A second video card??

[macca22au]

I have an e6700 CPU, an 8800GTX card, 4 gigs of Corsair 800 RAM on the latest Gigabyte mobo.  I run FSX on a Matrox triplehead three screen set up, with a fourth screen that I use for pop-ups like the GPS and ATC.

I know that FSX does not utilise SLI.  But Matrox requires VC which seems to have a performance hit in itself, while processing for the matrox splitter box also seems demanding.  It does run at 3840x1024, rendered on 3 times 1280x1024 screens.  The 4th screen is configured independently and comes off the second outlet of the card.

Would I be better off installing a second card?  Would it materially assist video processing and improve performance with this set up?

Would it have to be an exact match?

Any and all advice would be appreciated.

[ATI_7500]

A second video card only benefits performance in very high resolutions with AA & AF enabled.

I think you could get an improvement with all those screens, but no guarantees...

[freedomhays]

Gigabyte mobo,  does this mobo have an nvidia sli chip set,  and you'll need the bridge  ,  and enable sli in the driver config,  etc,
you won't be getting any more performance.... and you need a 1000 watt  PS,
Set your sliders back ,,  FSX ... get a raptor HD or 2 raid
that's all you can do,  all of the  FSX tweaks are useless.............................................just a joke


Save all your money from now till 2010  then blow,,   FSX will be fine and you will  have saved enough money to buy the equipped...
FSX is a very nice pup,  I'll be honest,  it's a sales pitch for the affluent

[justpassingthrough]

[quote]I have an e6700 CPU, an 8800GTX card, 4 gigs of Corsair 800 RAM on the latest Gigabyte mobo.

[jimcooper1]

No, don't bother with a second card for now...

I have just built a system like you describe using a DELL Dimension 9200 with a single 8800GTX running a TH2Go and a fourth monitor..all from a single card.

[macca22au]

Thanks Jim:  I have the Genx, but I do like to fly in other parts of the world seeing I am Australian based, grew up in NZ, and taught at UCLA and U Vic in BC Canada.  In fact I have UT USA installed, as well as Red Baron upgrades for NZ - and I am waiting for the VOZ X scenery for Australia.  Which means I fly in lots of places where autogen needs to be used.

Although with the terabyte drives now coming on the market I think the industry should consider moving to photoscenery relatively soon.  No doubt in the next two years Megascenery and others will increase the offerings.

Meanwhile I think I get quite good performance, but I have been wondering whether another card might help the work, seeing the system is producing 3840 pixels across the three screens although I know that it is 3x 1024 in effect.  I have not succeeded in getting the 3gb enabler to work - my Vista, or my technique, has it tell me that 'bcedit' is an unknown command.  The three screens and the fourth which I use for pop-ups and ATC do seem to produce microstutters and 'dragging' at the edge of the screens.  I was hoping to eliminate these.

[jimcooper1]

Macca,

Should have added that I'm using XP rather than Vista..which one are you on?

Jim

[macca22au]

Vista and I'm not sure why. But I can't afford to go back.  I should have waited until the DX10 patch before I switched...but that's history now.