PROS and CONS of Multi displays

[cool.dx.rip]

Guys i ask this just out of curiosity what is the pros and cons of more than one monitors.Does they have any uses than gaming?thanks

 

[W1zzard]

multi monitor is essential for me during work. 30" + 19"

much easier to work with multiple documents, multiple tasks, i have my outlook emails open on the right monitor and easy to check

i'm not a big fan of multi-monitor gaming

 

[Geofrancis]

a second monitor makes working much easier especially for applications like multiple documents, web pages, remote computers, virtual machines. When i get used to 2 or 3 screens i find it really frustrating trying to work on my laptop or even Worse trying to work on an ipad

 

[Wrigleyvillain]

Or designers and retouchers who can keep the Adobe app "palettes" on the secondary (along with their email window etc) and dedicate the main display to only the image/working file itself.

As for gaming I'd like a wider image/FOV but a bezel down the middle just really turns me off and such is also still fairly cost-prohibitive to most.

Edit: On that note now that I have a more portable machine (Prodigy) I am going to bring my gaming PC into work at some point to screw around with multi-display gaming and check out IQ on various higher-end displays including an amazing 30" NEC intended for professional color proofing.

 

[digibucc]

I went the whole eyefinity route and it got boring quickly. most games simply don't adapt well and the ones that do aren't really better off for it. it's different and In the few strategy games that scaled with dpi it helped, otherwise multi-monitor gaming was senseless to me. that is unless you are talking about a wall, but that's basically just a giant screen so i thought not.

I will use an additional monitor for work, for reference materials, email, or even just a file browser. I used to use 3 23" 1080p but have since dropped to one of those to supplement a 27" 1440p. the two together are more than enough desktop space for my work, which is basically web development with managerial IT tasks as well.

If I were doing some kind of media work(other than photoshop) I would probably want 3 monitors again, but I just dabble for fun so there is no need. the disadvantages are that even today there can be driver issues though those have lessened. more points of failure, more processing required by your gpu. more desk space required.

all in all, it's easy enough to try and the disadvantages are temporary so find one you can hook up and try it out with.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Ive used multiple monitors for a while and on one occasion set up a 24.5 inch monitor either side of a 42 inch hd tv. i only play NFS shift 2. It was brilliant because if you stretch the image across all 3 and play in incar mode the 2 side monitors and large middle screen gives you the sensation of actually being there beacause scenery is flying past the side windows. Unfortunately the wife and 2 kids got fed up with me using all the best screens in the house and the best sound system. Lasted about an hour before the verbal abuse started.

Since then i have limited myself to 2 screens one for gameplay and the other for monitoring the system.

e,g
CPUID
GPUZ twice one for each gpu
Task manager
Catalyst control centre
Argus Monitor.

Im sure there are loads of monitoring programmes you could choose from that dont eat up too much cpu power.

I always have FRAPS running so i can appreciate just how much better my fps is with 2 GPU!

 

[jgunning]

i'm not a big fan of multi-monitor gaming

I agree with Wizard on this one, I am a fan of using dual monitors for email, applications which are handy to have on the side but I am also not a fan of dual monitor gaming.
On that note I did hear that the original supreme commander had an actual option in-game to use two monitors..?Have not ever tried that though.Kind of cool though I think! =)

 

[wiak]

I agree with Wizard on this one, I am a fan of using dual monitors for email, applications which are handy to have on the side but I am also not a fan of dual monitor gaming.
On that note I did hear that the original supreme commander had an actual option in-game to use two monitors..?Have not ever tried that though.Kind of cool though I think! =)

world in conflict had multi display support btw
it has the cool feature of having the whole battlefield on the secound with up-to-date info

 

[dorsetknob]

got my Main rig set up for 4 Monitors
I use 2 all the time but when i run our of desk space i power up the extra monitors
Great for running lots of programs full screen
Mule on one
web on another
file player on another
Security cam on another
Then you can task swap other programs as well

Been a fan of multi Monitors since forever (well since Pci allowed you to run multipule graphics cards. That's when i first went multi monitor)
Would NEVER GO BACK TO ONE MONITOR

If you have the hardware and /or can afford to go multi monitor Try it you wont regret it or revert to one monitor

PS my second rig is also set up for 4 Monitors so in total i got and can use 8 screens over 2 rigs all in the same room

 

[RCoon]

Tried battlefield 3 on three monitors, and hated it. Not touching multi-monitor gaming ever again. I do however run multiple monitors, because as everyone else has stated, having many things open and VISIBLE is a huge help

 

[FordGT90Concept]

When gaming, I have messenger going on the second monitor as well as a clock and anything useful to see while playing the game (like a map of hidden items). If I mute music in the game, I'll put Zune over there playing music too so I can glance and see what song is playing.

 

[RCoon]

When gaming, I have messenger going on the second monitor as well as a clock and anything useful to see while playing the game (like a map of hidden items). If I mute music in the game, I'll put Zune over there playing music too so I can glance and see what song is playing.

Zune master race
Still waiting for an EQ implementation though...
I use rainmeter themes but dump them on the second monitor for clock and OC'ing and cpu/gpu temps/usage.

 

[caleb]

Yeah multidisplay is a must have for work. I actually use multiple computers with a single keyboard and mouse (Input director) - really much better than just two displays.

If there was real support for this in games I bet we would use it. Not just extended FOV but complete freedom over HUD configuration etc. Imagine having detailed map in Battlefield 3 full screen on your left ^^
Where are the times where games like Enemy Territory virtually allowed you to do anything with the interface.

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

I messed with multi monitors for awhile but everything I used it for ended up being unnecessary, especially with aero and modern taskbars. Phones are for messages, I have clocks all around me, I can alt tab if I really must look at something during a game, I can fit all the windows I need for work on this big ass screen, and running multiple displays would mean buying a matchingly expensive monitor. Add on top of that a third of the long running driver complaints I see relate to multi-monitor setups and I just couldn't justify going back. That's probably norm. Every body tries it at least once but only a few stick with it.

As for gaming specifically I would NEVER put up with bezels. Give me 4k instead.

 

[Gavin]

I love my multi displays for work, alot more efficient. emails, docs, browser, tpu.

 

[Wrigleyvillain]

If there was real support for this in games I bet we would use it. Not just extended FOV but complete freedom over HUD configuration etc. Imagine having detailed map in Battlefield 3 full screen on your left ^^

That would be incredibly useful and thus freakin' sweet! I sometimes need to pause my movement mid-game making myself vulnerable to look at the full map to get bearings or see if someone has our MBT or something like that.