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Six Monitors, One Video Card. Hands-On with AMD's Eyefinity

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Today’s graphics cards can barely handle one 30-inch monitor in gaming. Pushing around 2560x1600 pixels is a challenge for current-generation GPUs. While it’s true that each new generation of graphics cards can push performance, we weren’t quite prepared for the preview AMD gave us of its upcoming DirectX 11–capable graphics hardware.

 

AMD ushered us into its Sunnyvale, CA, test lab, where it had a high-end system set up with a single graphics card. AMD would only disclose that the card had a single GPU, and was one of the company’s upcoming DirectX 11–capable chips—nothing about the amount of video RAM, clock speeds, or anything else. This particular graphics card also sported six DisplayPort connectors. Attached to each DisplayPort connector was a 30-inch Dell display. The whole affair was configured as a single, 7680x3200 monitor. That's 24.6 megapixels!

 

Sure, you say, you can hook up six monitors and run Windows… but can it do 3D?

The short answer: yes, in spades. We witnessed the flight sim XPlane 9 running at full resolution, as well as Far Cry 2. Also shown was the flying ship scene from 3DMark 2006, running at a full 7680x3200, at between 12 and 20 frames per second. Dubbed Eyefinity, the tech demo was an amazing tour de force, and we can’t wait to get our hands on one of those cards.


 

COMMENTS
avatarug

disgusting really. why didn't they choose a monitor with seamless panels

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avatarRead Will's comment below.

Read Will's comment below.

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avatarMonitor

Now if they could just make a monitor that could physically connect and disconnect to other monitors of that kind and make basically an 'array' of monitors.

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avatarYES!!

I have a 50 inch plasma just waiting for something like this xD

I just wanna know how much!!!

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avatarque?

ummmm.... you know your television will only display at 1900x 1080 or something like that right?... unless its a 720 O.o and btw really bad idea using a computer with a plasma... your start button and taskbar could eventually get burned into the screen and never go away lol

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avatarA lot of questions about

A lot of questions about this card's performance with Crysis....I wonder why!

No one would expect high frame rates on six monitors, but we would all like to know how it would run that particular game at 1920x1200 or so. Has the hardware finally caught up to those idiot's future-proofing? Can the game be maxed out and maintain over 100 fps?

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avatarWiki it

Wikipedia doesn't have this. Someone should add it.

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avatarthis is all well and

this is all well and good.... BUT... how about some games? The PC market for games is way too slow, there looking at DX11 for what?!? I want to see some more high end games!!!

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avatarDo you have an extra one?

Do you have an extra 6 monitor set and PC with magical futuristic GPU? I'd be happy to take them off your  hands.

 

 

_____________________________________________________ 

An army of pacifists can be defeated by one man with the will to fight.

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avatarInteresting, though I could

Interesting, though I could see this more in a workstation setup for AV/Photo guys or powering commercial displays. I have a triple setup and it's more than enough for me, though a 4th screen would be great for keeping tabs on systems details, e-mail, weather and my local CCTV setup.

- mike_art03a
Owner, Network Admin
Michael Artelle Online Solutions
http://www.michaelartelleonline.com
michael.paiement@sympatico.ca

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avatarThis is a great advance

I like the step forward, and enough monitors that will finaly fill up my great grandfathers monster of a desk

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avatarThis looks tacky...

They need to make a monitor with no borders or very thin ones to make multi monitor usage less obtrusive.

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avatarahem...they did

 

They're demoing it with crazy-thin
(<1cm thick) bezel displays here. The lines aren't very noticeable,
especially if you do a 3-wide setup. Then your focus is on the middle
screen, with the other stuff filling your peripheral vision.

 

------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.

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avatarto see is to believe

just wondering will this run crysis and crysis warhead at very high and enthusiast settings with 8xAA and 16xAF?

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avatar at this size...probably

 at this size...probably not since the demo game got 20 fps...but on a single monitor....probably..

------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.

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avatardang

this is an amazing feat on AMDs part this is so good that im going to join the AMD bandwagon

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avatarohhh yaaa.

thats sexy as hell. 6 hookers in one.

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avatarBig monitor invention?

this just give me an idea... why don't we produce like 3840 x 2160 monitors and have 4 display port connection? each 1/4 of the screen is on a seperate cable/system, and rendered as a single monitor. you get big display, and no bars!

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avataryou missed the point

The point is that one huge monitor, no matter how it connects to the pc, would be crazy expensive. Also, it's an extroadinary feat for a single gpu to be able to run a game on such a high resolution at 20 fps.

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avatarnot limited to games

who said it have to limit to games? it could be used for all sort of things. like superHD movie, or graphic editing or something. i am sure people will find something to do with all the extra resolution. and it won't be that big, like 52 inch? cost 3k or something? seems pretty doable to me

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avatarNo one said it would be

No one said it would be limited to games.

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avatarHi UT

ITS UTAHH!!!! 

Also, does this mean dx11 hardware is serious bidness?

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avatarWow....

So basically the video card is dividing up those 7860x3200 resolution frames into 6 indvivdual chunks. That's a really nice piece of technology. Very interesting concept.  

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avatarAwesomeness and practicality

Awesomeness and practicality don't always walk hand in hand.

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avatarOk, we have something to

Ok, we have something to compare with: 12-20fps in 3d mark 2006 at flying ship model.

Now, someone with 3d mark 2006 on hands, please post your results so we can compare.

 

P.S.

what kind of connection these monitors are using? looks like optical SPDIF or firewire?

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avatardisplay port

they are DisplayPort

 btw, we can't run it at the same res... it just don't work... dual link DVI simply don't go that high

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avatarfunny thing was  I my first

funny thing was 

I my first thougt was will it run crysis as wel

oh well somebody beat me to asking it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blindly Going Where many have gone before but often failing to read the directions!

 

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avatarBrought to you by...

...DisplayPort. And the word Awesome! And the letter A. And the number 6.

Okay, so this is exactly why I want DisplayPort. I'm sick and tired of the crappy DVI and VGA cables. You have to worry about bending pins and getting alignment perfect...and it's shitty...and the cable length has to be short...and it's really thick cable with a big end...and it's shitty.

Cumon monitor and video card vendors. Let's move forward with technology. DisplayPort rocks! Smaller connectors means more ports on video cards. Cable is thin. Cable ends are thin, so you don't have to drill big holes in walls/desks to run cable.

DisplayPort Rocks!

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avatarfine and dandy...

what was the os they were using to showcase the game?

 curious, cause my experience with vista and windows 7 has not allowed me to span a game to both monitors during gameplay (burnout paradise being the only game i have that allows multiple monitor gameplay). and from my reading on the subject, it is not a limitation of the game but rather the os.

it sure would be cool to have that big ass desktop, though

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avatarWell, I want to run it with

Well, I want to run it with four midrange 1080P projectors @ 3840x2160. No bars in your screen.

 

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avatarwhy do people do this? why

why do people do this? why would you want bars all over your screen?

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avatarThey're demoing it with

They're demoing it with crazy-thin (<1cm thick) bezel displays here. The lines aren't very noticeable, especially if you do a 3-wide setup. Then your focus is on the middle screen, with the other stuff filling your peripheral vision.

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avatarfeel the same way. never

feel the same way. never wanted multi monitor because of the breaks. just one big monitor :)

 

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avatarMultiple monitors is fine

Multiple monitors is fine for regular use in Windows.  Not so much for gaming.  I just keep the games to one monitor. I don't really want to whip my head around in games anyway.

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avatarProbably a lot cheaper than

Probably a lot cheaper than having one 90 inch screen.

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avatar but will it run

 but will it run Crysis?

------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.

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avatarYes, yes it will "Life is

Yes, yes it will

"Life is about living, not stressing" - a very smart girl :)

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avatarDamnit Neko!! You ask this

Damnit Neko!! You ask this question EVERY FRICKIN TIME ! Lmao

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avatarWill it?   At over 100fps

Will it?

 

At over 100fps and EVERYTHING maxed out?

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avatarit probably could, but then

it probably could, but then the monitor frames would get in the way for me. if it was one LARGER monitor, i could see that being cool.

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