Samsung's MD230X6 six-screen Eyefinity rig gets a price to match its size
By Richard Lai 
posted May 11th 2010 7:58PM
posted May 11th 2010 7:58PM
Aww... isn't that 8-inch frame in the corner just adorable? And yep, it's right next to the same monstrous ATI Eyefinity rig we gave away at last month's Engadget Show, composed of six 23-inch IPS monitors bolted together. Samsung's been mum about its final price until now, but -- drum roll please -- the MD230X6's just a mere £3,180, which translates to about $4,750 on the other side of the pond. Don't know about you, but that £149.99 ($224) Samsung 800P photo frame's starting to look like a bargain now.
Update: Samsung just informed us that these are actually PVA screens, not IPS.
Update: Samsung just informed us that these are actually PVA screens, not IPS.
EXPERIENCE A PANORAMIC VIEW WITH SAMSUUNG'S NEW MD230
SyncMaster MD230 and ATI EYEFINITY create seamless entertainment solution
LONDON – May 11, 2010 – Samsung Electronics Co.,Ltd., the number one worldwide brand in display products, revealed the new SyncMaster MD230 entertainment solution today at a special launch event at the British Museum.
The MD230 has been designed to provide an expansive visual experience by connecting up to six monitors on one stand. The result is a seamless multi-display environment, perfect for the home or the office, allowing the user to create a truly panoramic experience.
The SyncMaster MD230 works with ATI's EYEFINITY technology to create an ultra sharp, seamless display. As well as featuring some impressive specifications, including a 1920 x 1080 resolution and a 300cd/m2 resolution, the MD230's thin and sleek design means it will make a fantastic addition to any home or office environment.
Speaking at the launch event at the British Museum in London, Graham Long, Vice President of Samsung's IT Business Division said: "The MD230 is a perfect solution for users who want a large, super sharp display spread across multiple screens, whether it's gaming in the home or working in the office."
"The innovative design of the MD230, along with class-leading technology with ATI's EYEFINITY software makes this new product a truly unique offering in this market."
The viewing platform of the MD230 is enhanced thanks to its ultra-slim bezel. As a result, users will experience a bigger, better picture on multiple screens across a seamless viewing platform. The MD230's design also offers users enhanced efficiency and interaction, helping to create the panoramic, expansive display solution.
Syncmaster MD230 Monitor Key Specs
• 23" display
• 1920 x 1080 resolution
• Contrast ratio - DC 150,000: 1 (Typ. 3,000:1)
• 8ms (GTG) video response time
• DVI-D, Display Port, D-Sub inputs
SyncMaster MD230 and ATI EYEFINITY create seamless entertainment solution
LONDON – May 11, 2010 – Samsung Electronics Co.,Ltd., the number one worldwide brand in display products, revealed the new SyncMaster MD230 entertainment solution today at a special launch event at the British Museum.
The MD230 has been designed to provide an expansive visual experience by connecting up to six monitors on one stand. The result is a seamless multi-display environment, perfect for the home or the office, allowing the user to create a truly panoramic experience.
The SyncMaster MD230 works with ATI's EYEFINITY technology to create an ultra sharp, seamless display. As well as featuring some impressive specifications, including a 1920 x 1080 resolution and a 300cd/m2 resolution, the MD230's thin and sleek design means it will make a fantastic addition to any home or office environment.
Speaking at the launch event at the British Museum in London, Graham Long, Vice President of Samsung's IT Business Division said: "The MD230 is a perfect solution for users who want a large, super sharp display spread across multiple screens, whether it's gaming in the home or working in the office."
"The innovative design of the MD230, along with class-leading technology with ATI's EYEFINITY software makes this new product a truly unique offering in this market."
The viewing platform of the MD230 is enhanced thanks to its ultra-slim bezel. As a result, users will experience a bigger, better picture on multiple screens across a seamless viewing platform. The MD230's design also offers users enhanced efficiency and interaction, helping to create the panoramic, expansive display solution.
Syncmaster MD230 Monitor Key Specs
• 23" display
• 1920 x 1080 resolution
• Contrast ratio - DC 150,000: 1 (Typ. 3,000:1)
• 8ms (GTG) video response time
• DVI-D, Display Port, D-Sub inputs
Yeah... Great....
If only I could actually afford one...
@masta vaan
And you better have a good ophthalmologist by your side at all time.
@masta vaan
Six 23-inch IPS monitors? IPS Monitors? That cost is almost about right...considering IPS monitors at that size go for around $600 dollars each, perhaps a bit more...
Still, there is NO FREAKING WAY anyone, except daytraders/stock traders, or people looking to build a missle launch facility, could POSSIBLY justify this kind of setup...
@masta vaan I have 4 samsung 23" displays tiled and it cost me $185 each! I made my own wall mount and power cable and at the end of the day had a very similar setup for under $800. I'm not sure where the IPS advantage comes in but a little DIY effort and you could save a couple thousand easy.
@viper24
Well, IPS panels tend to have a might better colour accuracy...Also, better viewing angles, kind of like the screen all graphic designers buy from Dell, or the screen used on the iPad.
Here is what I wonder about...Most people who would initially spend the money on this setup are going to be hardcore gamers, stocktraders or medical facilities...
For gamers...IPS panels have an enormous response rate...think above 15ms...so how is that attractive again? Especially at that price...
@kapanak
I believe, at 60 Hz, as long as your response time is less than 16 ms you should have blur-free gaming.
@einhanderkiller
Blur-free...of course.
But really hardcore gamers do EVERYTHING to shave off more miliseconds from their games...it's all about the amount of time it takes for an event to occur ingame, until you see it, and then respond to it, and when your response reaches the game...
If you consider ALL the lag, including mouse input latency, to keyboard response time, data transferred inside the system, EVERYTHING, it actually adds up to something between 200-300ms on a really good PC...so 15ms difference is a big difference...not for us though...IPS actually is BEAUTIFUL for watching movies...or playing MMOs...
@kapanak Umm...no. Six larger sized IPS monitors would go for $600 each, but 23" IPS monitors can be had for much cheaper. You can build a ghetto version of this rig with IPS monitors for about half the price of this thing. For example, the NEC EA231WMi runs a bit over $300 per panel, so six of them would come in just under 2 grand, and you'd still have a few hundred bucks leftover for a crazy monitor stand while still being half the price of this thing.
Of course you wouldn't have the super thin bezels, but I wouldn't buy this thing anyway.
@kapanak
A computer would be useless if you think it takes 1/3 of a second to react to anything.
@masta vaan
Or you could just get a single large LCD HDTV for a grand and set your font size reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeealy small. :P
The best part is that I can connect my EVO to it ! :D (HDMI you know )
@TikiTeko
Damn i didn't thnk of that...
Could HDMI support 6 screens at 6 time the HD resolution?
Wait, your EVO? you have one?
@masta vaan not yet :( But I hope soon. I am sure you can connect it, now the results, that is something different.
@TikiTeko
Maybe 6 screens showing the EVO's screen, even though that would be useless...
Holy Bezel, Batman!
@DoctarPeppar
Seriously...
Also, at that price, you'd think they have some sort of cable management in place, instead of each monitor having it's own separate input/output...and What kind of powercable are you going to need for this monster...a 240?
@kapanak
Probably...Samsung even (supposedly) went to great lengths to make the bezel on these smaller than normal monitors, but I still say it gets in the way and ruins a gaming experience.
Eyefinity won't be practical imho until someone can come out with a display that has like a 1mm bezel on all sides and has some sort of cable management system built in.
5x 30" monitors in portrait mode.
everything else is inferior.
@elduderino I too endorse a 5-monitor setup. It is superior.
The problem with a 6 monitor setup for gaming is
1. You can't see your crosshair properly (for FPS), and
2. You can't see the horizon very well (for Driving / Simulation games).
a 5 monitor setup has a much better layout. Your main central field of view is properly catered for and the other monitors can provide better peripheral support.
What I'm running at the moment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75GzOPi-_js
*sigh*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0Ls96TTVvY
... around $1800 2 years ago.
if your an Aussie with import skills, its lot cooler than just getting 4 high end apple / hp screens which is what you'd get for the money at 1.2k a piece.
A bunch of pics of it doing nothing.... boring!!
I'd rather buy 6 high quality monitors for less and take the time to position them properly.
For that much money (which translates to $6300 Canadian) I could get the Sony VPLHW15, SXRD 1080P BRAVIA Home Theatre Projector up here in Canada and will have 2500 left to build an extreme gaming rig or just a PS3 and bunch of games!
@hero785
no it does not. 6300 CDN is 4100~ GBP. I would expect this to sell at the $4000-4500 USD price mark in north america.
@bolezhinkov
Thanks for the correction but it actually turns into 4829,92 Canadian. So will have at least 1500 to buy a PS3 and games or a sick gaming rig! It's till too expensive bro. I'd only buy it if itwas bezel-free monitors. You dig?
Let's have someone buy this and write a review using it!
I just drool a lil bit
that guy who won that thing was so lucky...
almost 5 grand worth of displays and they're being driven with the VGA inputs?