Doing something for the first time can either be exciting or daunting. It almost doesn’t matter how much you know about the topic because not knowing something can be a little off-putting. We tend to want to jump in as experts. However, there’s always a learning curve. It’s the same for when you’re doing your first 6 monitor setup ever.
Table of Contents
Your 6 Monitor Setup Equipment
The main equipment you have to consider is as follows, with more details below:
- Computer/Laptop and desk
- Ports
- Graphics Card
- Monitors
- Stands
Computer/Laptop and Desk
The choice of computer versus laptop is more of a personal one these days. This is thanks to laptops being on par with computers in terms of power and reliability. Also, companies such as Falcon Trading Computers now specialize in laptops that match or exceed computer performance to meet trading and gaming needs. If you do go for another laptop brand though, make sure that it can support multiple monitors. You’ll have to check that there are ports to connect to and that it has a good graphics card installed.
In addition, make sure that you have a high-quality processor such as a quad-core that has a 3GHz CPU. This will give you speed and efficiency which is critical for a 6 monitor setup. Furthermore, don’t forget to have at least a RAM of 8GB although 16GB will be that much better if you can afford it. After all, you’ll be asking a lot from your computer or laptop.
Naturally, you should also consider your desk and room space. Perhaps you want to drill some holes into the desk to tuck your cables away first? Essentially, you might want to consider how you’re going to mount everything and what kind of desk provides a comfortable space.
Ports
You’ll soon learn that there are multiple ports in this industry. In fact, the main ones are:
- HDMI – High Definition Multimedia interface
- DVI – Digital Visual Interface
- DisplayPort
- VGA
- USB-C
You don’t need to worry too much about the differences or why they exist though. If you’re not sure then take a photo of your ports to your computer shop and ask them for the right cables and which monitor would match.
Graphics Card
This piece of equipment allows images to come up on your screens without overloading the main CPU. Again, this is critical for a 6 monitor setup because so many images are going up at any one time. For this, you need to look out for a graphics CPU of around 2GB. This is all incorporated into your laptop or computer and it’s just a question of looking up the technical specifications.
Monitors
Choosing monitors is easier because you can naturally have a feel for what looks right. However, it’s worth noting that there are three types of LCD options available these days that differ in resolution. These start with the slightly cheaper and perfectly adequate Twisted Nematic (TN) panels for trading and general work. On the other hand, gamers tend to opt for the Vertical Alignment (VA) or even higher resolution In-plane Switching (IPS) panels.
Stands
Finally, this is the fun part if you like to build things and explore how to use space. Many funky stand designs exist these days but just be aware of your ergonomic needs. Again, depending on whether you’ll be using your 6 monitor setup for working or gaming will sway your preferences. Either way, you should consider movable arms versus stagnant ones so that you can adjust monitors to the right height that works for you. This will therefore avoid you straining your arms or your eyes.
The Process to Build your 6 Monitor Setup
- Display Settings
- Duplicate versus Extended and Multi-Displays
Once you have all the equipment then you can start assembling and setting it up. It can sometimes help to put everything out on the floor first to give you an idea of the layout. Just make sure that you connect all your monitors to your central computer or laptop adaptor. Once everything is in place then you can turn it on.
Computers and laptops normally pick up multiple monitors automatically. If for some reason, this doesn’t happen then you’ll need to go into Display Settings. You’ll do this by either going through the Windows System or the Mac System Preferences. You’ll see that it’s then very easy to choose resolution settings and the extend versus duplicate options.
At this point, you might want to play around with the duplicate and extend options. If you’re gaming or watching films then an extended 6 monitor setup looks like a giant monitor. The effects of that can be very thrilling especially if you combine it with a surround sound system. However, you might be using your 6 monitor setup for work. In that case, you’ll be more interested in the multi-display function. The duplicate option is only useful if you’re showcasing something across several monitors from multiple separate positions.
Conclusions on your First 6 Monitor Setup Ever
If you’re tech-savvy then you’re probably very comfortable about installing your 6 monitor setup. Conversely, you might not be tech-minded but, in that case, don’t worry. You can always talk to your computer retail team who are more than willing to help. However, it is as simple as picking the equipment and connecting it up. The computers then do the rest for you. Anyhow, you can always sit back and enjoy your awesome 6 monitor setup.