I had reviewed your config. Looks like you made a few different choices (e.g. Windows' edition and 1 more data hard disk). It looks good. Have fun! RE: I'm sure I can get my computer guy to add the four 295 cards pretty reasonably. Or, is this something I can do myself? Do you know how to use a small screw driver and hook up cables? If not, pay the guy $100/hour to do it. Seriously though... the challenge would be to use the driver software to set things up. Remember to use only 1 dual card first at the beginning. Once you have configured correctly for the first and second monitors, then shut down the computer and add one the second video card (to hook up and test the third and forth monitors), and so on.
Again, as explained above... you don't use the computer's power supply to provide power to the 8 external monitors. Don't use the power calculator that way. It's the video card that is in question. Not the monitor. For 4 NVS 295 cards, you are plenty fine with 800W or 1000W power supply. Don't put a Ferrari engine on a Pinto.
I had that happened to me a couple of times. Before I realized... On some of the monitors themselves, I had accidentally hit the "SOURCE" button (to select between analog (VGA) and digital (DVI) input) and the monitor is taking video signals from the port that is not connected. (So nothing displayed on the screen.) I didn't realize it. It's easy to do on some monitors because the two buttons are next to each other. Of course the Windows login logo is also defaulted to the "primary" monitor. I tried to seek for the BIOS and couldn't see it. Took me some swapping cables and monitors to figure that out.
Yes when I calculated my build it was something like 400 watts total with one vid card. I added 200 for two additional cards and have room to go with the 850 w.
LEAPup that build looks really great but what about all the video cards ? It looks like you selected two cards ( not sure if both AMD Radeon HD 6450 ) supporting 4 monitors. Are you adding another two cards for 8 monitors ? GA-Z68X-UD7-B3 motherboard specs http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3847#ov Also you can save on the additional audio and lan cards as the board is already equipped unless you are looking for something different in audio
LEAPup bought a higher priced motherboard to get 4 PCIe X16 slots. Should make the money worth and use 4 dual cards. I am an advocate in using 4 x dual head cards (inexpensive) than 2 x quad cards (expensive). 2 supporting reasons: 1. Lower cost in replacement if one goes out 2. Smaller impact during the down cycle of one card (2 monitors out instead of 4 monitors out) The NVS 295 will work fine. Me I use 4 of these simple EVGA 8400 GS dual head cards. (Now $19.99 as new... I bought mine around $39.95). They work fine. http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-512-P2-N738-LR-GeForce-PCI-Express-Graphics/dp/B0011FKI3M
This motherboard should take 4 small PCIx X16 video cards fine. But it can't take 4 of the video cards like what you use though because yours have big cooling fans that take up the space of the next slot.
Yes... those cards look perfect for fitting in the board. They should fit nicely. That is a great MB and will do the job well. That is a problem with some of thses video cards they are so big they cover other slots and leave them unusable. AMD Radeon HD 6450 http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2385821,00.asp
Greatly appreciate the advice! Btw, since it's close to my B-day (D-day ), will you skip sending me a bill for this?