3 monitors, not enough cards...

I'm tired of being the guy with the slow computer, and I've decided to blow my buddies out of the water with a new computer. I have three 22" LCDs that I've recently bought, and a full package computer to push them. The problem I'm having is finding the room to sync them together. In total, I have 7 expansion slots. Network card (1), Sound card (2 total), PhysiX card (3 total), IEEE card (4), Each graphics card takes up 2 each, so 2 x 2 = 4 + the 4 I already need for a total of 8.

Now in a pinch I can ditch the IEEE card. I don't do a lot of security or sensitive work on the computer anyway, so I drop to 7.

My problem is...how do I do about connecting the 3 LCDs using only 2 graphic cards? nd no, I'm not interested in 1 card running the "main" monitor, while the second controls 2 "lesser used" monitors. I prefer to play in a 3840x1024 view. When running heavy graphic-intensive programs like Oblivion with ~70 mods running, or Half-Life 2, I'm going to need all 3 monitors running without any syncing issues.

So I've been trying to find maybe a larger tower with 9+ expansion slots, but haven't been able to find anything. And running them together with an http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/products/th2go/home.php sounds like a half-assed answer to the problem.

When I was at E3 two years ago, Alienware introduced the duel-sync graphic cards adapter, and one graphics card controlled the top of a screen, the second card controlled the bottom. The 8800 GTX has a lot of power, and I'd be willing to try running both cards like that, 1 card running the top 3840x512, and the second card running the lower 3840x512, but I wouldn't have any idea where to start looking for information about that. Any computer-saavy people here have an idea? Or have another option I haven't thought of?

well a few things:


1.IEEE what? this is what IEEE is:
http://www.ieee.org/portal/site

Unless that is the one IEEE standard to rule them all you need to be more specific like IEEE 1394 aka firewire or IEEE 802.11b

2 Why waste money on a card like PhysiX when there is no industry support yet. Wait t see if the card will be accepted and games use it or it will be a $250 paper weight. Same goes for the NIC, why do you need one? All new top end mobos have excellent onboard ethernet.

3. Forget the triple monitor gaming, its a mess. Want huge rez/size get a 30" 2500x1600 rez like the 3007wfp or the 30"apple display

4. Its not a tower that has limited slots (unless a very small one) its the mobo

5. The standard you mentioned was a long-dead attempt by Alienware to create a multiple GPU setup. It has been long killed by SLI and Crossfire

If you want to run huge rezolutions with very demanding games with everything up you'll need a 8800GTX or if you want to be uber hardcore 2 of them in SLI. That will achieve what you want and use the 2 cards to render different parts of the screen. But last time I checked while SLI is enabled you cannot run 3d images over multiple screens, quite sure its the same for crossfire.

So again your best option if you want high rez is to run 1 big screen like a 24" 1900x1200 or the 30" 2500x1600

1.IEEE what? this is what IEEE is:
You're right, I meant it as a side note. The IEEE 1394 card.

2 Why waste money on a card like PhysiX when there is no industry support yet. Wait t see if the card will be accepted and games use it or it will be a $250 paper weight. Same goes for the NIC, why do you need one? All new top end mobos have excellent onboard ethernet.
Its been awhile since I have shopped around for a quality computer, and I assumed network cards were needed for serious networking. *shrug*
Now the PhysiXs card I'd argue. Yes, maybe its just a new fad, and maybe it'll be useless like most review sites have it. There aren't a lot of games that support it yet, but I'm going to bet a few hundred it will take off. Looking at independant reviews "Before/After," its enough of a difference that I'm getting one for certain. Tom's Hardware's review of one was crazy as far as the differences went.

3. Forget the triple monitor gaming, its a mess. Want huge rez/size get a 30" 2500x1600 rez like the 3007wfp or the 30"apple display
This is the moneyball. Believe me when I say you're not the first to try to convince me its a bad idea. But after seeing a 32" (I think) in action, I'll admit, its looks awesome. But I'm not a fan of huge maximized apps. Furthermore, I like the idea of being able to maximize a game on 1 or 2 screens, then having a third monitor with a web page, instant messager, notes, or whatever I want open in a third window. You can't do that full screen with a single monitor. So I'm 100% sure 3 monitors is what I'm after, which is why I'm here.



So....any ideas how I would run it?

well if its a firewire card then you can certainly get rid of it too since all new top end mobos have it oboard.


About the PhisX card, why are you betting your money again? This is not the stock market where your bet might reward you with monetary gains, that card will not increase in value or power quite the oposite by the time enough games will properly support that (IF they ever do) there is chance that a better version will be out or the current card will drop in price.

As far the multimonitor gaming then your only option is to get that matrox card you linked. SLI does not support multiple monitor gaming so the only way around that is the matrox piece.