NeoGAF

I always tend to watch livestreams on Twitch or Saltybet, but miss out on a lot since I can't watch and browse at the same time. So I often just have the livestream on one tab and browse around, having only the audio as background noise. This is obviously annoying and highly problematic.

So I was sitting here in the middle of the night and suddenly this brilliant idea pops in: I bought a new tv a couple of months ago and my old LCD tv was standing there doing nothing.
I put the tv [23 inch] on my desk next to my 23.5 inch LED monitor, yank the HDMI cable in my oldschool Geforce 530 and voila: dual screen goodness.

The downside is that the LCD tv looks clunky as fuck on my sleek desktop and it has a max resolution of 1280 x 720, so the image quality is substantially lower than the 1080p LED monitor. But still, now I can browse on my primary and watch livestreams and stuff on the second. I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner. I also can't believe I lived my entire life without a dual screen setup, this is glorious.


So is everyone using dual screen setups already and am I just late to the party?

I've used dual monitors for about 5 years now. I also have to always have it setup at work too and recommend it to everyone.

Yep. GAF on one screen, Giant Bomb stream on the other.

Do the same with TV shows, movies and stuff.

Been using it for years, shit's awesome. I'd go triple monitor if I had the dosh

You're late to the party. I've been using dual screens since the late 90s and that's only because I was too poor to buy a second monitor for a while. Dual screens are glorious. When you start having multiple devices (PCs, laptops, tablets) all on and scattered nearby, we can talk again.

(you should see me on Sundays when the NFL is in the regular season)

Originally Posted by SJRB

So is everyone using dual screen setups already and am I just late to the party?

I've had dual screens for 2-3 years, and it's been glorious. It's so much better than having one that I have often dreamed about adding more. If 2 is so much better than one, how good won't 3 or 4 be?

Dual Monitors or go home. I might have to replace my old EZIO from 2002-ish soon, but I can never, ever go back to single screen.

I don't use dual monitors, but I often have my one monitor accompanied by a laptop on my home desk.

I set mine up for the first time this year, and it really is incredible for things like Twitch & Netflix. I'm the sort of person who likes having a show or something on in the background, and now I can't imagine living without it.

dual monitors for five years now (laptop + 22" monitor). best thing ever. when I'm going to get a full tower I'll go 2x22" or 2x24" and who knows... even three maybe.

I've been using dual monitors at home for a couple of years - it's great, though most of the time I don't use the second monitor for anything.

I've been using it long at work, of course, and there it's of far more practical use.

i have dual 24 inch setup at home, and at work i have 1 40 inch monitor. i actually like my 40 inch at work better.

Yeah it's so convenient. One for what you are currently doing, one for reference, and one for communication I say. Something like that. I use it at home a lot. Thinking about getting one for work. It's hard to go back once you have that kind of setup.

Triple monitors are even better :)

But I agree. After using dual monitors I can't go back to just one. That could also explain why I don't like tablets anymore.

Used dual monitors at home until this year. Now I use three 24" monitors. PC master race indeed.

Awesome for multi-screen gaming and multitasking. I can't see a way of going back to a single monitor.

I wouldn't mind having a dual monitor setup, but I already have my HDTV connected and don't know if my card will like having a third display connected. And even then, I'd have to have one of them on VGA.

I have a dual monitor setup for one of my computers. It's pretty nice, but I found myself on my pc that is hooked up to my 55" TV more nowadays and don't really miss my dual monitor setup. Maybe I'll use it more once I move the computer to my bedroom and have a place setup for it...

I love it. Makes me like 20% more productive at work.

Now if only the cheap fucks would give me a computer with more RAM.

You guys have never heard of Alt-Tab?

I've had dual monitors at work for 6+ years and at home for 3-4. I can't work on just one anymore.

Only two monitors?

My friend has three set up, crazy.

Yeah I've got 3. Slightly better than using a dual monitor setup, but going from 1 monitor to 2 is a giant leap.

Used to have dual. Made everything easier, especially digital art and gaming. I'm going to do a triple setup and have my TV wired too so I can stream movies to it.

I picked up a moniter a few months pack in preperation to build a new machine, and have been running it since as a dual screen on my lap top. Love it. When I build my machine I'm going to triple screen it.

I am going to buy a new monitor soon. Any recommendations?

Originally Posted by trinest

Only two monitors?

My friend has three set up, crazy.

Aside from the lack of space to place a third monitor, I wouldn't know what to do with it. Browsing/streaming/work or something, I can imagine.


I actually have sore eyes because I'm staring at two monitors now haha, can't imagine how it would be with three. It looks badass though having three monitors, that's for sure.

Dual monitors are the bomb. I'm thinking on going triple down the line.

Yeah i could never go back.

Originally Posted by BLAZER

Yeah i could never go back.

Try to.

I cant even use my laptop, like "fuck this shit".

everyone has dual rotating giant LCDs where I work and the more senior people have 3-5 monitors

I use it for my Japanese studies . I have the tv drama playing on one , then I use the other to follow the script and look up words -

Originally Posted by SJRB

So is everyone using dual screen setups already and am I just late to the party?

I was rocking triple monitors at work over a decade ago, dual monitors at home almost as long.

Originally Posted by thecharrr

Been using it for years, shit's awesome. I'd go triple monitor if I had the dosh

Monitors are pretty cheap these days.

I just started rocking the second screen for the first time in my life a few months ago. It feels like I left the internet cruisin' dark ages and there's no going back!

It's neat how intuitive using extended screens is. Took, like, half a minute and I felt like I've been using it forever.

So does a dual monitor setup require more GPU processing?

i use to have dual 21" CRT in 2004. now rocking three 24" monitors :)



although at one point I did have dual 30" monitors but i had to sell them

Originally Posted by SJRB

So does a dual monitor setup require more GPU processing?

Only if you combine the two into one extended monitor and want to game at super high resolutions.

Otherwise, no. Video cards have had at least two outputs as standard for a long long time now.

I have had 2 monitors for about 2-3 years. Never going back to 1.

Sometimes, 2 24" monitors doesn't feel like enough and a 3rd monitor would be the sweet spot. I had always been a 1 monitor guy, 17" or 19" until I was required to have 2 in my IT job. Immediately I saw the benefits and got an additional monitor at home, finally upgrading to the 2 I have right now.

yeesssss...

at work I had triple monitors. now that is the next step OP. believe.

I tried two but I didn't like it. I don't normally have ten things open because my attention span is not extremely short.

Two shows you what you were missing all these years. However, I think three is the optimal number.

Two monitors is definitely the way to go. And monitors, at this point, are some of the cheaper parts of a computer.

Map/strategy guide on one side + supersampled game on the other = amazing goodness.

I've tried to but I prefer to alt tab than turn my head.

I have 27" (25xx x 14xx) and 24" (1920 x 1200) on my Mac Pro. Throw iTunes and IRC and Steam friends on the 24", along with any reference material. Aperture puts thumbnails over on the 24" in full-screen mode as well.

My only complaint is that I will type in IRC on the 24", look at a browser window on the 27", decide I'm done with it, hit cmd-w to close it and disconnect from IRC because it still has focus. I do this all the time.

I notice the use of dual monitors every time I remember that I don't have a setup that can do it.

Originally Posted by sarcastor

i use to have dual 21" CRT in 2004. now rocking three 24" monitors :)

I would not be able to handle the two big ass lines in the middle there.

Originally Posted by SteveWinwood

I would not be able to handle the two big ass lines in the middle there.

Just find monitors with thinner bezels.

Originally Posted by XiaNaphryz

Only if you combine the two into one extended monitor and want to game at super high resolutions.

Otherwise, no. Video cards have had at least two outputs as standard for a long long time now.

Hmm, I hear my cooling fan spinning up every now and then for a fraction of a second since I plugged in the second screen.

[To be fair, 530 GT is pretty bad card so it might just be that]

had to get rid of them earlier this year and its RIDICULOUS that its taking me this long to get back to 2

doing it next month