purpose of 2 monitors, or more?

[quina123]

Knowing tons of gamers use and have 2 more monitors on their PC's, what is the exact purpose of this? Isn't one monitor good enough. How do you even focus on two monitor's a time. Do your eyes go both ways? (Honestly, :awe: ) So curious. I haven't found an answer yet.

 

[borderdeal]

I would guess the answer would be because of work. I used to have 2 monitors one 23" and one 22" . I used both for work and used the 23" for gaming. I was thinking on getting another monitor for work but it had nothing to do with gaming.

 

[SithSolo1]

When I was running two monitors I would game on one and then watch a movie or surf the web in the other. For triple monitor setups its usually for an increased field a view across all three screens with main screen in the center and one to either side.

 

[Riverhound777]

I don't game on two monitors. I game on one and use the other for other things. For instance in Eve it's pretty damn useful to have a second monitor, or more. I get annoyed with games that don't handle Alt-Tab well or can't be played in windowed mode. Eve does this the best, it fills the one screen completely but you can still use the other without minimizing the game at all, it's seamless.

 

[Elcs]

I gamed on two monitors back in 2003-2006. The only game that really used it to any advantage was X2: The Threat so I could have a map up on one whilst flying on the other, or simply show 4 of the turrets on my massive capital ship whilst attempting to pilot it.

 

[tidy]

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[Mike64]

For productivity sometime three monitors can make sense, but with the advent of large 4K monitors I probably wouldn't bother anymore.

I can't really imagine what I'd use a third monitor for, but I do like having a completely separate second monitor, though not for gaming purposes. I have it several inches away from, and at a definite, though not sharp, angle to my main monitor precisely to create a distinct separation between the two. It's close enough that I can easily glance at it without turning my head, but far enough apart that I'm not distracted by it when I'm focusing on something on the main monitor. With everything on one, large, high-res monitor, it would be visual overload for me -- like overly busy Web pages are. And if I do want to actively watch what's happening on both screens, they're close enough together that by turning my head just a little, I can easily focus on both at the same time...

 

[Seba]

When I was running two monitors I would game on one and then watch a movie or surf the web in the other.

That is even more interesting than gaming on multiple monitors. How do you play a game and watch a movie at the same time? And the more important question is why would you want to do that?

 

[tidy]

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[Seba]

The movie must not be that great either...

 

[Elcs]

Aside from some very niche cases (like the one above), dual monitors are useless for gaming. In my opinion, triple monitor setups are almost equally ridiculous (based on my experimentation with Eyefinity on 3x HP LP2475Ws). If you want more immersion, then get a bigger monitor. Contrary to what a lot of people seem to think, vertical size adds to immersion too. I don't see the appeal of viewing the game through a segmented bunker slit, nor the point in wasting a significant portion of your GPU horsepower on rendering distorted garbage in your peripheral vision. Eyefinity/Surround seems even more redundant now that there are plenty of ultra-wide monitors on the market.

For productivity sometime three monitors can make sense, but with the advent of large 4K monitors I probably wouldn't bother anymore.

That's why in 2006 I went HDTV Pick them right and you get a cheap, responsive and large 1920x1080p screen and quite a few titles like VSR so 1440p VSR on a large 1080p screen goes down a treat.

 

[TheVrolok]

Not sure that says more about the mind of the gamer, or the quality of the game they're "playing". I guess that setup would suit the type of person who only plays for the next level/unlock/achievement.

I've done it with games like EVE or WoW in the past. Watching a movie/TV while grinding which is pretty mindless. Obviously I don't watch a movie simultaneously with an action FPS like CSGO or a good single player game.

 

[smakme7757]

I think the misconception here is that a "Gamer" only plays games on their PC. Most gamers no mater age usually use their PC for office tasks be it school or work. Additionally, having 2 monitors gives one more room for different objects on the screen. be it work, a film, an EBook, spotify...ect.

It's just a productivity enhancement tool; not specific to work or play, but useful for both.

 

[Aikouka]

People with an even number of monitors typically do it for productivity. For example, I can play a non-fullscreen (borderless window) game on my main monitor and have a web browser or whatever open on my other monitor. I've done that with Hearthstone when I forget exactly what a card does, so I'll just Google it while debating my turn. Even numbers of monitors don't work well for multi-monitor gaming because you'll have a bezel in the center of your view. If someone has an odd number of monitors, you tend to see that used for gaming or an edge case in regard to productivity (they need even more screen real estate).

 

[BxgJ]

I couldn't go without the second monitor. I'll have various things open on the second one, like a map for some games. If playing with friends I'll have teamspeak open, so I can see who comes and goes from the channel. Other games I might have a wiki page open.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

That is even more interesting than gaming on multiple monitors. How do you play a game and watch a movie at the same time? And the more important question is why would you want to do that?

I just recently started doing this; play Counter-Strike or something similar on my main monitor, stream the NFL on my second monitor. When there are breaks in the video game, I can watch a play; when there are breaks in the football (which happens all the damn time), I can focus on the video game. It actually works out pretty well. I could also see myself streaming Archer or something similar while playing, as I've seen those all enough to not need to focus on it to know what was going on.

The only real "gaming" thing I use my second monitor for is a TeamSpeak overlay so if I'm playing a game I can easily see who is talking to me. And frankly, I know most people's voice by now, so there's not much point to that either. Stretching the scene across two monitors would be asinine; you'd have a bezel right smack dab in the center of everything. Triple monitors might be fun for a few minutes, but I can't see any lasting appeal in it. The real reason for multi-monitor setups is productivity; my wife works from home, so it behooves her to have as much real estate as possible.

 

[KentState]

Since everything has gone digital, having multiple monitors is no different than before. Instead of having paper documents, reference books or whatever laying on the desk along with a single monitor, I can do it across multiple displays. Many times I might have a youtube video of a walk through while I'm following along in game. Other times it's nice to have an interactive map open instead of having to toggle it in the game.

 

[clamum]

Aside from some very niche cases (like the one above), dual monitors are useless for gaming. In my opinion, triple monitor setups are almost equally ridiculous (based on my experimentation with Eyefinity on 3x HP LP2475Ws). If you want more immersion, then get a bigger monitor. Contrary to what a lot of people seem to think, vertical size adds to immersion too. I don't see the appeal of viewing the game through a segmented bunker slit, nor the point in wasting a significant portion of your GPU horsepower on rendering distorted garbage in your peripheral vision. Eyefinity/Surround seems even more redundant now that there are plenty of ultra-wide monitors on the market.

For productivity sometime three monitors can make sense, but with the advent of large 4K monitors I probably wouldn't bother anymore.

I've wondered how nice Eyefinity is. I've thought about getting two extra monitors in the past to have an Eyefinity setup but I'd probably need another video card for it (I've got one Radeon 7870). Just a bit too expensive for my tastes, for everything needed.

I ended up buying a new, bigger monitor and now have a LG 27MP65HQ 27" monitor that looks great. In the future, even if I did have the money for an Eyefinity setup, I'd probably just go with an ultra-wide 34" screen or something like that.

 

[darkewaffle]

If I had two I would game on a single screen and just use the other to keep a website I want to reference visible or something like that. If I had three I would maybe consider actually using them for real multi-screen gaming. But ultimately I have dual monitors at work (which is very useful) and don't feel like I have a need/use for it at home where I basically just play games or watch videos.

 

[Seba]

I think the misconception here is that a "Gamer" only plays games on their PC. Most gamers no mater age usually use their PC for office tasks be it school or work. Additionally, having 2 monitors gives one more room for different objects on the screen. be it work, a film, an EBook, spotify...ect.

It's just a productivity enhancement tool; not specific to work or play, but useful for both.

Since everything has gone digital, having multiple monitors is no different than before. Instead of having paper documents, reference books or whatever laying on the desk along with a single monitor, I can do it across multiple displays. Many times I might have a youtube video of a walk through while I'm following along in game. Other times it's nice to have an interactive map open instead of having to toggle it in the game.

For that kind of usage (working with multiple documents, files, etc.), the advantage of having multiple screens, where you can have different things opened, is obvious.

But I believe that the question was from the perspective of a gamer. I can see the advantage of having a wiki or something like that opened on a different screen, but things like playing a game on one monitor and watching a movie (at the same time) on another monitor are not for me.

 

[SithSolo1]

I use the term movie loosely to encompass any form of video. In my case I'd be playing WoW(insert any MMO) on the main screen and have a season of Star Trek going on the other just to glance at when I was auto-running between quests or cruising through 5-mans. Or I'd be looking up loot or posting on here. I never really used it that way if I truely needed to focus on the game such as during raids or playing a fps.

 

[KentState]

For that kind of usage (working with multiple documents, files, etc.), the advantage of having multiple screens, where you can have different things opened, is obvious.

But I believe that the question was from the perspective of a gamer. I can see the advantage of having a wiki or something like that opened on a different screen, but things like playing a game on one monitor and watching a movie (at the same time) on another monitor are not for me.

Often, I will stream a sporting event on one monitor while gaming. My typical setup is leftmost monitor for wiki/youtube/Outlook/Lync/etc, center for game and right for streaming. Even nice for games like BF4 where you can have the map up on another screen.

 

[quina123]

Often, I will stream a sporting event on one monitor while gaming. My typical setup is leftmost monitor for wiki/youtube/Outlook/Lync/etc, center for game and right for streaming. Even nice for games like BF4 where you can have the map up on another screen.

Wow, you guys really take it to the extreme. :awe: wish I was more like that.

btw, Kenstate, in your signature, is that your current PC specs, or dream pc specs?

 

[Nograts]

In BF4 you can have a detailed map on one and the game on another. Very handy.

Other games I have the wiki up or a guide. Sometimes movie or a streamer.

 

[KentState]

Wow, you guys really take it to the extreme. :awe: wish I was more like that.

btw, Kenstate, in your signature, is that your current PC specs, or dream pc specs?

I don't think it's that extreme, but I never do anything half way

However, with an 19 month old at home, I often just look at my computer room before going to bed and wish I energy to game.

The PC in my signature is the current one, but hoping to replace it shortly with this http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?p=37745550#post37745550