Need to run 10 monitors.

[Nabis]

Customer has asked me to build a machine that runs 10 monitors (Something for some hospital monitoring). I've never ran more than 2-3 off one machine, so I was wondering if anybody has any experience with this, and if they could recommend some mobo-gpu's that will work without any problems?

[GIXXERGUY6]

Are you going to be cloning or running seperate things on each monitor?

[Nabis]

My assumption is separate. I haven't seen what the application is yet.

[MattNo5ss]

Typically, it's 2 monitors per graphics card, and I dunno if there's a mobo that supports 5 graphics cards. Have to do some searching...

Here's some mobos with at least 5 PCIE slots running at least x8:
Asus P6T6 WS Revolution (X58) and EVGA Classified 200 (P55) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010200280%201494346138&bop=And&ShowDeactivatedMark=False&ActiveSearchResult=True&CompareItemList=N82E16813131358%2CN82E16813188058)
Asus P6T7 Supercomputer (X58) and EVGA Classified XL (X58, XL ATX) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010200280%201494348038&bop=And&ShowDeactivatedMark=False&ActiveSearchResult=True&CompareItemList=N82E16813131390%2CN82E16813188059)

It looks like you'll need low profile cards to get 5 to fit, I'm not 100% sure it will work since I've never seen someone running 5 cards w/ 10 monitors.

[Nabis]

Thanks for that... I was actually looking at only AMD boards, and I couldn't find one that had more than 4 PCIX16 slots. Looks like Intel has a lock on boards with more than 4. Since I only was mainly looking at boards with 1 PCIX16 slot, and 4 PCI slots, I was thinking I could run 1 PCIX16 GPU, and 4 PCI GPU's, but 5 of the same card seem like a better idea with the Intel board. (I know that some of the slots are actually x8 & x4, but you know what I mean).
Took me a second to understand what you were talking about with Lo-Pro - I was thinking the standard "Lo-Pro" description (less width), you're obviously talking less height. I've given that some thought also, where I'm hoping I have enough clearance between slots/gpu's.

[Brutal-Force]

I have also seen USB ---> VGA for sale. It is my understanding they work like a video card.

[tomasgi]

I have also seen USB ---> VGA for sale. It is my understanding they work like a video card.

Yup I had one when I was doing day trading and only had one GPU, they work like a charm but most of them are only good for low end things (graphs, websites, low res movies). Mine worked like a charm I still have it:)

[ratbuddy]

You'll probably be best off with Matrox cards. Medical and multi monitor stuff is their specialty. An M9188 plus an M9128 would cover 10 monitors, although the client would be looking at about $2k plus your markup.

[Headstand]

I had to do a similar setup. It was 11 monitors but they were all clones, well 1 user monitor and 10 clones. Project Manager wanted to buy some massive setup with multiple GPUs. No games, not video intensive, just a power point slide that ran all day long. I don't want to post links, but look up the company black box and part # AC160A-R3. It is a 10 way VGA splitter. I had some crappy GPU with DVI out and VGA out. Set them to clone, ran DVI to user monitor and VGA to splitter. I used the VGA with the splitter because you can do long runs with VGA, but digital loses it after like 16 feet or something. A few of them were too long, so I used extenders over CAT5 to go upstairs.

Anyway, ask the customer what they want and that will help. If it is a medical app, I would bet it would be clones.

[Bobnova]

I smell a use for Eyefinity, if ATI has released it yet. They claim up to six monitors per GPU. Don't know if that means two GPUs can do 12 though.

[Younglin]

http://www.motherboards.org/reviews/motherboards/1913_1.html

That should get the job done.

[Neuromancer]

I smell a use for Eyefinity, if ATI has released it yet. They claim up to six monitors per GPU. Don't know if that means two GPUs can do 12 though.

I am surprised no one else has mentioned this yet.


Right now they only have 3-way cards. But 4 of them will support up to 12 monitors.

If you are not going to use display port native monitors, shop around and get a good DVI/HDMI display port adapter though, because IIRC, the ones that Dell sells have issues.


http://www.amd.com/us/products/technologies/eyefinity/whatiseyefinity/Pages/what-is-eyefinity.aspx

[Younglin]

I'd go with the mobo I posted above, and 4 5770's. (depending on how demanding their uses will be you might want to kick that up to a 5870)

[Nabis]

http://www.motherboards.org/reviews/motherboards/1913_1.html
That should get the job done. I actually have the P6T6 in my shopping cart... The T7 looks like a bit of a premium price for more of a 'gaming' board, so in this case, it may not be cost-efficient (T6 is still $330.00).

You'll probably be best off with Matrox cards. Medical and multi monitor stuff is their specialty. An M9188 plus an M9128 would cover 10 monitors, although the client would be looking at about $2k plus your markup. $1800 for one card! Looks cool, though. I'm assuming the people that spend that kind of money need a solution with only 1-2 cards.

Are you going to be cloning or running seperate things on each monitor? Does this actually matter? If I did a 5-GPU system, would the hardware react differently depending on if they are cloned monitors or not?

Bobnova/Neuromancer - Thanks for the tip on Eyefinity... I'll look into this.

[NOVAA]

I'd go with the mobo I posted above, and 4 5770's. (depending on how demanding their uses will be you might want to kick that up to a 5870)

I think 5770's would be serious overkill for hospital monitoring appications. Drop four or five 5450's in there, low power draw and low thermal output cards that should provide more than enough performance for what there looking for. Just make sure theres good airflow over the cards, 5 passively heat dissipated cards could get mighty toasty.

[ratbuddy]

$1800 for one card! Looks cool, though. I'm assuming the people that spend that kind of money need a solution with only 1-2 cards.

Look at the TCO and motherboard requirements though. A 2 card solution on a cheaper mobo will use less power than 5 cards on a higher end/more expensive mobo, at least in the long run.

[Mikef1r3]

get 4 5570's get 2 sapphire active displayport adapters, and whatever monitors you want as long as they support VGA/DVI. Or you can get 2 monitors that support displayport and dont get the adaptors. and i might be wrong about needing displayport with the 5570's depending on the OEM's what they want on their cards

[Younglin]

I love overkill. =]

[terran2k]

get 4 5450s, passively cooled ones and have a side intake fan blow over them.

[Younglin]

I would still go with 4 5770's. Just to have the extra power if needed, and to help "future proof" the system.

[Neuromancer]

Just a heads up the 6 port ATI eyefinity cards are due out March 11th. No idea on MSRP yet though.

IT probably will be cheaper in the short term to just go with 4 5770s though.

[Nabis]

Four 5770's? I know this is an enthusiast site, but c'mon...
Two reasons:
a) It's hard to imagine that they need that much gpu power/expense. I still want to get the work, without them being *too* sticker-shocked. If they go get 3 quotes, and I'm the least-expensive because I do what works for the most cost-efficient manner, then I'll probably get the work.
b) The 5770's are relatively large, especially when I'm trying to put 4 of them together.

I liked Terran2k's and Novaa's suggestion on the 5450's. I initially had the thought of five 9500 GT's - simple, inexpensive, thin, dual-DVI cards.

Here's my question/concern on DisplayPort adapters to DVI/VGA: Does the DisplayPort adapter 'lock-in' on the card? It seems too easy to get knocked out compared to DVI/VGA.

I appreciate the comments/suggestions.

[Evilsizer]

well one card here will get you to 8 monitors..
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=624664&highlight=evilsizer

[cogman]

Eyefinity FTW!

[Mr.Guvernment]

I would still go with 4 5770's. Just to have the extra power if needed, and to help "future proof" the system.

stop, they dont need it, monitoring applications is not 3d work, is like saying you need a 4850 to view OCF better..lol

[Evilsizer]

stop, they dont need it, monitoring applications is not 3d work, is like saying you need a 4850 to view OCF better..lol

yea no joke the 5450 would be more then fine.. the problem is though with 5 cards there is the issue of the bios not taking them all. not sure if this has been resolved but i do recall reading about this issue with the ASUS P6T6 WS board. i would still suggest considering the Matrox board, as then with two cards you can do 16 monitors from them.

[Mr.Guvernment]

^^ could be true, IRQ conflicts or other items, or some mobo's like intels i have tried using a PCIe 1x ATi card and it would not boot with it in, or dells not letting you use PCie vid cards in the 8x slot sometimes.

[Younglin]

stop, they dont need it, monitoring applications is not 3d work, is like saying you need a 4850 to view OCF better..lol

True, but I'm saying I would do it. If I was building the system that's what I would do. I realize they don't need it. But no one really needs a 5970 for gaming either. It's just nice to have it.

[DavidJa]

if you cant go the eyefinity route something similar to what evil posted earlier are ati's firemv cards, they do 4 monitor support per card.
It worked fine for 2d stuff but the driver support was kinda spotty.

[Younglin]

if you cant go the eyefinity route something similar to what evil posted earlier are ati's firemv cards, they do 4 monitor support per card.
It worked fine for 2d stuff but the driver support was kinda spotty

Also a good idea.

[Neuromancer]

stop, they dont need it, monitoring applications is not 3d work, is like saying you need a 4850 to view OCF better..lol

I suggest the 5000 series eyefinity cards from a price perspective. The 4 monitor matrox cards are an option need 3 of them for about $800+ total.

4 5650s would run about $600 on the egg. And can run on a $100 AMD motherboard with a $50 CPU. Just need a half decent PSU ($100) and upgrade the CPU if its going to be anything more than a display machine.

The 8 monitor matrox behemoth runs almost 2 grand :screwy:

Newegg Eyefinity list (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&Description=eyefinity&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&Order=PRICE) Cheapest 3 monitor card is $87


Or HD3450 with 4DVI ports for $190 here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814139055)