which graphics cards, and dual monitors + wacom setup

[UnAlternate]

hi, i'm going dual monitor soon and have some questions about how to get the setup as practical as possible.




1. which graphics card is your reccommendation these days? i don't really want to stretch all the way to an x800, but stay somewhere in the 9800 range.

is xt worth the extra bucks, or is a pro enough?
how big difference is there between the 128 and 256 pro?
there are so many brands out there, any differences?

i'll use it mainly for 2d painting and 3d modeling in photoshop, painter, maya and zbrush. i'm not all that intested in gaming though.

also, i don't really get that much out of reading benchmark tests and spec sheets. i'd like to hear your personal opinion based on experiences and feeling.


2. how do you people with dual motitor + wacom setups work, and how do you handle the stretched ratio when a wacom is mapped across two monitors?

do you use the wacom only on one monitor and the mouse for the second, or do you have two tablets? how do set up your applications windows for beeing within effective reach?


3. the monitor i have now is a 17' tft i run in 1280x1024, and i'm not really sure where to go with the second one. i sure feel a bit cramped working in 1280 as for now, but would a dual 1280 setup solve this, or do i really want one of them to run in 1600x1200?

i know i would certainly want a 21 inch 1600x1200 if i would only work with one monitor, but would a dual 1280 setup somehow make up for it in terms of practical workflow and the feeling of resolutional claustrophobia? ;P




any opinions on video cards, dual screening, resolution and the likes within photoshop and maya would be greatly appreciated. thanx!

[Banshax]

Using twice the same resolution make things easy. I suggest sticking to either 2x 1280 or 2x 1600. Im on a 19 and 21 inch crt from both with identical specs and on 1600x1200. I think 1280 would be fine as well.

Wacom wise i use the pen in mouse mode as to be able to use the entire pad for windows and non drawing programs.

Photoshop, Maya, and animation programs i switch to single monitor mode. The wacom binds itselve to my primary screen. If i need to access the other screen i just alt+tab to a global aplication and im in pen mode again. Its not perfect but its very acceptable.

For other aplications like afterfx, sound editing etc im in pen mode.


Graphics card wise a radeon 9700 non pro is plenty fast in 2D. If u want you could get a similar Nvidia card, these seem to work better with maya. I cant complain though, the 9700 was cheap and its fast enough. Even for games.

hope this helps.

[UnAlternate]

thnx banshax!

exactly what are the problems people have with radeon cards and maya? driver isuues? stability? cause some people seem to get their cards to work great with maya. what are your experiences? :)