optimum multi-monitor on a budget setup?

[iainso]

Looking to get back into FSX after being on a break for a few years. Need to buy a PC and monitors (second hand). I specifically want three 22" monitors because that's about as big as they could be and still fit my desk.

 

For now I'm not that bothered about 3d objects (trees, cars, buidings), nor getting frame rates above 30, and forget about 4k, but I do care about terrain mesh density (sharp peaks, not rounded hills).

 

How do multi monitor setups work with GPUs? I see many GPUs have a DVI, VGA, and HDMI output - does it matter if each monitor uses a different input? Or should I look only for GPUs with 3 DVIs? (I can pickup some old DVI/VGA only flatscreen monitors for peanuts). How important is it that the monitors be identical?

 

Plan is for the central monitor to be front view and instrument panel, and left and right just the side window views.

[Mark Hurst]

Looking to get back into FSX after being on a break for a few years. Need to buy a PC and monitors (second hand). I specifically want three 22" monitors because that's about as big as they could be and still fit my desk.

 

For now I'm not that bothered about 3d objects (trees, cars, buidings), nor getting frame rates above 30, and forget about 4k, but I do care about terrain mesh density (sharp peaks, not rounded hills).

 

How do multi monitor setups work with GPUs? I see many GPUs have a DVI, VGA, and HDMI output - does it matter if each monitor uses a different input? Or should I look only for GPUs with 3 DVIs? (I can pickup some old DVI/VGA only flatscreen monitors for peanuts). How important is it that the monitors be identical?

 

Plan is for the central monitor to be front view and instrument panel, and left and right just the side window views.

 

Connection type (DVI, HDMI, VGA) can be mixed. The monitors don't need to be identical or even the same resolution if you are going to run separate windows (although further comment on that below). If you want to run a single spanned view you will need an appropriate GPU (yours isn't) and the monitors will need to run at the same resolution. They don't need to be identical but you will have a better chance of colour matching if they are.

 

(Okay, so I now see you are planning to buy a new PC. That makes the following paragraph more or less redundant but it's still information.)

 

Looking at your (current) CPU, you will struggle to run three monitors well. Forget 30fps, you will be lucky to consistently get 20 over scenery and without weather, unless perhaps you stick with default scenery. I ran a Core2Duo E8600 overclocked to 4GHz for years with a lower-res three-screen display and it was borderline at best. You can see lots of videos made on that setup on my YT channel (check the 'About' to see when I upgraded). And even then I was running a spanned view with TH2Go (originally) and later nvidia Surround. Performance is significantly better with a spanned view. You will most likely get poor performance with separate 3D views in FSX.

 

My advice would be to run a single larger 1080p display (up to 32" is good) with a TrackIR and forget multi-screen unless you can significantly upgrade your hardware. I currently run three 1080p screens with an i7 7700 and that tends towards marginal even with P3D v4 and a view group to manage the three windows.

Edited July 5, 2019 by Mark Hurst

[iainso]

thanks Mark, the PC spec under my signature was from my old computer that I've since sold (so just deleted it from my signature).

 

Wondering what kind of budget would I need for a PC and GPU (second hand) that could support a 3 screen spanned view (with same criteria as mentioned before).

 

Had a look at your YT channel btw, awesome setup you have.

[Mark Hurst]

Wondering what kind of budget would I need for a PC and GPU (second hand) that could support a 3 screen spanned view (with same criteria as mentioned before).

 

Had a look at your YT channel btw, awesome setup you have.

 

I don't think I am up to date with current systems or budgets. Most modern nvidia GPUs since (600 series) will support three-screen displays natively so that shouldn't be a problem. Other than that I'd suggest looking for something with the fastest CPU you can get. Mine is an i7 7700K,which runs at 4.2GHz native but can be overclocked if you know what you're doing (I don't, so I settle for letting the BIOS run a 5% auto-overclock). I previously had a factory-overclocked i5, which ran at 4.6GHz (which is now my desktop PC!) This was pretty good but the overclock wasn't as solid as it should have been and I got tired of it blue-screening too frequently.

 

As for my setup, the PC is still the weak link. I wish I had something that would run smoothly. I just tried adding REX Sky Force 3D and I don't think it's going to cope with that :( It's marginal in weather even with regular clouds.