DescentBB

Hi everyone

It’s time for me to get some advice on choosing the right monitor setup.

Ever since I first saw a triple LCD setup I was like I want that someday But wanting something doesn’t mean it’s what you need

In a nutshell I’m stuck between deciding whether I should go for a triple monitor setup or rather a decent wide screen LCD (24” to be exact) or stick to what I have

What I have right now is and 19” LCD (5:4 aspect ratio)

I’ve seen some setups lately that are running triple LCD’s but widescreens?

Questions then:

Triple setup:
What’s needed hardware wise besides and insanely powerful setup lol (eg. Two screen cards – not SLi ect...)
Triple wide / square? Which is best / preferred
Pros & Cons
Besides gaming what would the benefit be of running a triple setup over a single wide screen, except being able to say I’m running a triple LCD setup

Single Wide:
What should I look at (eg resolution, ratios ect)

Current application for my PC is gaming, Listing music and watching DVDs and TV.
OS = XP

I hope you all get what I’m asking here if not just ask if I missed any info you all will need to advise me.

Much appreciated

To drive a triple monitor setup, unless you are willing to settle for some ancient Matrox video card that supports triple-head, you are going to need two video cards. In the case of Nvidia cards, getting two cards and using SLI isn't really an option because SLI limits the system to a single monitor only (although recent drivers have enabled a second display but only in Windows Vista or up, XP users have to disable SLI to get more than one monitor to work). I'm not sure about the limitations of ATI video cards and dual/triple monitors though.

The performance of the hardware is largely irrelevant these days, most cards support two monitors right out of the box. Don't even bother with three monitors for gaming, since multi-monitor support for games is almost non-existent outside of a few flight simulators. Personally I use my dual monitor setup mostly for browsing the web on one monitor, while keeping other smaller windows open on the other monitor, such as a music player, instant messenger windows, full screen picture previews, etc. I also often open one windows explorer window on each monitor so I can easily arrange files by dragging and dropping them between windows.

When it comes to watching videos, it all goes to the primary monitor which allows me to keep track of something else on the secondary monitor if I want. But for the most part watching video takes all of your attention so there is no need for a second monitor. The second monitor comes in most handy when you are using the computer for almost any multi-tasking project. Just watching video or listening to music wastes a second screen, and virtually all games only use one monitor anyway.

As for the monitor dimensions, widescreen monitors start to quite a stretch to look all the way over at the far edge of the second monitor, fitting three at once would require turning your head rather a lot to see the extremes. I honestly would not use a triple monitor setup unless the two extra monitors were 5:4 or 4:3 aspect at most. The center screen could be wide, but if the other two were also wide it would start to be more of a pain in the neck (literally) than it would be worth.

One thing to avoid is the so called \"1080p\" monitors that are becoming more and more common lately. They run a native resolution of 1920x1080 and a 16:9 aspect, the manufacturers call it \"full HD\" which they somehow advertise as being better than the more standard 16:10 screens that run a full 1920x1200 resolution. The most important rule to remember here is that the wider the aspect, the smaller the monitor is at the same diagonal measure. Meaning a 19\" 5:4 monitor has a larger screen area than a 19\" 4:3 or 16:10 monitor, and larger still than a 19\" 16:9 monitor. A 24\" 16:9 monitor is actually barely larger than a 20\" 4:3 monitor despite what the manufacturers would have you think.

And last but not least, if you have to ask what you would do with multiple monitors; you probably don't need them. Of course even without the need, one can very quickly adapt to the use of multiple monitors and it becomes a need...

Krom wrote:........Don't even bother with three monitors for gaming, since multi-monitor support for games is almost non-existent outside of a few flight simulators..............
And last but not least, if you have to ask what you would do with multiple monitors; you probably don't need them....

This is true, although....with this game. I'd love to have a 3 monitors setup!
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09 ... tion/50982

Something to keep in mind when considering a multi-monitor set up is what you want to use it for. If you're looking at it for the sake of having your game spread across 3 screens (a la Jumpgate Evolution), then Krom's feedback is very relevant.

However, if you're looking for simply having a second screen to browse/develop/tinker on while you game on your main screen... I strongly recommend building a secondary system, hooking up a second monitor to it, and using the Synergy server/client software to share your keyboard and mouse between the two. You'll get exactly the same benefits as a single machine with 2 monitors attached, but you also get the added benefit of being able to beat the everliving crap out of the 2nd box (cpu, memory, whatever) and you won't notice even a momentary hiccup on the gaming rig - ever.

Depends what you are going to do with it. My devbox is a 24\" widescreen and a 21\" standard. Code on the left, sql server/etc on the right.

For games, what Krom said, it's a waste.

Thanks for the feedback people. Yea like I said wanting something and needing it = two different things

The 24\" I could get right now for a good price is actually one of those 1080p screens so I'm opting out on that one.

I did run a dual monitor setup a while back and loved it, part of the reason I wondered about a triple setup the second screen was a lender so had to give that back Basically I did the same as you did Krom and kinda miss it. I sometime also using applications that require some more screen space and then I need to work with windows over windows which I don't always prefer to do.

Sllik you bring up a good alternative too. Actually I've got a second pc running in my room as a file server and so on I can recruit

An alternative route I was also considering is to run a dual screen and just move the server to my main desk and hook up a LCD to it to run some of the smaller programs like the IM stuff and Outlook and so forth of it and then falling back on my dual setup I used a while back with the music player and stuff I run at once but not always requiring my attention on the second screen and then running the rest on the main screen

\"Triple\" without breaking the bank on a system to power it and splitting the PC resources better too. Guess at first I can just opt to run the server and main pc on two separate LCD's next to one another and share the k/bord & mouse as suggested

Just another option for you, here's what I do:

Dual-monitor, with the primary monitor (a 16:10) dedicated to my main rig, and the mouse + keyboard + second monitor (a smaller LCD) shared with my other machines via a KVM switch.

This way I get dual monitors for my primary gaming/development machine (like Testi, code on the left, apps/etc. on the right), but I can easily flip over and do something on secondary machine(s), even in the middle of a game. The KVM is also handier than sharing control via software.

I always found KVMs infinitely more annoying and frustrating than Synergy, actually.. but to each their own. Cuts down on the number of cables to deal with significantly as well.

Actually, Testiculese, I kinda use the best of both worlds. I've got a 3-monitor setup at work, 2 are hooked up to the dev workstation running Ubuntu 9.04 running Compiz, and the Vista box for all those IE-only corporate sites, Sametime client, Outlook, etc connected via Synergy to a single wireless keyboard and mouse so I can lean back and prop my feet up..

I'll usually have 3 and sometimes 4 sides of Compiz's cube covered with work-related windows on both screens.. helps me organize what I'm working on rather well, and I can always see Outlook/incoming chats on the 3rd screen no matter what side of the cube I'm on for the Ubuntu box.

Yea I had a KVM switch once. Ran it as I was short on the cash back then to completely setup the second box. It's an alternative but not practical for my intention at the end as the KVM kills the screen once you switch between the boxes You can still basically just use it for switching the k/b & mouse and run separate screens I guess but again wire management will be a pain

Sllik wrote:I always found KVMs infinitely more annoying and frustrating than Synergy, actually..

How so?

FireFox wrote:...the KVM kills the screen once you switch between the boxes

Not sure what you mean here. If I switch my 2nd screen over to a server box and back, I don't lose anything.

Well what I meant was with the KVM switch you are running one screen on two PC's and when switch between them you only have the screen of the pc your switched too visible thus \"killing\" the other screens (not viable). This will work if you don't want both screens visible at the same time but if you do want both visible at the same time it's not gonna work unless you have two screens hooked up to each pc and just using the KVM to switch the k/b & mouse (making it a KM switch )

No, not at all.

When I switch my 2nd monitor over to another machine, my primary monitor (not hooked up through the KVM) still shows my primary machine.

[For example: If I'm working on my main rig on the primary screen (desktop or whatever on the secondary screen), I can easily KVM over to my server machine on the second monitor, and still see what's going on in the main rig. Switching the secondary monitor does nothing whatsoever to the first one.]

I see some advice here is VERY OUTDATED

You DO not need an OLD Matrox Card to use Triple Monitors

Triple Head to GO Digital or Analog Edition

1680x1050 vs 3X's 1680x1050 WOW

Not Many Games Support triple monitors - Sorry Folks but the list grows everyday and look it's not just simulators

Aces High II, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, Age of Empires 3, Age of Empires 3 - The Asian Dynasties, Age of Empires 3: The Warchiefs, Age of Mythology, Air Battles: Sky Defender, Alien vs Predator 2, Alien vs Predator 2: Primal Hunt, Alpha Prime, America's Army, ANNO 1701, Apocalyptica, Aquadelic GT, ARCA Sim Racing, ArmA: Armed Assault, ArmA: Combat Operations, Army Men Sarge's War, Asheron's Call 2, Attack on Pearl Harbor, ATV Mudracer, Auto Assault, Ballistics, Bandits: Phoenix Rising, Battle of Britain II: Wings of Victory, Battlestations Midway, Bet on Soldier, Bioshock, Black & White 2, Black & White 2: Battle of the Gods, Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII, Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII, Blitzkrieg, Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder, Bloodrayne, BMW M3 Challenge, Brother's In Arms: Earned in Blood, Brother's In Arms: Road to Hill 30, Burnout Paradise, Call of Duty, Call of Duty: United Offensive, Chaser, City Life, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Civilization 3, Civilization 4, Civilization 4: Carlords, Clive Barker's Undying, Combat Flight Simulator 3, Combat Mission Shock Force - Marines, Combat Mission: Shock Force, Command & Conquer: Firestorm, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun, Commandos Strike Force, Company of Heroes, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor, Cossacks 2: Battle for Europe, CounterStrike Source, Crashtime (Alarm for Cobra 11), Cross Racing Championship, Crysis, Crysis Warhead, Crysis Wars, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, DarkStar One, Dawn of Magic, ay of Defeat Source, DCS BlackShark, Dead Man's Hand, Dead Space, Deadly Dozen Pacific Theatre, Demigod, Deus Ex, Devil May Cry 4, DiRT (Colin McRae's), Dirt Track Racing 2, Dogs Playing Poker, Doom 3, Doom 3:Resurrection of Evil, Duke Nukem: Manhatten Project, Dungeon Runners, Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach, Earth 2160, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Expansion Packs, Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion + Expansion Packs, Empire: Total War, Enclave, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Escape from Paradise City, EVE: Online, EVE: The Second Genesis, Everquest II, F.E.A.R, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, F.E.A.R.: Extraction Point, F.E.A.R.:Perseus Mandate, F1 2002, Fallout 3, Fantasy Wars, Far Cry, Far Cry 2, Fighter Ace, Firestarter, First Battalion, First Eagles: The Great War 1918, Flight Simulator 2002, Flight Simulator 2004, Flight Simulator X, Flight Simulator X: Acceleration, FlightGear Flight Simulator, Flyboys Squadron, Freedom Fighters, Freedom Force, Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich, FSR (French Street Racing), Galactic Assault: Prisoner of Power, Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar, Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords, Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor, Gangland, Gears of War, Gore, Gothic 3, Grand Prix 4, Grand Theft Auto IV, GRID (Race Driver), GT Legends, GTR Evolution, GTR Racing, GTR2, Guild Wars, Guild Wars: Factions, Guild Wars: Nightfall, GuildWars: Eye of the North, H-Craft, H-Craft Championship, Half Life 2, Half Life 2: The Lost Coast, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Half-Life 2: Episode 2, Hard Truck: 18 Wheels of Steel, Heavy Metal: FAKK2, Hover Ace, Hunting Unlimited 3, IGI2: Covert Strike, IL-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles, IL2 Sturmovik: 1946, iRacing, Jade Empire, Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast SP, Juiced, Knight of the Temple, KUMAWAR, Left 4 Dead, Legendary, Lego Drome Racers, Lego Indiana Jones - The Original Adventures, Liesure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, Line of Sight: Vietnam, Live For Speed S2 Alpha, Lock On: Modern Air Combat, Loki, Lords of Everquest, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, Mafia, Marine Heavy Gunner, Medal of Honor: Airborne, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault Breakthrough, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault Spearhead, Men of War, Merchants of Brooklyn, Miami Vice, Micro Flight, Midnight Club 2, Mobile Forces, Moto GP, Moto GP 2, Moto GP 3, Motocross Madness 2, MotoGP 08, Nascar Racing 2002 Season, Nascar Racing 2003 Season, Neverwinter Nights 2, Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir, Neverwinter Nights and Expansion Packs, Nitro Family, No Limits, Operation Flashpoint: Resistence, Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast, Overlord, Painkiller: Gold Edition, Pariah, Perfect World International, Planetside, Portal, Postal 2, Powerboat GT, Prey, Prince of Persia, Pro Race Driver, Pure, Quake 3 Arena, Quake 3 Team Arena, Quake 4, Race - The WTCC Game (2006), Race 07 - The Official WTCC Game, Race Driver (PRO-DTM-V8), Racer, Rail Simulator, Return to Castle Wofenstein: Enemy Territory, Return to Castle Wolfenstein: SP, Revolution, rFactor, Rise of Legends, Rise of Nations, Rune, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Clear Sky, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadow of Chernobyl, Saturday Night Speedway, SCAR, Scarface: The World is Yours, Serious Sam, Serious Sam 2, Serious Sam: The Second Encounter, Shadow Ops: Red Mercury, Shadowbane, Shadowgrounds, Shark Tale, Ship Simulator 2008, Ship Simulator 2008: New Horizons, Silent Storm Sentinels, Sim City 4, SiN Episodes: Emergence, Sins of a Solar Empire, Sins of a Solar Empire: Entrenchment, Soldier of Fortune 2 Gold: SP, Soldner: Secret Wars, Space Shuttle Mission 2007, SpaceForce - Rogue Universe, Spider-Man 2, Spore, Star Trek Legacy, Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force II, Star Trek Voyager: Elite Forces - SP, Star Wars Galaxies: The Total Experience, Star Wars Jedi Knight 2, Star Wars Jedi Knight:Jedi Academy, Steel Beasts Professional, Strategic Command: WWII Pacific Theater, Strike Fighters: Gold Edition, Strike Fighters: project 1, Supreme Commander, Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance, SWAT 3, Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror, Taxi Mayhem Berlin, Team Fortress 2, Terminator 3: War of the Machines, Terrorist Takedown 2, Test Drive Unlimited, The Gladiators: Galactic Circus Games, The Lord Of The Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, The Sims 2 + Expansion Packs (except for Pets), The Sims 2 + Stuff Packs (up to H&M Stuff), The Sims 2: Bon Voyage, The Sims 2: Pets, The Sims 2: Seasons, The Sims: Life Stories, The Wheel of Time, The Witcher, Timeshift, Titan Quest, Titan Quest: Immortal Throne, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon and Mission Packs, Tom Clancy's HAWX, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, Tomb Raider: Underworld, Total Annihilation, Total Annihilation: Kingdoms, Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency, TrackMania Nations, TrackMania Nations Forever, Trainz, Trials 2: Second Edition, Tribes 2 (Online), Tribes 2 (Solo & Lan), Turismo Carretera, Two Worlds, Ultimate Spider-Man, Universe at war: Earth Assault, Unreal 2: The Awakening, Unreal Tournament 2003, Unreal Tournament 2004, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Vendetta Online, Vietcong, Virtual Skipper 5: 32nd America's Cup, Warbirds, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, Warhammer: Mark of Chaos, Warsow, Wings Over Europe: Cold War Gone Hot, Wings Over Israel, Wings Over Vietnam, World in Conflict, World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, World Racing, World Racing 2, X-Men: The Official Game, X-Plane v8.50, X-Plane v9.00, X2: The Threat, X3: Reunion, X3: Terran Conflict, XIII

Those are out of the Box Games

Not To mention there are several triplehead out of the box monitors coming by christmas

Alienware/NEC

Radius 320

what game was that they were playing.... looked tight

Ace: The one I posted? Jumpgate Evolution

Supreme Commander supports dual screens, but as far as I know, not triple. Supreme Commander is the only game I own that can use multiple screens.

red, the one they are playing on the Alienware video bubba posted.... that the same thing?

Dang BUBBALOU those screens look like a way better option if you want to go triple screens (no break points where the screens line up). Question is what bank do I need to go pay a midnight visit too

AceCombat wrote:red, the one they are playing on the Alienware video bubba posted.... that the same thing?

Yes it is.

This is the ship they are flying in that video.
http://us.jumpgateevolution.com/img/ass ... escent.jpg

nice red

Jumpgate Evolution is such an awesome game. It might actually be the only subscription-based multiplayer game I get.

If you want more information on Triplehead Gaming or Surround Gaming go ...here

Personally, Firefox man, I would do only dual head, and only have two screens up when doing Web stuff or word processing. I rarely leave my second screen on when gaming. If you want lots of space for anything, get one large widescreen monitor.

I use two CRTs--yeah, call me obsolete; I'm getting LCDs when I move out of my parents house--one 19\" and one 17\". I rarely have the other on, and when I do it's when I'm doing multimedia-type stuff, like web and movie, or word processing and web; that kind of stuff where you need to see two separate sets of windows or data.

Firefox wrote:The 24" I could get right now for a good price is actually one of those 1080p screens so I'm opting out on that one.

[edit] whoops "opted out" not "opted for"...rant retracted

Zantor wrote: I use two CRTs--yeah, call me obsolete;

nothing wrong with that, i have a CRT 22"

Zantor wrote:Personally, Firefox man, I would do only dual head, and only have two screens up when doing Web stuff or word processing. I rarely leave my second screen on when gaming. If you want lots of space for anything, get one large widescreen monitor.

Yea dual screen might be all that I need right now. The cost of going Wide or another 5:4 like I have will be the same more or less. Just think that if I would go widescreen right now I might suffer from a graphics card that might take a negative knock in some of my games (6600GT, yea yea it's rather old but still doing the job for what I've got) as where I'm to stick with my current screen I wont feel it but will get the added benefit of more screen space in normal none gaming use

An idea, you could always get the widescreen and put it on the secondary head, or put the games on the 5:4 regardless of which head you use. Flip them around when you upgrade video. Depends on your preference for widescreens. I prefer the widescreens for everything I do. You have to get the proper resolution though. 1920x1200 gives plenty for web-reading, you can see plenty of tabs, and being able to tile windows side-by-side is soooooo nice.