Re-install of games and/or Windows necessary, or will games detect new setup?

[msdos622wasfun]

Hi everyone. I've got three 23" monitors on their way for Eyefinity, and I was wondering something. How typical is it that games and/or Windows itself (gasp ... I hope that's not the case) will need to be re-installed in order for the new Eyefinity setup and the higher resolutions to be detected? Is that something that is handled only on the driver level, and the games that do support it natively should just start working right off the bat (after I increase the resolution in the configuration, obviously)?

I've searched around using keywords like "Eyefinity" and "re-install," but I couldn't really find a specific answer. Thanks in advance.

[Skid]

Games will remember the last settings you used, regardless of hardware, so all you need to do is load the game and change the settings to suit. Typically games will ether ask your display drivers for what resolutions are valid or they'll ask windows, or the desktop.

[AussieTimmeh]

You shouldn't have to re-install anything. Once you configure Eyefinity, the resolutions will appear in your Windows and in games (provided the game supports Eyefinity resolutions of course).

[msdos622wasfun]

Cool. Thank you for responding. :)

[Haldi]

although you have to (should) install latest GPU driver ;)

[Davros]

This post may help you
http://widescreengamingforum.com/node/14733

[skeeder]

Small comment from me; most games will detect a GPU change and either run at a lower setting, same setting or ask you to reconfigure.

[Davros]

Maybe this post will help you
http://www.wsgf.org/forum/14733/quick-and-dirty-sacred-terabyte-vs-eyefinitywidescreenwin7

Edit: allready posted - didnt realise sorry

[Haldi]

Nnnnneeekro Post!

btw, that was in december 2011, 8 Months ago.... feels like just a few weeks ago.


BTT; I had to RMA my mainboard, so i just plugged my SSD to my old computer, running a C2D E8400+HD6970. First time starting up W7 said something about "new drivers installed" but i didn't have to do anything. Could play all games, no problems at all.
And now after going back to i7-3930K +HD7970. Just put SSD into computer and startet up as if it never was gone.

[skeeder]

That is incredible. So maybe the days of "new motherboard-reinstall windows" are over?

[AussieTimmeh]

I don't believe so. In my experience, if the chipsets are the same or extremely similar, Windows can continue working, but once the chipset starts to vary, Windows won't run and needs a re-install.

[Delphium]

I don't believe so. In my experience, if the chipsets are the same or extremely similar, Windows can continue working, but once the chipset starts to vary, Windows won't run and needs a re-install.

+1

This is due to the "HAL" (Hardware Abstraction Layer) that sits between windows and the hardware to make windows run, if enough parts are similar it will work fine with the requirement of a few drivers to be installed.