Dual monitors = less FPS?

[Donkeyfumbler]

Just wondering what the general thinking is here. I have two monitors connected to a single card (560ti) both via HDMI. The main monitor is 1680x1050 and the second 1280x1024.

When playing games, I generally have the game fullscreen on the main monitor, with the second monitor on and either displaying the desktop or occasionally a document/manual etc.

So the question is, will this be slowing things down in-game? Would I be better turning the second monitor off (which doesn't to my eye or to FRAPs seem to make a great deal, if any difference) or even potentially disabling the second monitor alltogether in NVidia control panel when playing games?

Also, what does the NVidia setting for multiple monitors in the control panel actually do? Does single monitor performance mode do what it's name would suggest and concentrate as much as possible on the main monitor? Does it actually make any difference?

What do you chaps reckon?

 

[adam_castell]

i am no expert, but i do the same with my monitors, and it seems to have no or very little effect with my system

 

[OpenToSuggestions]

Should make a very small difference but your card should be fine.

 

[citizenx13]

I have 2 monitors and play games in your setup.

Doubt much will change of I disable my second monitor

 

[lurkio]

Run a version of 3D mark

1. With a single screen

2. With 2 screens

And see if there is a difference in performance

 

[chaparral]

I made a thread about clone making FPS drop
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18279809

 

[Ch3m1c4L]

if your not running anything that uses the gpu (eg hardware accelerated video etc) then it shuold only make a 1-2% difference. Negligable unless your sitting at 25fps.

 

[jonny512379]

My Son has the same setup but with an ATI card.
I wondered the same as you a few months ago so ran a bench test.
I don't recall the exact scores, but with a single monitor it was VERY, VERY slightly better score, but hardly worth worrying about (maybe 1 - 2 FPS difference, if that!).
In real world gaming i doubt it makes any noticeable difference for any higher end cards, as long as on the second monitor it is only displaying basic stuff.

 

[Defunkt]

I use Ultramon to disable my 2nd monitor when gaming as just turning it off doesn't give all your GPU power to your primary it needs to be disabled and not just turned off You can also set Ultramon a hotkey to do this so it's just a simple key press to turn it on/off. Ultramon is brilliant for those using multi displays.

 

[-Aura-]

I use Ultramon to disable my 2nd monitor when gaming as just turning it off doesn't give all your GPU power to your primary it needs to be disabled and not just turned off You can also set Ultramon a hotkey to do this so it's just a simple key press to turn it on/off. Ultramon is brilliant for those using multi displays.

Without installing anything third party software, does right-click desktop, choose show only on desktop 1 and whack enter not do the same thing? And a reversal of that (or choose another option from drop down box) to re-enable?

 

[Donkeyfumbler]

Thanks for the replies - confirms what I had been thinking really. I might give ultramon a go - I use it at work and it is quite a handy program.

 

[jake9891]

On UltraMon all you have to do is double click the icon in taskbar and it should disable the second monitor (if it is set up this way). I like to have all my temps etc displayed on my second monitor tho, so I never disable the other screen.

Dual Screen for the win!

 

[paradisiac]

Without installing anything third party software, does right-click desktop, choose show only on desktop 1 and whack enter not do the same thing? And a reversal of that (or choose another option from drop down box) to re-enable?

or windows+p buttons

i have been running games on the tv whilst the monitor has been running temp monitoring software and have noticed no decrease in performance.

 

[rankftw]

or windows+p buttons

i have been running games on the tv whilst the monitor has been running temp monitoring software and have noticed no decrease in performance.

Yes windows+p is the easiest way to do it and doesn't require any extra software. I usually switch to a single monitor when I go afk as it downclocks my graphics card and saves some electricity. when running multi screen the GPU does not downclock unless the monitor turns off for power saving.