Triple monitor setup

[Guest mudjeep]

Ian, can you give us a rundown on how you have set up your triple monitor cockpit?

 

Cheers,

 

Jason

 

 

[robinsm]

Hey Mudjeep, I'm from Goulburn and have just done a 3 screen setup for FSx. Used 2 graphics cards with the same drivers (PCIe) and second hand lcd monitors.

 

Cheers

 

Maynard

 

 

[Guest mudjeep]

Might have to drop round for a look!

 

 

[Admin]

G'day Mate

 

I use the Matrox Triple Head2Go unit that spreads it all across the 3 screens but it isn't cheap. The two video card solution is the next best however economics comes into it - the cost of the Matrox that you will still have when you next upgrade against the cost of an extra video card.

 

Thinking out loud I would have thought that to use 3 monitors with 2 video cards you would be able to stretch the view across 2 screens only with 1 card and the 2nd card would drive the 3rd screen for something like viewing the panel - I could be completely wrong though as I don't know how the 2 card system works - I mean do both cards have to be the same - could you do the same with a single SLI card that has dual processors - extra power required from the power supply etc

 

Having more monitors does give flight sim an exciting new way of simming though

 

 

[Guest mudjeep]

Jeez they are pricey! I could buy 1/30th of a thruster for that price! Still, would be good. I already have two screens so might be able to stretch to it.

 

robinsm, does your 2 card system spread the whole image over three screens, or does the third screen just take instruments etc as Ian suggested?

 

 

[robinsm]

The 2 card system I use has a total of 4 outlet ports for monitors. 1 vga and 1 digital on each card. I have 2 monitors plugged into the first card and one plugged into the second card (It will take 2). I have not bridged the cards. The 2 cards are both nvidia cards and use the same driver. (cards were about $80 each - 512 MB and pci E. Microsoft flight sim x allows you to get a virtual cockpit view inside the main view screen. This can be moved to the left or right screen, resized and then adjusted to view either out the left or right windows. The screen setup is contained in windows setup and the nvidia controller from the card setup. I have the screen set so when I look left the left screen lets me look out the left window, the center screen allows me to look straight ahead and the right screen lets me look out the right window. I could add a small 4 th screen that I could tranfer the aircraft instrument view onto. but I need to get a larger power supply to drive that. It is possible to spread the one picture over three screens but you don't get the proper view you need to see where the aircraft is going.

 

I set this up because it annoyed me that I couldn't look out the side windows when I was flying the computer. I already had 2 of the monitors I needed as I have an observatory networked to the main computer. I bought the third one second hane from a local computer shop. There are a number of websites that show you how to set thyis up. (cant remember them off hand but can look them up if necessary.) It is not as difficult as I was lead to believe and looks really cool when flying the trike in FSX.

 

Cheers

 

Maynard

 

 

[eliassmith02]

hi, I use the "triple head to go" and its brilliant. If you can, I would use this option as it can be used on any system, like when upgrading etc. Where as using 2 g.cards would mean you would have to upgrade both cards when upgrading your system. I love using it with head tracking software / hardware as well. It gives a whole new dimension.

 

 

[Guest mudjeep]

With the 2 card setup and setting up the different "views" onto each monitor is there any overlap on adjacent screens? That is, can you see any part of the aircraft (window struts etc) or objects out the window on both screens? Or does it look natural?