Poll: Multiple Monitors

[DrgoFx]

Hey Escapist, I'm curious. Does anyone use more than one monitor for the PC when gaming? I know a few people that do, and I remember back on the Gearbox forums, someone complained Borderlands didn't support it.

So my question is, do you use it? Is it worth it? Do you honestly think we should pay more money for multiple monitors just to play games?

 

[Fappy]

I used to use two monitors in college (had more desk space) and for work and found it pretty useful. It's far from necessary though.

 

[Qitz]

For gaming? There can be some uses for it. If your like me and play MMOs with something else going in the background because the sound gets boring and drab after a while so instead of alt+tabbing dual monitors would be useful.

Or if you're someone who wants to look at strategy guides while playing something. I use two monitors at work so I can code a website and see it on the other.

It has its uses but it's far from required for it.

 

[DrgoFx]

I used to use two monitors in college (had more desk space) and for work and found it pretty useful. It's far from necessary though.

I guess that's the question here, because the few people I have met or know state that once you use more than one monitor, you can't use one alone ever again. It sounds like their either being smug that they can afford to maintain such equipment and that if you can't, you're an inferior.

 

[SJXarg]

It's very dependant on what you're doing with it. For normal usage, I'm only really using the left, and have IM's open on the right. For gaming, if a game supports it, it's usually amazing. If the game doesn't support it (pretty much anything on UE3 for example), then I just run it in single monitor resolution and turn off the screen(s) I'm not using.

Pros:

Massive deskspace for working/viewing etc. due to not having to flip between tabs, it's all (or a lot more of it depending on how much you have open) there at the same time to look at

Gaming is a lot more immersive in a title that supports it (trust me, after a while you just tune out the black screen borders, or you have one of those crazy 3-in-1 monitors that don't have the borders (even crazier is the Alienware curved LED monitor)).

Cons:

Not everything works with it

Uses more power

Requires newer video card (ATI) or 2 cards (NVidia)

 

[Zen Toombs]

Eh, I haven't used multiple monitors and don't really see the problem. But that's just me.

 

[SckizoBoy]

For general run-of-the-mill stuff that I do (watch crap/write crap and generally simultaneously), it's fine... and it's amusing that I have dual monitors at work, home and at my folks' holiday home. Never have to stare at a single screen ever again.

However, as far as gaming is concerned, it's mostly not necessary since so few games support multi-monitor configs. Also, it's a drain on your card... sure it was cool playing Supreme Commander but boy did it lag during late game...

 

[X123Lewis123X]

I basically live in my bedroom with my 2 monitors and TV. One monitor i have a game or internet and 2nd monitor i normally just use for Spotify or a movie. My TV is for my X-Box or a DVD. I love it, but i wouldn't love it if i had a smaller desk. My desk is fairly large.

 

[Aris Khandr]

I want another monitor on my PC, but it hasn't happened yet. So I get by with my laptop next to me, so I can run my chat programs there while I have games on the PC. It functions well enough that way.

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

I used to use two monitors in college (had more desk space) and for work and found it pretty useful. It's far from necessary though.

I guess that's the question here, because the few people I have met or know state that once you use more than one monitor, you can't use one alone ever again. It sounds like their either being smug that they can afford to maintain such equipment and that if you can't, you're an inferior.

It's not necessarily smugness or thinking that other people are inferior if they can't afford it (or just choose not to; not everyone wants or likes multiple monitors in the first place). After having gotten used to the extra screen space along with also having a separate desktop and laptop to do different things on at the same time, it feels very restrictive to me to be stuck on a single computer with a single screen, especially if it's a small one. Having something displayed full screen on one monitor while still being able to see and use everything else on another (or on my laptop) gives me a lot of flexibility, or working on a project on one screen with a bunch of references on another without having to flip back and forth between them constantly. Yeah, it is more expensive, and it takes up more space, and not everyone needs/wants/likes it, but it suits the way I work.

 

[-Dragmire-]

Yes I use multiple monitors, just not for gaming. It's useful when working in 3D modelling and animation programs to keep each screen less cluttered.

 

[Goofguy]

I use my laptop screen and a 19' monitor connected to it but not for gaming. Back in college when I was heavy in to PC gaming, I would really only use the second monitor for WoW, not for FPS.

 

[Xifel]

I have a 42 inch TV that I got from my sister as a primary screen.

I also recently built a modified IKEA-table with a protective plexiglass covering a 24 inch screen. This combo is totally amazing when handle large amount of documents

 

[Tuesday Night Fever]

I technically have two monitors.

I have my current gaming computer, then I have one of my older computers set up beside it to act as my web browsing, IMing, Ventrilo, music, etc. computer.

Probably not what you're getting at though.

 

[Waaghpowa]

Love having multiple monitors. I love multi tasking. Sometimes I play a second game while we raid in SWTOR.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

I used to use two monitors in college (had more desk space) and for work and found it pretty useful. It's far from necessary though.

this, i mean yeah i might have an "aw...danget" if i went back to one monitor, but it's far from necessary..

 

[Yopaz]

I have considered getting a second monitor, but I don't really need it. However I know a few who does in fact need it for work so I know it got its merits.

 

[isometry]

I used to use multiple monitors for work, but these days the screens are larger, resolution is higher, and task switching is faster, so I don't bother.

 

[DazZ.]

I have 2 screens, one for fullscreen games and the other with temperatures, ram usage, skype, videos and web browsing.

I adore it, it's incredibly useful to know that even if you're fully in a game you're not missing out on an important message or see if your computers having issues.

Also for a very small amount of games you can set up dual screen local co op (Left 4 Dead and Portal 2 being the only ones I've tested) and that's great when you each get your own screen.

It's much more useful for work though, when I end up having files and bits of code flapping about all over the place which gets progressively more messy the more coffee I take, so more space for "mess" is awesome.

 

[GLo Jones]

Dammit, I answered the poll 'yes' before I saw "for gaming".

No. I only use one monitor for gaming. I have three hooked up to my computer (well, two monitors and a TV), but they're all different sizes and resolutions, and I have them placed in a kind of triangle. Gaming with more than one would be a major pain in the ass, and likely not improve the experience.

What they do allow me to do though, is play games while keeping track of other things (eg, image boards, walkthroughs, chat programs). I'm pretty sure they practically radiate heat at times, but I wouldn't trade them for the world.