Dual screen

[imported_ceefka]

Who has a dual screen setup and what hardware are you using. What are you doing that makes dual screen necessary for you? What should you pay special attention to when configuring a dual screen setup?

 

[pulsedrive]

I have mine setup Dual screen so that while I WoW I can also surf the web in the other windows without having to ALt-Tab. Mainly I use it for Thotting stuff, not anything major. I also plan on getting a good TV card and using the second monitor for that. Look to Sig to see what hardware I have setup. What I have runs it all pretty well, although one thing I will mention is that when you run a game in windowed mode(which you have to do to be able to move the mouse over to the other screen, full screen locks the mouse in the one screen) it will cut your FPS down a good chunk.

 

[imported_ceefka]

Wow, pulsedrive, looks like you're the only one. Thanks for sharing. Nice rig too.

It's for a DAW which means 2D stuff and some video editing, no gaming, no surfing. The emphasis is on audio processing.

 

[pulsedrive]

If that is the case, any good Dual DVI video card would be fine, even some older generation cheapo would work out fine. Although for DVI above 1280 x 1024 I would stick with ATI, Nvidia has some issues. Any of the good dell lines of monitor would make for a good fit as well it just depends on what resolution you are going for.

 

[imported_ceefka]

I'd like the resolution to be at least 2x 1280x1024. Do you suppose it needs to be 2x DVI instead of 1xDVI + 1xVGA? These DVI monitors tend to be quite a bit more expensive than VGA. As for the card, I was thinking about an ATi Radeon X300 SE that sells for about ? 55,00. Silence is also very important so I try to do with as few cooling fans as I can.

 

[Peter]

Here at work, I have dual screens running for software development works. Left screen (Dell 2005FPW) has the IDE, the right screen (19" Samsung CRT) is used for document reading, internet browsing, mail, bugtracking software, etc. etc. I could easily use a 3rd screen here. 1680x1050 and 1400x1050.

At home I have twin identical 20" SPEA CRTs because I can and because the right one doubles as a TV while I'm doing the usual home office stuff on the left one - or while I relax on the sofa in the study. 1280x960 on both of them.

Graphics card here at work is an AOpen FX5200, at home it's a Radeon 9550SE/VIVO.

 

[rivan]

Most any card will give you fine 2D performance - even PCI's fine. I wouldn't even say dual DVI on a single card is 100% necessary - 2x DVI yes, single card no.

pulsedrive also had it right suggesting Dells for monitors, though I've got a pair of 19" Princetons at home that I'm just fine with - both at 1280x1024. I just moved to a 6800 GT at home (I game as well as retouch with Photoshop...the reason for the dual setup) but I was just fine before with a 9500Pro and an old Matrox G400 PCI - things were a little slow to redraw on the Matrox, if I had the image window on that monitor, but that wasnt usually the case.

The one thing I'd strongly consider if I were to do it again is a larger main monitor - I think I'd still feel confined on a 24", I just can't afford that at home yet I find 19" is more than enough for my palette monitor.