Triple monitors or one BIG ASS monitor? Which setup is better?
 

After many many years of using laptops as my primary computer, it's time to get another desktop.

I'm building a kick ass computer with an i7 processor and 16gigs of ram. The monitors need to do justice to the machine. Know what I mean?


This setup is mainly to be used as an editing bay for video.

What's a better setup, several monitors or one big one?

I'm using Avid and Vegas.

Experts, what say you?

I like two or more screens as I can separate work from fun, or using one monitor as a reference point as I write about something.

It's cool! I don't know much about video, but it works when I'm writing.

i use one 30" and keep mbp closed. I'm thinking of moving to two 30's but its just insanity.

virtual monitor with one moniter seems the best for me :2 cents:

I large monitor usually works for me. I use it mostly for viewing link partners, link research, and other search engine related tasks.

If money wasn't an object I would say 3 30" ers running dual 22"s here now, and want to goto at least 3 24"s or larger.

I always prefer several monitors instead of a big one but maybe I just got used to it. In my experience with several monitors you have much more flexibility

multiple monitors is fucking awesome

I'm using one 32" LCD HDTV as a monitor...all I've got is a laptop and going from the 32" to the laptop screen feels like getting new glasses, lol...everything becomes so tiny. Tempting to get something bigger but my computer desk is small as it is...this monitor fits perfectly. Just wish there was a better driver for it, the highest resolution I can get is only 1360x768.

If you get multiple ones consider 3. I used to have two but got tired of looking at the bezels right in the middle where they met so I got a third and now primarely look at the one in the middle and load apps on the side ones that I don't need to look at as often.

have a single 24" that is nice from dell. if i had the space would do multiple 24" monitors. one for the mac and one for pc. yeah, i know.. i work on both platforms...

one Gateway 30" works for me just fine! better then my 2 montior set up and feels better on the eyes.

Three is much better than 2.

I use a 1 x 24" dell and love it, but would also like to upgrade to 2 x 27" or 1 x 30".
I think 2 x 30" might be a bit much for me.

Anyway, post your pics so we can see. :)

run multiple large screens

3 x 22" here.... lovin it.

One of these days you guys are going to need 5 monitors just to check mail.. I recall the day when every thing could be done from one.

I wouldn't be able to get away from multiple monitors .. I'm so used to it at this point. I put my coding window on one, the database on another, my preview window on another, and my e-mails and IMs on the fourth.

http://edgeprod.com/dom/dom-desk.jpg

We had just gotten back from Myrtle Beach, so DisplayFusion Pro (my wallpaper swapping utility) was disproportionately filled with pictures from that trip, LOL.

Those are for 24" Dell monitors.

Fuck. I don't know if I could do 3 30"'s without going blind.

i got 24" Dell and its more then enough.

1280x800 on a 21 inch monitor and 1280x800 on a 30 inch monitor gives you the same amount of space to work on, it's just on a bigger surface.

But if you add another monitor, you get 1280x1600 to work on... double the space to have windows open on.

I'd much prefer to have more real restate to work on than just having a bigger screen to use.

That's what I'm thinking. Of course I've worked on one screen before.

But I'm staring at a 47" screen I'm not using right now which is what made me think about the topic.

Having several screens to do video production in one, design graphics in the other and having the site open on the last to make sure everything flows correctly and sits just right may be the way to go.

It's just that I've never used one BIG ASS monitor before so I can't picture the work flow.

I would say multiple monitors!!

I have two 30'' Dell monitors on my desk. It's a bit overkill, but they are each connected to different boxes.

I can't imagine them both running off of one box.

BIG get's my vote. I hate going to the office where I only have a little 24'' iMac. :1orglaugh

I used to work for a large home integration company and my desktop had three 30" dells mounted on a custom built chief mount. It was the greatest thing on earth. I could have 3 full screen applications open and just jump between them. Usually D-tools in the center a web browser to the right and client information and blueprints to the left. Its VERY VERY productive with a good triple screen setup.

Multiple monitors +1

trips ftw. not even close unless you are reeaaaly old.

One large monitor here,dunno about the setup

i prefer multiple monitors. even with the 1920x1280 of my laptop i still tend to have windows fullscreen. so right now i have a second screen with 1680 x 1050 - both together allows pretty nice working

one big ass so I have huge working space and one for toolbar and/or preview

I've tried a triple monitor setup and it turned out to be too distracting and caused neck pains (from turning my head too much). So I just upgraded to dual 24" screens.

http://www.voitenko.com/snapshots/2009-02-13_1819.png

Multiple for me.

I've never used 3 at one time on any of my setups, but this sounds like a wining idea.

I got 3 monitors.
19'' widescreen for notes
22'' widescreen for browers, ICQ and so on
17'' for email.

I love it and I would hate to go back to 1 monitor.
Never got rid of the old monitors when I upgraded so I ended up with three but thinking of upgrading one of the smaller ones to a 22''

personally like 1 large monitor

Get three of them and use them as needed.

I use a 26 inch (got a great deal @ 270$) and a 22 inch

Triple is better man, one fucks up you have two more to work on :)

Triple Monitors is the best.
I run 3 x 22" ViewSonic Monitors

It is all about pixels... 3 monitors give you 3x the pixels.

http://adultwebmastergathering.com/c...s/DSC05894.JPG

psystar ftw

I'd rather use multiple screens, 2 big screens work just perfect for me!

I found a 30inch to be more problematic than having 2, 24"...

With the twenty fours they are angled to stuff at the edge of the 30 was always looking skewed from the extreme perspective view.

Always more monitors vs. 1 large. I say 2 or 3 28", go to new egg and search for the Hanns G, its a great buy for the price... but if you are gaming i dont think they will hold up for long, or you could try this..
<IMG src="http://www.unplggd.com/uimages/unplggd/060908_sz_24monitors.jpg">

looks like im going to have to switch to 3 monitors instead of 2

I have a pair of 24" monitors and don't know how I managed without them

they turn vertical for portrait views (great for print, page layout) and have HDMI for Playstation fun (my HDV connects via HDMI as well)

you can plug half a dozen memory card styles into the built-in reader and if you connect the monitors to your USB ports, they "work better" (in technical terms lol) and pass along a couple extra ports so you can plug your keyboard / mouse / tablet / drive etc directly into the monitor if you want

cool stuff indeed

Triple 20" monitors for me, I wouldn't trade for a single 30" or more monitor tho.

nice setup

Thanks .. I get a lot of work done with it. It's amazing what four 24" will do for your productivity. I have a VERY hard time coding on other computers in the house now that I'm so used to it.

multiple monitors is a developer's dream land. doing any type of work really. thing things you'll find yourself usin all that desktop space once you have it will blow your mind.