Is ATI's Eyefinity really that great or…?

Eyefinity, AMD technology which allows gamers to play games at up to 25MPixels on up to six screens, recently took a backseat to the news that AMD is backing a new stereoscopic 3D Blu-ray standard to be unveiled at CES 2010. BioWare’s has released patches on November 6 and 17 to enable Eyefinity support for Dragon Age: Origins. Trust us this will get interesting.

We took some quotes in cheerful language from AMD's "Friday Filler" press release:

• BioWare issued patches on Nov. 6 and Nov. 17, 2009 to fully enable Dragon Age: Origins on ATI Eyefinity technology, ensuring that gamers have access to ultra-widescreen resolutions for the ultimate visual experience.
• Experience even more of the fantasy world of Ferelden in Dragon Age: Origins by viewing it with an ultra-wide, three display configuration using ATI Eyefinity technology, allowing for a maximum resolution of 7680 x 1600.
• ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology allows seamless enablement of the biggest game environments available today. Gamers can arrange one to three displays using the ATI Radeon HD 5970, ATI Radeon HD 5870, ATI Radeon HD 5850, ATI Radeon HD 5770 or ATI Radeon HD 5750 graphics cards.

"BioWare has made ATI Eyefinity compatibility a priority, and it speaks strongly to their belief in what ATI Eyefinity technology brings to the gaming experience," said Neal Robison, director, ISV Relationship Management at AMD. "BioWare is known for creating rich, immersive gaming experiences, and it is clear that they appreciate how ATI Eyefinity technology found on the latest ATI Radeon cards, can help further enrich the experience for gamers."

"We’re really excited to take advantage of AMD’s new ATI Eyefinity multi-screen configuration technology," said Mark Darrah, executive producer, BioWare. "Dragon Age: Origins is an incredibly immersive game and it’s quite impressive to experience the Dragon Age universe on this impressive technology from AMD."

To gauge consumer acceptance, I asked Bobby P., a veteran gamer and long-time overclocking enthusiast, for his opinion and thoughts on market acceptance AMD’ Eyefinity.
Bobby P. definitely takes a different view, stating, "This is for multi-monitor gaming but it doesn’t really matter [for average gamers] because 3 screens would cost over $1,000 and more monitors will equal less FPS [frames per second]. For gamers it’s a pain in the ass and we are mostly into games looking good on one screen. I would much rather have one very large screen, say a 52" screen as opposed to six smaller screens because the space between monitors is a deal breaker for me, it’s a real aggravation. Plus, when you’re traveling to LANs you’re not gonna take 3 monitors with you." Bobby continues, "But it does offer a lot of features for programmers [game devs] and html coders and code junkies."

With nVidia’s Fermi architecture looming ominously on the horizon [do bear in mind that the latest benchmark rumors are nothing else but a fake, even a badly put one], AMD is hoping that Eyefinity and stereoscopic 3D will entice enthusiasts and gamers to buy Radeon HD 5000 series cards now rather than wait for nVida’s long delayed answer.

What do you think? Do you agree with Bobby P. or would you use it? Feel welcome to comment. We’d like to know your opinions.