The first thing you need to know before buying your 6 monitor setup is what you’re going to use it for. Clearly, that sounds obvious but too many of us get carried away by the fancy tech and forget our needs until it’s too late. Therefore, if you’re going to invest in a 6 monitor setup, it’s worth doing a bit of planning before.
What do you Use your 6 Monitor Setup for?
- Gaming
- Trading
- Professional Work
- Home entertainment
The most obvious use for multiple monitors is gaming or trading. Clearly, those people need large screens to view lots of data and graphics at once. However, they also need lots of processing and graphics card power to support that data as well as it’s efficient to reload. For instance, traders rely on almost instant data updates so as not to miss any minute movement in the markets they’re studying.
Professionals
Let’s not forget though that all professionals can benefit from a 6 monitor setup. In fact, research now shows that productivity increases when you have two, three, and even 6 monitors. Of course, it depends on what you’re using everything for and you should also be careful to not get distracted. It’s a fine line between work and fun.
Entertainment
The best part about using a 6 monitor setup is that it also transforms into a mini home entertainment device. If you add some special lighting then you can almost recreate the feel of a real cinema auditorium.
What to Look out for When Buying a 6 Monitor Setup
1- Type of Monitor Screens
The first thing to note is that there are three commonly available types of panels that offer different resolutions for a range of prices. It’s tempting to jump straight to the high-end IPS type because you might assume that greater resolution is always better. However, the majority of people, including traders and gamers, opt for the lower-end TN panel.
LCD TN panels have a perfectly good resolution for trading and most gaming needs. In fact, some gamers prefer the slightly lower resolution specification because it can deal better with the higher refresh rates they tend to use.
2- Size of Screen
The size of the screen you choose makes a big difference to the overall experience of your multi-monitor setup. You can even opt for an ultrawide curved screen such that it covers your peripheral vision. This can be great for games or films. Naturally, the cost is higher but then again, by the time you’ve bought your multiple monitors then the costs aren’t too different.
3-Two, Three, or 6 Monitors?
The big question is at which point do your monitors become redundant? The answer is actually very personal because of course, it depends on your needs. Therefore, you should think about how many different programs you like working with at any one time. For example, some traders have the graphs and tables on one set of monitors and they do their coding, messaging, and news updates on another set of screens.
4- Display Ports
It’s worth knowing that every computer and laptop has a range of DisplayPort connections such as HDMI, VGA, or USB. Those are the most common although there are other types available including different generations. Simply make sure that you buy the relevant cables. You can easily take a photo and show it to your computer shop assistant for help if you’re not sure of what you have.
5- Mac or Windows 10?
This is an ongoing debate and people rarely seem to change from one to another. Again, it’s a very personal choice whether you prefer Windows 10 or Mac. Regardless though, each will have different shortcuts and apps available to you to make your 6 monitor setup experience seamless.
6- Refresh Rate
The refresh rate is an important criteria for both gamers and traders because they need instant information updates. Even the slightest delay in market updates or gaming graphics could cause a trader to lose millions or a gamer to lose the competition. You’ll therefore need to make sure that you have a graphics card that’s up to scratch with a good GPU power.
Graphics cards are also important for a multi-monitor setup in general. It’s this device that enables your screens to keep up because it essentially takes away some of the work from your RAM and CPU. Therefore, your desktop or laptop is more efficient and can better cope with all your screens. You’ll probably find a device that already has an integrated graphics card but if not, check that you have at least 4GB of GPU power.
7- Your Space
Another important consideration is to make sure that you’re as comfortable as possible at your desk and general working area. This is especially true if you want to double up your room as a mini entertainment space. You might therefore want to shop around for the perfect desk, chair or even sofa and ambient lighting.
8- Cost
Depending on your needs, you’ll have different specifications and requirements. If you choose to go top of the range for everything then you could be facing at least a $10k investment if not more. On the flip side, there’s nothing stopping you from searching for both new and second-hand equipment. In that case, perhaps you could limit your budget to only a few thousand dollars.
Final Thoughts on Buying a 6 Monitor Setup
Buying a 6 monitor setup is exciting but make sure you don’t get carried away too quickly. A little bit of re-thinking and planning could save you some money. Moreover, you’ll avoid the pain of ending up with the wrong equipment or cables. You can then sit back and enjoy the ride of a multi-monitor setup experience.
