Converting dual monitor into triple monitor setup

[attacus]

I have a Hanns G HW191D and just added a Dell P1913 monitor. Both are 19" 1440x900 monitors. But the bezel makes gaming
and watching videos difficult, so I wanted to turn the setup into a triple screen with one monitor straight and central and 2 angled monitors on the side.

Is it a good idea to use a 1080p larger monitor as the middle one? I was thinking of using an IPS 23-24" monitor, but was worried of how it translates to the other monitors, for example, different resolutions on all 3.

Could I make only the middle monitor work in certain situations? Is there a keyboard shortcut or hot switch I can use?

Can you list some height-adjustable 19" monitors besides the Dell P1913?

How does a triple display translate with Aerosnap (when in Win 7 you drag a window to the left or right side of the screen and it fills up half the screen up?) Will this now fill up 1 screen and half of the middle screen?

 

[attacus]

My budget is £200 ($322) for an IPS monitor and £100 ($161) for a 19". I might spend an extra £50 ($80) if the monitors have some exceptional features.

 

[sk1939]

I have a Hanns G HW191D and just added a Dell P1913 monitor. Both are 19" 1440x900 monitors. But the bezel makes gaming
and watching videos difficult, so I wanted to turn the setup into a triple screen with one monitor straight and central and 2 angled monitors on the side.

Is it a good idea to use a 1080p larger monitor as the middle one? I was thinking of using an IPS 23-24" monitor, but was worried of how it translates to the other monitors, for example, different resolutions on all 3.

Could I make only the middle monitor work in certain situations? Is there a keyboard shortcut or hot switch I can use?

Can you list some height-adjustable 19" monitors besides the Dell P1913?

How does a triple display translate with Aerosnap (when in Win 7 you drag a window to the left or right side of the screen and it fills up half the screen up?) Will this now fill up 1 screen and half of the middle screen?

You could use a larger monitor with a higher resolution in the middle, but if you game it will only be on the central monitor, otherwise something like Eyefinity will drop the resolution to 1440x900 to match the other two monitors. When you run a standard Windows desktop without Eyefinity you can run two different resolutions without issue. There should be a keyboard shortcut, I'm just not sure what it is.

Well you could always get a third party stand like an articulating Ergotron if you were so inclined, which would work with any LCD monitor with a VESA mount. Otherwise there are plenty of monitors, but only a handful around 19".

No, with Aerosnap and three monitors the outer borders of the central monitor don't have any "snap to" functions, if you drag a panel over to the right it just shifts it to the right hand display. Likewise for the inner borders of the outer displays.

 

[attacus]

You could use a larger monitor with a higher resolution in the middle, but if you game it will only be on the central monitor, otherwise something like Eyefinity will drop the resolution to 1440x900 to match the other two monitors. When you run a standard Windows desktop without Eyefinity you can run two different resolutions without issue. There should be a keyboard shortcut, I'm just not sure what it is.

Well you could always get a third party stand like an articulating Ergotron if you were so inclined, which would work with any LCD monitor with a VESA mount. Otherwise there are plenty of monitors, but only a handful around 19".

No, with Aerosnap and three monitors the outer borders of the central monitor don't have any "snap to" functions, if you drag a panel over to the right it just shifts it to the right hand display. Likewise for the inner borders of the outer displays.

Thanks for helping me again sk1939. So eyefinity would be all I need to game on 3 monitors (at 900p)? Although I have a V. card that supports it, how do I enable it (or know if it's enabled)? And does nVidia have an equivalent?

Will there be any overlapping issues if I used a 16:9 middle monitor along with the 16:10 monitors I have? Would there be any bezels or overlapping?

Are there any softwares that maybe program aerosnap to fill up the middle monitor I, for example, drag a window to the bottom of the screen? Is there any way to make aerosnap only fill up 1 monitor if I drag it to its designated corner?

 

[sk1939]

Yes, for Eyefinity all three monitors would need to be the same resolution. The option to enable it would be under the Catalyst Control panel. nVidia has a similar solution called Mosaic which is found under the nVidia control panel.

Shouldn't, the overlap can be adjusted under the control panel, although the thickness of the bezels may annoy you.

Full-sizing still works, it's only if you go to display two windows side by side do you have the issue.

 

[attacus]

Yes, for Eyefinity all three monitors would need to be the same resolution. The option to enable it would be under the Catalyst Control panel. nVidia has a similar solution called Mosaic which is found under the nVidia control panel.

Shouldn't, the overlap can be adjusted under the control panel, although the thickness of the bezels may annoy you.

Full-sizing still works, it's only if you go to display two windows side by side do you have the issue.

I was trying to choose between the LG IPS235V at £120, Dell U2312HM at £160 and Dell U2412M at £200. I wanted a HDMI port which the U23 doesn't have, but I have read that the stand on the LG is flimsy.

Would a DVI to HDMI adapter provide HDCP support so I could use a HDMI on the U23?
Is the LG's stand a problem given IPS viewing angles and that it won't move from where I place it?
Also does the 16:10 resolution and extra inch of space justify the U24's price?

I have read that all these monitors have an 8ms response time. Is this true as some sources state them being higher and lower, and how much of an effect does a grey-grey response timing have in games?

Which monitor has the superior picture quality? The Dells both have an 82% colour gamut while the LG has a 72% colour. Is the difference large and noticeable?

Other monitors I'm considering:
Asus ML239H
ViewSonic VX2336S-LED
iiyama Prolite XB2374HDS
LG IPS236V

If you could also make suggestions that would be helpful.

 

[attacus]

Asus VS239H
AOC I2352vh
Iiyama PLX2377HDS-B1
Dell U2311H

 

[sk1939]

I was trying to choose between the LG IPS235V at £120, Dell U2312HM at £160 and Dell U2412M at £200. I wanted a HDMI port which the U23 doesn't have, but I have read that the stand on the LG is flimsy.

Would a DVI to HDMI adapter provide HDCP support so I could use a HDMI on the U23?
Is the LG's stand a problem given IPS viewing angles and that it won't move from where I place it?
Also does the 16:10 resolution and extra inch of space justify the U24's price?

I have read that all these monitors have an 8ms response time. Is this true as some sources state them being higher and lower, and how much of an effect does a grey-grey response timing have in games?

Which monitor has the superior picture quality? The Dells both have an 82% colour gamut while the LG has a 72% colour. Is the difference large and noticeable?

Other monitors I'm considering:
Asus ML239H
ViewSonic VX2336S-LED
iiyama Prolite XB2374HDS
LG IPS236V

If you could also make suggestions that would be helpful.

A DVI to HDMI adapter would work.

It depends on how picky you are, if nothing else you could always buy a third party monitor mount.

The type of panel matters as well. 16:10 resolution matters, as does the extra inch depending on how picky you are. You

Grey to grey is irrelevant for the most part, people put too much stock into it. What matters is panel response time (black to white), actual (not dynamic) contrast ratio, panel brightness (nits), and input lag, all of which you'd be hard pressed to find nowdays. The Dell has the lowest input lag out of any IPS monitor, and I think ghosting is mininal. The difference is somewhat noticeable, but Im pretty sure the Dell U23 has a 72% gamut as well. The difference isn't large, but it depends on the source material.

 

[attacus]

A DVI to HDMI adapter would work.

It depends on how picky you are, if nothing else you could always buy a third party monitor mount.

The type of panel matters as well. 16:10 resolution matters, as does the extra inch depending on how picky you are. You

Grey to grey is irrelevant for the most part, people put too much stock into it. What matters is panel response time (black to white), actual (not dynamic) contrast ratio, panel brightness (nits), and input lag, all of which you'd be hard pressed to find nowdays. The Dell has the lowest input lag out of any IPS monitor, and I think ghosting is mininal. The difference is somewhat noticeable, but Im pretty sure the Dell U23 has a 72% gamut as well. The difference isn't large, but it depends on the source material.

OK my final thoughts came to this: a 27" 2560x1440 monitor, with my two 1440x900 monitors on the side in portrait. I bought a VESA mount articulating stand for the Hanns.G, and am trying to decide which monitor to buy.

This one - DGM IPS-2701WPH - is the cheapest non-Korean import monitor I could find, with a 1 year warranty and a flurry of inputs at £320. However, I was wondering whether the quality was acceptable, and also what's compromised to make it this cheap.

Then there's the U2711, which I'm sure is the better screen. It's not that I can't afford the extra £100 to pay for one, it's just that I don't feel comfortable with spending £420 on a monitor, especially if I won't see a difference. The monitor I buy should be one where I never have to buy another monitor again, and should be versatile for both editing and multimedia. But even the £420 monitors are second hand or refurbished.

In your experience, have you noticed a great difference between cheap and expensive IPS monitors, or LG and Dell screens? What would you say is a good value for money 27" IPS monitor? And how does a Samsung S27A850D or a PLS monitor compare to these choices?

 

[attacus]

Best answer selected by attacus.