[SOLVED] Getting a 2nd monitor for gaming and streaming

[Bigem_neo]

Hey everyone,

I have currently a PC which I can game and stream with, but with one monitor only. So, I'm considering getting a second monitor (that I can display OBS and other programs on), but I have a few questions :

1. Considering that I play with 144 Hz on my first monitor, does the second monitor has to have the same refresh rate ? Or can it be just 60 Hz ?

2. Does using a graphics card (MSI RTX 2080 Ventus) on 2 monitors and for streaming decreases performance ?

3. While gaming, can the mouse cursor tip over the second monitor ?

Thanks

 

[Aeacus]

Q&A:
1. No. 2nd monitor can be standard 60 Hz since you'd be using it to monitor stream + misc tasks. If you'd use it to game as well (e.g dual-screen gaming), then: Yes.

2. Yes. GPU still has to render the 2nd monitor, putting more load on GPU. As far as how big of a performance hit you'd get depends on how much headroom you have GPU performance wise.

3. Depending on how you set up the dual-screen software wise, you can make mouse cursor to move between screens or not.

 

[geofelt]

1. games will play on the primary monitor. The secondary can be anything.
See my sig for an example.

2. I tested using a second cheap graphics card for the side monitor. I found no difference in gaming compared to attaching the side monitor to the graphics card.
The reason is that a side monitor will be relatively static if you use it for such things as email or task manager.

3. You would normally set up as an extended desktop. The cursor can move freely from one to the other.
If you align the top edges of different size monitors, windows move more easily from one to the other.
In games, you may have an option between windowed mode and full screen mode.

 

[Aeacus]

2. I tested using a second cheap graphics card for the side monitor. I found no difference in gaming compared to attaching the side monitor to the graphics card.
The reason is that a side monitor will be relatively static if you use it for such things as email or task manager.

When 2nd monitor displays static images, then yes, there's negligible impact on gaming. However, like OP said, he's planning to use it for more convenient streaming, meaning that 2nd monitor is for the stream window (to watch your own stream). The bigger the stream window, the greater the impact on GPU since GPU needs to render same gameplay on 2x monitors.