Hi all, I'm just consolidating the info I've gathered in the process of getting into widescreen multi-monitor simming........... I hope it will be of use to others thinking about doing the same........
So I recently went out and purchased three new LG W2261VP 22" widescreen LCD monitors and two EVGA GTX460 1GB videocards, in the hope of using Nvidia Surround (NVS) at a resolution of 5760x1080 @ 60Hz (3x 1920x1080). Sadly, the hype didn't live up to the expectation and I've been plauged with crashes and stability issues. I'm sure this will be fixed in future driver releases, but I'm not willing to wait for that to happen when I have the monitors sitting on my desk right now!!
So I then had a look st SoftTH - a software solution for multi-monitor gaming, however I never managed to get it to work at all........
So I then started looking at the Matrox Triplehead2Go (Digital Edition) as a possible solution - however the maximum resolution supported (at least to date) is only 5040x1050 @ 57Hz (3x 1680x1050) which is disappointing as its not quite as high as NVS - however it is more stable. You also have to ensure that your monitors support the 57Mhz frequency..........mine do. I've also read that the box gets hot while running - however one of our forum members has assured me that it warms slightly!! The best import price including shipping to NZ is NZD$440 or around NZD$700 if bought locally.
Matrox TripleHead2Go SpecificationsInterestingly, a new player has just entered the multi-monitor market - called MViewTech. Their product - the MV103-HDVE Pro - can support resolutions up to 5760x1080 @ 50Hz. Again, you would have to be careful to ensure that the monitors you have would support this frequency....... luckily mine do. Also of interest is their resolution of 5040x1050 @ 60Hz - which is a standard frequency over the non-standard frequency of 57Hz that Matrox uses. A negative is their Bezel Management technology - its restricted to a maximum of 128 pixels and I need 140 pixels to suit my monitors. I've read that the product runs cooler than the Matrox equivalent. The best import price including shipping to NZ is NZD$373 and is not currently available to purchase locally.
MViewTech BlogsiteMViewTech WebsiteSo now my decision is to whether to go with Matrox or MViewTech. I could save a few dollars, get the higher resolution but sacrifice full bezel management with the MViewTech box. Or pay a bit extra, have slightly limited resolutions and non-standard frequencies, but better bezel management and brand name security with Matrox......
I'll edit this post when I make a decision!!
Regards,
MAT