Dual monitor setup - recommendations and opinions!

Movie Maestro

Hey guys, I'm looking for some help please:)

I want to run a Dual monitor setup for my PC (Graphics: Radeon R9-380 2GB Dual Fan). Right now I am looking at 2x24" monitors. My budget is around €200 for each but this is a little flexible. The monitors should be 1920x1080 and 16:9.

The PC is used for general office work, watching movies and some occasional gaming.

I've always been a Dell monitor fan and was looking at the DELL S2415H as I love the thin bezel and believe two of these side by side would look great. They are on offer right now for €211. Is this a good deal and is this a descent monitor?

Are there other brands out there offering similar specs(with thin bezels) for similar prices? Is there a Dell outlet/ebay store that I could source these from?

Cheers

K.O.Kiki

https://pcmonitors.info/reviews/dell-s2415h/

Seems good to me.

Be aware it only has 1x HDMI and 1x VGA inputs, so you'll probably need 1x adapter cable (e.g. DisplayPort -> HDMI) for your GPU.

Movie Maestro

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

https://pcmonitors.info/reviews/dell-s2415h/

Seems good to me.

Be aware it only has 1x HDMI and 1x VGA inputs, so you'll probably need 1x adapter cable (e.g. DisplayPort -> HDMI) for your GPU.

Cheers for that. My card has 2xDP, 1xHDMI and 2x DVI. I have DVI to HDMI cables which would do the job. Bit of a dumbass question - Is the quality the same using DVI, DP or HDMI. Is it just that they are different interfaces.

Xenoronin

Movie Maestro wrote: »

Cheers for that. My card has 2xDP, 1xHDMI and 2x DVI. I have DVI to HDMI cables which would do the job. Bit of a dumbass question - Is the quality the same using DVI, DP or HDMI. Is it just that they are different interfaces.

Mostly different interfaces. If you need to use one over the other, you'll figure out the reason pretty quick. DP supports higher bandwidth (can push more pixels, faster), HDMI is better for multimedia applications (projectors, blu-ray, etc), DVI is pretty much legacy (but works fine for most usecases unless you need audio). All of them can push a 1080p screen at 60Hz and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Movie Maestro

Excellent answer Xenoronin thanks!

Wheety

Do you mind if jump on this question? Was just going to start the same thread.

I want a dual monitor set up too. I currently have a 22" Samsung. That model is not available anymore so won't be able to get matching monitors. I only have a budget for 1 anyway.

This is my motherboard.
http://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-H55M-USB3-rev-10#ov

It looks like I can use the HDMI and the DVI-D/DisplayPort. However I am not adverse to buying a cheap graphics card if it would improve overall performance.

I wouldn't use it for heavy gaming. Probably just FM and some turn based games.

Mainly for college stuff and work. Again not graphics heavy stuff.

Any recommendations for a monitor around €150? Hopefully both for €200 if I should get a graphics card?

The motherboard is paired with an i3 processor.

K.O.Kiki

BenQ are good in that price range.
Set a budget and Google for reviews of any model; with monitors usually the more you pay, the better you get.

Don't think a GPU matters for Football Manager or turn-based.

Wheety

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

BenQ are good in that price range.
Set a budget and Google for reviews of any model; with monitors usually the more you pay, the better you get.

Don't think a GPU matters for Football Manager or turn-based.

Thanks. The LG one looks fine for €94. I'll have a look through my options there.

pxdf9i5cmoavkz

Movie Maestro wrote: »

Hey guys, I'm looking for some help please:)

I want to run a Dual monitor setup for my PC (Graphics: Radeon R9-380 2GB Dual Fan). Right now I am looking at 2x24" monitors. My budget is around €200 for each but this is a little flexible. The monitors should be 1920x1080 and 16:9.

The PC is used for general office work, watching movies and some occasional gaming.

I've always been a Dell monitor fan and was looking at the DELL S2415H as I love the thin bezel and believe two of these side by side would look great. They are on offer right now for €211. Is this a good deal and is this a descent monitor?

Are there other brands out there offering similar specs(with thin bezels) for similar prices? Is there a Dell outlet/ebay store that I could source these from?

Cheers

What do you think about going with a single large monitor? You said your budget is €200 per monitor with some upwards flexibility so it's not a huge stretch. Save for one more month.

I recently moved from a dual monitor setup and purchased a 32" BenQ monitor. This is easily the best decision I have recently made. It's overall fewer cables and less physical space taken up on my desk.

There is a small hit on overall pixel real estate but to be honest you will barely notice it during your daily usage.

An upside to a single large monitor is that the text is not tiny if you have bad eyesight and you're not turning your head side to side all the time. The image quality of that particular monitor is great as well and no bezels!

Something to consider

Movie Maestro

Kinslee Clever Boy wrote: »

What do you think about going with a single large monitor? You said your budget is €200 per monitor with some upwards flexibility so it's not a huge stretch. Save for one more month.

I recently moved from a dual monitor setup and purchased a 32" BenQ monitor. This is easily the best decision I have recently made. It's overall fewer cables and less physical space taken up on my desk.

There is a small hit on overall pixel real estate but to be honest you will barely notice it during your daily usage.

An upside to a single large monitor is that the text is not tiny if you have bad eyesight and you're not turning your head side to side all the time. The image quality of that particular monitor is great as well and no bezels!

Something to consider

I appreciate what you are saying about the extra real estate in a larger monitor but a dual monitor setup is something that I've wanted to use for a long time. I've used them in the office for several years and it would suit me at home too. It's not the extra space that I am looking for, moreso the flexibility to have 2 separate displays. Thanks for your feedback

Movie Maestro

If anyone has dual monitor setups at home please feel free to post some pics, I'm looking for ideas on a good desk layout:D

ED E

Movie Maestro wrote: »

If anyone has dual monitor setups at home please feel free to post some pics, I'm looking for ideas on a good desk layout:D

See the rig thread for them:

Mine (Needs upgrading)

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055334204

Movie Maestro

Nice setup ED E :D:D

ED E

ED E wrote: »

See the rig thread for them:


http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055334204

Link doesn't go to the post but looks like a duronic mount ? I can't say enough good things about duronic stuff, bolts to the desk, sturdy as hell and way more adjustment options than if you just leave the monitors on their stands.

I have a 23'' 2nd screen and a 27'' main mounted on this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Duronic-Die-Cast-Aluminium-Monitor-Warranty/dp/B00AV70AEI and it's perfect for me

Anyway as to the question Movie Maestro asked about layout always side by side in terms of displays, not because it looks better but you have to move your head less left to right. If you have one hard left and one hard right your asking for neck issues and never closer than arms length at least.

I'm actually looking for some furniture for a smallish room. I'm primarily a console gamer but game at a desk dual monitor set up as i mentioned in previous post. So PC on one screen until I game and it gets sent to secondary display while I'm gaming. Guess I'm looking for something that will hold 2 consoles , 2 displays and a desktop and sit at it like a desk with KB and Mouse in front of me in a smallish space and by small I can afford it to be wide but not too deep.

ED E

Deleted User wrote: »

Link doesn't go to the post but looks like a duronic mount ? I can't say enough good things about duronic stuff, bolts to the desk, sturdy as hell and way more adjustment options than if you just leave the monitors on their stands.

Nope. Used a Duronic for my aul fellas build, its ok. The above is a "VonHaus Double Twin", built like a tank.

ED E

ED E wrote: »

Nope. Used a Duronic for my aul fellas build, its ok. The above is a "VonHaus Double Twin", built like a tank.

Steel vs Aluminium no contest Otherwise very similar one irk have with them is if you dont use screens of the same size the smaller one sits vertically in the middle of the bigger one, i'd like to be able to have the smaller one higher so it's flush with the top of the bigger one if you get me? Do either do one like that ?

ED E

Mine are out as Im using a Dell Proprietary ->VESA adapter that some bloke in the states made up. Doesnt bother me. When I finally swap the right for a 27" 1440p panel of some sort they'll be totally out but I doubt itll bother me.

The Von Haus are so cheap if you want to align them yourself you could double up and have two independent levels. As long as the difference between centres was at least 55mm (height of the bracket).