3 120Hz Monitors and 1 60Hz?

Joseph

Hi all

Ordering my new build soon hopefully but something just popped up. I am getting 3 120 Hz Monitors and one 60Hz monitor to run on 2 gtx 580s. Is it possible to run the 3 120 Hz at the full 120 while running the 60Hz at the time?

I'll be doing surround gaming also.

Setup will look like this:

---

60

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120--120--120

srsly78

Not sure, but I doubt you can mix them like that. Be warned 120hz is mostly marketing bull****: http://www.overclock.net/monitors-displays/662628-60hz-vs-120hz-explained.html

Basically, there is feck all benefit unless you can run the game at over 60 fps. With a big array of monitors like that even a monster setup won't run at 120fps -> thus pointless. Sure you might get that FPS if you turn all the graphics and AA down, but then it will look **** so why would you do it?

Better off getting a 30" 2560x1600 IPS monitor, hard enough to drive that at 60 fps. Superior color depth to TN panels etc.

If you want to get silly about it, go for an array of 6x30" monitors (that's about e8000 spent right there) driven by multiple AMD cards. Heres a video of 3 of them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx7KVnSDIoo

Serephucus

Please tell me you'll be running them with 3D. If you bought them just to get 120FPS out of them, you're wasting your time.

Certain movies - blu rays, I think - benefit from a slightly smoother appearance with 120Hz monitors, but that's about it.

I'm with srsly on this one; get an IPS monitor or three. The difference going from TN to IPS is ridiculous. Forget your LED backlit ****e, IPS is where it's at.

Burgo

Get an ips monitor.

Tea_Bag

srsly78 wrote: »

Not sure, but I doubt you can mix them like that. Be warned 120hz is mostly marketing bull****: http://www.overclock.net/monitors-displays/662628-60hz-vs-120hz-explained.html

Basically, there is feck all benefit unless you can run the game at over 60 fps. With a big array of monitors like that even a monster setup won't run at 120fps -> thus pointless. Sure you might get that FPS if you turn all the graphics and AA down, but then it will look **** so why would you do it?

Better off getting a 30" 2560x1600 IPS monitor, hard enough to drive that at 60 fps. Superior color depth to TN panels etc.

If you want to get silly about it, go for an array of 6x30" monitors (that's about e8000 spent right there) driven by multiple AMD cards. Heres a video of 3 of them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx7KVnSDIoo

that link is old, and isnt relevant to true 120hz monitors today.

taken from it actually:

Regarding TRUE 120hz Computer Monitors and Future TRUE 120hz HDTV Displays


[Regarding TRUE 120hz monitors, (and future TRUE 120hz LCD HDTVs) these displays will indeed improve your gaming experience (few exceptions). Because the screen is refreshing 120 times a second, the image projected will seem smoother and decrease tearing, even when gaming at below 60fps. Note though when gaming at a frame rate of exactly 60fps (vsync on at 60), 120hz LCD HDTVs and TRUE 120hz monitors should theoretically perform identically (both displays refreshing 120 times a second and repeating each frame once at 60fps). More information is being outputted to your eyes at 120hz even if it's just repeating frames, making the experience seem smoother. Don't forget though, to truly see the benefits of a TRUE 120hz monitor, you must be gaming at an average FPS greater than 60(ideally over 120fps). When your average frame rate is above 60(for this example let’s say you are averaging 120fps), you WILL see the in between frames that a 60hz monitor could not display. For a list of TRUE 120hz monitors, see nvidia's page on monitors that are compatible with their 3d technology.]

[Note though, video card solutions that are recommended for 60Hz 2560x1600, will not perform as well at 1920x1080 @120hz due to the amount of information that needs to be processed. In other words, it’s more taxing on a GPU to display 1920x1080 @120hz than 2560x1600 at 60hz. You will need one heck of a powerful GPU solution to see all the benefits of 1920x1080 @120hz. Beyond this resolution, at this high a refresh rate, dual link DVI will no longer have enough bandwidth to broadcast a signal to a monitor. As this point we'll have to move to a more advanced cable method like Display port (seen on a lot of the new HD 5xxx series cards).]

srsly78

Thanks for confirming my point. Doesn't change anything. 2560x1600 IPS monitor will look better, AND is even less taxing! Sure it is a lot more expensive tho.

Once you have used a high-end monitor like that there is no way you are gonna drop down to 1080 again.

Joseph

Thanks for the responses.

IPS monitors have a much higher response time (8ms +) I'm worried that that will affect games.

I don't really plan on 3D but having the option is nice and 120Hz does improve response

Serephucus

Well my 19x12 monitor has 6ms, and I don't notice any tearing or anything from it while gaming.

Brian

120 Hz makes a very noticeable difference in fast-paced FPS gaming.

Joseph

My question wasn't answered

Is it possible to run 3 monitors in 120hz and one in 60 hz (only the 3x 120hz will be used for surround gaming)

Serephucus

Honestly, I'm not sure. I think, if you ran the 60Hz screen off a seperate card, then yeah, maybe, but really, that's only a guess.

Hank Scorpio

Baza210 wrote: »

120 Hz makes a very noticeable difference in fast-paced FPS gaming.

This, I dunno the answer to your original question ( my solid guess is its not possible to output 60 and 120hz from a single card tho) but if you play any serious fps competetively, i.e quake/ut etc, 120hz lcds make a huge difference. If you play single player games or games like cod etc online I'd probably just go for a 60hz setup