x58 Setups, 1366 Sockets and Gaming

[milleniacinder]

Good evening folks,

I'd like to use this post to both introduce myself to this forum and to ask a question. I have been reading up on things here for a while now but haven't really felt the need to ask a question, mostly because of how extensive the knowledge base is here.

I have finally come across a topic that pertains to me and to which I need to know the answer for.

First, a background:

I am currently running a rig I put together in April/May 2010 which features the following parts.

Intel i7 930 Bloomfield - 2.8 GHz
EVGA x58 E758-A1 Mobo 1366
Sapphire Radeon 5770 1GB x2
G.Skill 4GB DDR3 1600 (I'll link this one because there are a lot of variables. Also I ordered 8 more gigs of G.Skill except the new ones will be ripjaws thank you black friday.)
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ
Corsair 750TX (750W)
WD 1.5 TB (not sure on the details of this one, sorry.)
Cooler Master HAF 932 Case

Currently running one Samsung 23.5 in 1920 monitor (which is pertinent to this question.)

Given that information, I have two questions.

First, my girlfriend got me a second monitor of the same size and quality for christmas. At this point, I will only be using it as an extended desktop for productivity and all that. In the near future though, I am looking to move toward a 3 monitor (or possibly, hopefully a 6 monitor) setup. My question is will my current setup work with this multi monitor goal. If not, what do I need to change.

The second is hopefully a more simple matter of linking me to the right post which I couldn't find. I went with the 1366 setup because the price difference was really not significant for me and because I went with the (possibly faulty) logic of newer is better. I have been reading on this forum that the 1366 and x58 setup is problematic and requires a lot of tweaks. I would like to know what these tweaks are.

I am not new to computers or components but I have to say I am new to tweaking or overclocking (which I haven't tried but am willing to and want to). Most everyone in their recommendations have said "yeah don't do this cuz this causes headaches for people" but I couldn't find a post that details what I would have to do because I am willing to put in the time and effort to geek out and spiff up my computer.

Also, please don't hesitate to ask for any info which I didn't provide in this post.

[Nikon]

well, afaik most of the tweaks to get 1366 running stable involve ram, and unless gskill has gotten controll of their quality issues, that can be a real pain in the backside.

from my readings (never done it first hand) i have heard that in most cases, eyefinity/vision surround require at the very least 3 monitors with identical resolutions, and works best with 3 perfectly identical displays. this also requires atleast one running on a displayport, which can be difficult to find. adapters can work in this situation.

although i may seem to know alot about this, please do wait for others to 'back me up', as i am NOT speaking from experience, but from things i have read. either way, i hope this helps a little.

[David M]

For Eyefnity on three monitors to work, you will want three monitors of the same resolution, otherwise Eyefinity will default to the monitor with the lowest native resolution.

Eyefinity will work with two monitors, but it is less than ideal to have a bezel running down the middle of your field of view, especially for gaming.

You will need a 5000 series AMD card or better, with at least 3 graphics ports...I think they all have three ports. For powering three monitors I highly recommend a 5970 which is a $500 graphics card. You could use a 5870, but don't expect high frame rates in games at high game settings if you are driving three monitors each with 1920 x 1080 or more pixels.

You will need at least one monitor with a DisplayPort OR you will need a powered DisplayPort adapter. It is powered through a USB connector. Some have written where the non-powered adapter works and some have written where it does not work. I would just get the powered one to be certain.

Nvidia does do multi-monitor setups but the problem is you need two cards, plus software written for Nvidia multi-monitor setups is almost non-existent at this point in time.

If software is not written for multi-monitor setups, then its not going to happen...at least not properly. You will get stretched images and other quirky things.

Every game I load I try it in Eyefinity. Most of the newer games work. Most of the older games do not...sometimes you get lucky though with older games.

Fortunately, more and more software is being written for Eyefinity. There is software available that patches many games that do not work properly with Eyefinity, such as Call of Duty. Some of these patches can trigger VAC or other anti-cheat software which will permanently ban you, so you have to investigate ahead of time. Some get banned and others do not...no idea why.

I don't see having one hell of a field of view (5760 x 1200) as cheating though...just a nice advantage. It's just like having a faster computer or a speedy internet connection.

Another nice thing about Eyefinity which I did not realize I would like so much is the ability to have a bunch of windows open without them getting buried behind each other. It makes researching things much easier. It reminds me of that big screen in Minority Report where you could easily slide things around.

[milleniacinder]

All right well I understand the limitations with the screens, thank you for that info. What I guess I want to know is will the Radeon 5770s work (since I have two of them)?

Also what are the memory tweaks and bios tweaks I have to make for the board and memory I have? Is there any specific information out there?

Thanks again.

[David M]

Two 5770's would work, just don't expect miracle frame rates. Give it a try first and see if it is acceptable for the apps you are running.

Running WOW this guy was getting 27 FPS with two 5770's...not bad!
YouTube - ATI RADEON HD 5770 Eyefinity WOW TEST (on the field)

I was reading that two 5770's are the rough equivalent to a 5850...of course that also depends on which application you are running.

Hey!...does anyone have an answer to his 1366 question? I don't, I have never owned one. The guy with personal experience dealing with finicky 1366/X58 chipsets would be Khalil.

[glc]

I'm not going anywhere near this one - sorry!

X58 - EVGA - G.skill ram - yikes!

The rest of your components are very nice. My advice? If it runs without bluescreening, leave it alone!

[milleniacinder]

After some effort in the beginning and an RMA'd mobo I was able to get things up and running. Everything is stable and I haven't had problems but I also haven't update my BIOS past factory (should I update that by the way?)

I just read so much about that stuff here so I was curious.

[glc]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!