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27" iMac + dual external 27" Thunderbolt displays?
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res0nat0r
Unlimited Lack of Liability
#1 - 2013-07-30 20:48:45 UTC  |  Edited by: res0nat0r
Hi,

I've just started playing and am also switching to an iMac from my PC this week, I'm wondering if anyone else here is playing EVE on a 27" iMac with dual Thunderbolt external displays (3x27" screens)?

I'd love to know if one can run a single game across all three monitors and what the performance is? I'm going to have two monitors and will buy a 3rd if this is possible.


Thanks for the help.
Mac Munoz
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#2 - 2013-08-06 00:41:41 UTC
I remember reading something not too long ago on here about someone creating a custom resolution with ScreenResX I believe then setting the client to that resolution to get it to span across all the monitors. However getting a good frame rate at 7680x1440 out of even the newest and best iMac probably isn't going to happen.
res0nat0r
Unlimited Lack of Liability
#3 - 2013-08-06 15:09:35 UTC
I actually played with Switchresx the other night, but maybe I was using it wrong but I couldn't see where to create a single large virtual destkop that is the size of my total monitor resolution? It seemed to only change single screen resolutions and not 'bridge' them together....unless I was doing it totally wrong.
Mac Munoz
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#4 - 2013-08-06 21:40:56 UTC
Mac Munoz
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#5 - 2013-08-06 21:41:48 UTC
Also sounds like a pretty awesome setup if you get it working would love to see photos.
res0nat0r
Unlimited Lack of Liability
#6 - 2013-08-07 01:38:42 UTC
Humm...So I tried that and rebooted and it didn't seem to work. when I use 5120x1440 to test two screensas my resolution it says "Not installed" under the custom resolutions tab. I seem to have to pick a monitor to try this on, so its like the app wants to make my imac do that resolution above and not some kind of virtual screen magic. I'm not sure... What?
Mac Munoz
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#7 - 2013-08-07 02:37:28 UTC
res0nat0r wrote:
Humm...So I tried that and rebooted and it didn't seem to work. when I use 5120x1440 to test two screensas my resolution it says "Not installed" under the custom resolutions tab. I seem to have to pick a monitor to try this on, so its like the app wants to make my imac do that resolution above and not some kind of virtual screen magic. I'm not sure... What?


Have you tried in windowed mode versus full screen?
res0nat0r
Unlimited Lack of Liability
#8 - 2013-08-07 15:27:05 UTC
Mac Munoz wrote:
res0nat0r wrote:
Humm...So I tried that and rebooted and it didn't seem to work. when I use 5120x1440 to test two screensas my resolution it says "Not installed" under the custom resolutions tab. I seem to have to pick a monitor to try this on, so its like the app wants to make my imac do that resolution above and not some kind of virtual screen magic. I'm not sure... What?


Have you tried in windowed mode versus full screen?


I usually play in windowed mode on my single screen now, but the larger resolution didn't show up in the dropdown list in the Eve client. I don't think switchresx actually put that new mode into production hence the "not installed", so I think that could be the current problem.
Rag Rean
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#9 - 2013-08-08 14:57:01 UTC
res0nat0r wrote:
Humm...So I tried that and rebooted and it didn't seem to work. when I use 5120x1440 to test two screensas my resolution it says "Not installed" under the custom resolutions tab. I seem to have to pick a monitor to try this on, so its like the app wants to make my imac do that resolution above and not some kind of virtual screen magic. I'm not sure... What?


I had the same problem with the same hardware as you.

It seems that we can't set a resolution as wide as 5120 with SwitchresX, instead it creates 2 sets of unusable custom resolutions.Cry

I've been able to play windowed mode on two screen with my 27" imac by setting a lowest resolution of 1600x1200 (if i remember well ) on the imac and the external screen and used SwitchresX to set a new resolution of 3200x1200, that had been available in the EVE client display menu..
But the resulting display quality is not as good as with the native resolution of the 2 screens. What?

So I've installed Windows 7 on a bootcamp partition and boot on it to be able to play EVE at full resolution on my two screens.

The problem is the way Mac OSX manage a 2 screens setup.

It seems that the next version of Mac OSX ( 10.9 Maverick ) will change the way it handle dual screens.
I hope that we will be able to run the Mac EVE client with our dual screens ( or more Blink ) on it.
res0nat0r
Unlimited Lack of Liability
#10 - 2013-08-08 22:26:05 UTC  |  Edited by: res0nat0r
Yup hopefully the next OSX release will possibly help with this.

I have a GEFORCE GTX 465MX in my imac, when I'm booted into windows 7 with bootcamp, the nview software seems to do the same thing as switchresx and it doesnt seem to like to create a single virtual screen. Isn't that what Eyefinity does for AMD? I thought that is the equiv of Nview but for AMD. I don't know but is it even possible to run a game in a single virtual screen with only a single video card? All of the PC based versions for triple head gaming seem to use 2 vid cards, so I'm just not sure...
Rag Rean
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#11 - 2013-08-09 06:12:52 UTC
I don't know for Nvidia, my imac has an AMD Radeon 6790 with 1Go DDR5.

But i did not need to do anything in windows to get the 5120x1440 in the EVE client.

I am able to choose the 5120x1440 in the EVE client in windowed mode and i am able to run in it with this resolution on my 2 screens.

Because i don't have a third screen i can not test to check if it will work with only one graphic card.

But if it can handle 3 screens with the EVE client, i think you could have some heat issues with you iMac Straight

My iMac is already hot running EVE on 2 screens at 5120x1440. But it's running fine with high display settings.
res0nat0r
Unlimited Lack of Liability
#12 - 2013-08-09 20:08:01 UTC
Hah. So I didn't try window mode in bootcamp for some reason, and when I switch to it I see 7040x1440.

So it automatically sees a larger res when I do that . I don't actually have 2 Thunderbolts attached yet. I have one Tunderbolt and an older ViewSonic that just does 1680x1050, so that might be the reason for the strange resoltuion above vs 2560 * 3 = 7680.

I might just go buy a 2nd Thunderbolt and see if it will show up as 7680. The only thing: It looks to be running just fine in 3 monitors now and the FPS counter shows ~100 fps or so. Do I risk overheating the imac with this many displays for a pretty gfx intensive game?
res0nat0r
Unlimited Lack of Liability
#13 - 2013-08-09 22:53:32 UTC
Doh.

So I bought a 2nd Thunderbolt a little while ago and it doesn't look to be recognized in Windows 7 + Bootcamp. I think the Apple Thunderbolt driver for Win7 doesn't handle dual Thunderbolt displays yet. Damnit.

Looking around it looks like a Cinema Display will work fine and it is the same price as the Thunderbolt monitor. So I'm going to check further this weekend and if it seems to be the case for sure I'm going to go back to the Apple store on Sunday and exchange it.
Rag Rean
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#14 - 2013-08-12 09:00:52 UTC
res0nat0r wrote:

So I bought a 2nd Thunderbolt a little while ago and it doesn't look to be recognized in Windows 7 + Bootcamp. I think the Apple Thunderbolt driver for Win7 doesn't handle dual Thunderbolt displays yet. Damnit.


You are right, Windows and bootcamp drivers can handle only one thunderbolt display as described on the Apple Support :

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5219#windisp

Quote:
15. How many Apple Thunderbolt Displays can I use with a Mac in Windows 7 or 8 with Boot Camp?

You can use only one Apple Thunderbolt Display with Windows 7 or 8 with Boot Camp.
res0nat0r
Unlimited Lack of Liability
#15 - 2013-08-12 16:01:28 UTC
Doh it is even right there in the FAQ. I just missed it...

I returned the Thunderbolt, and ordered an older Cinema Display off of Amazon (and saved a couple of hundred bucks too). The new monitor should be here Wed I think, I'll let you know how things work out when that happens.
res0nat0r
Unlimited Lack of Liability
#16 - 2013-08-14 19:02:45 UTC
Well it appears to be working fine in Bootcamp now. It auto detects the width and height properly. A pic is below, sorry for the glare on the right screen, its from my window. I can take more pics when it gets dark if you want to see any more...

http://i.imgur.com/CFHi4dW.jpg
Rag Rean
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#17 - 2013-08-15 06:49:29 UTC  |  Edited by: Rag Rean
Ha yeah, EVE looks very great on 3 beautiful Apple screens Big smile

You should be able to set the "Fixed Window Mode" to no longer have any window decoration.

I would like to do the same, but for me the third screen (NOT an Apple one) is for my PS3 with another keyboard/mouse, all dedicated to play Dust 514 Blink

So I don't have any space left on my Desk Roll
Lephia DeGrande
Luxembourg Space Union
#18 - 2013-08-21 17:33:58 UTC  |  Edited by: Lephia DeGrande
Its like the Great Wall of Eve. Shocked

Meet the Mario Kart 8 - Capsuleer Club Cup
Mac Munoz
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#19 - 2013-08-22 01:46:03 UTC
res0nat0r wrote:
Well it appears to be working fine in Bootcamp now. It auto detects the width and height properly. A pic is below, sorry for the glare on the right screen, its from my window. I can take more pics when it gets dark if you want to see any more...

http://i.imgur.com/CFHi4dW.jpg


Very cool!