Widescreen Gaming Forum

This is just sort of a discussion question at this point as I already got the ATI and I'm happy with it. But a few months back when I was researching this there were a lot question in my mind about which way to go. I finally when the ATI route because it seemed like a more reliable, easier setup and could be done from one card. But its entirely possible that I missed out.

So in the effort to help others, what are the differences between the two setups? What are the pros and cons of each method? Is there another method out there what should be considered?

EyeFinity:

Pros:
Single card use possible.
Hotkey support for switching between Extended/EyeFinity modes.
Regular software updates that add features.
Support for more than just 3x1 monitor configs.

Cons:
Need DisplayPort capable monitors, or adaptors.
Cannot have bezel correction on non-identical screens.
EyeFinity and CrossFireX don't always play nicely.

nVidia Surround:

Pros:
Only need DVI.
Can have bezel correction on non-identical screens.
If it works in SLI, it works great in Surround.

Cons:
Requires two cards.
Lack of regular feature updates.
Only supports 3x1 monitor configs.
If it doesn't work in SLI, it doesn't work great in Surround.

For me, the only-DVI thing was a big, big plus. As was bezel correction on non-identical screens.

But frankly, if I had the choice again, I'd possibly be more tempted to try EyeFinity. That said, they're both pretty good. And I can't help but wonder how much of my desire to try EyeFinity is the "grass is always greener" syndrome. ;)

Other methods:
Matrox TripleHead2Go - can't comment, no experience.
SoftTripleHead - likewise.

EyeFinity:

Cons:
...
Cannot have bezel correction on non-identical screens.
...

For what it's worth, I was able to do bezel correction on non-identical screens under 11.2. I had to dells and a Viewsonic. When I originally setup I couldn't do bezel correction. After upgrading, I could. Not sure if anyone else could try this sometime and confirm if it works for them with non-identical monitors.

My resolutions are all the same.

I have a 5970 right now and also used 2x260gtx for surround. With diff monitors I could get bezel mgt to work but I could not get native res to work on the nvidia setup.. My 5040x1050 setup could only use 38xx x xxxx. When I got all 3 identical monitors then I got it to work.