Gaming PC for multiple monitors

[otto]

Hello, it's been a long time since I last visited this site and I've been disconnected from the hardware world for quite some time, so I need some help choosing components for a new PC. The idea is to build a powerful machine for gaming with 3 or 4 monitors in Full HD. What I'm looking for primarily is power and reliability, and if possible, I would prefer not to close doors to future expansions, although this is not decisive.

I have another PC with a fried motherboard from which components could possibly be reused, but I also don't want to condition or limit the new PC just to use these "old" components. If I have to get everything new, I'll make the effort.

Here's a list of the components from my current PC with the fried motherboard... in case it's of interest, some things could be reused

• Gigabyte P55A-UD5 (Fried)
• Intel Core I7 870 2.93Ghz Box Socket 1156
• Noctua NH-D14
• 4x2GB of G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3 1600 PC3-12800 CL7
• WD Velociraptor 150Gb
• Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB SATA2 MAESTRO
• Sapphire VaporX HD5870
• Creative X-Fi Titanium PCI Express
• Corsair AX850 850W Modular
• Lian-li PC70

The idea is to build a cool PC for driving games and FPS. It needs to control a motion simulator and also needs graphics power to send a signal to 3 monitors in full HD and maybe an auxiliary one for menus, so in practice it needs to move a 5760x1080 screen and maybe another 1920x1080 screen fluently.

Initially, I would like to get the components this month, although if you think it's worth waiting until January to get something better on a new platform, I would consider it.

Of the components I have from the old PC, I was thinking of reusing the case and the power supply if it's enough to provide the power the new PC will need. After that, I'm not sure which motherboard and processor to install... I don't know if a Core i7 2600k or if it's preferable to change to one of the new platforms... what do you recommend?... For the hard drive, I was thinking of getting a Crucial M4 SSD for the operating system and maybe reusing the Velociraptor to install games and the other 1TB hard drive for storage. I was also thinking of reusing the X-Fi.

Additionally, I need a graphics card capable of combining 3 monitors 1920x1080 as if it were one of 5760x1080, with eyefinity or with some other similar software. I had thought about a Sapphire Radeon HD 6970 2GB GDDR5 Dual Fan. Do you think it's enough for what I need or will there be a big difference compared to a 6990?

The monitors may not be bought until a few months from now, but they have to be full HD, at least 27" and maximum 32" and compatible with VESA mount... if you know of any interesting models, I can also look into them.

Anyway, let's see if you can help me put together a powerful and reliable machine...

Thanks in advance

[Obione]

Wait to see how the 3GB 7970s or any 3GB GTX 700s turn out. I would get a P55 board with 2 PCIe x8 for under 150€ (MSI GD80, Asus P7P55D-E Pro or even the ASRock Extreme4 for a little less) and I would overclock the processor by disabling HT. In fact, having a Raptor would save me the Crucial as long as you can fit OS + programs in those 150GB. If you don't mind the noise, you will mainly gain by loading circuits or maps, you don't gain anything by playing. Anyway, I would spend the money on new generation graphics cards with plenty of memory.

[otto]

@Obione:

Wait and see how the 3GB 7970s or any 3GB GTX 700 perform. I would get a P55 motherboard with 2 PCIe x8 for under 150€ (MSI GD80, Asus P7P55D-E Pro or even the ASRock Extreme4 for a little less) and I would push the processor to its limits by disabling HT. In fact, having a Raptor would save me the Crucial, as long as you can fit the OS + programs in those 150GB. If you don't mind the noise, you will mainly gain when loading circuits or maps, you don't gain anything when playing. In short, I would spend my money on next-gen graphics cards with a lot of memory.

So, I understand that you're saying to get just a motherboard and keep the other components I have for now, right?…

I'm not ruling out pushing the CPU, but it scares me a bit because I have no experience with overclocking and I'm worried about frying something or having stability issues. The only thing I've overclocked several times is the graphics... Without overclocking, is there a big difference in performance between the CPU I have and a 2600k?

If I reuse many of the components I have, I'll have more money to invest in a good motherboard that, in addition to SATA3 and USB3.0, is also compatible with future graphics cards. What do you think would be the best motherboard for gaming, the MSI GD80? I read somewhere that it's not really PCIe 3.0, but I don't know if that's true or if it matters in practice when installing a 7970... do you know anything about that?

I think the Raptor's capacity for the OS, programs and games will be very tight, but I'll try and if it's not enough, I'll get a Crucial M4 later. I'll stretch the graphics card I have until the 7970s come out.

With that, the configuration could be like this...

• MSI Z68A-GD80 (G3)
• Intel Core I7 870 2.93Ghz Box Socket 1156 or maybe Intel Core I7 2600k
• Noctua NH-D14
• 4x2GB of G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3 1600 PC3-12800 CL7
• WD Velociraptor 150Gb or maybe Crucial M4
• Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB SATA2 MAESTRO
• Sapphire VaporX HD5870 for now and in January a HD7970
• Creative X-Fi Titanium PCI Express
• Corsair AX850 850W Modular
• Lian-li PC70

How good would that configuration be for gaming at high resolutions?

For monitors between 27" and 32", what interesting options do you know?

[Bm4n]

If you plan to play with 3 or 4 monitors, prepare a budget for 3 or 4 graphics cards… it's inevitable, no matter how powerful the graphics card is, it won't be enough. And thinking about a team for more than 2 graphics cards, you'll have to go for an X79, I would budget around €1800 for the tower as a minimum. To give you an example:

Intel Core i7-3930K €530
Gigabyte GA-X79-UD7 €310
G.Skill Ripjaws X DDR3 1600 PC3-12800 16GB 4x4GB €80
MSI GeForce 3x 560 Ti / 2x 580 / 1x 590 €650
Crucial M4 128GB €180
Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 1000W €180

As a cheap option, saving on the processor, because the boards that support more than 3 graphics cards in 1155 are expensive:
Intel Core i7 2600 €270
ASRock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3 €260

Extras would be recommended:
Corsair Obsidian 800D €255
Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H100 €100

PD. It's better to wait for the new graphics cards and because the Ivy Bridge will also be released soon.

[Obione]

Otto, the P55 boards don't have PCIe 3.0. In fact, with a 2600K you wouldn't have PCIe 3.0 either.

With 2 good 3GB graphics cards (new generation) you have a good setup and a P55 board with 2 PCIe x8 won't limit you practically at all. Value for money much better than what Bman tells you, but if you want to go all out, you can go for an x6 on an X79 with 3 graphics cards.

That said, I would save a few hundred on the CPU, for gaming they will be better invested in 2 graphics cards with lots of memory, HD 7000 series or GTX 700.

By the way, with the GD80 I meant a P55, any of those 3 I told you about (Amazon references) will do well. OC on the CPU isn't that complicated, look at some guides and if you have any specific questions we can help you out.

[Bm4n]

@Obione:

With 2 good 3GB graphics cards (new generation) you have a good cucumber and a P55 motherboard with 2 PCIe x8 won't limit you practically. Performance-price much better than what Bman tells you but well, if you want to give it the excited you can go for an x6 on a X79 with 3 graphics cards.

Here we have some forum member with a couple of 580 for a 30" monitor and they reach, if we increase resolution…

The point is that it's more expensive to build a top graphics card than several mid-range ones that will probably perform better, and although you don't build several at first, I think it's basic to have a motherboard with that possibility. The choice of X79 or Z68 is a matter of taste, in price 300€ difference and if you lower the price of the config you are more limited for example to only have 2x PCI at 8X that if you build new graphics cards 3.0 or these powerful ones with dual GPU at double 16x I think it's insufficient (although we will have to wait to see the novelties in action).

There's no more if you want to build a beast resolution you have to spend money, now I would say that over 600-700€, or did someone think that a 5870 would do? :risitas: And better performance-price, if it falls short and without possibility of expansion... it would make you think

PD. For example: more than 600€ in graphics card that falls short for Crysis 2:

[Obione]

But Bm4n thinks he would have to pay the x6 and 50€ more at least for the card. It's 600 euros, which is easy to say, you pay for a 7970 and a half, and the memory will be important. If you get 3 graphics cards, better a 6950 with 2GB.

[Bm4n]

@Obione:

But Bm4n thinks that he would have to pay for the x6 and at least 50€ more for the card. That's 600€ quickly said, you pay for a 7970 and a half, and the memory will be important. If you get 3 graphics cards, it would be better to get a 6950 with 2GB.

With such a high budget, trying to save the 870 (we're talking about 200€... I don't know what it's worth now used) I'm not sure if it would be good, but if you don't have the budget, first think about what the hell you want to do with 3 monitors :p, and then look for the card and a 590 on the second-hand market to buy another one in the future.

But if we're talking about the new PCI 3.0 graphics cards etc. putting them in a PCI 2.0 card and 2x 8x wouldn't make much sense to me, it would be limiting 600€ on a graphics card for a processor that's been discontinued. I would opt for a new cheaper configuration with the 1155 that allows 1 16x 3.0 / 2 16X, or a more expensive one with X79 that allows 1 16X 3.0 / 3 16X. (I'm not sure if the X79 allows 2 16X 3.0)

[Obione]

By the time PCIe 3.0 is needed, we will have better equipment. Today's graphics cards perform practically the same with x8 and the 590 doesn't impress me, 580 or 6990. However, it's better to wait for the new series, we have been with the same prices for a long time. When Amazon Spain opened, there were already 570s for under 300 euros and 560s for under 200 euros.

[Bm4n]

But those graphics aren't even enough for two 1080s...

[Obione]

We'll see when they come out, I think 2 7970s will perform very well with high resolutions.

[Bm4n]

I was referring to the 580 6990, I don't know about the new ones, but overclocking two in 8x seems risky to me and if they don't arrive, the games also advance... you couldn't overclock more or use 3.0 or dual 16x with top-of-the-line graphics, you would have thrown away the money.

[Obione]

If you get the Extreme4, you will have spent €133 on the card. By the time you need to replace those 7970s, it will have been worth it.

Anyway, we don't see the move the same way, I wouldn't spend money just to spend and would only change GPUs. You would already go for high-end (in any case, 6990 before 590 and for 3 graphics 2011, 6950 of 2GB before 560 Ti).

[otto]

the thing is that I've got myself a simulator like this

and initially I will put it with a single monitor, but next year I want to put it with the 3

the PC has to control the software that gives movement to the driving simulator, but for that it would be more than enough with the 2600k and 8Gb of RAM… what is more complicated is giving a fluid video signal at 5760x1080

initially I stick with the idea of waiting until early next year to get a new generation graphics card (or two), but I have the motherboard fried and I am without a PC, so this month I would like to update the motherboard and whatever is necessary so that it is compatible with the graphics card(s) that I am going to mount in a couple of months...

let's see if you can help me, because I am a bit lost... the budget is flexible, approximately around 2000€ for the tower and another 1000€ for the monitors

[Bm4n]

@Obione:

If you get the Extreme4, you will have spent €133 on the motherboard. By the time you need to replace those 7970s, it will have been worth it.

Anyway, we don't see the move the same way, I wouldn't spend money just to spend it and would only change GPUs. You would already go for high-end (in any case, 6990 before 590 and for 3 GPUs in 2011, 6950 of 2GB before 560 Ti).

I don't argue about WHICH graphics card to buy, there are several options, what I can argue about is WHERE it should be assembled. If you spend more than €600 (plus €130) on those supposed 7970s so that the CPU and motherboard limit the performance, it may seem somewhat absurd and sooner or later you will have to upgrade the equipment to have the possibility of expanding it, as games also evolve, what I propose is that one way or another you should assemble a balanced team with the possibility of expansion, we all know that.

If you know me a little, you'll know that I don't like exaggerated configurations or overspending and as I said for those without a budget, the first thing I would say is that they shouldn't set up so many monitors, and if not, use second-hand components to take advantage of their current equipment.

The upcoming 7970s will be able to handle the next games just as well as the current 6970s with current games at the same resolution. Very fair comparisons: HARDOCP - Crysis: Warhead - AMD Radeon 6990+6970 CrossFireX / "TriFire" Review

I'm not going to continue arguing but it would be good if you could provide some data to base what you propose on

@__otto__ if that's your budget, I would have it clear X79, if it seems too expensive, then a Z68 with a 2600 or even 2500 (which perform the same in games) on a motherboard like the one I gave you that allows you PCIE 3.0 and to mount up to 3 GPUs. The RAM would be indifferent and is cheap, I think the SSD is good for you. And the rest to your liking... let's just say don't even consider P55, sell your old processor or what you no longer need and recover some money. The graphics options I gave you are current and with this equipment you can set up several but I would recommend setting up only 2 and leaving a 3rd as an optional one. But you know that if you wait a few months, new graphics cards and new processors will come out for both X79 and Z68, and over time prices will drop, so when you go to buy the monitors you will see a bit how prices are moving and what is more profitable.

PD. If it's only going to be for a simulator, I would almost recommend the 2500 with the Z68 because the X79 would be a very powerful team in general and it would be a shame to only use it to play, and the performance in games will be very similar, simply that it allows you to mount up to 4 GPUs. If you are going to use it as the main PC, perhaps spending extra for the X79 could compensate you.

[Obione]

It is true that with that money you could build an X79 but I have seen reviews of 920 VS 2500K and it is not worth the jump (2600K for gaming will perform like a 2500K), then the PCIe x8 limits a 6990 very little and that is what I expect more or less from the 7970, similar performance with high resolutions. Certainly I respect your opinion given that there is a budget, you can buy the second graphics card and the other 2 monitors within a year. Still respecting it (in other cases I have advised against it), I do not share. Since your motherboard has fried you will have to decide otto. I insist that when gaming the SSD will not give you anything, only when loading. And certainly since you are not very ocero, I would continue with your cooler, for a decent OC it is perfect, in fact the H100 is very good for being a kit but it is noisy and does not get as much out of the NH-D14, and for something extreme from what I have read, you need a good RL, these get hotter than the Sandys although there are some that are coming out good and get hot similarly.

[otto]

thanks to both of you for your help, I have to read everything calmly because with so many acronyms I get lost quite a bit...

the games I am most interested in using with the 3 screens are LFS, Rfactor, GPL, GT Legends, RBR, they are not excessively demanding with graphics, not even close to the level of requirements of Crysis or similar... if the equipment gives me the ability to play Crysis on 3 screens then great, but if I can't then I'll play it on one and that's it...

while looking for information about the graphics power needed to use 3 screens at 1920x1080 I came across this http://www.amd-news.com/assets/files/amd-cn/Eyefinity_SetupGuide_v1_AMD.pdf

according to page 4, starting from the HD5800 it would be possible to get 3x1920x1080 with Eyefinity... although these are manufacturer data, which are usually overly optimistic, it makes one think that a 7970 could be capable of handling those resolutions with reasonable fluidity... and in case it doesn't reach then it would be a matter of putting another one in crossfire

I'm sure I won't get the monitors until summer or so,... I need to replace the motherboard so the option of a Z68 with a 2500k would allow me to take advantage of the rest of the components for the time being, and in summer I'll look at the issue again...

what do you think about this configuration to hold out until summer?

• ASRock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3
• Intel Core I7 2600k (I've seen the 2700k for 6€ more) is it true that for gaming the I5 2500k is better?
• Noctua NH-D14
• 4x2GB of G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3 1600 PC3-12800 CL7
• WD Velociraptor 150Gb and if I don't have enough space I'll add a Crucial M4
• Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB SATA2 MAESTRO
• Sapphire VaporX HD5870 for the moment and in January a HD7970
• Creative X-Fi Titanium PCI Express
• Corsair AX850 850W Modular
• Lian-li PC70

[Obione]

If it is that otto, I had a hunch that was the way to go. With just one 7970 you can move 3 monitors in rFactor 2 which will give us many hours of gaming ;D

As for the 2600K, I've told you, the HT is not worth it and from a 2500K to an 870 it's not worth the jump. First, look at what Bm4n suggests.

By the way, you've got the cockpit with movement from the video, right? How much does it cost? What wheel do you have?

[otto]

@Obione:

If that's the otto, I had a hunch that was the way to go. With just one 7970 you can run 3 monitors of rFactor 2, which will give us many hours of gaming; D

As for the 2600K, I told you what I thought, the HT isn't worth it, and from a 2500K to an 870 it's not worth the jump either. First, look at what Bm4n suggests.

By the way, you just got the cockpit with the movement from the video, right? How much did it cost? What wheel do you have?

sorry dude, but between the sleep I'm getting and not being up to date, I don't quite get what you mean by
"The 2600K is as I told you, the HT isn't worth it, and from a 2500K to an 870 it's not worth the jump either. First, look at what Bm4n suggests."

what do you think of the configuration I just put up? The price difference between the 2500k, 2600k, and 2700k is reasonable, which one is preferable to get for that configuration I put up?

the wheel I have is a modified G27 with a pressure sensor on the brake pedal and a full-size steering wheel

the cockpit I got is like the one in the video, although I got it without the support for the screens and several bars from the front of the chassis that I'll build with a friend to save some money... that's why I still don't have it assembled. Even so, it cost me a little over 3000€ including shipping and customs. Here's the manufacturer's website http://simxperience.com/

The model I got, besides moving the seat, also has a drift simulation and moves the rear part of the cockpit to the sides. The rig, when assembled with 3 screens, is really immersive, I'll leave you a couple more videos

[Obione]

It looks great :eoh: I also work with G27 + cockpit, but without movement :llorar: The HT are the virtual cores, useful with de/compression or rendering but somewhat dispensable for gaming. Those 100 bucks for the HT are better spent on graphics and I'll tell you even more, you can save the 200 of the 2500K, you're not going to gain practically anything compared to an 870. That's why I told you to remove the HT (i7 has HT, i5 doesn't) from your 870 which makes it swallow a bit more voltage and raise a few degrees. I don't think you'll have problems getting 4GHz out of it (180 base clock, which isn't much of a strain on the board since you have a good multiplier [22]) with a voltage close to the stock one and with your cooler you're good to go.