1 pc 5 boxing monitor options discussion...

[Vos]

I would like to start a discussion of what people here think would be the best monitor setup for a single pc running 5 accounts. I know Xzin's 6+ 30" setup is omgwtfbbq, but I'm more curious what people would setup within a budget of say $1000 (this being more attainable by the majority of us). I've noticed when doing hardware based boxing people tend to plan things out from the start completely around the goal of multi-boxing, but more often it seems people single pc boxing come at it from existing systems and add on pieces or try to make pieces fit together much more haphazardly (which is natural).

So given the assumptions of running this on a pc with no problems running 5 windows worth of WoW, how would you setup/configure monitors?

No particular order, just things I've seen posted here esp in the screenshots threads.

Option 1
2 24" monitors
main toon running 1920x1200 toons 2-5 running in a 800x600 2x2 grid on the second 24"

Option 2
3 19/20" 4/3 monitors
main toon running 1280x1024 toons 2-3 running on monitor 2 toons 4-5 running on monitor 3 running either 1024x640 in portrait or 1280x500 in landscape.
2nd video card allows both secondary monitor options.
Triplehead2go can do the landscape option and additionally allows you to do surround gaming.

Option 3
3 widescreen 20-22" monitors
main toon running 1680x1050 toons 2-3 on monitor 2 and toons 4-5 running on monitor 3 in portrait mode at 1024x768. This would also require a second video card and vista.

So what other options would you guys configure under/around the $1000 dollar mark?

Edit:
Option 4
5 17" monitors running 1024x768 running 1-3 off a triplehead2go and 4-5 on a second video card. (not sure if a current pc could handle 5x 1280x1024) This is assuming you could get 17" monitors for less than $120 each....

[-silencer-]

I prefer #1, but 2x 24" Dell Ultrasharps is well over $1k. I like having my monitors the same, and I can't live with TN or low quality panels - especially for my main display, so that rules out nearly every other sub-$600 24" LCD on the market. I find running WoW windows at less than 800x600 to be too small.. probably because that's the lowest default in-game resolution available.

[Vos]

I think your 2 ultrasharps fits the spirit of the discussion, my only point with a budget was that most single pc's can't drive much more than 2x24". Unless people think a single pc could drive 2x 30" with wow basically running at 5120x1600?

[-silencer-]

I think a single PC could handle 2x 30" using two 8800GTX/Ultra cards not in SLI mode.. if I had $2.5k just sitting around I'd love to try it. That would be ideal for me - the simplicity of running one PC, but with my main on 2560x1600 and 4 alts all having their own 1280x800 windows. :)

[Kicksome]

I have a setup with 2x30" check it out... It's really too wide horizontally though...

My 5 Box - 1 computer setup ('http://www.dual-boxing.com/forums/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=3503')

[-silencer-]

I have a setup with 2x30" check it out... It's really too wide horizontally though...

My 5 Box - 1 computer setup ('http://www.dual-boxing.com/forums/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=3503')
Heh.. it's too wide because it looks like the monitors are only about a foot away from the front edge of your desk. I have my 24"/22" at least 2' away from the front edge.. more like 2.5'

[Vos]

I have a setup with 2x30" check it out. bad ass.... so are you running 2560x1600 and 4x 1024x768?

[Ghallo]

A single 30" monitor has a resolution of 2560x1600. If you split it up into 1/2 of the monitor being your main, they get 1280x1600, then the other 1/2 can be further split 4 ways - so each alt gets 640x800.

Hmm. If you switched the monitor to portrait mode, that might actually be pretty playable (1600x1280, and 4x800x640).