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Would it be weird to use 2 monitors of different sizes?

F

FearoftheNight

Diamond Member
I'm using a 27 in Planar (1920x1080 TN) monitor at the moment. I found myself buying a 24 in (1920x1200 IPS) monitor earlier today. I'm not used to having dual monitors. Does anyone know what it will be like to use the two together? Thanks in advance!
 
It will be very weird not because size, but that IPS and TN look very different.
Usually TNs have strong whites, and whole display looks too bright, yet other colors are weak. On the other side, IPS or PVA have very vibrant colors. It will be hard to set it up so that image looks similar.
Size wise, 27" with 1080P is not much taller than 24" with 1200P, which is what matters.
 
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I use a 24" 1080p120Hz TN monitor and a 27" 1440p IPS monitor and its really not weird at all, they both have their strengths and weaknesses which allows me to utilized them to their fullest to maximize my computing experience with that in mind

if anything the thing that will throw you off most (at least this is in my experience) is the difference in pixel pitch when comparing them side by side
 
I had a 22" 1680x1050 beside a 17" 1280x1024.... It was great for things like online poker, having tables on one and stats/database/browser on the other... It was great for researching, having the resource on one and your documents on the other... But just having 2 different sized monitors bugged me too much and I removed the 17"...

I don't think I could do double monitors without having 2 exact ones after that...
 
You can treat each monitor separately. example: browsing on the preferred/primary monitor, email on the secondary monitor. Gaming on the primary, temps/monitors on the secondary.

The basic fact is you will enhance your productivity, even if you treat the two monitors as separate from each other. You don't need to treat them as two parts of a whole. I think if you assume they are supposed to be two halves of a whole, then you may never accept them unless they are perfectly identical. However, I think most people with multiple monitors use them in Windows by extending the desktop, which means that each monitor is separate and may be used on its own to maximize an application so it's easier to conceive of the monitors as separate entities (e.g., you think of the primary monitor as the "internet browser" monitor, and the secondary monitor as the "email" monitor) so that it won't matter if they have different sizes. Also, there is a specific market for secondary monitors that are intentionally not the same size as the primary monitor e.g.,http://www.mimomonitors.com/ so you just will happen to have a very big secondary monitor.

However, if you plan to run eyefinity where both monitors behave a halves of a whole, then it might be weird to have different sizes/color matching/pixel pitch.
 
I have two like that, a 17" 5:4 and a 16:10 22" as the main. Not sure why everyone dislikes this so much, I use the secondary monitor for reference documents, steam and steam friends and other secondary tasks so its size doesn't really matter to me.
 
PingSpike said:
I have two like that, a 17" 5:4 and a 16:10 22" as the main. Not sure why everyone dislikes this so much, I use the secondary monitor for reference documents, steam and steam friends and other secondary tasks so its size doesn't really matter to me.
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+1

I'm using a 27" TN Asus monitor next to my 30" HP. They look a lot different, so I wouldn't recommend it for gaming, but it helps a lot for productivity. Nice to have a Skyrim guide open on the 27" while playing on the other.
 
I do it, my 19inch next to my 24. It's great for watching a movie or having something else up while you game. I never did TN vs. LCD though. Just a 60hz with a 120hz.
 
I am another one that does this - 23" 1080p + 17" 1280*1024. Basically I push my secondary browser/etc over onto the smaller monitor.

Plus that 17" is a really nice ultrasharp so I double check my photo editing on it before moving on the to the next picture...

Windows 7 is so great for having the Windows Key + P to let you disable that second monitor quickly for gaming performance, etc.
 
I did up until a few days ago. My setup used to be a Dell 2001FP (20" non-widescreen) and an LG 23" widescreen monitor. Didn't have any problem with it. But I just upgraded to another 23" widescreen monitor to replace the Dell.
 
I have a 24" and a 19" that provide a huge boost when doing work, be it for school or otherwise. In games I just use the 24" and turn off the 19", or have a zone map on the 19" for easy reference.
 
OP: I think the two monitors will be fine. Just extend Windows and make the bigger monitor your primary.

I run a 40" LCD TV (perfect for gaming) with a 22" LCD Monitor (monitoring temps, email, browsing, etc). Been a great combo. Thinking of getting a third monitor too 😀
 
Used to run my HP LP2475 (24" IPS 16:10) alongside an old 17" 1280*1024, now I upgraded to a Dell U2711 (1440p 27") and running it along side with my old HP. having 2 monitors is great, especially in playing a game with a guide next beside it (played Dragon Age rather than Skyrim), and writing assignments/reports etc is alot more productive since you can just put Word on one screen and references/articles etc on another. When I upgrade to Southern Islands I probably will resurrect my old 17" too (desk space permiting).
 
FearoftheNight said:
I'm using a 27 in Planar (1920x1080 TN) monitor at the moment. I found myself buying a 24 in (1920x1200 IPS) monitor earlier today. I'm not used to having dual monitors. Does anyone know what it will be like to use the two together? Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Well, it's not as pain-free as using identical panels but that could work. I use or rather "re-use" different size for different purposes ;-)
 
Also use 2x Samsung 204Bs on either side of a 2443. It does help when the vertical res lines up across monitors but you can physically adjust them so things line up. Even in my case, the vertical panel dimentions aren't perfect and are off by a couple mm. But as others have said, when you start playing with using them to expand a game's res, they really need to match to work properly. For normal things as suggested where you game on one and have other things on the other or any other general application usage, more is always better. I have eight Dell P2411s at work. 🙂
 
Yes. I have a 23 and a 22 here at work and it sucks. Native resolution is not the same so there is a wall (that blocks the cursor) on the 23".
 
Is having two of the same panels better than having two different ones? Yes.
Is having two different panels better than having one? Definitely.

There are some annoying things, especially if the vertical resolution and pixel pitch are different with windows growing when you move them from one to another or the mouse getting caught on the little ledge on the larger monitor, but those are minor compared to how much more productive 2 (or better yet 3) monitors makes you.
 
I use a 27" and a 19". I really use the 27" as a single monitor, but I can keep monitoring programs, a movie, or a browser on the 19" while I game or do some other type of work on the 27".
 
I've used dual monitors for a very long time and I have found positives to exact matching, and complete mismatches. Monitors that are similar but not exact are irritating at best, due to the dot pitch being just slightly off.

Matching
Great for productivity. Documents, email, spreadsheets or any other kind of work where you need lots of windows open. I align these centered in front of me.

Complete Mismatch.
Great for home use, gaming, watching a movie, browsing, and videos. I use these by having the 32" directly in front of me and the 20" off to the right.

For work I used dual matching 22" @ 1680x1050.

For home I use a 32" HDTV @ 1080p and a 20" 4:3 1600x1200 Dell UltraSharp.
 
I have my 24' 120hz for gaming, and another 2007WFP in portrait which I use for everything else.
 
FearoftheNight said:
I'm using a 27 in Planar (1920x1080 TN) monitor at the moment. I found myself buying a 24 in (1920x1200 IPS) monitor earlier today. I'm not used to having dual monitors. Does anyone know what it will be like to use the two together? Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

I've been dual screening for ever and I don't think mine have ever been the same size or resolution... lol

The usefulness of a second screen greatly outweighs any perceived strangeness.

Now gaming on different sizes (same rez) across monitors would be tough on eye level, but as an extended desktop the extra real estate is awesome.

Even though I don't have an ssd yet, I'm guessing its the same type of thing, once you've experienced it there is no going back .
 
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