[rhelv6-list] Opinions on multi-head

[thomas at redhat.com]

On 06/04/2012 03:01 PM, Jussi Silvennoinen wrote:
>>> > > > > three. It's the configuration I am running right now.
>>> > > > > I wound up going with the ATI FirePro v4900 for triple head on
>>> > > RHEL6.
>>> > > > I am using the DVI port, and two DisplayPort to DVI cables to
>>> drive
>>> > > > three monitors.
>>> > > > > An interesting note... The AMD binary driver locked up the >
>>> > > > machine.
>>> > > > Using the native RHEL driver, all three screens work, and I get
>>> > > > accelerated X and compiz works great.
>>> > > > > Out of curiosity, what kind of performance do you get? In
>>> something
>>> > > rudimentary like glxgears.
>>> > > Sorry for the delay in answering, I was travelling all week. It's
>>> not
>>> > spectacular, but certainly usable for my purposes. Like I said, I am
>>> > not a gamer, all I wanted was compiz to work on three heads. I just
>>> got:
>>> > > [tcameron at case ~]$ glxgears
>>> > Running synchronized to the vertical refresh. The framerate should be
>>> > approximately the same as the monitor refresh rate.
>>> > 298 frames in 5.0 seconds = 59.561 FPS
>>> > 300 frames in 5.0 seconds = 59.903 FPS
>>>
>>> Hum, how about 'export vblank_mode=0 ; glxgears'? Gaming aside, 2500fps
>>> from a Nvidia NVS290 wasn't enough to run compiz on a 3200x1200 dualhead
>>> smoothly enóugh for my taste. 9000fps from a Quadro 600 did the trick.
>>> Both using Nvidia's proprietary driver.
>>
>> I'm running at 4320x900, or one desktop across three 1440x900 screens.
>> Compiz works just fine to my eye.
>>
>> To use the Quadro 600 for three monitors, I would have had to buy two
>> of them, instead of the one V4900. Essentially that would double my
>> cost, and add the hassle of proprietary drivers. Also, I MASSIVELY
>> prefer to use OSS instead of closed source.
>>
>> Anyway, I ran your command, and I got an average of about 4000fps.
>> Plenty snappy for my use.
>>
>> [tcameron at case Desktop]$ export vblank_mode=0 ; glxgears
>> ATTENTION: default value of option vblank_mode overridden by environment.
>> ATTENTION: default value of option vblank_mode overridden by environment.
>> 17754 frames in 5.0 seconds = 3550.749 FPS
>> 17699 frames in 5.0 seconds = 3539.472 FPS
>
> Wonderful. Do you use xinerama?
>
> I cannot get xinerama to work properly with any newish Nvidia driver and
> RHEL6.2's X.org, window borders go AWOL.

Weird, I used Xinerama all the time with my GeForce 7300 GT in dual-head 
mode, and never had an issue with my borders. Same now that it's the 
v4900... No issues at all.
-- 
Thomas Cameron, RHCA, RHCSS, RHCDS, RHCVA, RHCX
Chief Architect, Canada and Central US
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