SLI + 2nd monitor

[Apokalipse]

If you use SLI with two monitors, you're not going to get optimal performance.
Attach a monitor to each card without SLI, and you get 100% of a card's performance per monitor, instead of maybe 70-80% (140-160% performance with SLI /2 because of two monitors)

 

[veedubfreak]

NAh apok, thats the reason i came up with this guide. You get your full SLI performance on the main monitor while using a THIRD (or 2nd in the case of a gx2) card for the 2nd monitor.

 

[Apokalipse]

But can you run games across both monitors?
If you're running a cheap card for the second monitor, would you just get a lot lower fps?

That's why I said use a monitor on each card....

 

[veedubfreak]

Nah, you use the SLI card/cards for gaming on the main monitor and the "extra" card for running a 2nd monitor for other applications.

 

[Apokalipse]

Yeah, I get that.
Though if you wanted the game to span across both monitors, it would be better to not have SLI/Crossfire, and just run a monitor off each card.

 

[Da Viksta]

would that actually work? i thought you cant really use 2 gpus for a game if they arent is SLI/CF...

 

[Apokalipse]

would that actually work? i thought you cant really use 2 gpus for a game if they arent is SLI/CF...

I tried it with my 3870's, and it works

 

[veedubfreak]

Ya, i havent bothered trying to game with the monitors spanned. I have a hard keeping up with whats going on on a single 24" monitor, much less 2.