Triple Monitor Setup - Advice

[Roadster-2]

I didn't want to butt in on Charles' thread (Triple Monitor Help) but after reading a couple of the responses there I'm not sure which way to go. Current System :-

Asus Crosshair IV Formula AMD 890FX ATX Motherboard
AMD 11OOT 3.2 GHz Phenom II X6 Processor (Corsair Water Cooled)
8 Gb Corsair Dominator memory
2 x ATI Radeon HD5770 1Gb PCI-e Graphics in Crossfire (O/C to 900 MHz GPU / 1400 MHz memory)
Corsair 950W Power Supply
3 x 24" Acer 1920 x 1200 monitors

FPS on F1 2011 was exceptionally poor, averaging around 20fps, but have now come across forum postings re F1 2011 and Eyefinity and have recently updated the drivers. Now getting around 40fps so playable but still not too good and I expected much better. C.A.R.S. was running around 40-50fps but has dropped since the latest 124 release to around 30-35fps.

I want to improve the fps and have been considering a move to 2 x MSI R6870 Hawk cards. Using an AMD processor I shouldn't have the same problem with Eyefinity as Alex had (using an Intel processor) but have been surprised to see the postings from members using a single HD 6950 card, running a triple screen setup and getting huge fps figures in comparison to mine.

I can't do much until I sell my Nixim GT Racecraft rig but I would like to get a good idea of what to go for to achieve a good increase in fps without having to sell body parts to raise the cash (not a banker you see !!).

Advice would therefore be appreciated. Mostly run C.A.R.S., GTR-2 and F1 2011.
Thanks

 

[Alberto Tescara]

Hey guys,

I just read the whole thread because I want to upgrade to a triple screen setup and need some advice about the system which only will be used for racing simulators.

As they are some interesting simulators coming soon, I would like to have a system that works fine with: rfactor2, pCARS, GSC and Assetto Corsa in a triple screen setup.

Im unsure whether to wait when they are stable versions of that games available and then see what the hardware market offers, or if I can get a system now that will also work fine later, or with some small improvements?

If I get a system now I'm still unsure about:
cpu: i5 or i7
gpu: nvidia or amd, sli or crossfire, which model?

Thanks for your advice!
Alberto

 

[Hampus Andersson]

If you really don´t need it now i suggest waiting until the last moment.
Chances are the prices have dropped or a new card/screen/whatever is available that is better for the same or less money.

State your total budget, it´s easier for the guys who knows electronics, they can just map up a system for you that is optimized for the amount of cash you want to spend.

 

[Alberto Tescara]

Hi Hampus,

thanks, I would like to spend around 1000 EUR only for the system.
But im open to suggestions if it can also be build for more or less of that budget.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

And you want a new computer and three screens? Or do you plan on upgrading the computer you have now?

 

[Erik Hafner]

1000€ for PC and 3 screens? Thats not an easy task Do u already have wheel/pedals etc?

 

[Alberto Tescara]

I want to get a new pc, so the 1000 EUR would be just for the PC.
Im unsure whether this will be enough and it will run smoothly for that budget, so I'm open for suggestions.

Wheel and Screens are already bought and not in that budget.

 

[Erik Hafner]

OK im running an i5-2500k and a 7970 on 3 27" Screens. Every game tested works fine on max details. Im just not sure if u can stay within your budget. If just for racing, u dont need an SSD, but for sure it will speed up your system.
From where are u? So i can see if i can find some prices on online-shops to help out.

 

[Alberto Tescara]

Hi Erik, that sounds good so I don't need two gpu's now.

Do you think I could also take a single 7870?

Im from Germany, thanks for your help, I already have good price comparison site to find the hardware.

 

[Erik Hafner]

Ill send u a pm soon

 

[Jim Cole]

If you are building a complete new system, 1000 is going to be tight.

You are going to need a strong PSU, I would go for nothing less than 750 watt and make sure it is silver certified or gold.
The CPU can be either the i5 or i7, but you probably won't need any more than the i5 if you are not afraid of overclocking as you said this was just for racing and nothing else.
The motherboard is going to be around 120 or more for a decent one and the ram will likely be around 60. I would also consider water cooliing for both the CPU and the GPU's to be sure things run cool. That will cost you around 150 or so.

Let me break it down for you:
Motherboard GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD3 Price: $140
CPU Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz Price: $220
PSU High Current Pro HCP-750 Price: $175
DDR3 RAM CORSAIR DOMINATOR GT 8GB Price: $85
Graphics XFX FX-795A-TNFC Radeon HD 7950 Core Edition 3GB Price: $320

These are current prices on Newegg.com and the price doesn't include a cooler for the CPU. With what is selected here, you will some great performance and stability with some very good overclocking capabilities. You will definitely want to find a good water cooling solution that includes a water block for the graphics card as well as the CPU.

 

[Niels_at_home]

Every now and then I post somewhat off topic, when it comes to powersupplies. I agree, get a decent brand and 80 plus bronze/silver/gold certified one, but for such a system you would be fine with a 500W power supply, possibly even a 400W one. You don't need much reserve and pc's are just as stable as long as there is enough power. Buying a proper brand (seasonic, antec and others) is important, but a bronze 500W will be just as good but cheaper than a gold/platinum 750W, which you don't need anyway!

The few % more efficiency won't pay itself back, especially as you would be running a 500W psu near its ideal efficiency power (I estimate some 300W), but at 300W a 750W psu is probably the difference between gold and bronze less efficient anyway.

 

[Jim Cole]

Not knowing all of the drives and USB devices that would be connected, nor the number and size of fans I can only guestimate, but from calculating just the basics he would be looking at a minimum of 507 watts of power, clearly a little over the 500 mark you are saying. I calculated with a single 7200RPM drive, a single DVD read/write drive, 2 120mm fans and 4 80mm fans. I also figured roughly 4 USB devices and allowed for an H70 Corsair water cooler.

If the OP has other devices then the power requirements increase. If the OP would like the ability to add GPU's in the future, then again the power requirement increases. I always build systems with a little overhead to allow for future upgrades or expansions. At the very least I would suggest a 600W PSU as the OP will surely use most of that.

I also chose the gold PSU for a couple of reasons, and those are separate power rails, totaling 4, Better stability which translates to less down time and less chance of corruption due to power fluctuation.

 

[Niels_at_home]

The calculators tend to overestimate things, you need a pretty hardcore system with a 7950 graphics card that pulls more than 400W from the wall, at 88% efficiency thats 350W DC.

I don't think there has ever been conclusive evidence that more rails or more wattage resulted in a more stable PC. Yes, you need a decent A brand powersupply that has enough power. More power means money spent that would have made a lot more sense going towards a faster GFX card or a larger monitor.

 

[Alberto Tescara]

I'm tending to build a small system with not much devices attached to keep the energy and noise low. So I don't think the PSU has to be that powerful but I will look out for a good brand. But if its too loud I definitly going to check out the water cooling solution!

Thanks for the feedback guys!

 

[Hampus Andersson]

It´s good to buy one that has more power then you need. That way you don´t have to buy a new one later when it´s time for heavier stuff.

I run a Gold 80+ something 1200 watts and it´s way overkill for my 2 GTX580´s and 4.4GH.z but it´s one thing i definitely won´t have to buy again in quite some time.
I can for example buy 1 or 2 more 580´s and still be safe.

Watercooling is overkill as well. You don´t need that.

One thing i will say is buy SSD. It won´t do much in gaming but it´s very nice for everyday surfing and just doing random stuff on the computer.

 

[Niels_at_home]

Watercooling, unless you really spend hundreds, is most of the time far FAR more noisy (and messy) than a good air cooler. Watercooling 'doesn't exist' really, its just a way to move the heat somewhere else where it still needs air cooling. It only works if you have a very quiet pump and a very large radiator. It isn't worth it these days, you can get high end dual 14cm fan air coolers from Nocuta or Thermalright that are still expensive but at least cool quietly even if the cpu is overclocked.

 

[Jim Cole]

@Alberto: Sorry it took so long to respond to the last post, but I just couldn't believe what I was reading. Water cooling does exist and it is most definitely more efficient than air cooling. If this were not the case, then all cars on the road today would be air cooled and not water cooled. As far as the noise, you can get fairly inexpensive fans for the radiator that are low rpm to keep the noise down. The best solution would be a pair of fans, one to push through the radiator and one to pull through. This way you can keep the speed down and still get the cooling you need. As for the water pump, some manufacturers actually spend a bit of time engineering their pumps to run quietly.

Now, if you are running stock speeds and voltages on your CPU, then yes, fan and heat sink setups are less expensive and adequate for cooling. If however you plan on doing any higher end overclocking, it is wise to invest in water cooling to make sure you don't roast your CPU.

 

[Chronus]

@Jim Cole, Alberto said above he is not planning on building a big system (or a higher end one?), so he is probably not interested in "high end OCing".

If he plans to use the cpu @stock speeds, no need for "water cooling".

If he plans to OC it a little, he still does not need "water cooling", bigger heatsink and fans should suffice.

Either way, he'll probably have to contend with noise and a big enough case to allow for better heat/air circulation.

In the end, Alberto has to assess the risks and prices involved and not simply jump onto a popular decision.

 

[Jim Cole]

I understand Chronus, I just had to correct the incorrect statement above my last post.

 

[Niels_at_home]

I realize this is getting off topic..

Water cooling is NOT more (or less) efficient than air cooling. You can't compare a water cooled engine to an air cooled one to make such claims!

Water is an efficient way to transport the heat, but it doesn't get rid of the heat. For that it relies on a radiator where the hot water runs through metal tubing attached to lots of cooling fins, which rely on the AIR (usually with aid of a fan) to cool the fins, which cool the tubes, which cool the water as it passes through.

By far the most 'water'coolers with a 12cm fan / radiator, compare worse to regular coolers of the same size. At the same noise level, I haven't seen one that kept the processor cooler than highish end (but still much cheaper!) regular air coolers.

The only limit traditional coolers have is their size and weight, as it is directly attached to a mainboard. You could use a car radiator or something huge with a watercooling setup which may be very efficient.

However, current high end air coolers allow the fastest processor to be overclocked significantly, to the point where the limit is near. Watercooling with a huge radiator may increase speed further but you can get 80% of the overclock with air cooling.

I can't help but post, knowing these things can save you more money, which can go to more sims, better wheels etc etc!