Six Monitors, One Video Card. Hands-On with AMD's Eyefinity
Posted 09/10/09 at 05:00:00 PM by Will Smith
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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.
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Submitted by brn1981 on Fri, 09/25/2009 - 1:40pm
disgusting really. why didn't they choose a monitor with seamless panels
Submitted by COMMANDER_COOK on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 7:50pm
Read Will's comment below.
Monitor
Submitted by 010000100110010... on Tue, 09/22/2009 - 8:38pm
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.
Submitted by cobleman442 on Mon, 09/14/2009 - 6:25pm
I have a 50 inch plasma just waiting for something like this xD
I just wanna know how much!!!
Submitted by streetking on Tue, 09/22/2009 - 3:12pm
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
Submitted by tehR0XX0Rz on Mon, 09/14/2009 - 1:44pm
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?
Submitted by COMMANDER_COOK on Sat, 09/12/2009 - 10:54pm
Wikipedia doesn't have this. Someone should add it.
Submitted by LGA1156 on Sat, 09/12/2009 - 6:38am
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!!!
Do you have an extra one?
Submitted by Techrocket9 on Fri, 09/11/2009 - 5:10pm
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.
Submitted by mikeart03a on Fri, 09/11/2009 - 11:29am
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
This is a great advance
Submitted by tkid124 on Fri, 09/11/2009 - 9:21am
I like the step forward, and enough monitors that will finaly fill up my great grandfathers monster of a desk
Submitted by LatiosXT on Fri, 09/11/2009 - 8:35am
They need to make a monitor with no borders or very thin ones to make multi monitor usage less obtrusive.
ahem...they did
Submitted by nekollx on Fri, 09/11/2009 - 8:37am
Submitted by willsmith on Thu, 2009-09-10 14:46
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.
Submitted by hentaiboi on Fri, 09/11/2009 - 7:06am
just wondering will this run crysis and crysis warhead at very high and enthusiast settings with 8xAA and 16xAF?
Submitted by nekollx on Fri, 09/11/2009 - 8:19am
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.
Submitted by Aidan on Fri, 09/11/2009 - 6:17am
this is an amazing feat on AMDs part this is so good that im going to join the AMD bandwagon
Submitted by devin3627 on Fri, 09/11/2009 - 4:16am
thats sexy as hell. 6 hookers in one.
Big monitor invention?
Submitted by johnny3144 on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 9:56pm
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!
Submitted by COMMANDER_COOK on Sat, 09/12/2009 - 10:50pm
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.
Submitted by johnny3144 on Sun, 09/13/2009 - 8:34pm
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
Submitted by COMMANDER_COOK on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 7:51pm
No one said it would be limited to games.
Submitted by BloOdymAN666 on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 6:36pm
ITS UTAHH!!!!
Also, does this mean dx11 hardware is serious bidness?
Wow....
Submitted by WolfdaleX86 on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 5:51pm
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.
Awesomeness and practicality
Submitted by dankers on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 5:45pm
Awesomeness and practicality don't always walk hand in hand.
Ok, we have something to
Submitted by Vano on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 5:41pm
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?
Submitted by johnny3144 on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 9:50pm
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
funny thing was I my first
Submitted by whathuhitwasntme on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 4:16pm
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!
Submitted by DerfMcWoowoo on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 2:57pm
...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!
fine and dandy...
Submitted by mpcrsc562 on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 2:51pm
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
Submitted by nickmo on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 1:51pm
Well, I want to run it with four midrange 1080P projectors @ 3840x2160. No bars in your screen.
Submitted by robotsneedhugs2 on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 1:17pm
why do people do this? why would you want bars all over your screen?
They're demoing it with
Submitted by willsmith on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 1:46pm
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.
Submitted by Rob86 on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 1:21pm
feel the same way. never wanted multi monitor because of the breaks. just one big monitor :)
Multiple monitors is fine
Submitted by Ryan Whitwam on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 1:33pm
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.
Submitted by deadgarth on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 1:21pm
Probably a lot cheaper than having one 90 inch screen.
Submitted by nekollx on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 1:09pm
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.
Submitted by wolf17 on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 4:13pm
Yes, yes it will
"Life is about living, not stressing" - a very smart girl :)
Damnit Neko!! You ask this
Submitted by DBsantos77 on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 3:19pm
Damnit Neko!! You ask this question EVERY FRICKIN TIME ! Lmao
Submitted by tehR0XX0Rz on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 3:58pm
Will it?
At over 100fps and EVERYTHING maxed out?
it probably could, but then
Submitted by bingojubes on Thu, 09/10/2009 - 4:15pm
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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