How many monitors to be efficient?

6061Mike · Dec 20, 2016

Hey all! I would like to post a poll, but not sure how. Anyways, how many monitors are the people using that run cad/cam all day? Do you have a preferred size?

I use two at work, approximately 22-24" size. I feel like that is just about right for my workspace. I think i would like 3, but is the 'head turning' worth it?

I just today set up my "home office" with my laptop and one additional monitor... we'll see how that works. The laptop is an older model, only a 15.6" screen, compared to the monitor at 24"

I upgraded my home pc setup during all this to a 27" monitor, and it is almost too big... sure it will be great for Netflix, but even on PM it seems a little 'off'.

Anywho, appreciate any and all responses! Merry Christmas and Happy New year!

fpworks · Dec 20, 2016

I just upgraded from dual 24s (1920 x 1080) to a single 28" 4K (3840 x 2160). Aside from remnant Windows scaling issues, I like the single 4K monitor better. I don't think I would like dual 4K monitors...I think maybe a larger (maybe 33") 4K with reduced scaling would be better.

Matt@RFR · Dec 20, 2016

I use two 24s and almost think they are too big. They "feel" like they are fading away at the left and right sides, if that makes any sense. Just a tiny bit though. I wouldn't go any bigger, but I wouldn't mind a third monitor, maybe making a pyramid shape. I wouldn't like all three on the desk, but the third one would come in handy sometimes. Thinking Solidworks/Mastercam, print and job sheet. Oooh, I got a little tingle just saying it.

Kaszub · Dec 20, 2016

1 good 4k monitor makes me concentrate more on what I am doing, I find it that when I had 2 monitors second one would have YouTube or some other crap running distracting me from work.

dstryr · Dec 20, 2016

fpworks said:
I just upgraded from dual 24s (1920 x 1080) to a single 28" 4K (3840 x 2160). Aside from remnant Windows scaling issues, I like the single 4K monitor better. I don't think I would like dual 4K monitors...I think maybe a larger (maybe 33") 4K with reduced scaling would be better.

I swapped from dual 27" 1920x1080 to 1 4k 27" Dell. Lasted about a year then just last week added another 4k 27" Dell. I really like having the extra real estate.

When I'm programming in NX I leave the main dispaly with just the part display window and use the right monitor for the toolpaths , utility bars, etc.

Matt@RFR · Dec 20, 2016

You guys running 27" monitors, how far away from you are they? Say from eyeball to center of monitor.

Like I said, I feel like my 24's are too big. I have them 30" away.

sfriedberg · Dec 20, 2016

I used a single 24" monitor for CAD and 3D modeling work for quite a while before adding a secondary monitor (initially smaller and a different aspect ratio, because that's what I had at the time). I find the secondary monitor quite handy for tool palettes, browser/documentation windows, and system/load status displays without having to shuffle windows on the main monitor.

I now have two identical 24" 16:10 format (1920x1200) monitors at arm's distance, way closer than 30". Quick tape measure check says more like 18". I can't read text from 30" away, with or without my reading glasses! Much less, work with tracking markers that are only 2 or 3 pixels square... I find the screen real estate of the 2nd 24" monitor useful, but it is definitely "too wide" to take in all at once. I end up facing the primary monitor, then turning to the secondary when I need to look at it. Even with narrow bezel monitors, I pretty much never span one application window across both monitors.

John Welden · Dec 20, 2016

It's just personal preference.

I like having CAD on the main monitor in front of me and a web browswer and outlook on my secondary. I find this is best for my efficiency.

I run dual 5k's. I'd say 80% of the engineers I works with run dual 5k's. The rest do one 5k. I'd probably like three 5k's but I guess I'd need another video card for that.

Monitors are so inexpensive now that most companies can afford to give their people two.

Luke Rickert · Dec 21, 2016

I am in the one big monitor camp for CAD and FEA work. I don't like having the frames etc between the two screens and two can also just get too wide to use comfortably.
L

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Rewt · Dec 21, 2016

I use two 21" monitors, usually have solidworks up on one and autocad/pdf print on the other. I dislike anything larger than 21" just because. Works for me. I don't have any eye or neck issues and I stare at them for the better part of a 10hr day. Unless I can escape and go run a mill.

Winterfalke · Dec 21, 2016

My last job provided a single 24" monitor and gave me pretty serious grief when I complained about it. My personal battle station runs three 24" monitors at 144hz and another pair of 22"s on an old Mac pro for email and youtube.

D Dubeau · Dec 21, 2016

Dual 24's at work, and I used to have a 24 and 22 at home. The 22 at home doesn't work anymore, just wont turn on. I know it's first world problems, but it became so annoying to try and work at home that I started taking one from work when I'm working from home (to cheap to buy one). When I started I had a single 15" crt, then the BIG upgrade to the 17" crt ha ha (cue the guys who started on a board.....).

I'm looking to upgrade my home workstation in the new year (loooonng overdue) and I want to go dual 24's with a vertical 22 on the right side. For me with the way I work, and the programs I use, that would be my perfect setup.

JNieman · Dec 21, 2016

IME you'll always use every square inch available.

I remember doing fine when I was using a 17" laptop.

Now I have (3) 24" monitors with the left-most screen in portrait-orientation for Outlook, reference docs, and such. My main 2 screens are for CAD/CAM/browser/drawings/ERP/MachineMonitoring/whatever.

ETA- company just gives us 2 monitors. When one guy quit, and I absorbed most of his responsibilities, I scavenged a monitor off his desk, and no one noticed for long enough that I just ended up keeping it.

toolsteel · Dec 21, 2016

2 20" monitors. Standard stuff. Works good for me.

Mtndew · Dec 21, 2016

Matt@RFR said:
You guys running 27" monitors, how far away from you are they? Say from eyeball to center of monitor.

Like I said, I feel like my 24's are too big. I have them 30" away.

I have 2 BenQ 27" monitors for Mastercam. If I stretch my arm out, my fingertips are about 2" from touching the screen.

Anything smaller than 27" is too small IMO.
There are other options depending on the $ you are able to spend, you could get a 38" curved monitor and have 2-3 windows open on it at once. If you put it 3 feet away you won't have much head turning.

JNieman · Dec 21, 2016

I took a peak when I was walking around up front this morning and the front office girls have dual monitors, even. One handles billing/processing in addition to front-desk duties, but the other mainly handles basic data entry and phones. Like someone else said.

Monitors are cheap. Probably cheap enough that it costs more to argue with someone over why they want a second screen than to just buy them.

KilrB · Dec 21, 2016

I've got dual 19's right now.

Would like to have dual 24's.

But this is the setup I really want ...

MultiMonitor.Net

edit:

This is the one I used to lust after ...

Fs with 13 monitors and 9 pcs - General Flight Sim - X-Plane.Org Forum

jakefreese · Dec 21, 2016

3 27" here, 4k. Someone I know has the 3 monitor setup similar to the multi monitor setup with no gap between the monitors. It's awesome. All mine are in landscape, all my portrait apps get sized so I'm just using half the monitor which is still more than enough on a 27"

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Comatose · Dec 21, 2016

For electronics work I run triple 24s. One for board, one for schematic, one for data sheet. That is perfect.

For CAD work I like one 4k 32 inch and a pile of paper notebooks on the desk.

m98custom1212 · Dec 21, 2016

Me I personally use 3 24 inch 1080P IPS screen at about an arms reach away. I previously used two 27 inch @ 1080p but the text looked look like garage because I was sitting so close then I switched to (one) 27 inch @ 1440p screen but the scaling issues in windows 8/8.1 was horrible so I backed tracked to the triple 24's with the ips panels perfect for everything I do when working or playing.

How many monitors to be efficient?

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