eyefinity make it possible to put up to 18 monitors on one Graphics card ?

You run 3x AMD HD5870 Eyefinity... Thats the one with 6 Mini Display Ports right?

So shouldn't it be possible to run 2 Screens from every Graphics card with an Passiv 'Mini Displayport to DVI' Cable which would make 6 Screens, and 2 more with an 'active Mini Display Port to DVI' cable ? IF they're running in Crossfire / Trifire it should work in Eyefinity as one big screen resolution...

Or am I missing some crucial point?

check my threads ;)
I made 3x triplehead2go system - 9 monitors on HD5770 @ windows7
It works, so i thnik with on eyefinity-6 will work ase well but you ofcourse will be some disadvantages with this setup:

1.max triple res on hd5/6xxx cards is 4320x900 if i remember correctly
2.with 6 monitors you can create only 3x2 landsacpe eyefinity group so two you will have screen 9x2 (idk if you can put 1x3 on matrox I mean 1440x900x3 vertical 1440x2700)
if yes then from 3x2 group you get 3x6 - 4320x5400 max

I write out a reply, and get this:

Even took all the punctuation out. WSGF, your bots need some serious work....here is most of it, I'm not typing all that again:

your going to use 4 Analogue (VGA) dualhead2go's? I am interested to see if this works, and I have a need to do something similar, just want to know what gear your buying.

I made 3x TH2GO on 5770 (two on DVI one to VGA - thats why i was limited on last output to 800x600 per screen, if I will use active dp @ dvi dual link I will get 1440x900 per screen easily)

this is a topic
http://widescreengamingforum.com/forum/14530/3x3-th2g0-setup

With matroxs triplehead or dual 8K limit don't exist. I run windows XP with one card -6 monitors (2x triplehead2go) and get 5040x1050 x2 so i got 10080x1050 OR 5040x2100 res in widnows screen prosperities.

Keroppi

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Thanks.

I made it in windows XP with quadro NVS 440 card - one car but two cores, so I cant make extended desktop @ all 4 outputs

I plug 3x matroxs th2go on #2, #3, #4 output (single link res from one output so 800x600 perscreen)
total is 3x 2400x600 (NOT 2400x1800)

Thanks for your replies, guys.

@StickyGreen: The 'Analog' version of the DH2G only supports SXGA per screen, not UXGA. So, I will be using either the Digital or DP versions, which both support UXGA. Ironically, the INPUT to the 'Digital' version is still analog VGA, even though the outputs are DVI. Hence why I say I'd need VGA adapters...I assume I will be using the Digital versions, as they are much easier to come by than DP versions.

Duniek: I think the 8K limit DOES exist, but only for a SINGLE screen. You run 2xTH2G @ 5040x1050 (x2) on XP...while this does make an aggregate resolution of 10080x1050, it is still reconized by the system as 2 separate monitors, only 5040 wide each. I think if you tried to make the 2 TH2G units a single 2x1 monitor array (via Eyefinity on Windows 7) I don't think it would work because the single monitor is then >8K pixels wide. I see you have done this with 2400x600 TH2G x3, but that only makes 7200x600, still <8K pixels. Have you tried this? I will stay <8K pixels wide anyway (total resolution 6400x2400) but it is good to know.

I read your thread just now, awesome work! I look at this pic:

...how do you get all 3 TH2G to work in Matrox software? Their website says only 2 are supported?

Well i guess it's wording. The difference between "works" and "supported" are large. Kinda like you can do nvidia surround with multi-GPU cards, but it's not supported.

Duniek: I think the 8K limit DOES exist, but only for a SINGLE screen. You run 2xTH2G @ 5040x1050 (x2) on XP...while this does make an aggregate resolution of 10080x1050, it is still reconized by the system as 2 separate monitors, only 5040 wide each. I think if you tried to make the 2 TH2G units a single 2x1 monitor array (via Eyefinity on Windows 7) I don't think it would work because the single monitor is then >8K pixels wide. I see you have done this with 2400x600 TH2G x3, but that only makes 7200x600, still <8K pixels. Have you tried this? I will stay <8K pixels wide anyway (total resolution 6400x2400) but it is good to know.

I read your thread just now, awesome work! I look at this pic:
[img=467x350]http://www.abload.de/img/tn_img_0132dyk5.jpg[mg]
...how do you get all 3 TH2G to work in Matrox software? Their website says only 2 are supported?

nope
I got 10080x1050 RES in windows XP prosperities so ONE BIG scren (I made screen for sure but cant find it) - when i have some time I will plug monitors again and make new screens.

@ hd5770 windows 7 i had 7200 pix bcoz i used 2x DVI and on third DP @ VGA (single link) from single link max per screen is 800x600 so 9x800 = 7200
If you get dp @ dual link DVI

then you should get 1440 wide per scren 9x 1440 = 12960 - and with eyefnity 6 card you will get DOUBLE so 25920x900 res

If somebody can borrow or sell for cheap - 2x more matroxs + 6x dp@ dual link dvi active adapters i can do 25920x900 res ;)

Now with Nvidia you can do 5760x1080 x2 so 11520x1080 res ;)

Duniek: I'd love to see that. I know you had (have?) an e6 5870...do you have an active VGA adapter, and could test 2xUXGA@60hz and see if it works on the adapter via DH2G or TH2G? That is the last problem in my quest before I can buy...I read of some people having flickering issues running WUXGA on the VGA adapters, and I am worried if the VGA adapters can handle the bandwidth...if anyone reading this could test, I'd be greatly appreciative.
If they can't handle it, my only other option is super expensive...4 DH2G DP Edition, and 8 (5 more than I have) DP->DVI adapters! The DP edition is super expensive, since it's only sold for newer macs, nobody resells often...the digital edition is easy to come by for $60 each on ebay, all the DP edition are $200 each. That is $240->$800 (before adapters)!

Duniek: I'd love to see that. I know you had (have?) an e6 5870...do you have an active VGA adapter, and could test 2xUXGA@60hz and see if it works on the adapter via DH2G or TH2G? That is the last problem in my quest before I can buy...I read of some people having flickering issues running WUXGA on the VGA adapters, and I am worried if the VGA adapters can handle the bandwidth...if anyone reading this could test, I'd be greatly appreciative.
If they can't handle it, my only other option is super expensive...4 DH2G DP Edition, and 8 (5 more than I have) DP->DVI adapters! The DP edition is super expensive, since it's only sold for newer macs, nobody resells often...the digital edition is easy to come by for $60 each on ebay, all the DP edition are $200 each. That is $240->$800 (before adapters)!

Nobody says it would be easy ;). I made few eyefinity rigs with dp@vga adapters and never get flickering.

You have two options:

6x matrox DE - 1200$ + 6x dp @ dvi active dual link 300$ + card 250$ = 1750$
OR
6x matrox DP - 1800$ + card 250$ = 2050$

Yeah, eyefinity with DP to VGA adpters, but at 3200x1200 resolution? That is 4 megapixels to stuff through that adapter, that's why I need it checked. Have you done that high of reloution through single DP to VGA adapter? It works through real VGA port, but nobody can tell me if it's possible through adapter.

I am confused on your math...I think you think something different than what I want to build...you say 6x matrox...I only need 4 (for 8 screens, 4x2=8)...and you mention 6x dual-link dvi (which I don't need DL for anything)...the inputs are VGA or DP... The options (as I see them) should actually be this:



1. Digital Edition (big IF dp->vga adapters can send 3200x1200 data properly):

e6 Card| --> |4 DP-VGA active adapters| --> |4 VGA cables| --> |4 DH2G DE| --> |8 SL-DVI cables| --> |8 screens|
...if you don't count regular cables (I have them all), I need:
DH2G DE=$70 (ebay) x4= $280
DP-VGA active adapters=$15x4=$60
So, total of option 1 is only $340, if the adapters can pass the signal properly at that high of res.

2. Displayport Edition:

e6 Card| --> |4 DP cables| --> |4 DH2G DP| --> |8 active DP to SL-DVI DP adapters| --> |8 SL-DVI cables| --> |8 screens|
...if you don't count regular cables (I have them all), I need:
DH2G DP=$225 (ebay) x4= $900
DP to SL-DVI adpaters=$30x5=$150 (I have 3 of 8 adapters already)
So, total of option 2 is $1,050.


That is why it is important if somebody could test this. $340 total vs $1,050 is a VERY big difference.
If somebody could test this it would save me $85 to buy everything just to find out myself.
All somebody needs is DP card, DP-VGA adapter, DH2G or TH2G (DE--most common), and any 2 screens that accept UXGA input.
If anyone can check this, PLEASE help!!! Thanks in advance!!!

I read some about matrox dp and they said you dont need active adapters from dp from matrox

DP on card --> matrox DP --> passive SL DP @ DVI --> monitor

DP on card --> active DP DL --> matrox DE --> monitor



passive dp @ dvi SL cost 5$ i think

I will read about that, I hadn't heard DP edition had DVI signalling. That would save $150 on adapters for option 2, but would still be $900...not very good.

But you are killing me with this option 1 digital edition...you keep listing 'active DP to DL' for the DE...that is true for Triplehead, but the Dualhead doesn't even HAVE DVI input. ONLY VGA. That is why I need somebody to test for VGA adapter @ 3200x1600. If the Dual had DVI input, I could buy 4 DP to DL DVI much cheaper than having to use DP edition. Unfortunately, the triple DE is as expensive as the dual DP, so it would cost even more to do it that way, since the adapters cost more. Option 1 is still the cheapest, but I guess you don't have a VGA adapter you could use to test and help me out with?

Well, I don't need it checked anymore; it won't work. Evidently no adapters can push quite as much bandwidth as the RAMDACs on the cards base ports they were designed to run off of. It won't fly. Dammit.

Now it look like I have to get 4x Displayport editions for ~$900 just to run the extra 2 screens.
Right about now I'd give up if I didn't already have the screens.

If anybody has displayport editions to sell cheap or for trade, let me know. Thanks all.

thanks for all the info duniek, and Keroppi. Like I said I'm interested in doing some similar stuff, but with all XGA projectors, so analogue Matrox cards work just fine for me. I doubt I'll have any issues after reading this thread.