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Possible Usages

The Eyefinity technology definitely adds more value to the Radeon HD 5000 solutions; thanks to the availability of LCD displays, it’s easier to have the possibility of using at least three monitors at the same time.

The configuration isn’t exactly a problem, although the procedure from the Catalyst control panel can be a little long and induce errors on those not so tech-savvy, but nothing that a few tries wouldn’t solve. The compatibility with games is very good as well, with only a few modern titles being incompatible with the technology.

But the important thing is to know how to configure the technology in order to suit specific needs. Some titles would benefit more from three monitors, others from six, but there are also other advantages outside the gaming world. Having a bigger desktop in some cases is a good solution in some working environments as well, in cases where an extended desktop is needed. While for a gamer, the whole solution would be an extravagance, in a working environment it can end up being quite cheap.

How to Configure EyeFinity - Part 3

The last part of the configuration allows us to activate the bezel correction, useful in order to enhance the Eyefinity experience with monitor featuring the usual black frame (in most of the cases, in this case). In fact, without the bezel correction, objects will be enlarged or stretched in order not to lose pixels. In a normal situation, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue, but the gaming experience is hindered by it.

The Bezel correction simply simulates the zone covered by the frames, eliminating the pixels in that particular part of the monitor. In order to use it correctly, users need to use the wizard to properly adjust the triangles that will show up on the monitors until it takes a natural progression.

How to configure EyeFinity - Part 2

From this point on, there will be a wizard that will allow the user to configure their own displays and their position: there are seven different display options in the multi-display mode, that refer to the usage of 2, 3, 4 or 6 monitors at the same time. In this case, the latter is needed, so the system can use all six monitors.

Once the procedure is finished, the Catalyst control panel will view only one desktop divided into 6 displays; the system, however, isn’t capable of figuring out the real position of each display, hence when the wizard asks if the aligment of the displays are correct, users must choose “no”.

Then, all monitors will have no signal, apart from one. All that’s needed in this case is to click on the window from the Catalyst drivers to indicate which position that monitor takes, and repeat the procedure for the last five monitors. In case of mistakes, all it takes is cancelling the procedure and repeating it.

How to configure EyeFinity

The monitor connection doesn’t really need a special order, the Catalyst control panel allows the user to modify the position of each panel, adjusting the video input in a correct way in order to give the “single screen” effect.

Windows only recognizes two of the six displays upon startup, leaving the others turned off, but the control panel does notice 6 monitors connected, but turning them on would only make them display the same thing.

In order to extend the desktop, we need to go to the Catalyst drivers and use the option present there, on “Desktop and Displays”. In order to activate all six displays and create the Eyefinity mode, we just need to click on the black triangle found in the main monitor image in the center and choose “create group”.

Test Configuration

In order to analyze the performances on this EyeFinity 6 solution, a platform based on Intel Core i7 965 Extreme was used, with the clock up to 3.2 Ghz and Turbo Mode enabled. The clock frequency is then up to 3.33 Ghz when in full load; 6 GB RAM with the clock frequency of 1.600Mhz and Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.

The games chosen were Tom Clancy’s HAWX, DirT 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and BattleForge.

The graphic card - Part 2

The true difference that is seen in this solution when compared to the traditional solutions from the HD 5000 family is in the connection area: there are six mini DisplayPort outputs, instead of the usual DVI and HDMI, as it can be seen in the image above. The DisplayPort outputs are a requirement for a proper usage of the Eyefinity technology.

The choice of using the mini-outputs is also due tot he space: it would be harder to put six normal DisplayPort outputs.

The graphic card

The graphic card used in this Eyefinity analysis belongs to the series of solutions labeled “Eyefinity 6 Edition”, that allows up to six monitors to be connected at the same time. The proposal used was a Sapphire HD 5870 with 2GB RAM. Such amount of RAM is necessary in order to work in higher resolutions.

The layout on this card is exactly the same as a reference HD 5870, same length, same heatsink, same size. The only difference is the picture on the top of the card, with the Sapphire brand and the Eyefinity 6 Edition label. The cooling system is capable of keeping the temperatures low without being too noisy, just as a normal HD 5870.

Introduction - Part 2

The possibility to manage from three to six monitors simultaneously is an option that opens many new usages, that go from the gaming world to the more professional one, and that not only make the gaming more interesting and intense, but also offer more space for the active working desktop.

In order to have a good idea of the possible usages, the images in this post give a good idea of what possibilities the Eyefinity technology offer.

Introduction

Eyefinity is the name of ATI’s new technology, presented officially on September 10th last year, and that arrived with the introduction of the new HD 5000 solutions. Eyefinity guarantees the possibility of managing up to six monitors at the same time: as much as the HD 5000 cards are theoretically capable of managing six displays, this feature is reserved to the Eyefinity 6 edition proposals, that have arrived only recently in the market.

The possibility of having a multi-display solution has become more and more real in the last few years: the LCD monitors made it more possible to have a bigger number of monitors connected to a system, thanks to the smaller size if compared to the old CRT monitors. Also taken in consideration are the heat and energy consumption, a lot more manageable than old monitors, and that help in the construction of a multi-monitor system.

Conclusion - Part 2

The overclock that comes with the two cards don’t really bring noticeable increases, but the lack of rumor and the low temperatures are two important elements to consider: these two, together with a big margin of overclocking, could make the difference when it comes to these two models.

The Sapphire card is sold for around €335 in average (plus taxes) and the difference in price is justified by the great efficiency on the Vapor Chamber technology. The PowerColor solution is sold for €15 more compared to a normal HD 5870 in average, but also the custom heatsink system makes the difference. Worth spending the money for better solutions.