Triple 32” 1440 vs 55” curved 4k?

[njyeti]

Hi, I currently have a triple screen set with 165hz 1440p 32” monitors. It works well but I do hate battling with Nvidia surround.

I can get a deal on the Samsung Ark 165hz 55” 4k monitor. With my 4090, it seems like I should be able to race in 4k comfortably.

It would be a simpler set up and an upgrade from 1440 to 4k. Thoughts?

 

[Ndwthx1138]

I have a 32:9 1000r 49" - and often wish I had just a few more inches - I mistook the monitor you are asking about with the new 32:9 samsung unit that is 54-55inches.
But regardless,
I would think going from 48:9 to 16:9 would be absolutely dreadful - and in sim racing more so

 

[njyeti]

Thats a great point about the aspect ratio- definitely not going with the Samsung! Thanks

 

[Clover11]

I also hate fighting with nVidia Surround and Windows, but don't want to give up having my full field of vision full. Triples until they make bigger something a bit bigger for me.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Thats a great point about the aspect ratio- definitely not going with the Samsung! Thanks

Go for Samsung, only get 32:9 ratio one. 16:9 is a really poor fit for racing app, too much wasted space up and not enough on sides.

 

[Botmeister]

For Nvidia Surround, what are you guys exactly struggling with? I don't understand but read about it sometimes.

I have my PC connected to the triple monitor simrig 3x DP. And 1 x HDMI goes to the gaming TV. I switch daily between the two setups. And so every time I go simracing I have to enable NVsurround. That's a one minute task.

 

[njyeti]

For Nvidia Surround, what are you guys exactly struggling with? I don't understand but read about it sometimes.

I have my PC connected to the triple monitor simrig 3x DP. And 1 x HDMI goes to the gaming TV. I switch daily between the two setups. And so every time I go simracing I have to enable NVsurround. That's a one minute task.

Every few times I turn on my PC, it will drop down to a low 1080p resolution and will require turning off the two additional monitors, and rebooting the PC to get back to 1440p for the single monitor. I then need to turn on the two other monitors and then configure Surround again. Not the worst thing ever, but definitely annoying.

 

[Botmeister]

That's not normal. And should be fixable. Can't see your pc from here, but pretty confident you can.

 

[Durge Driven]

Are you running multi sims / games in the same session and or changing resolution / refresh before you shut down ?

Do you run a monitor hub these can sometimes cause issue when swapping sims / resolutions ie: get stuck in lower refresh and/or lower resolution till you reset.

I use 2 different aspect monitors both connected to 2 towers.
Sometimes after running UW gsync I go back to 43" 4K TV and it has dropped to 30Hz
Have not actually worked out which sim or action cause it.
I pull the TV monitor lead from the monitor hub ( Simpleconn hi-speed ) and re plug and it goes back to 60Hz automatically.

 

[Ndwthx1138]

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-57-odyssey-neo-g9-dual-4k-uhd-quantum-mini-led-240hz-1ms-hdr-1000-curved-gaming-monitor-hdmi-2-1-dp-2-1-usb-3-0-black/6549291.p?skuId=6549291&extStoreId=183&utm_source=feed&ref=212&loc=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAr8eqBhD3ARIsAIe-buO1rYqCHeqQC27NG_u8_zYarTgG_I2KRGefLS3DgWQ3B-gET8hDWPcaAl2WEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

That's the monitor I thought you were referring to 57" but still 32:9 - it's basically 2 4K 32" monitors.. I WISH someone would do this and just make the aspect ratio bigger.. no need for dual 4k.. that's way too many pixels to push.. but 57" sounds awesome compared to 49" which is just not enough with correct POV

 

[Clover11]

For Nvidia Surround, what are you guys exactly struggling with? I don't understand but read about it sometimes.

The guess the difference is you mainly operate outside surround and don't run the same programs which will cause issues. When Windows updates, it seems to be a dice toss on how it will open again if you were in surround before the update. Chances are, not surround. No big deal if Ctrl Alt S is working. But it won't let you do that with some programs open. Programs you need to fully kill with the task manager to open up nVidea Surround mode to configure again.

Then there is the task bar. With Surround enabled, you can't set it to the bottom. Yes really. But the vast majority of people have their task bar set to the bottom and mine is set to the bottom and works fine you are thinking. That is only because you set it that way in the normal mode before enabling Surround. It will stick if you already had it setup that way. However, if Window's updates while you were in Surround mode, The task bar will probably start somewhere other than the bottom, you will need to exit Surround, reset the taskbar, than enter Surround again. With Surround enabled, you can go to the Task Bar options, go to where you can change the location, and see all the options but only left and right will work while outside Surround you can set it to the top or bottom as well..

Oh, and there are the half dozen times that Nvidea/Windows seems to forget my custom triple resolution. It will just launch games all funny, you will go to the resolution, see your custom resolution, scratch you head for a moment, than decide you need to set it to something else to reset it and then change back, but your custom resolution is no longer an option. So... you get to close out everything so you can open the Nvidea Control center and setup Surround again. You can't possibly have anything open when you work in th nVidea Control Center, so I hope you did not do something dumb like register for an online race before realign you have a problem.

Then there is the whole problem of different games handling it differently. Plus, you have some windows you can use with a single screen and have Spotify on the left screen for example, but other programs will expand the be the full triple width if you try.

At the end of the day, you end up with nVidea blaming Windows for X, Windows blaming nVidea for Y, different update timelines, differing app support, everyone blaming the BIOS and no chance that it is going to just work 100% of the time.

All that said, it is still the best option for me. I'll just ditch it in a second once a single wrap around display that fully covers my field of vision comes along at a reasonable price.

 

[Spinelli]

Easily triple 32s if it's purely, or like 90%, a racing system. If you also play other games more than like 10% of the time then easily the single 55"

I also hate fighting with nVidia Surround and Windows...

What's there to fight?

 

[Botmeister]

The guess the difference is you mainly operate outside surround and don't run the same programs which will cause issues. When Windows updates, it seems to be a dice toss on how it will open again if you were in surround before the update. Chances are, not surround. No big deal if Ctrl Alt S is working. But it won't let you do that with some programs open. Programs you need to fully kill with the task manager to open up nVidea Surround mode to configure again.

Then there is the task bar. With Surround enabled, you can't set it to the bottom. Yes really. But the vast majority of people have their task bar set to the bottom and mine is set to the bottom and works fine you are thinking. That is only because you set it that way in the normal mode before enabling Surround. It will stick if you already had it setup that way. However, if Window's updates while you were in Surround mode, The task bar will probably start somewhere other than the bottom, you will need to exit Surround, reset the taskbar, than enter Surround again. With Surround enabled, you can go to the Task Bar options, go to where you can change the location, and see all the options but only left and right will work while outside Surround you can set it to the top or bottom as well..

Oh, and there are the half dozen times that Nvidea/Windows seems to forget my custom triple resolution. It will just launch games all funny, you will go to the resolution, see your custom resolution, scratch you head for a moment, than decide you need to set it to something else to reset it and then change back, but your custom resolution is no longer an option. So... you get to close out everything so you can open the Nvidea Control center and setup Surround again. You can't possibly have anything open when you work in th nVidea Control Center, so I hope you did not do something dumb like register for an online race before realign you have a problem.

Then there is the whole problem of different games handling it differently. Plus, you have some windows you can use with a single screen and have Spotify on the left screen for example, but other programs will expand the be the full triple width if you try.

At the end of the day, you end up with nVidea blaming Windows for X, Windows blaming nVidea for Y, different update timelines, differing app support, everyone blaming the BIOS and no chance that it is going to just work 100% of the time.

All that said, it is still the best option for me. I'll just ditch it in a second once a single wrap around display that fully covers my field of vision comes along at a reasonable price.

As I was writing a list of arguments and questions as an answer to your post, I came to realize you should use your PC like you want. Bottom line is, either you make triple screen sim racing work or you don't. It's easy but takes a little dedication.

One tiny little mini opinion: using Spotify in the background is not a very strong argument for triple screen issues. When people are interested in a triple screen solution and ask for advice, nobody is pointing out the fact that Spotify is not working.

 

[Spinelli]

The guess the difference is you mainly operate outside surround and don't run the same programs which will cause issues. When Windows updates, it seems to be a dice toss on how it will open again if you were in surround before the update. Chances are, not surround. No big deal if Ctrl Alt S is working. But it won't let you do that with some programs open. Programs you need to fully kill with the task manager to open up nVidea Surround mode to configure again.

Then there is the task bar. With Surround enabled, you can't set it to the bottom. Yes really. But the vast majority of people have their task bar set to the bottom and mine is set to the bottom and works fine you are thinking. That is only because you set it that way in the normal mode before enabling Surround. It will stick if you already had it setup that way. However, if Window's updates while you were in Surround mode, The task bar will probably start somewhere other than the bottom, you will need to exit Surround, reset the taskbar, than enter Surround again. With Surround enabled, you can go to the Task Bar options, go to where you can change the location, and see all the options but only left and right will work while outside Surround you can set it to the top or bottom as well..

Oh, and there are the half dozen times that Nvidea/Windows seems to forget my custom triple resolution. It will just launch games all funny, you will go to the resolution, see your custom resolution, scratch you head for a moment, than decide you need to set it to something else to reset it and then change back, but your custom resolution is no longer an option. So... you get to close out everything so you can open the Nvidea Control center and setup Surround again. You can't possibly have anything open when you work in th nVidea Control Center, so I hope you did not do something dumb like register for an online race before realign you have a problem.

Then there is the whole problem of different games handling it differently. Plus, you have some windows you can use with a single screen and have Spotify on the left screen for example, but other programs will expand the be the full triple width if you try.

At the end of the day, you end up with nVidea blaming Windows for X, Windows blaming nVidea for Y, different update timelines, differing app support, everyone blaming the BIOS and no chance that it is going to just work 100% of the time.

All that said, it is still the best option for me. I'll just ditch it in a second once a single wrap around display that fully covers my field of vision comes along at a reasonable price.

You're overcomplicating this. Say you have 3x 2560x1440 monitors. Nv surround will end up being 7680x1440 (or around that due to bezel compensation). You set your racing games to that resolution. You don't set your desktop or your other games to that resolution, you set them to the normal, single-screen 2560x1440. Done. No problems.

Well, you could set your other games to that res too but most non-racing games are a joke playing on triple-screens mostly because they don't have true triple-screen support (ie. triple independent rendering) and because 99% of non-racing games use extremely high FOVs (understandably so, so you can see the world around you) which means you'll get a ridiculous amount of distortion.

 

[Clover11]

As I was writing a list of arguments and questions as an answer to your post, I came to realize you should use your PC like you want. Bottom line is, either you make triple screen sim racing work or you don't. It's easy but takes a little dedication.

One tiny little mini opinion: using Spotify in the background is not a very strong argument for triple screen issues. When people are interested in a triple screen solution and ask for advice, nobody is pointing out the fact that Spotify is not working.

You littearlly asked, "For Nvidia Surround, what are you guys exactly struggling with? I don't understand but read about it sometimes." then ignored the answers. Not hard to figure out why you don't understand but harder to figure out why you asked if you were going to dismiss the answers. You're ignoring the problems or making excuses. You said right out, you have read about it sometimes. You just read about it again. The post was started by another person who has triples and is frustrated enough with the problems they are thinking of changing. It's buggy.

Stop making excuses for it or pretending it is issue free because it is what you picked. Just because it has issues does not mean you picked the wrong thing. Just because you picked it does not mean it is perfect.

I raced on triples for over three years and have worked on an ultra wide even longer. I'm familiar with both.

Spotify may not matter to you, but it is just a quick example of how different programs will respond differently in Surround. If you don't see that as a drawback, fine. However, it is a perfect example of a triple screen issue. Different programs responding in different manners and needing to work around that is the type of thing most people without experience would want to know about.

At the end of the day, I purchased and have been using the same thing as you. I've been racing on triples for over three years. We're not on different sides here. I'm not telling you your decision was wrong. But I will say pretending nVidea Surround is trouble free is wrong and is misleading to those who are coming here looking for info to make a decision. I personally have had all those above issues and know others have as well.

I did not even go into all the physical challenges of triples. I've gone from the Sim-Labs indecent triple stand, to modifying that to add hight for motion, than realizing that the screen not moving with me was not for me and integrating the monitors to my rig, to needing additional support for the side monitors due to motion but the supports keep my old button box from fitting and required moving my parking brake, etc. Then there was the whole Bezel free kit, which needs to be at a specific angle.

Over that past few years, I have spent some serious time dealing with these things. OP and others have too. You may be willing to put up with the issues, you may have even decided it is not an issue for you, but everything I listed is an issue I have had to deal with.

 

[Clover11]

You're overcomplicating this. Say you have 3x 2560x1440 monitors. Nv surround will end up being 7680x1440 (or around that due to bezel compensation). You set your racing games to that resolution. You don't set your desktop or your other games to that resolution, you set them to the normal, single-screen 2560x1440. Done. No problems.

Well, you could set your other games to that res too but most non-racing games are a joke playing on triple-screens mostly because they don't have true triple-screen support (ie. triple independent rendering) and because 99% of non-racing games use extremely high FOVs (understandably so, so you can see the world around you) which means you'll get a ridiculous amount of distortion.

Edited to remove another novel. I'm not saying anything new and have already written too much. No point in saying it again.

 

[Botmeister]

You're just done with it. Understandable from your point of view

I think PC simracing in general comes with a lot of issues and workarounds. Triples included.

 

[Spinelli]

Edited to remove another novel. I'm not saying anything new and have already written too much. No point in saying it again.

Your only other option is Pimax VR if you want triples but not having to deal with triples. That'll give you the same or even larger FOV as triples along with stereo vision (3D is amazing in and of itself regardless of VR, monitor, etc.).

 

[Mr Latte]

Hi, I currently have a triple screen set with 165hz 1440p 32” monitors. It works well but I do hate battling with Nvidia surround.

I can get a deal on the Samsung Ark 165hz 55” 4k monitor. With my 4090, it seems like I should be able to race in 4k comfortably.

It would be a simpler set up and an upgrade from 1440 to 4k. Thoughts?

A 2023 revision of the ARC was released but its major advantage over the original was the ability to have multiple input sources displayed. This with its rotation and curve are its party tricks.

You can get a better combination of gaming/productive usage with the 57" Neo G9 as the 55" Arc is too large to use at closer distances. The G9 also offers a good compromise to using triples but with that, it may also bring you possibly better HDR, upto 240Hz and increased resolution with improved pixel density. I would expect this to look much nicer with games over your 1440p models.

In truth though I think every option has its own pros/cons and it depends on the user what these are or how much of a factor certain aspects may be in your own usage case and preferences.

I think people are now wanting to see an OLED Neo G9 in 57" but their is no certainty that will happen but it may be worth waiting to Jan 2024 to see what Samsung have at CES.

Its a tough decision and one that is often quite expensive.

 

[Spinelli]

the 55" Arc is too large to use at closer distances.

Why? What happens if you use it at "closer distances"? Will you suddenly go blind? Will the monitor explode? Will you be sent to prison?