Noob multi-monitor question: If you have two monitors how do game know to appear on one or both?

NeilF · 3 Mar 2016 at 10:26

So I've got a monitor and plan on adding on a small second monitor purely for display stats, or watching films etc.

At the moment I launch most games fulls screen (eg: 1920x1200)...

But if I have a small second monitor (eg: 800x480), what will that mean when I launch a game? How will it know which monitor to appear on, and if to (still) appear on the main monitor or both?

Obviously I just want my games to (still) appear on main main screen, and leave the small second one untouched...

NeilF · 3 Mar 2016 at 10:32

foster grant said:
I have found that some ( but not all ) will let you choose which monitor to play on ie 1 or 2 ....but not all games ...well thats how its been for me anyway lol

And those that don't? If you only want to play on one (main) monitor?

NeilF · 3 Mar 2016 at 10:35

Armageus said:
In Windows Screen Resolution control panel and in AMD Catalyst drivers (not sure about NVIDIA but assume the same), you designate a display to be the primary, this is where any full screen games will appear.

Ahhhh! Thanks! Sounds painless enough

NeilF · 3 Mar 2016 at 13:18

Ta... I've also asked over on the graphics card forum, that I assume I can happily plug in one monitor using DVI and another with HDMI and the PC will happily display to both?

ie: The DVI and HDMI are not an either/or, and I can use them both at the same time to run two monitors?