Triple Monitor Setup

Hi Guys

I'm looking to build a new system that will allow me to multitask more than I can now, and do some lunch break gaming. I also want the system to hold up for years, so I'm willing to pay extra now to not have to upgrade again later (this pc is about 7 years old and can play COD, albeit on lower settings than I used to).

I've never done the SLI thing, so I don't know how it works in relation to multiple monitors. Essentially I only game on one monitor, but when I'm working I'll be using all 3. I'm assuming that 2 video cards would be able to handle this, since each have two ports right?

Side Note - I have a ReadyNAS for file storage so I don't need much space for current usage. Hence the SSD and no "storage" drive.

Thank you for any feedback!


Ticket Number: 479137
Total Price with Instant Savings: $3,555.00

Direct Load URL: http://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadsaved.asp?id=479137

Specifications:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Black OPS HailStorm Edition
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 2600K 3.40GHz (Unlocked CPU for Extreme Overclocking) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Maximus IV Extreme (Intel P67 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s)
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 1200W Digital Storm Certified (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition Highly Recommended)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (160GB Solid State (By: Intel) (Model: X25-M MLC Edition) (Extreme Performance)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: Blu-Ray Writer/Reader (Burn and Play Blu-Ray Discs)
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 1.2GB (Includes PhysX Technology)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Asetek Liquid CPU Cooler (120mm Radiator) (Great Value)
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 4.0GHz to 4.7GHz (Cooling Upgrade Recommended)
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Install/Test Game: FREE: Hot-selling game with a NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 or above graphics card
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Large)
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty



Edited by xxclixxx - 17 Jan 2011 at 3:44pm

Nvidia GPU's can only do two monitors at a time, so if you want to go that route you need to go SLI. Only 2 of those ports work at any given time. ATI can do 3 off one card.

Edited by Invader Mig - 18 Jan 2011 at 3:23am

I think SLI would be a good bet for this usage, 2 Nvidia Cards SLI'd can support 4 monitors....The OP wants this rig to be semi-Future proof which means you do not want a SINGLE ATi GPU,  Either go SLI or Crossfire with 2 cards.  And with 2 cards you want the 1200watt Corsair Power Supply.   Just m y opinion.

I would also have a second hard drive to supplement the SSD, I have the 160GB SSD and love it, but I moved "My Documents" and "Downloads" off to a separate bulk storage drive.


Edited by MagiK - 18 Jan 2011 at 10:13am

Ok here are my thoughts,  I have the Syndicate TEC build, and will tell you that there are some things you need to consider.

A.  The TEC system draws a LOT of power, there are two power cords from your system to the wall outlets.  You need about a 15 amp circuit to run it.  The TEC by itself draws 850 watts from it's own dedicated power supply in my system the whole time the system is powered up, Wether you are at idle, or full bore gaming  then there is the Other power supply that runs your computer wich can draw up to 12 or 1500 watts depending on what kind of build.

B.  Unless your system spends a lot of time at max load, or you are into benchmarking I recommend sticking with Normal Water cooling or AIR.

C.  The TEC system will make your system cramped it takes a lot of space check out the link in my sig for some pictures of the Syndicate TEC system....The Hailstorm will be even more cramped I think.

D.  The TEC system is AWESOME, the temps on my system are outrageous. (see link in sig)  However it does heat up my 10x12 office space pretty good.


As for the three monitors, Windows itself isnt really very good at multi-monitor support, it can work with multiple monitors but it is no where near being a "Professional" level of support for even 2 monitors.....but I wont rant on about that.  2 monitors work fine for me, and three don't present any challenges other than the fact that windows itself doesnt know how to really make them useful, as in separate task bars and start menus and individual control buttons in the windows themselves...to get that kind of support you need to go third party.


All the above is based on my own experiences with my own equipment and thus is basically anecdotal information, other peoples mileage may vary.

(FYI the Syndicate has roughly 600-1100 cubic inches more interior space than does the Hailstorm  Syndicate is 18x18x18 = 5832)


Edited by MagiK - 18 Jan 2011 at 12:15pm

With Ultramon you should have no issue with 3 monitors.

Xclixxx how is the response times having the "My Documents" folder out on the ReadyNAS?   I have a 12TB ReadyNAS Pro wich seems to be fairly snappy but also a 8TB ReadyNas NV wich is kind of pokey, its fast enough for video streaming but not so good on File access/read/writes.

For his use he does not need sli, he is gaming on one monitor and using multi monitor for work, no need for sli there at all, the 6970 will let him do exactly that with one ati gpu., that 6970 can run 5 monitors, I'm waiting on justin to show me how you can 6 monitors with that card in another thread.

as for water cooling (liquid cooling), here you either want the Noctua air coolers or go straight to stage 3 LC, stage 2 is no good, it has the same performance as stage 1 air.

IMHO sli is the opposite of future proof, I mean not only do we not know what kind of power the future games need but also there is dx12 and etc, right now we have people with sli 275 and 295 gtx, upgrading cause they want dx11.

how good dose sli 8800 gts do now? future proof? I don't think so, specially if the res of the user has gone up also.

IMHO future proof is when your system can handle future gpus and etc so that you can upgrade and have the future capability (dx12, and etc) and also enjoy the power those future cards will provide in one card.

try playing metro for example at 1900 x 1200 with sli 275 or 8800 gts/gtx in dx11 and tell me how future proof you feel, I wouldn't feel much future proof cause I couldn't even do dx11.

TEC is great, too much power draw but I love it.

Edited by DST4ME - 18 Jan 2011 at 2:43pm

magik sli 570 would struggle in metor , so we know sli 8800 can't even hang, not to mention no dx11.

I mean its not philosophy, future proof involves handling things from the future, dx is one of those things, and current gpus can't handle future dx11, therefore you can't really future proof.

so dx11 is just one aspect of future proof that is not possible.

second aspect is games needs, as I said look at metro for example, you need current games to play it, who knows how many games in the future will have this kind of demand?

so in short not only is not possible to go future proof, its also impossible to do so when we don't know what the needs are, people that have sli 275/8800 can't play current games like metro and a few others, they can't max out games liek gta4, so I just dont' see any future proofing going on to be honest.

thats where I'm coming from, from what I understand future proof means handling things from the future.

we go with a 1000w psu to keep options open for future, looking back 7 years, a 1000w got you sli then, it can do it now, I see no reason why in 4 years a 1000w can't do sli still, so I dont' see needing a new psu to get a new card.

also just like 570/580 give performance of past sli cards in one card, oddds are in 4 years one card will do the same as sli 570/580 in one card plus support for dx13, which will need a single 750w psu.

Edited by DST4ME - 18 Jan 2011 at 2:59pm

future proof is the same for everybody IMO, I used metro as an example of todays games that were not there last year or 2 years ago.

Yes you can play dx11 games in dx9 and lower settings.

but with all due respect, I cant see how that is being future proof, can't use future dx, can't play high settings, and paid arm and leg for sli.

now compare that to a person that got a single 8800 and just upgraded to 570 gtx, this person can play at dx11 and at high settings.

so you guys tell me, is having to play at a lower dx and lower settings future proof

or

is playing at current dx11 and high settings future proof.

I think by definition future proof is the guy that upgraded to 570 and plays at current settings and dx. so I just don't see the philosophy part in that.


try playing metro with sli 9800, tell me your average fps, bet its under 40 if you are lucky.

Edited by DST4ME - 18 Jan 2011 at 3:17pm

Originally posted by MagiK Xclixxx how is the response times having the "My Documents" folder out on the ReadyNAS?   I have a 12TB ReadyNAS Pro wich seems to be fairly snappy but also a 8TB ReadyNas NV wich is kind of pokey, its fast enough for video streaming but not so good on File access/read/writes.

I have the ReadyNAS Pro as well. It works fine after the initial spin up. I put it on the power save mode. I may go back but I felt like leaving them spinning all the time was excess wear & tear. The only issue with doing it this way is some software can't handle the network drive and won't install.. Usually smaller company software but it can be annoying.

So how big a difference is the GTX 570 and GTX 580 and GTX 580 Black Ops version?

580 is about 10 to 15 fps better depending on the game, but its not worth the extra $200. for your use and 3 monitors the 6970 is better and will give same performance, its a bit more expensive but it can do more monitors, 6 total.

Edited by DST4ME - 18 Jan 2011 at 3:33pm

LOL I thought he was referring the the DS BlackOps , so I'm looking for it and looking for it and looking for it and lookin.....

If you are only taking the base "Free" OC for the CPU you do not need water cooling of any component.  If you are planning on squeezing more out of the CPU with high OC then you should consider water cooling for the CPU and Chipset.  Water Cooling for the GPU is basically not necessary but can allow you to keep the noise levels down and OC the GPU's a bit better.

In my system the UV effect of the red tubing is...minimal, would not have bothered with the UV lighting if I did it again.


Edited by MagiK - 19 Jan 2011 at 4:30pm

Thanks, yeah I meant to have the OC higher but I been staring at all these lists my eyes are going LOL well sounds like you guys really are saying only 1 card so I'll stick with one and LC it all around.

Ticket Number: 479726
Total Price with Instant Savings: $3,640.00

Direct Load URL: http://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadsaved.asp?id=479726

Specifications:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master HAF 932
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 2600K 3.40GHz (Unlocked CPU for Extreme Overclocking) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 Pro (Intel P67 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s)
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 1000W Corsair (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (160GB Solid State (By: Intel) (Model: X25-M MLC Edition) (Extreme Performance)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: Blu-Ray Writer/Reader (Burn and Play Blu-Ray Discs)
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 1.2GB (Includes PhysX Technology)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 6: Sub-Zero LCS Dual Loop: CPU & Single Video Card & Chipset
H20 Tube Color:Red Tubing with High-Performance Fluid (UV Lighting Reactive)
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 2: Overclock the processor between 4.7GHz to 5.2GHz (Liquid Cooling Upgrade Recommended)
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Install/Test Game: FREE: Hot-selling game with a NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 or above graphics card
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Large)
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty


Edited by xxclixxx - 19 Jan 2011 at 5:26pm

Very good, now that system has the mobo and psu to go sli if you need it, which is the best option IMHO

just understand since you have gone with LC, if you want to add a gpu later you have to add it to the LC loop, if you don't know how to work that, I would stick with air on gpu at least.

to see the uv tubes glow you need the uv light, $10.

Edited by DST4ME - 19 Jan 2011 at 5:29pm

Originally posted by xxclixxx PS. I think it's fun seeing your guys specs while at the same time convincing me of only one card. It is nice knowing you aren't just trying to get everyone to over purchase ;-)

LOL what I Like/want/need for my use has got nothing to do with what other's want/need, so I have no problem putting myself in your shoes and seeing exactly what I would need/want if I were you and had to build a pc for your use.

Also we are customers ourselves like you, I been here for almost 3 years now, I got nothing to gain from wasting your money, as a matter of fact the reason I donate my time is to save others money, lol.

I have no doubt that if you had the same type of oppertunity to help in a different area, you would do the same for me

Cooler hanging over the ram will have no effect on cpu temp.

assuming you got a case with decent airflow, (haf has great airflow), your case temp will be fine and have very little to do with your cpu temps.

Edited by DST4ME - 19 Jan 2011 at 6:10pm