Dual display question

[Calranthe]

Hello,
I am replacing my 290x with a gtx970, I am saving money by having my primary games machine also double as the media pc.

Specs of machine
intel 4790k
Gigabyte G5 board
500gb intel ssd
2* 2tb drives
Windows 7 64 bit.

Iiyama 27" prolite main gaming monitor
Finlux 47" main media TV
Both running at 1920*1080

Now both displays are on and set to clone.


Questions are as follows
How much gpu overhead does the second display draw as in if a game is showning on both screens.

Does just turning off a display remove this draw as in if we go sit down to watch a movie or play a game on the big screen will just turning off the iiyama display fix any slow down.

Is there any way to split a graphics card signal after it leaves the card as in the card is only using its gpu to create one image and you splt the cable with a booster of some kind, although I am thinking if this was possible people could run 6 clone displays from one weak card because it was only creating one output.

 

[Calranthe]

No you're not, you'd be saving money by not switching from 290X to 970. It's a sidegrade, pretty much the same performance, different features.

This is the last phase of improving the power efficiency of all builds and unfortunately that means switching from amd to nvidia.

 

[Calranthe]

So since when is spending £260+ a healthy financial proposition to save maybe £10-£20 a year in the long run? You'll have that money back in a decade or two ...

Okay let me explain the situation fully.

My wife is disabled actually she has an incurable cancer, the drugs that keep it away slowly destroy her quality of life including progressive arthritis, at 21 she became house bound, I gave up work and became her primary carer (she needs 24/7 care), for the last 15 years I have built entertainment system meaning no matter where in the house she is, she has access to everything entertainment wise.

Last year the house system ran to 7 computers, including laptops and nas (with 7000+ films and tv series) ps4, ps3, ps vita, 1 tablet and 2 smart phones, sky HD+ Xbox 360.

We got rid of sky and the 360 then replanned the house.

Now the above may seem excessive but when you are stuck in the same 4 walls 24/7 it is more a need than a want.

Last year the goverment started its benefit reforms (you would think it would be easy for some one with a verified illness and disabilities to keep there benefits) especially when it never gets better only slowly gets worse.

We started having to pay council tax and even the free lifeline system now we have to pay for along with a reduction in services and benefits with no new money coming in and now them talking about freezing the benefits for two years.

Electricity was our biggest concern and drain.

So I had to restructure and save as much money going forward, sold the laptops and two computers, redesigned the other computers to take on multiple rolls, (my games pc is now also the media pc) (wifes game pc is also the server) had enough left from the sales to change all the psu's over to platinum efficient models and the last piece of hardware being sold is a computer I had the parts for this will allow me to purchase a 970 to replace the 290x.

No new money was brought into the equation just selling items we already had.

It may seem like a small change but a long with all the other changes made it will really help.


My wife never smoked or even went to parties she was going to college and I had just started IT work when she fainted one day and everthing changed, computers have been a life line, when you are stuck in a house not by choice that online world, the games keep you kinda sane well that along with a love of scifi.

 

[Calranthe]

Unfortunately there is too many people like us who because of those taking advantage of the system we get punished, I am actually saving tax payers money because if I was not at home caring for her the local office would have to provide nurse care.

When you go back into work they are supposed to provide a financial buffer for those first 4 weeks, guess even that has been downsized in the cuts.

I wish you the best on getting things sorted and making it to that first pay day.

Last year I built a 4tb nas and slowly ripped all our dvd collections (small bungalow no room to have 7000+ dvd on show) which means on pc, phone anywhere in the house she can access everything from Ds9 to warehouse 13, SG1 to atlantis, space 1999 to blakes 7 and Dr Who.
Our server (based around the 4690k) is setup with an old text based mud, Space Engineers server, Modified Minecraft server.
We have an Amazon Prime account so we have access to all the instant stuff and 2 disks rental at a time.
Ps3/Ps4/Ps Vita all linked via the playstation + means we have a list of 70 games at the moment spread over those systems for only £11 every three months and the list grows each month.

Steam, Good old Games and humble bundle sales are a life saver.

While games consoles and computers are a luxury to most to some of us they are our window on to a world, I remember when my wife stopped being able to walk the dog with me, instead we went exploring and adventures on mmo games.

Funny thing is we joke about how I should sue the hospital, all the doctors told us she had 2-3 months to live we actually got married in the hospital during her chemo, it is now 15 years late we didn't sign up for this lol.

I think my wifes first game the one I got her addicted to them was Daggerfall.

We both love ST although I hope beyond hope that one day we will see something else in the babylon 5 universe.

Currently watching the first series of Marvel Shield.

The point of downsizing without loosing too much performance and increasing efficiency is a long term thing.

 

[Calranthe]

I am actually really enjoying Shield so is my wife.