dual screens

LabR@t · 8 Feb 2006 at 19:33

have 20" and 17" what can i do with 2 screens, what are the benefits? can i stretch games over the pair?

Raymond Lin · 8 Feb 2006 at 19:44

Benifits?

More desktop space, multitask better.

Games over 2 screens?

Don't think so since it will be a weird res.

LabR@t · 8 Feb 2006 at 19:50

WELL guildwars at 2056 x 1024 looks weird true but the fact i can do it is cool and it runs so dam smooth :-)

Messiah Khan · 8 Feb 2006 at 22:40

The things i use dual screen for is; During normal web browsing etc, i use the second screen for msn, winamp etc. Its also very usefull for 3dstudio max and photoshop, as i can use the second screen for research material and toolbars etc. I also have a Samurize config set up on the second screen, so that when im playing games, i can see how hard the system is running.

ljt · 8 Feb 2006 at 22:59

Sorry to barge in! but can you set independant resolutions/refresh rates for the other monitor. The reason I'm asking is I have just recently got the 20" widescreen philips, and still have my 17" CRT on another desk now, but using the 2 would be great, but only option i get when i connect it are to extend desktop or clone it, but the res doesnt look right on the CRT

thanks

Lee

Raymond Lin · 8 Feb 2006 at 23:03

You can adjust the resolution independently on each screen.

ljt · 8 Feb 2006 at 23:23

without sounding dumb, how would i do that lol? In the nvidia display settings it picks the monitors up as 1a and 1b, not 1 and 2, so whatever i do on one, it is mimic'd on the other

Raymond Lin · 8 Feb 2006 at 23:25

In windows setting

ljt · 8 Feb 2006 at 23:42

lol cheers chap, I didnt restart after plugging in the monitor so it didnt recognise it properly, i have the options available now

lol thanks chap

fornowagain · 9 Feb 2006 at 00:01

I've seen pics of Farcry over two screens? Anyone?

nomadpete · 9 Feb 2006 at 00:18

games over two screens? i'd think you'd need some mighty heavy equipment to get decent framerates. you're talking about a LOT of pixels!

i know X2:The Threat, for example, supports dual screen, but that's pretty old and doesn't push modern hardware at all - and is only on nVidia boards. this has some more info:

http://www.tomshardware.com/graphic/20040216/index.html

and anyway, as far as i know, SLi using two monitors is still impossible - as soon as you switch to SLi, the second panel turns off.

dual screens for me mean having some basic background apps on the smaller screen, with your main app on the main screen. i'd usually have notepad/homesite/photoshop open on my main screen, with email/mp3 player/a browser etc open in the second screen alongside the P/shop toolboxes and a scratchpad.

---edit---

ok, it seems some people have been getting dual screens and sli running.... by putting a THIRD card in. now THAT's overkill!

http://forums.nvidia.com/lofiversion/index.php?t6269.html

FrankJH · 9 Feb 2006 at 01:11

well yes in the sense that it shouldnt be necessary but a £40 card for the second 2d / desktop screen aint bad when people are paying 400 or so for the main card plus whatever for the 2nd monitor ( rather than selling it to pay for upgrade) if you see what i mean

I was thinking about this route until I discovered a 7800GT SLI system ( when i already had one GT) would have cost me more for worse performance than a single X1900XT ( with a mobo and PSU upgrade as welll as 2nd GT)