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How many monitors are hooked up to your PC?

Posted: 2005-08-23 09:44pm
by Plekhanov
I've been using a 2 monitor setup for years now and find it a real pain when away from home having to use just the single screen. I really like being able to use one screen to work in and another for reference, tool bars and so forth it really helps keep the work screen clean and saves a hell of a lot of switching between documents and programs.

you've never considered it give it a try loads of cards nowadays support more than one display if not just dig out an old pci graphics card & whilst it is nicer to have two monitors of the same size any old thing will do for the secondary display.

Posted: 2005-08-23 09:51pm
by SCRawl
I used to have a spare 15" monitor as my secondary (I use a Matrox with DualHead -- it's old, but I don't play high-end games), but I found that the extra desktop space was useless. It was neat to show people like my father-in-law, but as a tool I couldn't really use it properly.

Perhaps, if I ever do a bunch of desktop publishing or some other type of work, I'll break out the old monitor. For now, though, 17" suffices.

Posted: 2005-08-23 10:02pm
by Uraniun235
One. I would run two, but my desk wasn't really made to accomodate two monitors.

Posted: 2005-08-23 10:16pm
by DrkHelmet
Does a TV count as a second monitor even though I pretty much only use it to play videos?

Posted: 2005-08-23 10:18pm
by Spanky The Dolphin
One. For me, that's what program windows are for.

Posted: 2005-08-23 11:13pm
by Jadeite
I use one, but a friend of mine uses three.

Posted: 2005-08-23 11:24pm
by darthdavid
I have 4 monitors of my own; 1 working, hooked up computer with 2 of those (17 inch Dell Trinitron Flat Screen and 17 inch Dell Curved screen, not a dell comp though :D); 1 server that's gonna use my 17 inch ADC monitor for setup then won't have any monitor and will be run remotely except in the event of catastrophic emergency, 1 14 inch compaq that's a spare/foot rest and 1 17 inch curved dell on the family computer. I mostly use the 2 monitor rig.

Posted: 2005-08-24 12:17am
by bilateralrope
I have 2 computers conected to 1 monitor via a kvm switch. Sometimes the mouse cursor will jerk suddenly, which can make gaming interesting

Posted: 2005-08-24 12:33am
by Comosicus
Only one monitor. Never used two and I don't really feel the need to (not that I would buy a second one to try :mrgreen: ).

Posted: 2005-08-24 12:40am
by Shadowhawk
I've got my 19" CRT....and a 47" widescreen HDTV hooked up with a DVI cable.

I'm planning on buying one or two LCDs later this year. Haven't decided if I'm going with a pair of 20" widescreens or a 24" widescreen. Maybe one of each, if I manage to get a good coupon combo.

Posted: 2005-08-24 12:49am
by The Grim Squeaker
Just one, I dont have the cash or space for a second monitor.

Posted: 2005-08-24 01:53am
by mauldooku
One. I honestly couldn't imagine running two, especially for gaming. Anyone who runs a multi-monitor setup, how do you deal with the inch-thick monitor edges obscuring your view? Do you just get used to it with time?

Posted: 2005-08-24 02:11am
by Shadowhawk
Badme wrote:One. I honestly couldn't imagine running two, especially for gaming. Anyone who runs a multi-monitor setup, how do you deal with the inch-thick monitor edges obscuring your view? Do you just get used to it with time?
It really depends on the setup. Two monitors is typically useless for a game, unless the game supports opening up windows or maps or whatnot on the second screen. The bezel in the middle of the screen makes it pointless to span most games' normal view across dual monitors.

Odd numbers lend themselves to gaming more readily.

As for me, I want dual montiors so I can have a game running on one screen, and everything else in the other.

Posted: 2005-08-24 03:40am
by Dahak
2, but my second monitor has died on me, so unless I buy a new one (which I won't until I graduate), I'm stuck at one monitor...

Posted: 2005-08-24 03:58am
by Ace Pace
One, but I would kill for a 2nd in some cases.

Posted: 2005-08-24 06:26am
by Dendrobius
Two. There's nothing like running CATIA or MSC.Patran/Nastran on one window, and having the specs for what you're trying to draw or analyse on the other. Or hell, having CATIA running so that when you find something wrong with the structure you're analysing in Patran, you just go and change it right there, export from CATIA and dump back into Patran. I have 1x 19" and 1x 17".

For gaming, I only get the 19" to actually game, the 17" just has Teamspeak or ICQ and MSN on.

I don't know if I could live without my second monitor...I find single monitor computers to be very restrictive now.

Posted: 2005-08-24 12:17pm
by Silver Paladin
2. I run my games in Windowed Mode on 1 monitor, then have my AIM/IRC/Ventrillo/Brower open in the other.

Posted: 2005-08-24 01:32pm
by Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi
One. I couldn't fit two anyway, as after I put the monitor, speakers, and mousepad on the desk, I don't even have room left for the keyboard. I have to pull out a drawer and use that to support it.

Posted: 2005-08-24 01:36pm
by Glocksman
When I bought my Dell flat panel, I was tempted to keep the 19" Viewsonic it replaced and run dual monitors, but I traded it off for a Smith .357 Magnum instead. :lol:

Posted: 2005-08-24 01:38pm
by Ace Pace
:lol: Nice trade, I'd have kept the monitor :)

Posted: 2005-08-24 05:20pm
by Enforcer Talen
Woah. . . 2-3 monitors sounds fascinating.

I must try it.

Posted: 2005-08-29 01:49am
by Butterbean569
Last spring my 17" LCD was fried, So I bought a 19" CRT. Then, I realized that my monitor actually had a 3 year warranty, not a 2 year. I cashed in on that, and now have two monitors. I haven't really found a use for it as of yet...really all I do is use the other monitor to spread out my instant message windows. I play my games on the CRT, but I still have to alt-Tab to access the other monitor which sucks.

However, with the school semester starting up I could see some benefit in having dual monitors. Having my Word document up on one, while having notes/web pages up on the other could be useful. It's not like it's going to save *that* much time, though.

Overall, it's kinda cool to have dual monitors, but if I didn't get that second monitor for "free", I would've just kept it a single monitor setup. But, I have two great monitors so I might as well turn my computer into a nerd station.

*Shameless Plug*
If anyone is interested in buying the 17" Dell LCD, PM me ;)

Posted: 2005-08-29 11:14am
by LadyTevar
At work, the question is "How many PCs are hooked to my monitor?" :-D

At home, just one/one.

Posted: 2005-08-29 08:09pm
by Oline61
My computer display situation is complicated. I have 2 monitors hooked up to 2 PCs. One is a 9 yr old Compaq 15" CRT, the other a 2 year old Dell 19" CRT. I use the Dell with the gaming computer for gaming, and I use the Dell with the work computer for homework. But if someone else needs to use one comp while I use the other, the Compaq comes into play. Two VGA switches handle the switching.

Posted: 2005-08-29 08:33pm
by YT300000
I once played a game on 4 monitors. That was a real eye-opener.

But I don't have enough desk space for the debateable benefits of two monitors. Debateable since alt + tab comes as a reflex to me. So one, even though my GPU would support two, and I have another, and I COULD squeeze it in, but not really worth it.