Dual Graphics Cards?

[jbarro]

thanks GeeEs, your info is usefull so far.

[djdiego71]

What about a laptop with one low graphic card and second high perfomance graphic?
For example, a HP Dv7 6143cl pavilion with an Intel HD 3000 and AMD 6770M?

[Joris]

These laptops will use the Intel card to save energy, and then switch to high end card when the app requires it. You can't use both at the same time...

[david@skyslc.com]

I'm working on an installation that requires 7 outputs (6 Projectors @ 1920x1080 +1 monitor).

System specs: MSI X99A SLI (quad), Intel Core i7-5820K Haswell-E 6-Core 3.3 GHz, 128 GB DDR5, 512 GB M.2 Gen 3 X4 (samsung 950 pro).

I'm looking to upgrade the video card. I'm currently using the ATI HD 7850 2GB DDR5

these are the option I've been considering:
1) PNY NVS 810 4GB ddr3 - 8x miniDP (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... gnorebbr=1)
2) 2x Geforce 1080 GTX 8 GB ddr5 - 4 monitor (http://www.geforce.com/hardware/10serie ... e-gtx-1080)

Q1: Is it possible to use both Geforce 1080 GTX cards to get 8 outputs in Resolume?
Q2: Is it possible to use 4 of these cards to increase performance while still maintaining the 8 outputs?

[Digi]

I'm working on an installation that requires 7 outputs (6 Projectors @ 1920x1080 +1 monitor).

System specs: MSI X99A SLI (quad), Intel Core i7-5820K Haswell-E 6-Core 3.3 GHz, 128 GB DDR5, 512 GB M.2 Gen 3 X4 (samsung 950 pro).

I'm looking to upgrade the video card. I'm currently using the ATI HD 7850 2GB DDR5

these are the option I've been considering:
1) PNY NVS 810 4GB ddr3 - 8x miniDP (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... gnorebbr=1)
2) 2x Geforce 1080 GTX 8 GB ddr5 - 4 monitor (http://www.geforce.com/hardware/10serie ... e-gtx-1080)

Q1: Is it possible to use both Geforce 1080 GTX cards to get 8 outputs in Resolume?
Q2: Is it possible to use 4 of these cards to increase performance while still maintaining the 8 outputs?

I feel like every form of this question has been answered in this thread. It does not matter how many cards you add throwing hardware at the problem will not give you power. Resolume will only render on one card and forever one card until they change something. The second you connect a device to a 2nd card and send video out of it you take a performance dive.

This means if you absolutely have to use an additional card instead of a video processor or similar hub using a card like a nvs 810 is the best option if you want outputs. But is also not recommended because each device you connect to it you will loose about 6 fps. It's also apparently not recommended by the developer because what you want to do is mix match cards which has varied results ranging from super bad to acceptable and the alternative of just using nvs's to render with is pretty bad compared to a 1080.

The best solution is use the display port 1.3's on the 1080 to a display port processor hub which should give you at least 10 unique displays without paying an arm and a leg for a enterprise level datapath or similar. You will literally half the performance hit you would see trying to use a second pci-e device to send video data out.

Remember display port 1.4 on the 1080's can drive 4 unique displays easily per socket on the back of the card. The problem is with so many hubs you will run out of Vram on the card quickly.

[Oaktown]

The best solution is use the display port 1.3's on the 1080 to a display port processor hub which should give you at least 10 unique displays without paying an arm and a leg for a enterprise level datapath or similar.

I'd love to get my hands on one of these and test it so can you please send me a link to a 10 output MST hub?

Remember display port 1.4 on the 1080's can drive 4 unique displays easily per socket on the back of the card. The problem is with so many hubs you will run out of Vram on the card quickly.

This is a copy of a response to another post of yours:

Now as far as Multi-Stream Transport (MST) goes, as far as I understand using MST hardware doesn't increase the output count on your GPU since each stream is treated as a separate output. Than means an Nvidia 980 card is still limited to 4 outputs and an AMD R9 card is still limited to 6 outputs. So even though the Nvidia 980 has three DP 1.3 ports, you can't use multiple MST hubs to add outputs to your GPU.

So, unless Nvidia has changed the way the 1080GTX handles MST and outputs, I believe it is still limited to 4 outputs total. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Digi]

I think I might have spoke too soon and made some errors about the DP generation. I have yet to get my hands on a 1080. However I did read some guy got 8 outputs to work using some MST combination. But I would not write the technology off and I stand by my opinion of DVI. It is inferior and a matter of moving a industry off of legacy technology. The only reason you would prefer a DVI datapath it because its tested reliability. But I'm pretty confident you will see new models in the future using DP.

The rest about adding another video card into the mix I stand by as well.

[david@skyslc.com]

I feel like every form of this question has been answered in this thread. It does not matter how many cards you add throwing hardware at the problem will not give you power. Resolume will only render on one card and forever one card until they change something. The second you connect a device to a 2nd card and send video out of it you take a performance dive.

This means if you absolutely have to use an additional card instead of a video processor or similar hub using a card like a nvs 810 is the best option if you want outputs. But is also not recommended because each device you connect to it you will loose about 6 fps. It's also apparently not recommended by the developer because what you want to do is mix match cards which has varied results ranging from super bad to acceptable and the alternative of just using nvs's to render with is pretty bad compared to a 1080.

The best solution is use the display port 1.3's on the 1080 to a display port processor hub which should give you at least 10 unique displays without paying an arm and a leg for a enterprise level datapath or similar. You will literally half the performance hit you would see trying to use a second pci-e device to send video data out.

Remember display port 1.4 on the 1080's can drive 4 unique displays easily per socket on the back of the card. The problem is with so many hubs you will run out of Vram on the card quickly.

Thank you for this information. Sorry if it's a redundant post or if I'm not understanding correctly.

I'm still unclear as to weather it's possible to get 8 ports by using 2 Nvidia 1080 GTX cards (which have 4 ports each) even if there will be a performance dive. Also just to clarify i don't plan on using both 1080 and NVS 810 I'm deciding weather to upgrade to 2 X 1080 or one NVS 810.

Also I've tried a DP 1.3 hub and this does not work.

[Joris]

Two 1080s should work fine, David. Just don't put them in SLI.

You'll out perform a single NVS810 by leaps and bounds, even with the extra performance hit you get from using two cards instead of one.

[Oaktown]

Or you could get a Datapath fX4, output one 3840x1080 @ 60Hz from one of your DisplayPort outputs and break it down into four 1920x1080 outputs. That would give you 6+1 outputs from one card.

As a side note, I just did some virtual test with the new fX4 in Wall Designer and I was able to send a 7680x2160 @ 30Hz signal to it (two 3840x2160 side by side) and split it into eight discrete 1920x1080 @ 60Hz outputs (using the built in frame rate conversion) with two Datapath fX4 daisy chained.

This means that theoritically, one could get 24 1920x1080 outputs using a GPU like GTX180 and six Datapath fX4 units in three pairs.