Dual Monitors

[MONOLITH]

Just wondering if anyone is doing it, and how useful does it really become?

I'm asking because I just bought that 21" widescreen LCD, and I'm wondering if I should keep the old 17" CRT setup as a second monitor.

In other words, is it worth it? How often do you actually need two monitors going? What do you use it for?

[Da Fish]

The only time Ive seen dual moniters used is by people working on multiple graphics programmes or video editting. Ive also seen it set up for some flight sims.

On the most part it was by Video editors, who have been using it in a professional or educational capacity.

When they wherent being used properly, one tended to dominate the other (for example when my cousin used his uni rig to play halflife 2 one moniter had the game, the other had nothing, apart from the window for the MSN messanger)

[Fixxxer]

I've had a dual-monitor setup for quite some time now. If you do a lot of stuff on your PC at once, it can definatly be a vast improvement in terms of desktop space.

However, I get the most use out of it from games (big surprise). Take World of WarCraft for example. I play it in windowed mode so I'm able to just scroll my mouse off the monitor the game is on and am able to read strategies and such. Same goes for games like X3 and such.

It's great for stuff liek that and if you have the extra monitor, why not do it?

[MONOLITH]

The two monitors 'share' the vid cards ability to output frame rates though, right?

Meaning, doesn't having to drive both sets of images reduce the frames per second in your game ?

[Mofoka]

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/offhome/gxm.cfm

 from what I just read in the latest edition of PC gamer, if you have $125 lying around then be ready to pick up a copy of Steel Beasts Pro: Personal Edition.

http://www.esimgames.com/

[MONOLITH]

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/offhome/gxm.cfm

Pretty cool.

from what I just read in the latest edition of PC gamer, if you have $125 lying around then be ready to pick up a copy of Steel Beasts Pro: Personal Edition.

http://www.esimgames.com/

Already had mine for a few weeks now. :yup:

Bought mine today.  

Excellent write up/review here....

http://www.tanksim.com/review.htm

A Tank Simmers dream come true....

[MiStA PePPa]

I have a 32" TV next to my computer that my brother uses to play Xbox. I have it hooked up to my PC through an S video cord. While the resolution is crap, games still look good on it. But what I use it for the most is watching DVD's. Other than that I don't do anything else with it.

I can also say I have not seen any decrease in performance because if it.

[Fixxxer]

The two monitors 'share' the vid cards ability to output frame rates though, right?

Meaning, doesn't having to drive both sets of images reduce the frames per second in your game ?

I would definatly assume your vid card/processor still has to use resources to generate images on both monitors. However, unless you're running two video intensive games/programs on each monitor, I don't think it would be an issue.

I mean the CPU/RAM/video RAM needed to generate the desktop or a website on your secondary monitor has to be so minute you probably wouldn't notice any difference.

Hell, I've played World of WarCraft and WarCraft III at the same time with no problems, and my machine is dated at best.

[MONOLITH]

Sounds like I might as well hook it up; it's just sitting there collecting dust anyway.

And my X800 Pro came with so much software and literature geared towards dual monitor setup, it's almost as if that was one of it's big selling points at the time. I think ATI calls it 'Hydravison'.


Thanks guys.

[Aramis]

The one negative that comes with dual monitors is you can't use SLI with it. I'm not sure about crossfire.

I know some folks have gotten around it by throwing in an old ATI vidcard and running one screen off of it.

Mono- if you have a 21" widescreen, why would you want to take away from that sweet display?

I just got a new 20" widescreen at a steal for $170 from Dell cuz they put a $300 off coupon on it by mistake awhile back. I love it. I think I'll eventually go multi-gpu just so I can enjoy games in the native res.

Basically multi-screens are just a way to get a widescreen-type view, and you already have that. They have the added advantage that Fix described, but WoW and Warcraft 3 aren't exactly taxing games. I'm not sure how it'd affect something more demanding.