Widescreen Gaming Forum

Hello,

I'm quite new to this forum. I want to build a 3 monitor setup for gaming.
I considering to buy a Asus ATI HD6950. the card

Currently i own a Samsung BW 2223 (with a vga and dvi connector) 23inch screen (TN-panel). I want to buy two additional 23 inch screens. The only problem is what can I buy to make it work? If read many times on this forum not to buy a TN-panel screen, because of the reduced colors when you are looking right or left (depending where the monitor stands offcourse). Also the card i'm looking for is equipt with 2 DVI connector and 4 display-ports, but that is the problem. If i want to buy a screen with a display-port i'm very limited (almost all 23 screens are equipt with a HDMI or a DVI connector) I found only 4 expensive (more than 230 euro) screens with a DP connector.

so is this a problem? Is there a converter available for DVI to DP? Because that will increase my choice of screens and also reduce the price. The second problem is to find a screen without a TN panel. Almost al screens have this panel included. Does a (TN-panel) LED screen solve the angle problem, or is this problem with LED aswell?

I hope you can help me out :)

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I can't imagine a world without flying....

There are several adapters available to go from Displayport->to anything (VGA/HDMI/DVI). Being in the EU, I don't know what kind of shopping options you have-but here in the US Dsplayport hardware is hard if not impossible to find at local computer stores. There's a list of certified adapters on the AMD website. I myself use a DP->VGA adapter. As of now, it is mostly higher-end (IPS) panels than ship with DP ports on them.

You can go TN, if you're on the cheap. I did because I'm too poor for fancier panels. You can lessen off-angle color mis-match with positioning/angle of displays. Getting IPS panels can run into some big cash, especially outside the US.

*Also mixing panel types and brands can lead to color matching headaches, and lots of time playing with RGB settings to try and get colors to match. BTW-searching the web, the Samsung you list is a 22" panel and not a 23".

Great, thanks for your information. It's rights it's a 22inch, not 23, my mistake ;)
The second problem is the screen layout. I have a 16:10 screen (max resolution 1650x....) but most screens I can buy today are 16:9 (1920x....).

I descided to buy the 1920x....) resolution screens, because my Samsung screen may be dead into a couple of years. But how will the Eyefinity software deal with this problem?

Because this means that I have to downgrade the other screens resolution to 1650x....) but is this possible? Because there is a mismatch in the screenformat: 16:10 againt 16:9. Will i get a small black line or something like that?

Is there also an issue if i use a 2ms screen (my current 2232) against a 5ms screen? Because if I read reviews on some (cheap) 5ms screens no one is complaining about ghosting, so in my point of view this should not be an issue right?

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I can't imagine a world without flying....

I did some more research and descided to go probably for a bit more expensive IPS panel from Dell. Dell Ultrasharp U2311H. Because the beter viewing angle and because it's one of the few screen i found within budget with a DP connector.

The only problem might be the response time (8,ms). Is there somebody who tried this screen with shooters and can me something about the input lage/ghosting?

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I can't imagine a world without flying....

ghosting and inputlag should be fine, depends on how sensitive you are.
Hardcore gamers use TN panel due to their demands, but I played on higher mva panels and works well even though I do notice difference its often negligible.

I did some more research and descided to go probably for a bit more expensive IPS panel from Dell. Dell Ultrasharp U2311H. Because the beter viewing angle and because it's one of the few screen i found within budget with a DP connector.

The only problem might be the response time (8,ms). Is there somebody who tried this screen with shooters and can me something about the input lage/ghosting?

TBH, most manufacturers either distort or outright lie on things like response time. IPS panels usually don't respond as quickly as TN panels, but they put out better color at wider angles. Whether you'll notice is something you'll need to see for yourself in person.

Thank you all for the comments. The advantage might be that I will place the 2 monitors on the left and right into a slight angle, so my main screen will be a TN panel with fast response. So my guess is that with your comments I will not be able to spot the difference :)

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I can't imagine a world without flying....

I would only worry about TN vs IPS if you were wanting the option of configuring for both portrait and landscape modes. If you're going fixed landscape I'd pick 120hz TN panels. In my practical experience viewing angle on panels only becomes an issue in portrait mode because it's in a configuration non-standard to the designed mounting orientation. It's what bothers me about some swivel stand displays, they claim portrait capability but the TN panel makes viewing angles horrid.

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Brad Hawthorne
Product Manager
Nthusim Pty. Ltd. | www.nthusim.com

Only negative of the U2311H is that Dell pulled a fast one and they're not 8-bit IPS, they're 6-bit with dithering.

Which explains why I think the colours on my U2311H suck compared to my 2405s and U2410.