Resolution on big-arse monitors

[sigstroker]

Back in the old days, matching monitor resolution to your video card was easy. The video card had a resolution spec and that was the max you could display on a monitor. It seems like it's different now because nobody lists a max resolution spec.

I'd like to get this monitor, but I would be pissed if a computer I bought couldn't make use of all those pixels (3440 x 1440):

https://www.walmart.com/ip/SAMSUNG-34-Class-Flat-LED-Ultra-WQHD-Monitor-3-440-x-1-440-75Hz-4ms-Response-FreeSync-Display-Port-HDMI-x2-LS34J552WQNXZA/806908232?athbdg=L1300

What do you think? Would a cheap desktop or a so-so laptop do the job?

[ibanezfoo]

Most modern computers should be able to utilize that resolution. If you are playing games or something though that is an entirely different question.

If you haven’t used an ultra wide monitor I would caution you to see it in person first. They are wide but not very tall and therefore sometimes seem smaller than you thought it would be. I had a 49” ultra wide for about a week and hated it so I gave it to someone else.

[sigstroker]

No games, going to use it for trading, so it will just have a bunch of price charts on it.

So if I get a computer than can have two monitors, how does that work? It should be able to fill all those pixels twice, right?

[Mute]

Your video card will be the most likely decider. Since you're not gaming or doing anything that would strain the system, chances are your card will likely be able to deliver the necessary resolution unless you're going super cheap. I'd personally get two monitors over an ultrawide. Your graphic card will allow you to designate the resolution to use on each of the monitors separately. You could even run one monitor in typical landscape mode and the other in portrait mode, which is useful to some people depending on what software they tend to use the most.

[ibanezfoo]

No games, going to use it for trading, so it will just have a bunch of price charts on it.

So if I get a computer than can have two monitors, how does that work? It should be able to fill all those pixels twice, right?

Not sure what you mean. If you have two video outputs you can drive multiple monitors but there is an absolute pixel limit no matter how many monitors you use. Obviously nicer cards that would be more. Any computer made in the last couple years shouldnt have an issue, unless its like a cheap chromebook or something. I agree with Mute that more monitors is the way to go... BUT, you can carve up a bigger monitor into multiple virtual monitors. For instance I have a 4K TV I am using right now but it is cut into 4 equal slices. The Nvidia software allows you to do this built in. Otherwise if you buy a Dell they have a desktop manager you can use. Theres also another program called Actual Multiple Monitors you can slice up any monitor with. When I had the 49" ultrawide I cut it into 3 monitors.

[NYT]

what computer did you buy? we will be able to tell from the specs.

personally, i wouldnt buy an ultrawide monitor. if youre going to use your system for trading, do what the pros do and get the quad monitor stands.

https://www.ergotron.com/en-us/products/product-details/33-324?gclid=Cj0KCQiA37KbBhDgARIsAIzce15qPhlOvw0YkH5eektZT2qBz3SP6GPR1fumd7JiyLSvqTLgEz6nGyYaAmRjEALw_wcB#/?color=black

[sigstroker]

Your video card will be the most likely decider. Since you're not gaming or doing anything that would strain the system, chances are your card will likely be able to deliver the necessary resolution unless you're going super cheap. I'd personally get two monitors over an ultrawide. Your graphic card will allow you to designate the resolution to use on each of the monitors separately. You could even run one monitor in typical landscape mode and the other in portrait mode, which is useful to some people depending on what software they tend to use the most.

No space for two monitors. A single big one can sort of hang over the table edge. No graphic card per se, onboard video chip probably.

Not sure what you mean. If you have two video outputs you can drive multiple monitors but there is an absolute pixel limit no matter how many monitors you use. Obviously nicer cards that would be more. Any computer made in the last couple years shouldnt have an issue, unless its like a cheap chromebook or something. I agree with Mute that more monitors is the way to go... BUT, you can carve up a bigger monitor into multiple virtual monitors. For instance I have a 4K TV I am using right now but it is cut into 4 equal slices. The Nvidia software allows you to do this built in. Otherwise if you buy a Dell they have a desktop manager you can use. Theres also another program called Actual Multiple Monitors you can slice up any monitor with. When I had the 49" ultrawide I cut it into 3 monitors.

No room for multi-monitors and no graphics card, just a laptop.

what computer did you buy? we will be able to tell from the specs.

personally, i wouldnt buy an ultrawide monitor. if youre going to use your system for trading, do what the pros do and get the quad monitor stands.

https://www.ergotron.com/en-us/produ...#/?color=black

No room or money for that. It's just a laptop, I'll have to try to find the specs.

[ibanezfoo]

Yeah a laptop but it still has a display adapter in it. Look in your device manager under display adapters. If its built in it will probably be something like Intel Iris or Intel UHD or whatever. That info will be helpful in determining the capabilities of the machine.

[Mute]

If you list the name and model of the laptop we can probably figure out the specs. Since you already have a screen with the laptop, you can just extend your setup onto the external monitor and have two separate working areas (one on the laptop another on the external monitor). Again, whether you'll be able to do this will depend on the specs of your laptop.

[sigstroker]

Yeah a laptop but it still has a display adapter in it. Look in your device manager under display adapters. If its built in it will probably be something like Intel Iris or Intel UHD or whatever. That info will be helpful in determining the capabilities of the machine.

Intel HD graphics 620

[Mute]

Intel HD graphics 620

This chipset should be capable of the resolutions you're interested in however it will use some of your systems memory because it doesn't have its own, so going to the higher resolutions could potentially slow your system, depending on how hard you push it.

[sigstroker]

I might get a newer laptop on Black Friday sale too. Walmart and Best Buy usually have good sales.

I'm going to assume just about any current laptop is going to have better video than mine.

[Mute]

If you can find a good deal try to get a laptop with a dedicated graphics card and not an integrated graphics chip.

[ibanezfoo]

Intel HD graphics 620

Yeah thats not great. It will do 40K/60 though. We have a pile of shop computers connected to 4K TVs that do basic 3D modeling that use that graphics chip or similar cheap ones and they do fine.

What CPU is in there? i3? i5? i7?

I will say if its an i3 just take it out back and shoot it and go get something new.

If you get one with embedded or on chip video look for an Intel Iris at least. Its not a gaming chip but its significantly better than the HD or UHD stuff.

Keep in mind with the Iris it requires multiple RAM chips to be installed to work though... If you need 16gigs use 2x8gig sticks. We couldn't figure out why a bunch of field laptops were lagging and then we had the Dell engineers stop by and explain it to us. They run programs like Revizto or Navisworks so 3D acceleration is critical.

[sigstroker]

Yeah thats not great. It will do 40K/60 though. We have a pile of shop computers connected to 4K TVs that do basic 3D modeling that use that graphics chip or similar cheap ones and they do fine.

What CPU is in there? i3? i5? i7?

I will say if its an i3 just take it out back and shoot it and go get something new.

If you get one with embedded or on chip video look for an Intel Iris at least. Its not a gaming chip but its significantly better than the HD or UHD stuff.

Keep in mind with the Iris it requires multiple RAM chips to be installed to work though... If you need 16gigs use 2x8gig sticks. We couldn't figure out why a bunch of field laptops were lagging and then we had the Dell engineers stop by and explain it to us. They run programs like Revizto or Navisworks so 3D acceleration is critical.

i3, but it works fine, nothing wrong with it. I found a spec that verified what Mute posted above, the resolution is higher than the wide monitor I'm considering, with HDMI, and I have an HDMI port.

I did find a laptop on sale that I might get just because it's newer, and I might dedicate it for my stock charting. It has an AMD Ryzen 5 3000 cpu, 8 gigs memory, and AMD Radeon Vega 8 graphics.