New to Gaming Projector, Help Please!

Hello people..

i was thinking to go for a gaming projector, currently i have:

display LED Monitor
___HP LED 2711X 27" BLACK WIDESCREEN

Graphic Card
___HIS ATi Radeon 5770 IceQ 5 Turbo 1GB

Games run smooth and give an excellent display!

My system specifications are:

Intel Core i5 760 Processor
8 GB RAM


Guide me regarding the following please..

1) Do i need to buy another graphic card keeping in mind the pixel display on huge projector wall? Cross fire etc?

2) Is it easy to maintain the projector for a reasonable life time and function?

3) Which Projector to buy?

4) Speakers?

I have absolutely no idea about these.. consider me as a beginner!!

Waiting for the help...

Cheers!

 

1.) Chances are you will be using 1280x720 or 1920x1080 resolution. The picture is bigger on a projector but not the pixel count so its not harder on the gpu.

2.) Depends on the projector, bulbs are expensive and do burn out. Last I checked average life span was only like a year long and they cost $200+ for a replacement bulb, however new projector tech is out there with bulbs that last much longer (but also probably cost more)

I would recommend using it only for gaming/movies and still using your monitor for everything else to minimize the use of the projector and its bulb if cost is a concern.

3.) Go do research online for reviews, there are sites dedicated to just projectors. After you have 2 or 3 in mind go look for prices. Alternatively go deal hunting for the best priced projectors and then go read reviews for that model.

I was very much wanting an Optoma HD65 at one time, but its been a long time they do not even make that model anymore. I think its replaced by the HD70. For the money the qualty looked really good.

See: OPTOMA HD 65 Projector [REVIEW] [+PICTURES] | Widescreen Gaming Forum

4.) What kind of system do you have to power them?

 

Thank you dude for an instant feedback!

pardon me but are you sure my current GPU would do the work on projector?
a friend of mine once said "the bigger the display area, the better graphic card is needed"
confused i am

i ll be glad if you check the GPU link below

HIS HD 5770 IceQ 5 Turbo 1GB (128bit) GDDR5 PCIe (DirectX 11/ Eyefinity) < HD 5700 Series < Desktop Graphics < Products | HIS Graphic Cards

__and yes i use the same resolution as you mentioned..
__ and yes i ll read the review before moving on..

just wanted to know if i have need to replace or upgrade the GPU

__lastly, i did't get the 4th question of yours...
Which system do i use to power them??

i dont have any speakers or what so ever... am having razer megalodon headphones...

Razer Megalodon - Gaming Headset | Razer Online Store

and thats all!

__am sorry if i sound like a noob, but its better to consult some1 and clear ones mind rather than spending considerable amount and getting sub-standard stuff in hand!!

waiting

 

Yes your GPU will power fine. Larger Display does not equal Larger Load only resolution matters. If your friend was right in theory if you put the projector close to the wall for a 15" screen it would be easier than backing it up to give you a 120" screen. The size of the screen changes but you should well know that what the computer is processing is the same.

In computer monitors generally the larger the screen you get the higher the resolution goes and thus its harder on the GPU but the current consumer projectors are only 1080P (1920x1080) while the current consumer 30" monitors are 2560x1600 much more pixels than a projector.

I was asking what power source do you have because you asked for speakers and I needed to know if you need self powered speakers meant for PC use or if you had say a home theater amplifier and only needed to pick speakers for it.

 

Rite got it..!

as far as speakers are concerned.. well for a game play on projector powerful standard speakers would do? i mean 2 speakers along with a woofer?

OR

a proper surround sound system?

Whatever you think can work making it reasonably good and economical at the same time..

i have been using headset all my life.. so take me kinda ignorant in speakers department as well :confused2:

 

i have the mw512 and its awesome looking at 105inches

 

The link below is to another thread that provides some insight into projector gaming and projectors in general...ViciousXUSMC contributed a lot on that thread too...he knows what he's talking about...just realize that the thread is dated so the projectors mentioned are not even close to current top-of-the-line...in fact, you'd probably have a hard time finding some of the projectors mentioned brand new...

PC Gaming Projector thread

In that older thread, I posted a bunch of (badly composed) digital pics of my projector...the link is below...unfortunately, I think notebookreview.com stopped doing its gallery so I don't think you can look at the pics full-size anymore...the pics at the bottom of the thumbnail gallery are PC gaming (Crysis, Warcraft 3 menu and Starcraft intro movie)...I was running my laptop at 1280x720 to correspond to the native resolution of my projector...and my (very) old 7950 gtx had no problem with Crysis at that resolution out to the projector...the gpu only drives pixels...it doesn't care whether your display device is a monitor or a projector...as the screen gets larger, pixels become more noticeable...but if you sit too close to a 92" screen, your peripheral vision won't be able to take everything in and you're going to get tired of moving your neck to see everything...not much point of driving pixels below or above the projector's native resolution as the projector will have to scale...I know that 1920x1080 projectors are readily available now and somewhat affordable...so need for a gpu to drive more than 1920x1080 for the projector...and as long as 1920x1080 remains the standard for HD broadcasting and Blu-Ray, I don't see projectors going to a higher resolution any time soon...

Thumbnail gallery of Panasonic PT-AE700U (purchased 2003) with HDTV, DVD, Blu-Ray, PS2, Gamecube, 360 and PC

As far as your questions:

1) No...your current gpu should be fine if it allows you to play your favorite games at 1920x1080 with acceptable framerates. As newer games become more demanding on the gpu, then an upgrade/second gpu may be required. But your games will determine that not your projector.
2) Yes...I have to vacuum the filter every couple of months which is very easy. I had to replace the bulb after 6 years of use which was also very easy but cost me $300. My next bulb replacement (circa 2015/2016) will probably be a new projector or R2-D2 hologram system.
3) I'm a Panasonic die hard. I think their latest is the Panasonic PT-AE7000U (mine is a 700U). My friend just purchased an Optoma something and loves it. You'll need to decide what type of projector (DLP, LCD, LCOS/D-ILA, etc) before you decide brand and model. Just the type is already a big decision. When buying my projector, I found projectorcentral.com very helpful.
4) Big picture without big sound doesn't work for me. (Neither does the reverse.) If you're going to invest in a big picture (projector and screen), you may want to consider a setup with a minimum of 60-70W per channel. If your favorite game doesn't support multi-channel sound, then a pair of speakers and a subwoof may be sufficient. I still would recommend a multi-speaker setup with a receiver or equivalent that can expand a stereo soundfield such as Dolby ProLogic II/IIx. There was a system made by Logitech a while ago (Z???) that was a great setup, but was focused on computers vs a home theater AV receiver setup.

 

will consider it!
Thank You mate, i appreciate the info!

 

Great info!
makes me grateful to you!
i guess its time for me to shake the web to get my hands on what i need!

Thank YoOou

 

I highly recommend the Optoma HD20 (1920x1080)

bulb life is rated at 3,000 - 4,000 hours (I've been using mine heavily on a daily basis for about 2 years and no reduction in brightness or intensity).

The retail price was less than $1,000 and the image is still quite crisp at about 96" x 170"