Best Dimensions and size for a monitor

[Jenna Cat]

Hi! I am thinking about adding an additional monitor to my computer setup and am unsure if there are any optimal dimensions.

I currently use 1920x1080 monitors but when searching for other monitors i see different dimensions such as 3440x1440 and 2560x1440.

Also I'm a bit unsure about the refresh rates. Which do you think are the best numbers for the research rate cause i think going too high might be a waste of money.

(Some questions)
Is there any difference between the monitors? Would a larger dimension be better for gaming and reading? Are the other dimensions still HD?

Any information would help! 😀

 

[watrhous]

Hi! I am thinking about adding an additional monitor to my computer setup and am unsure if there are any optimal dimensions.

I currently use 1920x1080 monitors but when searching for other monitors i see different dimensions such as 3440x1440 and 2560x1440.

Also I'm a bit unsure about the refresh rates. Which do you think are the best numbers for the research rate cause i think going too high might be a waste of money.

(Some questions)
Is there any difference between the monitors? Would a larger dimension be better for gaming and reading? Are the other dimensions still HD?

Any information would help! 😀

If you get the same size you can increase your desktop and keep the same dimensions so it doesn't look 'stretched'. Just something to consider.

If that fails, get one of these

http://smarteregg.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/huge-monitor.jpg

 

[Lightening02]

I wouldn't really say there are optimal dimensions for a monitor. A lot of that is up to user preference and size constraints. I use a pretty small 1080p monitor, (23" I think) because I don't have the space for anything else.

Numbers like 1920x1080, 3440x1440, and 2560x1440 are resolutions, not dimensions. A resolution tells you the number of pixels horizontally and vertically. A higher resolution is better, but it'll also be harder on your GPU.

If you want to know the physical size of a monitor you need to look at the diagonal length of the screen. You'll also want to look at the aspect ratio (horizontal:verical). Most monitors are 16:9, while ultrawides are 21:9.

Refresh rate is how many frames the monitor will display in a second. For gaming you want at least 60 Hz, and some go up to 144 Hz.

1080p is generally what you'd consider HD, with a resolution of 1080p, or 1920x1080. Anything more is usually referred to as ultra HD unless it's 4096 x 2160, in which case it's called 4k.

To determine what monitor you should get it'd be helpful to know your PC specs and what exactly you plan to be doing on it. A 1080p monitor like you have is probably fine, especially if you're happy with the size.

 

[Karadjgne]

Figure out exactly how far you are sitting from your monitor or how far you want at most to be away from it. Then go to Walmart or Sears or any other place that sells TVs and stand the same distance away. You'll not be looking for anything other than what's a comfortable size for you personally. Some prefer 24", some prefer 27", some crazy ppl even prefer 34" monitors. But this'll give you a place to start.
So now you'll know what size monitor you are comfy with, its time for resolution. For most 23-24" monitors, the standard is 1080p (1920x1080). Moving up to a 27", you could do 1080p but the picture looses it's crispness, so is much better suited for 1440p (2560x1440), but can also look best at 4k (3840x2160). A 34" is best at 4k. These are standard wide-screen, there is also the ultra-wides but they aren't as common.

Then there's refresh. A standard 1080p monitor is 60Hz, for more gaming oriented there's 144Hz. The standard 1440p is also 144Hz, but cheaper varieties are 60Hz-75Hz. Older 4k is 30Hz,but is fast being replaced by 60Hz.

The physical size of any monitor is a moot point, only resolution/refresh count towards the necessary size of the gpu.

But most of this is just info, the most important factor is your video card. This is where price really becomes a determining thing. If you go cheap on the gpu, it'll be very underpowered and will not be adequate for the higher resolution monitors.

Running dual monitors is roughly the same amount of power as running a single monitor. Any games played will still be on only the primary monitor, the secondary will be free for other use like YouTube or wiki etc.

I run dual monitors on a gtx660ti with absolutely no issues in any game on that pc, I also run dual on a gtx970 with higher intensity games, and still no issues. But all 4 monitors are also 1080p/60Hz. 24"

 

[Jenna Cat]

@lightening02 I have a GeForce GTX 770 2Gb ~ Also I already have two monitors this will be my third. Will this card support 3 monitors if I play games (sometimes highly gaming intensive (Fallout)most of the time it's not(League of legends)) I will only play on one monitor, leaving the others for YouTube or Other sites

(Thank you for your help so far)