Dual display and triple display

[sleepysheep]

Here is an intresting thing I have just found out. If you have 1 or 2 monitors plugged in that are not in use by MWLL, you STILL take a performance hit....A large perfromance hit....

1 screen nothing else plugged in my hanger fps at the top is 150...Plug in another monitor that is doing NOTHING, just displaying desktop, and my FPS is now 100. Outside the hanger my FPS goes from 80, to 65...Thats a hell of a drop of a FPS for just displaying desktop on another screen. Adding another screen to that, doesn't seem to lower FPS any lower, I think surround mode does something but I still take a hit compaired to one screen by itself.

Anyone else notice any drop in FPS just by having two displays, or even three? It seems bizare that showing desktop on a spare monitor would rape my FPS by so much expecially with SLI GTX 580.

So I guess I might have to unplug two of my monitors every time I want to play MWLL...Man that's going to get annoying!

*Edit* Oh and I get FAR less stuttering and FAR less FPS drops with just one single screen plugged in. It's like my miricle cure for all my MWLL FPS problems. Well ok zooming still ruins my FPS.

[Hartsblade}12th VR{]

I just did a little testing on my PC and found no change in FPS by disabling my 2nd monitor, I even played around with turning Windows Aero off with 1 and 2 monitors and no difference.

I wonder if this may be one of thoses nVidia vs. ATI moments?

System:
[spoiler]CPU:  AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb OC'd 3.7GHz
CPU Cooler:  Thermalright Silver Arrow CPU cooler
Motherboard:  MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard
RAM:  G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB DDR3 1333 (PC3 1066) 7-7-7-21 (T2)
GPU:  MSI R6950-2PM2D2GD5 Radeon HD 6950 - 2GB, GDDR5 bios flashed to 6970
Sound:   ASUS Xonar Xense One and Sennheiser PC 350 Xense Edition headset
Monitor 1:  SAMSUNG 940UX Black 19" 5ms LCD Monitor  (1280 X 1024)
Monitor 2:  ASUS VW193TR Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor (1400 X 900)
HD 1:  Western Digital Caviar Black  750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive (play)
HD 2:  Western Digital Caviar Black  1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive (work)
DVD:  ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner
Case:  LIAN LI K60B Black CECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
PSU:  WIN LZG-1000 GOLD 1000W SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified
OS:  Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
Keyboard:  Logitech MK120 Black USB Wired Slim Desktop
Mouse:  Logitech X518 USB Wired Mouse
Joystick:  Cyborg F.L.Y. 5 (same as Cyborg X, just newer packaging)
Pen/Tablet:  Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet[/spoiler]

[sleepysheep]

I just did a little testing on my PC and found no change in FPS by disabling my 2nd monitor, I even played around with turning Windows Aero off with 1 and 2 monitors and no difference.

I wonder if this may be one of thoses nVidia vs. ATI moments?

System:
[spoiler]CPU:  AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb OC'd 3.7GHz
CPU Cooler:  Thermalright Silver Arrow CPU cooler
Motherboard:  MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard
RAM:  G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB DDR3 1333 (PC3 1066) 7-7-7-21 (T2)
GPU:  MSI R6950-2PM2D2GD5 Radeon HD 6950 - 2GB, GDDR5 bios flashed to 6970
Sound:   ASUS Xonar Xense One and Sennheiser PC 350 Xense Edition headset
Monitor 1:  SAMSUNG 940UX Black 19" 5ms LCD Monitor  (1280 X 1024)
Monitor 2:  ASUS VW193TR Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor (1400 X 900)
HD 1:  Western Digital Caviar Black  750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive (play)
HD 2:  Western Digital Caviar Black  1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive (work)
DVD:  ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner
Case:  LIAN LI K60B Black CECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
PSU:  WIN LZG-1000 GOLD 1000W SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified
OS:  Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
Keyboard:  Logitech MK120 Black USB Wired Slim Desktop
Mouse:  Logitech X518 USB Wired Mouse
Joystick:  Cyborg F.L.Y. 5 (same as Cyborg X, just newer packaging)
Pen/Tablet:  Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet[/spoiler]#

Did you actually unplug it from the GC? And it is almost certainly a Nvidia thing, infact there is no reason why my FPS should change at all in the first place.

[Hartsblade}12th VR{]

Yup, physically diconnected it.

[Bloodycrow]

I also have duel monitors plugged into my GTS 250 and received no FPS benefit by disabling and physically disconnecting the second monitor (though that is probably due to my CPU being my bottleneck, at a mere 2.13GHz).

[sleepysheep]

I also have duel monitors plugged into my GTS 250 and received no FPS benefit by disabling and physically disconnecting the second monitor.

So my cards are just Fubared....Sigh. At least triplescreen will work fine, but can't play 1920x1200 without unplugging both monitors is gonna suck hard.

Guess I better wait for nvidia to bring out some working, decent drivers for GTX 580

[Priest]

I typically 'disable' the outer two monitors on my triple screen display when I am playing mechwarrior, but it's done with the nvidia software when I go to SLI mode; it's done automatically so it pipes the processing from both cards to a single monitor.  Don't have to unplug the other two though.

Althouh I do find that is screws up my monitor order when I drop out of SLI.  Not a big deal, just a minute or two of reconfiguring order and primary montior.

[sleepysheep]

I typically 'disable' the outer two monitors on my triple screen display when I am playing mechwarrior, but it's done with the nvidia software when I go to SLI mode; it's done automatically so it pipes the processing from both cards to a single monitor.  Don't have to unplug the other two though.

Althouh I do find that is screws up my monitor order when I drop out of SLI.  Not a big deal, just a minute or two of reconfiguring order and primary montior.

Any particular reason you do this? Or is it just how you roll?

[Priest]

I get better performance with the SLI enabled... and with the nvidia software, it forces it to one display... so I guess it would be how nvidia sli rolls

[sleepysheep]

I get better performance with the SLI enabled... and with the nvidia software, it forces it to one display... so I guess it would be how nvidia sli rolls

It doesn't for me. Enabling SLI just disables one screen. Still have two on.

Ironically I get better FPS in surround on one screen than i do SLI on one screen, even though we are talking a few fps.

[Priest]

With the SLI program, I go into 3D settings and then configure SLI, physX, Surround and then set Maximize 3D performance, which then sets the SLI to pipe the two cards into one monitor. It puts the two outside monitors into a powersave mode... which is the same as if they weren't connected.

[sleepysheep]

With the SLI program, I go into 3D settings and then configure SLI, physX, Surround and then set Maximize 3D performance, which then sets the SLI to pipe the two cards into one monitor. It puts the two outside monitors into a powersave mode... which is the same as if they weren't connected.

I do the exact same thing. Yet it doesn't turn any monitors off. In fact it just doesn't care about anything at all, I swear that button does nothing for me lol, certainly no FPS difference at all in either case. Since I remember trying just for the sake of trying, same FPS.

What graphic card do you use Priest?

[Come and See]

I've been thinking of getting dual monitors. What size do you guys think would be good for #2? I currently have a 23" wide-screen.

[sleepysheep]

I've been thinking of getting dual monitors. What size do you guys think would be good for #2? I currently have a 23" wide-screen.

I have 26" because they was cheaper than 24" 1920x1200 is what I use, since all 16:10 monitors are in my opionion better than 16:9 monitors. Generally speaking 24" is about the norm (If your staying with 16:10), anything bigger than 26" starts to get rediculously expencive.

Oh and dual screen is useful, but for pure gaming its single or triple.

Since you already have a 23", you would want to buy another 23" with the same stats, if possible. Same res, same refreash rate same size etc. Since this makes it a little easier on the eyes.

[Gremlich]

I also have duel monitors plugged into my GTS 250 and received no FPS benefit by disabling and physically disconnecting the second monitor.

ditto, but I have a GTX 460