I always have a high end PC but i feel like having a second monitor is way too important for me. I would never go back to single monitor. So i would rather always only have a budget PC but have a second monitor over having the best PC money can buy and not be allowed to have a second monitor.
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PC gamers, would you rather have the best PC possible or a second monitor?
- Thread starter Brakum
- Start date
Glass Prison
Member
You know there's always a third and fourth options for PC enthusiasts....
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SmokedMeat
Gamer™
I don’t need a second monitor for anything outside of work.
TrebleShot
Member
I have a second monitor that is vertical next to my LGC2 42" I have to be honest, it gives me neck ache to turn to it and whilst the view is good for things like twitter, its pretty crap for watching on the side etc, I end up moving my windows to the main screen most of the time.
I will be replacing both with an LG UW 5K when they come out.
But in the meantime moving my monitor back to the normal horizontal widescreen view.
I will be replacing both with an LG UW 5K when they come out.
But in the meantime moving my monitor back to the normal horizontal widescreen view.
I dont use my pc for work. I'll take the second monitor any day
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BlackTron
Member
Back during Windows XP days I had triple CRT monitor at home but that was kinda over the top. I would have a game on one screen, and leave game guides/status monitors/IM or chat rooms on the others. I sorta did it because I could -I was learning about PCs and found enough hardware from junk computers to drive all the monitors without driver conflicts.
During the 7 days, some crappy work PCs became valuable tools with SSDs and video cards. Daily I would want to figure things out about a client's phone call in real time and the monitors allowed me to go MUCH faster expanding my view of information instead of juggling it on the taskbar. Also for planning logistics -timetables, maps, lists. If I only had one monitor, I'd have died.
Today I just have one wide monitor at my desk at home. But I am also surrounded with other screens like tablet, phone, TV, Switch. I have a bunch of extra monitors, it's just unnecessary for me now.
During the 7 days, some crappy work PCs became valuable tools with SSDs and video cards. Daily I would want to figure things out about a client's phone call in real time and the monitors allowed me to go MUCH faster expanding my view of information instead of juggling it on the taskbar. Also for planning logistics -timetables, maps, lists. If I only had one monitor, I'd have died.
Today I just have one wide monitor at my desk at home. But I am also surrounded with other screens like tablet, phone, TV, Switch. I have a bunch of extra monitors, it's just unnecessary for me now.
rm082e
Member
My gaming PC has always had one monitor or TV. Years ago I would keep tablet on hand for a web browser while gaming. These days I have an L-shaped desk with my work laptop and a pair of 30" monitors. It's the best of both worlds as I don't have to tab out of games to look things up or chat.
Buggy Loop
Gold Member
1 ultrawide monitor over 2 monitors
Mister Wolf
Member
Never wanted or needed a second display.
That's how you rather works. You need to pick one regardless of logic.
demented waffle
Gold Member
I have my desktop monitor for framerate 1440P 144hz and use my TV as 2nd when I want comfy couch gaming on chill games 4k 60.
Holammer
Member
For my needs I find it mostly meaningless to have a second monitor. Just like the DS or 3DS you can only focus on one at a time.
There are use cases for some professionals, but most coder friends of mine opt for an ultrawide instead of another monitor for that sweet screen estate.
If I found a good CRT, I'd hook it up as a secondary.
There are use cases for some professionals, but most coder friends of mine opt for an ultrawide instead of another monitor for that sweet screen estate.
If I found a good CRT, I'd hook it up as a secondary.
Rockondevil
Member
I love my second monitor. It’s just a cheap thing but I use it for having movies, YouTube etc playing while I’m playing a game.
Obviously depends on the game too as I wouldn’t have anything on while playing a heavy story game.
Obviously depends on the game too as I wouldn’t have anything on while playing a heavy story game.
clarky
Gold Member
Useful how?
StereoVsn
Gold Member
I have main LG C3 42” OLED for gaming and have a 34” LG IPS monitor to the side at an angle. Sometimes IPS is better for productivity vs OLED and I can have other content on it while gaming. And when doing some other stuff like research or running AI models/coding it’s good to have screen real estate. Yeah, there are virtual desktops, but it’s not the same.
The only way I could avoid the dual monitor setup if I got one of the ginormous 57” super ultra widescreen monitor like the new Samsung that you could partition into two separate spaces.
And that’s very expensive.
The only way I could avoid the dual monitor setup if I got one of the ginormous 57” super ultra widescreen monitor like the new Samsung that you could partition into two separate spaces.
And that’s very expensive.
Gaming.
struggler_guts
Member
Why would you gimp your PC just to not have to press alt tab?
Alt tab is not nearly as useful.
Paltheos
Member
Not needing to alt+tab as much means too much to me. A chunk of games also don't play nice with it either, not wanting to remove the game from the foreground.
I have a reasonably high end PC and a monitor + TV set up, but I don't usually use both displays at once. In fact, I just bought a 32" 4k RoG Swift QD-OLED 240hz monitor and I don't think I have turned it on in like 2 weeks. mostly because I play controller games on my TV and mouse games on my monitor. I just don't use two displays concurrently very much. I guess I should mention that my PC is for fun only, nothing productive.
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pudel
Member
Schmendrick
Member
The question is nonsense
Magic Carpet
Gold Member
Does a cellphone count as a second monitor?
I would not have finished Elden ring without looking stuff up on my second monitor.
I would not have finished Elden ring without looking stuff up on my second monitor.
It's a hypothetical. It's not about money. Its about if you had to choose. There is no logic to it. People love to come in to these threads and dissect the logic when that was never the point.
hououinkyouma00
Member
1 monitor master race.
You don’t need to have like 6 things going at the same time.
Also, minimalism.
You don’t need to have like 6 things going at the same time.
Also, minimalism.
HeisenbergFX4
Gold Member
One big reason I have an IPad sitting next to my monitor is looking up so much stuff gaming related
hinch7
Member
I have multimonitors and its a nice to have but not nessesary. Its actually more distracting for me to game when I have both on at the same time.
They are really useful though as I can have something in the background while I'm browsing, working or gaming.
But would I pick that over a high end PC, hell no.
They are really useful though as I can have something in the background while I'm browsing, working or gaming.
But would I pick that over a high end PC, hell no.
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struggler_guts
Member
Only example I've seen that can't be solved with alt tab is
Because you only need than one more monitor and you can game in panorama view.
proandrad
Member
Even without considering money it’s a ridiculous question. What type of sane person would pick a budget card like a 4060 with budget cpu over a 5090 with a top of the line cpu for just a second monitor. The gap is too large for an extra monitor to matter at all in the choice.
MayauMiao
Member
Second monitor is not that expensive so I would rather have a high end PC, get a second monitor later. I might even get a used unit as the second monitor is not a priority when it comes to image clarity.
Alt tab doesnt allow you todo multiple things at the same time which is like, the whole point of a second monitor
I would
The question is if you had to choose. You couldnt get a second monitor if you had a high end pc. Would you still want that? That's the question
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Akuji
Member
I dislike a 2nd Monitor. Sure if you have something to do that benefits from a 2nd Monitor sure. But ive had 2nd and 3rd Monitors for a while and never truly used them. Just tab out for Regular things. Also they take so much space.
Planning a New Desk for gaming an iam thinking about a smaller screen ( 15" ) underneath my Main Monitor.
Planning a New Desk for gaming an iam thinking about a smaller screen ( 15" ) underneath my Main Monitor.