Having two or three displays side-by-side doesn't just look cool, it can actually boost your productivity. Whether you're editing large images, working with video, managing a team or simply playing games, multiple monitors give you you more screen real estate to work on your projects. It's like having a larger digital desk.
With LCD display prices falling and most modern graphics cards supporting at least a dual-screen set-up, running several monitors isn't as expensive as it used to be. In fact, you can grab a graphics card and a new 19-inch monitor for less than that of a fancy smart phone. So why not double your desktop?
There are a few quirks to setting up multiple monitors that can trip you up. Here's our guide.
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Start by checking out your current graphics card to see if your computer already has two video outputs.
If you don't have two (or more) video outputs, your first step will getting the appropriate number of outputs. There are a few different options when it comes to enabling multi-monitor setups. But if you have a desktop, the best option is to upgrade your graphics card.
There are numerous graphics cards on the market, ranging from the simple $100 models that will work for most people, to high-end models aimed at gamers. Unless you're doing very graphics-intensive work (video editing or the like) the lower end will probably work just fine. Just make sure your new card has at least two monitor outs. Be aware that some higher-end cards have more outputs than they are capable of driving. For example, many AMD Radeon 5xxx series cards have four outputs, but are only capable of driving three at a time.
If you have a laptop, the chances are good it has one or more video outputs. Some laptops will allow different combinations of up to three monitors (including the built-in display). However, some laptops will only be able to mirror the built-in display, forcing the second display to show exactly the same thing that's on the laptop's screen.
External hardware options
One solution for laptop and desktop users is to get a graphics expansion module, a small box with a separate set of video outputs. You connect these boxes to your PC's video out port. These modules let you drive two or three monitors from a single VGA, DVI, or Displayport output.
Another option is a USB to video out adapter. Newer USB adapters can output up to 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) resolution, and it is possible to use multiple adapters simultaneously. This is especially attractive for laptops.
You could go out and splurge on some nice big, new monitors, but there's a good chance whatever you're using now will work just fine, which means you just need to add a second screen.
When it comes to buying a second monitor, try to stick with a model similar to what you have. While not totally necessary, similar models will generally be easier to set up and configure. They're also more aesthetically pleasing.
Also keep in mind that older graphics cards probably won't have support for newer connection types like HDMI. The most common connection type on these non-HDMI displays is DVI, and, fortunately, adapters for connecting HDMI to DVI are inexpensive and very common.
If you've got a new monitor but old graphics card, be sure to pick up the appropriate adapter when you buy that second monitor.
Once you've got your graphics card installed and your second display arranged how you like it, it's time to set it up in your operating system's preferences.
Multiple monitors in Windows
Turn off your PC, plug in in the second monitor and restart Windows. With any luck, Windows will detect the new display and install the drivers for you.
At this point, your should have a mirror of your desktop on two screens. That's nice, but not what we're after here. Head to Control Panel, click on Display and select the "Multiple display" option. Adjust the resolution and orientation to suit your monitor setup.
Congratulations, you're now rocking dual monitors. You can drag windows between monitors and adjust your windows to suit your workflow.
Multiple monitors in Ubuntu Linux
Ubuntu's monitor setup screen lives in System > Preference > Display. Once that screen is up, click the "Detect monitors" button, which will force the system to find your new monitor. Select all the monitors listed and click the "On" radio button.
Be sure to uncheck the "mirror" option and then click "Apply".
While the process of setting up multiple monitors in Linux is easy, finding drivers that support your monitors isn't always easy. Before you head out to purchase a new graphics card, be sure to check with the Ubuntu forums and read up on success and failure stories.
Multiple monitors in Mac OS X
Not every Mac supports multiple monitors, so be sure to check the Apple support documents for your model before you purchase a second monitor.
Assuming your Mac does, all you need to do is plug it in, and Mac OS X should automatically recognize it. Head to System Preferences > Displays and you will see two screens pop up -- one on each monitor. From here, you can control your monitor settings, add backgrounds, decide where your menus and dock will show up, and so on.
Even if your Mac does not have a graphics card with two monitor ports, there are USB-based solutions (Google "USB Dual Monitor adaptor"). These will be significantly slower than a real graphics card, but unless you're playing games in fullscreen mode, you should be OK.
If you are the proud owner of a current (2009) 27" iMac and a MacBook, the former can even be used as an external monitor for the latter, using its MiniDisplay input. At 2560 by 1440 pixels, that's a lot of screen estate.
Finally, various products on the iTunes store will allow you to turn an iPad into a second "virtual" monitor for your Mac. This may not be the perfect solution for everyone, but that iPad could be just the right spot for Twitter feeds and control panels.
A common set-up for laptop users is to prop up a second display screen on a tall stand, then plop your laptop directly beneath it. Instead of two screens sitting side by side, you'll have one on top of the other.
Most operating systems will let you adjust the orientation of your second monitor to run sideways -- in portrait mode, instead of the much-more-common landscape mode. Do this to your second monitor to view taller documents or to reduce the amount of scrolling needed to read long web pages.
Make the adjustments (if your OS allows it) in the display-settings dialogs described above.
While we've focused on dual monitors for single operating systems, it is in fact possible to run multiple OSes on multiple monitors simultaneously. If you're interested, check out Synergy. Not only can Synergy share a single mouse, keyboard and multiple monitors across operating systems, it can even share clipboard data across all those PCs and operating systems.
Got a crazy multi-monitor set up? Post it here to provide inspiration for others -- or just to show it off.
Here is my development rig, 1 Dell 24", two LG 22", 1 Samsung 19" and a small USB Samsung monitor. All running from a single Mac Pro Clone that I built.
Here's mine (1 23" Samsung with 2 19"Hyundais ) Plus 3 laptos and an ipad but those dont count because are sepparate computers
