Vista - Dual monitor setup

Is it worth setting up two monitors. I have an opportunity to get a brand new gateway 19" monitor for $100, still in the box. How hard is it to set up and what would the main benefits of dual monitor setup? Most of all would I really like it if I did a dual set up. Any body else have a dual set up, do you like it. Thanks.

Hello Bassfisher,

If your graphics card as a secondary output on it, then your good to go with just connecting the monitor to the secondary connector on the card and installing the monitor's driver (if it has one). Pretty much that simple.

It really depends on your needs, but it makes having multiple windows opened a lot easier to see and organize by dragging some of them over to the second monitor.

I like it.

If you have the outputs for two monitors on your graphics card then get the second monitor, I would recommend using at least two screens to anybody that can.

As for setup, it's pretty much plug any play

I have a dual setup with my 19'' gateway LCD and my 38'' Sanyo Hi Def TV. My ATI HD card has a individual HDMI input as well as my TV. Works good.

Thanks guys. Yes my card has dual input...DVI, VGA. So I'm good there. Pretty much PNP, it can't be that easy can it....lol. Now my only problem is that I''m out of outlets on my UPS...8 and there all full. Damn it, now I have to get another surge protector and do some moving of plugs on the UPS. Thanks again for the input. When I get it hooked up and set up I'll post back with my results. Maybe this time I'll take some pictures and post in the "show us your rig" forum.

You're welcome Bassfisher. Enjoy your new dual monitor setup.

Be careful with dual monitors though. Once you use them, you can never go back to one, it will spoil you quick. At least with LCD screens it is better than the dual 19" CRT I had 5 years ago.

I've tried as many as four monitors with two pci-e nvidia cards (works as long as both cards use the same driver) but went back to two. Only time I actually needed three was on a time crunched web-site recovery from a hosting change.

Two has been mandatory now for anything I do graphically. Enjoy your new desktop space!

It's really weird to go back from 2 screens to 1 as nVader says. You really get used to the 2 screens. I have a 21" main, and a 15" secondary, which I use for Winamp. Though some games messes up the thing. When you're gaming and you click the secondary screen, your game is messed up sometimes.

Just wanted to warn you to turn of the 2nd screen when playing some games

yea im with Uloga on that one i always turn my second 17'' off when im playing games. but when i do audio editing etc its awesome to be able to quickly mutitask with programs.

One word for fixing that, Ultramon,

Realtime Soft UltraMon

In addition to all the other features/benefits of it, it also has hotkey functionality; comes in very handy with those games like you guys describe to lock the mouse to the primary monitor.

Not free, but what it offers makes it worth it in my opinion.