Hey guys... first SPCR post. I've probably done something wrong. Feel free to pick on me and my rig(s). xD
This is about 73-questions-in-one. Patience is requrired.
Here's the deal. I'm building a few rigs at the moment - this post is about the first machine...
I have all the parts for it now (bar the graphics cards). These components include...
MOBO - Asus P6T6 WS Revolution
CPU - Intel Core i7 920 D0
HDDs - 4x Samsung Spinpoint F1
FAN CONTROLLER - MCubed T-Balancer bigNG Fan Controller
PSU - 1000W Corsair HX Series
CASE - Antec P193
RAM - 6GB (3x2GB) Corsair Dominator GT DDR3 @ 2000Mhz
Question 1) I'm wanting to run 2x24" monitors + 1 30" monitor. Could I use a card such as the GTX295 which has an HDMI port and two DVI ports to power all three monitors - or would I need to separate cards running in SLI/Crossfire? The 30" monitor has an HDMI input and the two 24" monitors DVI ones.
Question 2) I want to make the setup totally silent. I'm thinking watercooling. I don't want to hack or mod the Antec case or drill anything if I can help it - so I was thinking an external WC unit like the Zalman Reserators.
The Zalman Reserator XT seems to have good cooling but the fan is hell (pretty poor reviews) but the Reserator 1 V2 seems pretty solid - only it's maximum wattage load wouldn't be sufficient for my system.
Then I thought... I could get a couple of 'em. The reviews said that the tube dimensions were freaky-weird though and that kinda put me off as I'd want to buy a GPU with a waterblock preinstalled such as the N285GTX HydroGen (two of 'em) or EVGA GTX 295 Hydro Copper (just the one provided it can run all the monitors).
I don't know if any dimension tubing can be used with said card waterblocks, or whether I'd need more powerful cooling to cope with any/all GPUs + CPU + RAM.
Thanks in advance - for putting up with a rambling old sod.
SPCRFTW!
Watercooling + GPU Questions
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
Watercooling + GPU Questions
Last edited by Oaven on Sun Aug 09, 2009 5:41 am, edited 2 times in total.
The hard-drives are damn quiet actually, and I'm not too worried about the PSU noise.40974111 wrote:You won't get a totally silent set up, you have mechanical hard drives. Even soft mounted you will still hear them occasionally.
Also, you have a fan in the PSU, which you may well hear, especially if you retain the stock fan in there.
It's just the questions I asked I need answers to, really. xD Thanks anyhow.
You miss the point. I want to run three monitors. Two is doable, yes.Hammy wrote:Question 1: only one GFX card is needed to run multiple monitors. I have two (one Sony LCD TV) running from a 7900gs (two outputs).
Question 2: What I know about water-cooling could be written on a box of matches
LOL - Thanks again anyhow.I was looking also at the TFC Xchanger Quad Radiator 480. If I'm not mistaken, which in all likelyhood I probably am, I'd need a pump in addition to this, right? I was thinking of perhaps using one of these (all 4 fans seriously undervolted) in addition to a single Reserator 1 V2. I dunno, really. That's why I came to you guys. Budget isn't really a key issue - so long as it's not insane. 
ROFL. I have been pwned, and right you are. But wouldn't that impact performance?Hammy wrote:Do not use multi-GPU mode - in this mode, users can power up to 3 displays simultaneously on the GTX 295 graphics card (one from each DVI connector, and a third from the HDMI connector).
My last post in this thread
EDIT: Turns out the HDMI port might not be able to output at full 2560x1600 res, only 1920x1200. I'll chunk out for the two graphics cards.
Bearing that in mind, we move onto the watercooling issue... xD
just out of interest what you planning on doing with this computer?
if your planning on gaming, and just using the big monitor, why buy such powerful card for 2/3 monitors? seems like a waste and an easy way to increase heat?
also i belive 2560x1600 is only avaliable when running 'dual link' with dvi cables, not sure with exactly but pretty sure it won't work off hdmi alone
watercooling wise, i don't think it would be wise to have 2 powerful gpu's and one cpu on one loop
feser do a 'monster' rad which is pretty beefy, at quite a price
if your planning on gaming, and just using the big monitor, why buy such powerful card for 2/3 monitors? seems like a waste and an easy way to increase heat?
also i belive 2560x1600 is only avaliable when running 'dual link' with dvi cables, not sure with exactly but pretty sure it won't work off hdmi alone
watercooling wise, i don't think it would be wise to have 2 powerful gpu's and one cpu on one loop
feser do a 'monster' rad which is pretty beefy, at quite a price
For watercooling, I'd research here and here, then ask your questions:
http://www.hardforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=91
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/for ... y.php?f=70
http://www.hardforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=91
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/for ... y.php?f=70
Re: Watercooling + GPU Questions
Hello Oaven!
I have some experience with 3 monitors setup, and I have tried many many options...
I also run a 3 monitor setup, but with 22" (3x Samsung T220), the ONLY solution I could find was:
1- using two separate video cards (same brand, same driver);
2- using Matrox th2go.
Since I had little experience with computers, before building the system I currently use, I started with a GTS 250 (well before that I had an ATI 3870..), which never helped me because it has only 2 DVI outputs...
Then I bought a GTX 285, and used a non sli-setup, so the 285 would drive monitor 1 and 2 and the GTS 250, the 3rd monitor.
I tried using sofTH, but it is buggy under vista, so I gave up.
With the TH2go, it works amazingly well, and it allow us to use SLI, however I got a pretty big desktop (5040x1050), which is annoying sometimes, for example, when we need to work with a spreadsheet or with word, when you click the maximize button... vista maximizes and spams the window across the 3 monitors, which makes things a bit uncomfy to use...
I play light gaming, but with that HUGE resolution I decided to get another GTX 285, and use both in SLI using the 250 for physx... I know its insane, but I didnt want to re-sell the 250, and since it would have no use, i just decided using it as physx....
Vista does not allow us to vertical SPAM the 3 monitors, it does allow us to have 3 screens.
I heard a rumor that Windows 7 will allow us to SPAM the 3 monitors, making TH2GO hardware "history"... However I have not tested this...
Now to your questions...
Hope I´ve helped.
I have some experience with 3 monitors setup, and I have tried many many options...
I also run a 3 monitor setup, but with 22" (3x Samsung T220), the ONLY solution I could find was:
1- using two separate video cards (same brand, same driver);
2- using Matrox th2go.
Since I had little experience with computers, before building the system I currently use, I started with a GTS 250 (well before that I had an ATI 3870..), which never helped me because it has only 2 DVI outputs...
Then I bought a GTX 285, and used a non sli-setup, so the 285 would drive monitor 1 and 2 and the GTS 250, the 3rd monitor.
I tried using sofTH, but it is buggy under vista, so I gave up.
With the TH2go, it works amazingly well, and it allow us to use SLI, however I got a pretty big desktop (5040x1050), which is annoying sometimes, for example, when we need to work with a spreadsheet or with word, when you click the maximize button... vista maximizes and spams the window across the 3 monitors, which makes things a bit uncomfy to use...
I play light gaming, but with that HUGE resolution I decided to get another GTX 285, and use both in SLI using the 250 for physx... I know its insane, but I didnt want to re-sell the 250, and since it would have no use, i just decided using it as physx....
Vista does not allow us to vertical SPAM the 3 monitors, it does allow us to have 3 screens.
I heard a rumor that Windows 7 will allow us to SPAM the 3 monitors, making TH2GO hardware "history"... However I have not tested this...
Now to your questions...
- No, you can only drive 2 monitors, unless if you have a 2nd card to drive the 3rd or the triplehead2go... however I have NO EXPERIENCE with GTX 295, the 285 has no HDMI so I honestly do not if it works with 3 monitors.Oaven wrote:Question 1) I'm wanting to run 2x24" monitors + 1 30" monitor. Could I use a card such as the GTX295 which has an HDMI port and two DVI ports to power all three monitors - or would I need to separate cards running in SLI/Crossfire? The 30" monitor has an HDMI input and the two 24" monitors DVI ones.
- "totally silent" is not really possible, you can make it quiet enough, WC has a pump which generates some noise, and the fans will also generate noise. All the other users also pointed the PSU, in my lil experience the PSU alone can be much more noisy then anything else...Oaven wrote:Question 2) I want to make the setup totally silent. I'm thinking watercooling. I don't want to hack or mod the Antec case or drill anything if I can help it - so I was thinking an external WC unit like the Zalman Reserators.
Hope I´ve helped.