3 Monitor Setup - Gaming only in 1 of them

[C.M.Sevilla]

I currently have a gaming PC that has dual GTX 460s in SLI and overclocked. Overall gaming-wise these have worked out great for me, but I am looking to make my system a 3 monitor setup.

I am NOT looking to make a 3 screen gaming system. I am looking to make my center monitor (27in LED ASUS) my primary gaming monitor, and the two on the sides (two 19 inch Acer LCD) monitors that I can use for other tasks besides gaming. I understand that yes, if I have 3 monitors hooked up and I suddenly decide to play say GTA4, I will have two monitors next to mine on, but cannot be controlled--that's fine.

When I don't game on my PC, I do IT support and having 3 monitors helps me be tons more productive, but when I game, I generally would turn both off--or even keep them on and have my Outlook or Tweetdeck running on the sides even though I can't just mouse over for stuff.

So here is my question to you all: How can I hook up 3 monitors to my PC without having to use USB video controllers and not getting an AMD card that supports 3 monitors for gaming? I like my NVIDIA cards and I intend to only buy NVIDIA. Also, I've tried my share of USB video controllers and they just completely ruin Windows 7 and cause massive graphical software conflicts..so that's why I don't want to go that route.

I currently own a Maximus IV Extreme-Z board so I have enough PCI-e slots to fit my two cards and MAYBE one under them. I have also considered just selling both of them and buying a single GTX 680.

Would getting a single GTX 680 and then running under it in another slot another NVIDIA card for just the other two monitors work, or would it cause any sort of hardware/software conflict?

 

[enaberif]

2 x dvi
1 x hdmi (if ya have it)

 

[C.M.Sevilla]

Only cards that can support 2xDVI + HDMI support are AMD EyeFinity cards or non-gaming multiple monitor cards.

Considering I game on my machine and want to avoid having to buy an Eyefinity card...it won't work out.

 

[Patramix]

with 2 460's in SLI you should be able to connect 3 monitors without problems.(2 monitors on the first card, and the 3rd on the second card)

or, any new 600 series from nvidia support up to 4 monitors now. the 660TI are great for the price, i love my new 670, just waiting to find 3 decent 24" monitors to buy for it.

 

[C.M.Sevilla]

with 2 460's in SLI you should be able to connect 3 monitors without problems.(2 monitors on the first card, and the 3rd on the second card)

or, any new 600 series from nvidia support up to 4 monitors now. the 660TI are great for the price, i love my new 670, just waiting to find 3 decent 24" monitors to buy for it.

When connected via the SLI bridge, it only permits 2 screens. As for the 600 series supporting 3 to 4 monitors..never heard of that. I mean if it has 4 ports to connect to monitors, it doesn't mean that it will support all of them at the same time. If that is the case, then I'd probably just buy a 680, but I'd need to confirm this.

 

[Arkilion]

At their release, I saw some picture of people gaming on a gtx 680 on 3 screen and having a forth one on top for monitoring, and from what I saw, it was all on the same card.

Edit: First link on google, http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-680-review/5, there's some info on the 4-display support.

 

[NSdeadly1]

AFIK the 600 series cards will run triple monitors.

 

[Bond007]

No personal experience with it, 460 should run 3 monitors as mentioned above... 2 on one car and and 1 on the other.

 

[Dzzope]

AMD had eyefinity on 1 card.. big selling point.. Nvidia you had to have 2 cards..
Amd you hooked up all monitors to the primary card only.. nvidia you can hook them up to either card as far as I'm aware.

All 600 series cards can run 4 monitors (at least all the top end ones, 690, 680, 670, 660.)..
3 in game and 1 as a "monitor" lol.. One of the big selling points nvidia promoted with this series..

A single 660 should be as powerful if not more so than your 460's with less noise, heat and much lower power consumption (if you decide to upgrade)
Though at the moment you can have a 7950 for less.. Thats not to be sniffed at if you are looking to upgrade.

 

[fortkentdad]

I have a Asus AMD HD6670 - it does not have a display port, it does have three ports (DVI, VGA, HDMI) and I have three monitors hooked up, BUT only two can be active at one time. OR so I have found. Is there anyway to get this system to display on all three monitors??