Killer new rig w/ 30" Gateway...need 2 more 20" monitors. Suggestions?

[SirFelixCat]

Long story short (Link to rig here) , I'm getting the brand new 30" Gateway to go with that hoss of a computer that I'm building.

But I also want dual 20" monitors, in portrait, flanking both sides of the 30" Gateway. The ONLY prerequisite is that they MUST have a native resolution of 1600x1200 (so that, while in portrait, it matches the 2560x1600 resolution of the 30" monitor, therefore, making it 4960x1600 of desktop space).

The 4 that I know about are the:

Dell 2001FP
HP LP2065
Samsung 204T and 204B

I'm looking either for feedback/suggestions or personal experience with anyone who has a similar setup. I am concerned about the TN panels in portrait, though, as it makes them hard to see/read due to their poor viewing angles.

But again, any and all help would be appreciated!

[Low Key]

My friend just got a pretty sweet looking Westinghouse 19" widescreen from Best Buy for like a buck seventy nine. Think the 20" non wide was only two hundred.

I don't have much input on it yet, as I've only used it a few times. Sure makes HL2 look crispy though.

[HonestRyan]

I am getting the same setup this month and here is my conlcusion. 20" 1600x1200 monitors are like $350. you really wont need the 1600x1200 res becasue its mainly gonna be winamp, webbrowser, PT, Pahud in the 20' monitors. you will not have poker tables in those 20' monitors, they will all be sitting in your 30. You can get a 20' 1680x1050 for like $180 on newegg. so imo, forget about the dell 2007wfp or w/e. just buy 2 cheap 20s, if your concerned about the TL panels then dont get one, there is a pretty wide panel selection in the under $200 range.

The real question is how are you gonna mount the 20s in portratit mode when 99% of all stands only let you mount them horizontally? how is everyone else doing it?

[HonestRyan]

do u need 2 video cards to run 3 monitors? I thought with a dual DVI card that you can run 1 port to your 30 and run a Y-cable to your 2 20s? correct me if I am wrong but i am sure i read this somewhere.

[brasilstu]

What you doing then SirFelixCat, 18 tabling it? Saw you playing 200NL on Tilt this morning, way to go.

I've got the Dell 20", the stand does let you have it set portrait.

[Josem]

1) obviously the previous responses to the OP in this thread don't know what they're talking about.

2) in the various discussions about this topic in the past, i haven't ever read anyone complaining of difficulty with the TN panels and limited viewing angles.

apart from anything else, because of the huge physical size of such a setup, you'll need to physically turn the side monitors in towards the centre. thus, you can align them to wherever you'll be sitting.

in addition to the monitors you list above, there is also a Dell 2007, BenQ has a 1600x1200 monitor (i forget the model number off the top of my head, but i've got one at home), and i'm fairly sure i have a HP LP2035 1600x1200 monitor at home.

at one time, i had various monitors set up in a 3x2 array (three across, two above) and never had any issues with viewing angles.

my greatest problem was having the monitors close enough to my eyes to clearly see the details. because i had a Dell 2405 in the middle, the particular monitor stand I had didn't have long enough arms to tilt the side panels in towards the middle.

hopefully this is helpful.

[funkyworms]

[ QUOTE ]
I am getting the same setup this month and here is my conlcusion. 20" 1600x1200 monitors are like $350. you really wont need the 1600x1200 res becasue its mainly gonna be winamp, webbrowser, PT, Pahud in the 20' monitors. you will not have poker tables in those 20' monitors, they will all be sitting in your 30. You can get a 20' 1680x1050 for like $180 on newegg. so imo, forget about the dell 2007wfp or w/e. just buy 2 cheap 20s, if your concerned about the TL panels then dont get one, there is a pretty wide panel selection in the under $200 range.

The real question is how are you gonna mount the 20s in portratit mode when 99% of all stands only let you mount them horizontally? how is everyone else doing it?

[/ QUOTE ]


This is terrible advice. You should absolutely only consider getting 1600x1200 monitors so the resolutions will match your main monitor. As far as portrait mode, the 204b's stand will rotate 90 degrees out of the box.

[funkyworms]

[ QUOTE ]
do u need 2 video cards to run 3 monitors? I thought with a dual DVI card that you can run 1 port to your 30 and run a Y-cable to your 2 20s? correct me if I am wrong but i am sure i read this somewhere.

[/ QUOTE ]

You thought wrong. Some video cards will run more than two monitors but they are pretty rare, do not have great specs, and do not work by simply splitting a DVI port.

[a nonymous]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I am getting the same setup this month and here is my conlcusion. 20" 1600x1200 monitors are like $350. you really wont need the 1600x1200 res becasue its mainly gonna be winamp, webbrowser, PT, Pahud in the 20' monitors. you will not have poker tables in those 20' monitors, they will all be sitting in your 30. You can get a 20' 1680x1050 for like $180 on newegg. so imo, forget about the dell 2007wfp or w/e. just buy 2 cheap 20s, if your concerned about the TL panels then dont get one, there is a pretty wide panel selection in the under $200 range.

The real question is how are you gonna mount the 20s in portratit mode when 99% of all stands only let you mount them horizontally? how is everyone else doing it?

[/ QUOTE ]


This is terrible advice. You should absolutely only consider getting 1600x1200 monitors so the resolutions will match your main monitor.

[/ QUOTE ]
QFT (though I think OP already understands this).

[SirFelixCat]

Thanks for the feedback fellas. And yes, I'm set on the 1600x1200 res. That's whats making this so damn hard.


Looking on ebay, I can possibly grab 2 Dell 2001FP's for total of @ $500. Thoughts on this? Granted they'll be used and are older, but for the price, I mean, really....



Thoughts?