Dual displays

[Sylvanas]

I have read a few articles here and there about setting up two monitors on one desktop but still have a few questions.

1) Recently, I purchased a 24Inch wide screen LCD and wish to run it along side my 'old' BenQ 17Inch LCD. I intend to run my 24" at native 1920x1200 and 17" at native 1280x768 can this be achieved or will I have to adjust both monitors resolutions in order to create a less mismatched desktop area? (extended desktop)

2) This is primarily to take advantage of Dual display options in upcoming games like Supreme Commander and to maximize the life and investment of my 17" LCD. Would it be possible to have 1 full-screen game open on my 24" and Web and email browsing on the 17", if so how you do things such as scroll to the other screen while in a full-screen game?

3) What are other AT'ers experiences with dual displays?

X850XT vivo
AMD 64 3200 @ 2.4ghz
Acer Al2416WD SLV 24inch LCD, Benq 17" LCD

 

[Jibboom]

I use dual monitors, NEC MultiSync LCD20WGX2 and ACER 1716. I set both monitors to their native resolutions (1680x1050 and 1280x1024) and they are fine alongside each other, I don't notice any "mismatching", though there is a bigger difference between the vertical resolutions on your monitors so you may notice some difference. When running full screen games, if you want to use a program on the secondary screen you usually have to minimise the game first. If the game does allow you to scroll over to the other screen, as soon as you click there the game will minimise. I haven't found any ways around this, others might have I'm not sure.

 

[Anjow]

Originally posted by: Sylvanas
1) Recently, I purchased a 24Inch wide screen LCD and wish to run it along side my 'old' BenQ 17Inch LCD. I intend to run my 24" at native 1920x1200 and 17" at native 1280x768 can this be achieved or will I have to adjust both monitors resolutions in order to create a less mismatched desktop area? (extended desktop)

Running them both at native resolution is fine. The only thing you'll notice is that they will literally be those sizes - so if your monitors are oriented so the bottoms align there will be an area at the top of the 24" where moving your mouse pointer to the edge won't move it onto the 17". This is not a problem.

Originally posted by: Sylvanas
2) This is primarily to take advantage of Dual display options in upcoming games like Supreme Commander and to maximize the life and investment of my 17" LCD. Would it be possible to have 1 full-screen game open on my 24" and Web and email browsing on the 17", if so how you do things such as scroll to the other screen while in a full-screen game?

I don't know about future dual-screen games, but currently running a game full screen then clicking on something on another screen will cause the game to minimise. This can be solved by running it in windowed mode at the same resolution. I am not too hot on that subject, but I know my father plays WoW windowed but at full size and can browse the web on his other screen like that.

Originally posted by: Sylvanas
3) What are other AT'ers experiences with dual displays?

LOVE LOVE LOVE. I have been using 2 monitors for well over 5 years now and I would never go back. I don't use it that much for gaming, but when I do it is handy to have a walkthrough on one screen and the game on the other. It is incredibly useful for design applications such as photoshop or programming environments, for photoshop I have the image window on one screen and toolboxes on the other, and for programming I have the code window on one screen and all the toolboxes on the other. In windows it is handy to have FF on the main screen then a system monitor, process monitor, trillian and winamp on the second.

 

[Wik]

I was using two 19s at 1280 x 1024 and then intruduced my 32" LCD TV in the middle at 1360x768. So, mixed resolutions work fine. I arrange the layout properties so the mouse pointer at the middle of the 19s come across at the same point on the 32. Just move the virtual screens around in the display settings to match your physical pointer placement.

 

[Aikouka]

Some games, like World of Warcraft, support a Windowed: Full Screen mode that allow you to play in a Window, but all the bars and borders are removed. Doing this almost "emulates" true Full Screen, except you can click off of your game onto your second monitor and the game will still be on the other monitor.

I love two monitors, and I have 0 plans of going back.

 

[imported_browsing]

I still play the Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines game, I wish it had the borderless windowed mode...