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A second video card??

PostPosted: Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:17 pm
by 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.

Re: A second video card??

PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:02 am
by 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...

Re: A second video card??

PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:30 am
by 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 :D :D


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

Re: A second video card??

PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 11:29 am
by justpassingthrough
[quote]I have an e6700 CPU, an 8800GTX card, 4 gigs of Corsair 800 RAM on the latest Gigabyte mobo.

Re: A second video card??

PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:41 pm
by 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.

Re: A second video card??

PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:12 am
by 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.

Re: A second video card??

PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 12:13 pm
by jimcooper1
Macca,

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

Jim

Re: A second video card??

PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 7:46 pm
by 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.