Graphics RAM

[Asmekiel]

From what I read, 3D vision does use a little bit more than non 3D, but nowhere close to 2x the amount.
So, as long as you don't play on 2560x1600 1GB of VRAM is more than enough.

As regarding to amounts of VRAM on a card. You'll see performance improvements untill you have enough to load the whole rendering size of the game in the VRAM. Every MB of VRAM over this is wasted.
I've seen reports of Crysis using 1300MB VRAM, (on 1920x1080 every setting maxed out) but this little over 1024MB isn't really slowing your system down.

[Havermeyer]

I'm not suggesting running a single game on multiple screens....

That's where I lost you.

The GTX 560 Ti reviews I've seen have shown nearly no gains for the 2GB part vs. the 1GB part: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/P...0_2_GB/31.html

The effectiveness of GPU memory size is a lot different than main system RAM; most GPUs have a "sweet spot" where throwing more RAM on them may be cool, but doesn't help much. The HD 6950, for example, can use 2GB at 2560x1600 and high AA, while the 1GB version runs out of steam: http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/...mance_review/4

2D on a second screen while 3D gaming on the main screen is something I've never seen tested, but the 2D load should be next to nothing.

[Djinni]

That's where I lost you.

The GTX 560 Ti reviews I've seen have shown nearly no gains for the 2GB part vs. the 1GB part: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/P...0_2_GB/31.html

The effectiveness of GPU memory size is a lot different than main system RAM; most GPUs have a "sweet spot" where throwing more RAM on them may be cool, but doesn't help much. The HD 6950, for example, can use 2GB at 2560x1600 and high AA, while the 1GB version runs out of steam: http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/...mance_review/4

2D on a second screen while 3D gaming on the main screen is something I've never seen tested, but the 2D load should be next to nothing.

Thanks

And it's a pain to pull off but really cool!
You have to have the main screen full screened, not windowed. Which in my experience throws off the positioning of the second screen.

[Havermeyer]

Before I got the Dell U3011 (2560x1600), I had strongly considered grabbing three HP ZR24w (1920x1200) and a 6950 for portrait Eyefinity (3600x1920). For my habits I found two 1280x1600 windows worked really nice, though. Plus now I'm a third of the way to 4800x2560. 8D

[Djinni]

I have thought about running 3 screens, although I doub't I'd use them in a portait landscape portait layout. I do too much virtulisation to do it like that. I'd end up rotating them back to landscape all the time and running different virtual machines one each one.