Programmers, CAD Professionals, and Graphic Designers have been using multi-monitor support for years. The technology has been available to the average consumer since Windows NT4, but is a feature that goes mostly unused. Windows’ implementation of multi-monitor support hasn’t changed very much since the NT 4 days, and there are some weird caveats to deal with when using it. nVidia and ATI have desktop management software included with their drivers that address some of Microsoft’s shortcomings, but these extra features don’t make it seamless, nor do they provide multi-mon support for games. Matrox has been turning things around with their innovative multi-monitor products, especially with their latest product, the TripleHead2Go Digital Edition.
As the name suggests, the TH2G Digital Edition improves over their previous model with the replacement of analog VGA to completely digital DVI, both for input and output. This new unit will still take regular VGA as a source, and outputs to three different monitors. To add even more flexibility, you can mix and match monitors however you wish: not all of your monitors have to be digital. Your multi-monitor setup can include 2 analog monitors and a digital LCD panel, a 3-LCD setup, or any other combination. If you can’t scrounge together 3 monitors, then don’t worry: the unit will also function as a DualHead2Go, and you can add another monitor later.
Experience Surround Graphics
TripleHead2Go Digital Edition delivers the ultimate surround graphics experience for professionals and gaming enthusiasts alike. This versatile new product enables users looking to add three digital monitors to their workstation, desktop computer or notebook with a maximum resolution of up to 3840×10241 (triple 1280×1024).
The latest in Matrox’s series of Graphics eXpansion Modules (GXM), TripleHead2Go Digital Edition is an external multi-display upgrade device that connects via the dual-link DVI or analog output of your system and can support both analog and digital monitors. Dramatically increasing Office Productivity for business professionals, providing an incredible Surround Design environment to high-end workstation users and delivering the most immersive Surround Gaming™ experience to gamers, the TripleHead2Go Digital Edition is the ideal solution for individuals looking for a truly digital-to-digital experience.
Key features
- Features a dual-link digital input for high-end workstations and DVI monitors.
- Brings digital monitor support to systems with an analog (VGA) output.
- Flexible device supports both dual-monitor configurations at a maximum resolution of up to 3840 x 1200 (2x 1920×1200)1 and triple-monitor configurations with a maximum resolution of up to 3840 x 1024 (3x 1280×1024)1 with digital or analog monitors.
- Harness your existing graphics hardware’s full capabilities for 2D, 3D and video.
- Experience Surround Gaming by expanding supported 3D games across three displays; achieve a much wider in-game field of view.
- Experience Surround Graphics and execute your workload faster by expanding your desktop across three displays.
- Includes Matrox Monitor Bezel Management software feature for an enhanced gaming experience2.
Multi-display configurations
Use built-in display of notebook to achieve a quad display configuration.
Upgrade notebook to three external displays.
Upgrade integrated-graphics based desktop to three external displays.
Benefits of Monitor Bezel Management: Real life simulation
Matrox TripleHead2Go’s Monitor Bezel Management technology is an exclusive software feature with the TripleHead2Go Digital Edition that effectively “hides” part of the image behind the bezel of your monitor, and creates the effect of a continuous image-bringing a new realism to gaming in particular to simulation-type video games. By selecting this option through the Matrox PowerDesk SE3 interface, race simmers for example, can see the race track with the race track lines fully aligned from the base leg without the monitor bezels hindering their view, and allowing them to have a “real-life” racing experience.
Portability and installation
Light-weight and ultra-compact, you can easily take TripleHead2Go Digital Edition with you and experience all the benefits of a surround desktop at the office, at interactive customer design reviews or at LAN parties.
Unlike installing a new graphics card, TripleHead2Go doesn’t require opening your computer, inserting parts into it, or replacing any hardware or software.
Setup is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Once the software is installed, it’s basically just a matter of connecting your monitors.
For Windows users all mode setting is available through Display Properties -> Settings.
Minimum system requirements
- Dual-link DVI or single VGA output connector, on a compatible system
- Microsoft® Windows® XP, Windows 2000, Windows XP x64bit, Windows Vista™ and Mac® OS X v10.4
- Display driver supporting 1920 x 480, 2400 x 600, 3072 x 768 or 3840 x 1024 resolution
- Powered USB connector
*Under Windows 2000, when TripleHead2Go is connected to a notebook only the 3 external displays will be active – the LCD screen will be disabled.
Product information
Dimensions: 10 cm x 14 cm x 3.2 cm Weight: 280 grams Connectors: 1x HD-15 (analog) for input, 1x DVI-I (digital) for input, 3x DVI-I (digital) for output, 1x USB for power Warranty: 2-year limited warranty Part number: T2G-D3D-IF Hardware included
- TripleHead2Go box
- One HD15-HD15 2′ VGA cable
- One DVI-DVI 2′ cable
- One USB cable
- Quickstart paper and CD, which includes the following software:
- Install package
- PowerDesk SE (includes Image quality adjustment, center popup, window management, Matrox Monitor Bezel Management feature, etc.)
- Electronic Product Manual
The previous TripleHead2Go was a little confusing in that there were four VGA ports; two on either side of the unit. That meant that one output shared a side with the input, which isn’t very intuitive, especially since the ports weren’t clearly labeled. If you are familiar with Matrox’s multi-mon product line, then you’ll notice some design improvements on this new model: all three DVI outputs are included on the same side, and are clearly marked 1, 2, and 3! The input side has a single VGA and DVI port, so a converter is not needed, no matter what system you have. The digital TripleHead2Go measures in at a larger 140 x 113 x 27mm, versus the original analog edition’s 107 x 96 x 24mm dimensions. Also, the unit receives power from a USB cable rather than a dedicated DC power plug: which means the unit will shut off when you power down your comptuer! Huzzah!
Like the original, the Digital Edition supports the same 3840×1024 maximum resolution, but has additional custom resolutions to support the 16:9 and 16:10 aspect ratios of today’s LCD monitors. It may be possible to increase the resolution slightly, but DirectX9 has a maximum supported resolution of 4096×4096, and DirectX 10’s maximum resolution is 8192×8192).
Besides the obvious advantages for the desktop, the TripleHead2Go Digital Edition provides a great way to add multi-display support for a notebook. The external box connects to the dual-link digital or analog monitor connector, and divides the signal up between three seperate monitors (be they DVI or VGA). The TH2G doesn’t even require opening the computer, install parts, or replace any hardware, and uses your existing video hardware for all video accelleration.
The unit also receives EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) from all attached monitors, so it knows the capabilities of each individual display. The resolution available depends on the maximum resolution of your weakest monitor. If you have a monitor that will do 1900×1200, and another with 1680×1050, then you will be limited to a 3360×1050 maximum resolution. You also run the risk of not running in your LCD monitor’s native mode, as the maximum supported resolution is 3840×1024 (most widescreen LCDs wither have a 1050 or 1200 native vertical resolution). If you have three LCD montors capable of 1680×1050 resolution, you would think that you could have a maximum resolution of 5040 x 1050, but DirectX9 has a limit on this, so you are limited to a 3840×1024 resolution, which is certainly out of your monitor’s native resolution. Even if you had one widescreen monitor (1900×1200) flanked by two 4:3 monitors (1600×1200), you would still be over the DirectX limit. Three 4:3 monitors would be fine, however
Windows Vista Widescreen Desktop
1600×1200 + 1900×1200 + 1600×1200 = 4300×1200 (over DirectX9 limit)
1600×1200 + 1600×1200 + 1600×1200 = 3840 (within DirectX9 limit)
If you use the unit with only two monitors, then you are more likely to be able to run at your display’s native resolution and aspect ratio. Two monitors isn’t ideal because alot of new windows and dialog boxes open up in the “center” of this virtual resolution, smack-dab in the middle line between your two monitors. Multi-mon gaming isn’t that fun on two monitors, either, as the cross-hair on most First-Person-Shooters will be split between the dual displays.
When you first start up the computer after connecting the TripleHead2Go, the operating system detects a new, single “monitor” with a huge-ass wide screen. If you have another DVI port on your video card, you can still click “Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor” for 4-monitor support. Regardless of the capabilities of your different monitors, the operating system still treats your desktop as a single ultra-widescreen display. The TH2G automatically divides up the display image into three and directs each to seperate monitors.
The beauty of using this external unit is that software does not need to be multi-display aware. All 2D, 3D, and video acceleration can occur as if the three displays were a single unit. For example, video playback has some issues with traditional multi-monitor in Windows. If you drag a window with a playing video between two monitors, then one half will not render (showing only a black screen). The video skips for a second when you drag the video completely over to the new window, as the operating system has to start writing to a new location. There are a couple of other caveats when using traditional multi-monitor support in Windows, and they are the result of the operating system treating each display as a seperate unit.
You can use the multi-display support provided by TripleHead2Go Digital Edition without adding or replacing any system software. The display driver of the existing graphics hardware can continue to be used. However, to improve multi-display support, TripleHead2Go Digital Edition includes Matrox PowerDesk software. This software has the same easy-to-use interface included with Matrox graphics cards. Among other things, PowerDesk provides controls for where dialog boxes and message boxes appear, how windows are maximized, and adjusting image quality. PowerDesk software helps improve image quality by calibrating the phase adjustment to properly interpret the input signal. With the TripleHead2Go Digital Edition, PowerDesk offers the flexibility to select a wider range of resolutions, including support for widescreen and standard aspect ratios.
The existing graphics hardware and software in the computer does nothing different other than providing a monitor signal with a resolution that’s three times as wide as a standard resolution. The computer continues to use its own graphics processor to render a single display to its graphics memory. The real “magic” of making 1 display into 3 occurs inside the TripleHead2Go Digital Edition box.
With the TripleHead2Go Digital Edition, when an analog input is used, the monitor signal from the computer is first converted to digital data using various techniques to ensure the best possible conversion. These techniques include gain compensation to normalize the signal and phase adjustment to properly interpret either the dual-link input signal or the analog input signal. With the dual-link digital input this conversation is not necessary as you are already in a digital domain.
Then TripleHead2Go Digital Edition uses Matrox technology to divide the display information into 3 display output, which are passed through the three standard DVI monitor connectors on the back of the unit (a DVI to VGA converter is needed to output to a VGA monitor). No pixels are added, dropped, scaled, or otherwise changed, and all original video information is preserved from the original monitor signal.
It is actually very simple to get the TripleHead2Go Digital Edition up and running, and can be done in just a few minutes. Inside the box is the TH2G unit itself, a two-foot VGA male-to-male cable, a two-foot DVI cable, USB cable, manual and software CD. The short length of the video cable may be because most users will want to set this unit on top of their PC, but could also be to reduce signal loss. This cable will have to handle a large resolution at 60Hz cleanly, and the video cable quality is great.
You start by plugging up your monitors to the intended output (1 for the leftmost, 2 for center, and 3 for rightmost monitor). If running the unit in DualHead mode, then you must use ports 1 and 3. When you plug the USB cable in, then a small red power LED turns on inside the unit. Without any software installed, the Matrox unit passes video information to display 1, so you can see what you’re doing.
After you install the software, you receive the ubiquitous “restart your computer now” message. Once you’re back at your desktop, you will now have access to a much larger display and can change resolutions immediately. Once you first switch to a TripleHead display, you’ll have to pick your jaw up off the floor… it’s that awesome. The new desktop dynamic does take a little bit of time to get used to, but once you step into the “multi-monitor” world, you’ll never want to go back because your productivity is greatly improved. You may get whiplash as you swing your neck around to the left to click on the Start button, and then swing your head back to the right to see what time it is. You’ll quickly discover that you like to keep several windows open on different displays, as glancing over at them is much easier than digging through a heap of buried windows. Many users use the center display as the “main” display where you do most of your tasks (Photoshop, editing, word processing), and the side displays act as a complement, where you place supporting items (email, file explorer, images, etc).
Matrox TripleHead2Go Digital vs. Traditional Multi-Monitor
* Crossfire support may be added with driver update |
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Since the OS thinks this is one big desktop, how do you handle maximizing windows or where to place dialog boxes or child windows? Matrox has you covered there, too. You can configure the default behavior of child windows, maximized windows, and other desktop preferences to fit your work style. For example, you can choose that all dialog boxes appear on the display of the parent program, or force them to a pre-designated display. By default, all windows Maximize to fill only the current display, but you can press Shift + Maximize to fill the entire desktop. There’s no fooling the software when maximizing either – if you have an application partially on one display, then it will maximize on the display that contains most of it.
The default resolution or aspect ratio probably isn’t optimal, so you’ll have to go into Matrox’s desktop management software to configure the resolutions you want to use. The Desktop utility will show you all of your connected monitors, and the capabilities of each. You “create” a new resolution by selecting a resolution that will be the same on every monitor (a 3640×1024 resolution is derived by selecting a 1280×1024 resolution across three displays). You can create a total of four custom resolutions, which are then available on the slider control of Windows’ Display applet. These custom displays are also reported to games, so you’ll want to create some lower-resolution options to ensure smooth gameplay.
If you bought the TripleHead2Go for gaming, then you’ll be most interested in the Surround Gaming Utility. You are presented with a list of games that can be optimized to work with a Surround Gaming setup, along with buttons to modify the configuration file of each game. Games that have been installed by traditional means are usually detected, but games installed by Steam and GameTap were detected less frequently.
You pick your desired Surround Gaming resolution (out of the four you’ve previously configured), then pick your game, then click “Optimize”. You will be presented with different variables and options, depending on the game. Most games that use a configuration file (like Half-Life, Doom3 and Quake) will be configured in the same manner. The SGU supports 120 games out of the box, but newer games (such as BioShock) don’t have a pre-configured profile and isn’t mentioned on Matrox’s website. Some games, like Oblivion, detect the new resolutions and work correctly without any configuration.
The Surround Gaming Utility also allows for bevel compensation, which compensates for the gap between your monitors. It will take a little tweaking to get this just right, but it is well worth it.
If you’ve ever needed a reason to get the most powerful video card you can afford, then this is it. Games that originally ran smoothly a year ago (at full resolution, with 4xAA and anisotropic filtering) will now become choppy, and you’ll find the need to reduce the quality settings. For example, games that use the Source engine (Half-Life2, Counter-Strike Source, etc.) are almost unplayable with the advanced filtering options turned on, but delivered very smooth framerates when anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering. It also helps to turn off V-sync and enable triple-buffering to compensate.
Here’s the specs on the test system:
- Intel E6600 Core2 Duo Processor @ 2.4GHz
- Asus P5W Deluxe motherboard (Intel 975 chipset)
- XFX 8800 GT PCI-Express
- Asus 7600 GT PCI-Express
- Asus 6600 PCI-Express
- Creative Labs X-Fi Platinum sound card
- Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB DDR2-800
- CoolIt Freezone CPU Cooler
- Ultra X3 1000W Power Supply
- 3x Western Digital 300GB HDD
Matrox TripleHead2Go Digital Performance Results
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If your video card is powerful enough to deliver twice the framerate that you need at your single resolution-of-choice (60FPS or higher), then it will be powerful enough for a good Surround Gaming experience. For example, a single 7800GT is powerful enough for Half-Life 2, Quake 4, and any other game prior to this year. You’ll need a 8800 (preferably in SLI mode) to even think about BioShock in Surround Mode. I was able to play BioShock at a decent framerate across three monitors, but had to turn the resolution down to 1920×480 (basically 640×480 on each monitor). Even at the lower resolution, the gaming experience is much more thrilling than playing on a single monitor.
Once you get used to Surround Gaming, you will not want to go back, and you’ll discover that the TripleHead2Go is worth every penny you spent.
The TripleHead2Go Digital Edition has addressed nearly every issue from their prior Triple-Head product. Not only does the unit support widescreen digital displays, but it can mix-and-match any combination of displays. The hardware’s usability is greatly improved by implementing USB power and a more intuitive port layout. The unit’s software has also been improved, featuring flexible desktop customization that beats the pants off of traditional multi-monitor support.
In addition to the additional desktop productivity you’ll receive, the unit also allows for extreme widescreen gaming with digital displays. If your video card is powerful enough, then this feature alone is so jaw-droppingly awesome that you’ll replay all of your old favorites for the new experience. It can be a distinct advantage in PvP arenas, as you can see everything around you, including that guy trying to sneak up on you.
BioShock: With Field of View marks defined
The only problem with this unit lay in the current technology: you can’t currently use the native modes of most digital LCD panels. DirectX9 limits the resolution of any one display, forcing you to use a lower resolution. While most players will have to lower their gaming resolution to get playable frame rates, this shouldn’t impact the desktop. I would love to use three 1920×1200 widescreen monitors at their native resolution for a total desktop size of 5700×1200, but this just isn’t possible. If you have three 4:3 LCD monitors, then the maximum resolution of 3840×1024 will provide an excellent display as each monitor will be running in its native mode and aspect ratio.
Hopefully there will be a firmware patch that will allow this unit to reach the resolutions available in DirectX10. Until then, you will make some slight compromises between using this unit for gaming or desktop purposes.
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