A few questions about multi-monitor

I've read PeterP's guide and gone through many of the threads here about multi-monitor setups. I'm currently trying different things with my own, tweaking LUAs, and trying to determine what other possibilities there are which might require the purchase of other hardware or delving into other 3rd party sortware.

1) When setting up multiple displays, does the "dead space" matter that's not being output by DCS as pixels? Since DCS calculates an encompassing rectangle for its output, if you have mixed resolutions and/or gaps in your displays, DCS sees the overall outside dimensions as the total resolution. But since it's not actually rendering pixels outside the defined viewports, does it matter if you have dead space within the overall dimensions? Is there an optimization to these arrangements? For example, I currently have an odd layout:

------------------| 1920x1080(L) |-----------------

1440x2560(P) | 3440x1440(L) | 1440x2560(P)

My 1920 is physically below my 3440, but I have it above in NVIDIA Control Panel because it creates less dead space. My two portrait 1440x2560 are aligned bottom-bottom-bottom with the 3440 creating the center viewport. So for example would it matter whether I have the 1920 above where it is absorbed into a smaller overall rectangle vs. below where it adds so much more dead space below the other three displays - a larger rectangle?

2) Another question I have is wrt NVIDIA Surround. Right now, since I have various displays, I cannot use Surround. I just use windowed mode and have the tops of each side portrait empty in DCS, with MFDs output to the 1920 for use with the Cougar MFDs.

If I were to replace the 3440 with a matching 2560x1440, run those three in landscape, set up Surround and then run Full Screen, would I be able to also use the 1920 for the MFDs? Or would that invariably mean windowed mode, no Surround, and I'm basically back in the same situation I'm in now?

What I'm interested in with the Full Screen/Surround is the option to gap out the bezels and a possible boost in framerates, as well as other potential improvements such as streamlining issues with the GUI, Control Indicator position, FOV etc. (leading to #3)

3) Right now, my FOV is too narrow. I have the seat pushed all the way back and view zoomed all the way out but it's still too close. My virtual flight stick is literally larger than my physical flight stick/HOTAS. I need to be able to zoom out further. Not sure if that would be fixed, but it's on my list of things to sort out.

Your frame rate will be impacted only by the amount of pixels you are asking DCS to draw in your config.lua file. So you have to optimize your monitors positions (in windows, not in real life) to make sure you are not pushing pixels outside the visible areas. In your case, you will be contrained with your 1440 height monitor which will be the max height you should set up your config.lua. Of course unless you are using this monitor in portrait mode.x

Your frame rate will be impacted only by the amount of pixels you are asking DCS to draw in your config.lua file. So you have to optimize your monitors positions (in windows, not in real life) to make sure you are not pushing pixels outside the visible areas. In your case, you will be contrained with your 1440 height monitor which will be the max height you should set up your config.lua. Of course unless you are using this monitor in portrait mode.x

I'm still a little unsure how DCS handles the overall inclusive dimensions of the display area. If there are areas within the resolution defined in the lua, but which don't actually relate to a physical display, then DCS doesn't need to draw those pixels. So if it doesn't need to draw the pixels, then it shouldn't take up any processing/graphics power. However, I have read that it *does* matter how you configure the displays. As in, you can set them up efficiently or inefficiently and that matters. So does DCS process these dead areas? Does it reserve memory or something for them even though they are not actually part of the drawn areas?

FWIW, my current configuration does use two side displays in portrait (1440x2560), one in the center ultrawide 3440x1440, and now a 1920x1080 for just MFCDs. So I do have mixed resolutions to content with.

I'm also still wondering if there is a way to back the FOV out even further because it's much too close/zoomed in when I run DCS in this configuration.

And as another consideration, does anyone know if there is a way to run triple-screen (all matching 2560x1440 landscape displays - same model - NVIDIA Surround) and get the benefit of using fullscreen mode (framerate) but also use a 4th screen (the MFD screen for example)? Would this be possible with one video card? Possible only with two? not possible at all (as in DCS will still need to be run in window mode and with the same basic approach as what I'm doing now)?

Thanks!

"And as another consideration, does anyone know if there is a way to run triple-screen (all matching 2560x1440 landscape displays - same model - NVIDIA Surround) and get the benefit of using fullscreen mode (framerate) but also use a 4th screen (the MFD screen for example)? Would this be possible with one video card? Possible only with two? not possible at all (as in DCS will still need to be run in window mode and with the same basic approach as what I'm doing now)? "

Before VR with a 970 I ran 3 40in LCD's TV with Nvidia surround and a 23in monitor for my MFD's. I would force the 2560x1440 res on the TV's by a custom resolution section in Nvidia control panel after bezel correction total res was 7880x1440. Not for sure if DCS was in full screen or window mode never notice.

You can certainly do that natively with DCS. But you want to use NVidia's surround? I've never used that so I don't know whats doable or not.

Native DCS solution would be as simple as this.