Help with 2 monitors please

Thebestmumalive

My son wants to buy a new desktop PC. He needs it to run Microsoft Office, lots of music but its main use is to play poker. He likes to have lots of games running at the same time and wants 2 x 22" monitors. I don't really know how you use 2 monitors with one machine - how does the mouse move between them? and do you need a special graphics card or do you plug them into different connectors?

He's asked me to have a look for him but I don't know what to recommend. I suppose he needs quite a lot of RAM - but what else should I be looking for?

He's got up to £1000 to spend including the monitors.

timbim_2

You need a graphics card capable of supporting dual monitors, ideally with twin DVI outputs. They essentially act as one super wide display in Windows, with a single maximised window taking up only one of the monitors.

crampo_2

he'll need a graphics card with two ouputs, i take it using 22" monitors and this modern world they will be DVI connected. so generally most graphics cards do this, if he is doing gamily he'll want a beefy one. Take a look a EBUYER they do a range of graphics cards. And also the rest of the computer from there, they are a reliable company, very well priced

Thebestmumalive

Thanks for your quick reply timbim. Does that mean that you just move the mouse and it goes from one monitor to the other?

crampo_2

^ yer , just move it the monitor on the left/right

M4RKM

i've had dual monitors for the past 10 years now, and really couldn't go back to a single monitor system.

as you're buying brand new, one thing i'd look at is to make sure the bezel around the edge of each monitor is small, then it makes for an even better overall look..

me, i have one 24" and one 20" monitor here...
in the office, i have a 15" laptop, and a 17" screen just..

M

Thebestmumalive

Thanks for your suggestion crampo. I've had a look at ebuyer and this seems to be the right sort of thing.

I can't put a link in but its ebuyer product code 159366

My concerns would be a) the RAM is not expandable b) I don't know how good the sound card is.

What do you think?

timbim_2

Inbuilt sound will be fine for everyone except the audiophiles or a recording studio...

Baldur

Thebestmumalive wrote: »

My concerns would be a) the RAM is not expandable

Irrelevant, unless he plans to use a 64bit operating system, Vista Home Premium can't use all 4GB of RAM anyway.

crampo_2

If He Could Spare Another £100 - £150 he could get product no. 159367
and two of these 158373 . i know only 20".

bookduck

if he really want to splosh-the-dosh, there is a wonderful little bit of s/w called ultramon $40 that can make life a bit easier with dual monitors http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/