One Oled monitor two lcd in triples setup.

Kek700 · Nov 28, 2023

Seems to make sense to me, not been able to find any information about this, probably a good reason for that.

I would like to use an Oled monitor for the front monitor, and two normal lcd monitor for the sides.
Obviously same size, same resolution and Hz adjusted to equal the side monitors.
This is just a cost cutting exercise, three Oled is silly money, plus Oled monitors are kinder to your eyes.
Considering I look at the front monitor for 99% of the time, seems to make buying three Oled a bit pointless.
????

Stereo · Nov 29, 2023

If the frequency and resolution are the same then there's no difference between them other than how they look. The game won't know.

RasmusP · Nov 29, 2023

Stereo said:
If the frequency and resolution are the same then there's no difference between them other than how they look. The game won't know.

To add to this and to not recommend it:
Sadly, there's more than Hz and resolution. The pixel timings also need to be identical for nvidia surround to work. Without nvidia surround, you won't get gsync.
If you don't use gsync, some games support triple screen without nvidia surround and should work fine.

About pixel timings: if you create a custom resolution, there are quite a few things. Does your monitor draw the current frame from top to bottom or bottom to the top, left to right or the opposite.
How many pixels does it have beyond the bezels etc etc.
I have an Alienware 21:9 120 Hz + 2x Dell 16:9 165 Hz.
Even if I use CRU to put matching resolutions and Hz into the nvidia driver, surround won't work because my 21:9 monitor is drawing the frame from the opposite direction.

The monitors sadly can't use the exact identical pixel timings.
I can put them in and select that resolution and surround will work, but either the main screen or the side screens will stay black, showing an error that they can't display the input.

Long story short: I highly doubt that an OLED will be compatible with the same pixel timings of LCD monitors. Afaik they don't even use the same subpixel colour layout. (which is why OLEDs look a bit blurry for texts. Windows' cleartype doesn't really support OLEDs yet).

Kek700 · Nov 29, 2023

Like most good ideas they fall flat on their face with the detail. Oh well. I wondered why I could find no information on this,

invariably it means you cannot do it.
At least I learnt something, 3x£800 is certainly another defeating detail too.

Thank you both for your input.

Neilski · Nov 29, 2023

RasmusP said:
21:9 monitor is drawing the frame from the opposite direction

Good grief, I didn't even know that was a thing. Why on earth would anyone design a monitor to do that...!?

RasmusP · Nov 29, 2023

Neilski said:
Good grief, I didn't even know that was a thing. Why on earth would anyone design a monitor to do that...!?

I have no idea! And I also don't know if it would really refresh different on a super slow-mo cam, but here are the Timings according to the nvidia control panel. Look at the "Polarity -> Vertical":

Dell Alienware AW3418DW:

Dell G2422HS:

Neilski · Nov 29, 2023

RasmusP said:
Look at the "Polarity -> Vertical"

I always thought that just meant the polarity of the sync pulses. Gonna have to google it now before my head explodes

(The only legitimate reason I can imagine for not doing normal top-left corner to bottom right corner, horizontal rastering, is for a monitor that has been rotated from its normal orientation

)

Edit: OK, this Nvidia page suggests it is just the polarity of the sync pulse, although they do (rather unhelpfully!) use the word "direction" where they really shouldn't have, and I can see how this could cause issues:

Vertical sync polarity: Specify the direction of rapid, transient change in the amplitude of a signal from a baseline during the vertical synchronization pulse. If the vertical synchronization polarity value is positive (+), the value of the vertical synchronization pulse is higher than the baseline value. If the vertical synchronization polarity value is negative (-), the value of the vertical synchronization pulse is lower than the baseline value.

RasmusP · Nov 29, 2023

Neilski said:
I always thought that just meant the polarity of the sync pulses. Gonna have to google it now before my head explodes
(The only legitimate reason I can imagine for not doing normal top-left corner to bottom right corner, horizontal rastering, is for a monitor that has been rotated from its normal orientation )

Edit: OK, this Nvidia page suggests it is just the polarity of the sync pulse, although they do (rather unhelpfully!) use the word "direction" where they really shouldn't have, and I can see how this could cause issues: