Re: Whats Your Setup?
Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 9:17 pm
Maybe a bit of a necropost, but I have an update to my setup that I want to show off post. I've added a third monitor, a second GTX670, and a new table to hold them. I mainly wanted to try out triple-monitor gamine (5760 x 1080) with high graphics, but that's proven to be a little difficult. There are a few games that support those resolutions, but many of the games in my library (especially pre-2011 games) tend to have little or no support. There are unofficial patches and work-arounds for some of them, but there just isn't enough call for many developers to make these games available for higher resolutions.
Overall, I would say that a single-monitor gaming setup is still the easiest and simplest way to game. Two monitors is great for multi-tasking, but I just haven't found a use for that third monitor outside of the rare game that accepts it. I've had good luck with WoW, Minecraft, and TF2. Skyrim and the Fallout games are ... iffy. There are some work-arounds, but they involve a fair amount of work. If I had to do it over again, I would not bother to buy a third monitor. When you can actually use it, it is very nice to have, and the peripheral vision it offers really draws you into the game (The side monitors do not have much going on, but simply act as peripheral vision for you to switch to quickly). It's a nice luxury, but not one that I'll be repeating.
It's heavily implied that SLI is required for these kinds of setups. Though Nvidia tends to have less performance at these resolutions that AMD, I still find the experience enjoyable. SLI 670's are a huge powerhouse, certainly more than enough to play any modern game at 1920x1080 at Ultra with a consistant 60+ FPS. I am usually able to get at or above 60fps at 5760x1080 in games that support it (WoW, Minecraft, TF2, etc.), though not all games do. I only get about 20fps in Planetside 2, though that game is notorious for having abysmal optimization. Others just don't align properly and prevent immersive gameplay (Skyrim, Fallout).
Picture: http://i.imgur.com/G7r6NZm.jpg
My rig as it stands now:
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core (OC'd to 4.5GHz @ 1.27v)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master V8 69.7 CFM Rifle Bearing
Motherboard: Asus SABERTOOTH Z77 ATX LGA1155
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1333
Storage: Crucial M4 256GB 2.5" SSD & Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM
Video Card: 2x EVGA GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB (SLI)
Case: Cooler Master HAF X ATX Full Tower
Power Supply: SeaSonic 850W ATX12V / EPS12V
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
Monitor: Asus VH236H 23.0" & Asus VH236H 23.0" & Asus VH238H 23.0:
Custom: Schiit Asgard 2
Schiit Bifrost
PYST RCA Cables
Sennheiser HD650 Headphones
Overall, I would say that a single-monitor gaming setup is still the easiest and simplest way to game. Two monitors is great for multi-tasking, but I just haven't found a use for that third monitor outside of the rare game that accepts it. I've had good luck with WoW, Minecraft, and TF2. Skyrim and the Fallout games are ... iffy. There are some work-arounds, but they involve a fair amount of work. If I had to do it over again, I would not bother to buy a third monitor. When you can actually use it, it is very nice to have, and the peripheral vision it offers really draws you into the game (The side monitors do not have much going on, but simply act as peripheral vision for you to switch to quickly). It's a nice luxury, but not one that I'll be repeating.
It's heavily implied that SLI is required for these kinds of setups. Though Nvidia tends to have less performance at these resolutions that AMD, I still find the experience enjoyable. SLI 670's are a huge powerhouse, certainly more than enough to play any modern game at 1920x1080 at Ultra with a consistant 60+ FPS. I am usually able to get at or above 60fps at 5760x1080 in games that support it (WoW, Minecraft, TF2, etc.), though not all games do. I only get about 20fps in Planetside 2, though that game is notorious for having abysmal optimization. Others just don't align properly and prevent immersive gameplay (Skyrim, Fallout).
Picture: http://i.imgur.com/G7r6NZm.jpg
My rig as it stands now:
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core (OC'd to 4.5GHz @ 1.27v)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master V8 69.7 CFM Rifle Bearing
Motherboard: Asus SABERTOOTH Z77 ATX LGA1155
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1333
Storage: Crucial M4 256GB 2.5" SSD & Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM
Video Card: 2x EVGA GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB (SLI)
Case: Cooler Master HAF X ATX Full Tower
Power Supply: SeaSonic 850W ATX12V / EPS12V
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
Monitor: Asus VH236H 23.0" & Asus VH236H 23.0" & Asus VH238H 23.0:
Custom: Schiit Asgard 2
Schiit Bifrost
PYST RCA Cables
Sennheiser HD650 Headphones