Suggestions for dual monitor setup for office work? 27" + Or big ultrawide?

goatywoaty

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Hi everyone

I currently have a setup of two mismatched monitors, an old 24" and 27" monitor which aren't brilliant for my office work.

I'm looking to replace these with two 27" + monitors of the same model or a big ultrawide model (what size would be the equivalent or bigger than 2 x 27"?). Just used for office work, so I think I need models that are good quality but without a huge native resolution because that just makes text really small.

Anyone have any suggestions please? They don't need huge resolution for gaming, nor crazy brightness or refresh rate etc for the same reason...

Thanks in advance :)
 
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The 49" 32:9 screens are the same as 2x27".

Which aspect of quality are you worried about? The stand?
 
Thank you, I guess I want the colours to be half decent (though it's just office programmes, not photo or video editing), but anything modern will be better than these rubbish monitors, they were budget ones several years ago...

There looks to be a nice Samsung 49", but at £850 odd, it's a fair old chunk compared to 2 x 27". Are the ultrawide monitors much nicer to use than two monitors? We use different windows on each screen anyway, so the bezels in the middles aren't a problem, but we know no different...
 
I personally prefer 2 monitors because you tend to get more width for your pound. Plus it allows you to angle them to each other with what feels comfortable for you, an option you don't get with a single ultrawide. If you don't mind the bezel, and unless your gaming its not an issue, then 2x27 inch is a better bang for your buck.
 
Thanks for the reply, yes it certainly seems you get far more real estate for less money going with 2 monitors. I've spotted some 31.5" HP monitors which are 1080p which is perfect for what we need, yes the resolution is small for the size, but the office programmes we use have small text, so i'd rather a smaller res!
 
I find the 34” ultra wide screens a perfect size. It’s good enough to have like three pages of A4 in full next to each other. And none of the issues of multiple screen or bezels in the way.
 
2 screens is much easier to manage multiple windows, I now you can snap two windows side by side but itt easier just to have 2 screens. Also I find at times it's useful to have one screen portrait, one landscape.

Plus you get two start bars.

BTW, Windows 11 has improved a few aspects of dual screen support.
 
2 screens is much easier to manage multiple windows, I now you can snap two windows side by side but itt easier just to have 2 screens. Also I find at times it's useful to have one screen portrait, one landscape.

Plus you get two start bars.

BTW, Windows 11 has improved a few aspects of dual screen support.
With two screens then you still have to snap it or place an extra action to maximise it when you want. And the bezels in the way meaning they take up more space, more cabling, more power, and your head needs to move more. Snapping windows in the various zones can be done even from the keyboard for ultimate speed. I have different zone layouts depending on where I'm reviewing, coding, photo editing etc...And windows 11 has the zone snapping right built into the application toolbar as well if you prefer to use the mouse.
 
I've worked in multiple companies where 2 or 3 screens are standard and I've NEVER heard a single user complain the bezel is in the way. Who cares about a couple extra clicks, the options you have with multiple monitors are better.
 
With two screens then you still have to snap it or place an extra action to maximise it when you want. And the bezels in the way meaning they take up more space, more cabling, more power, and your head needs to move more. Snapping windows in the various zones can be done even from the keyboard for ultimate speed. I have different zone layouts depending on where I'm reviewing, coding, photo editing etc...And windows 11 has the zone snapping right built into the application toolbar as well if you prefer to use the mouse.
I'll have to say that bezels have never been an issue maybe on older designs with very thick bezel ?

Zone wise, never found much use for them but they are there for those that want them.
 
For work I use the Dell U3419W widescreen. It charges my laptop via USB-C and there is a very efficient keyboard KVM if you want to switch to another PC. There is a 49 inch version, which is the equivalent of 2x27inches, if you can catch one on the rare occasions they are in stock.
 
Having used both, I prefer multiple monitors. I find the bezels actually help me to focus on what I am doing and to separate tasks.

Previously I used a dual input screen, so the laptop treated each half of the wide-screen as a discreet screen. This made snapping and sizing windows quite easy.
 
Having used both, I prefer multiple monitors. I find the bezels actually help me to focus on what I am doing and to separate tasks.
^This 100% for me too. Each to their own as usual but I can’t get on with ultra-wide myself.

Maybe it’s my Scottish side coming through :rotfl:
 
True, was a bit scary ordering those but they sit far back on the desk, I find it nicer to have a bigger screen further away than a smaller one close up... They were much much cheaper than an ultrawide 49" which is a fair amount less desktop too!
 
2 separate matching monitors would have been my vote too. I used to have 2 x 24" monitors for around 5 years which I found great for work, spreadsheets etc.

Recently changed to 4 x 24" monitors which feels a bit too wide at the moment.
 
Well personal taste but I hate the idea of two screens and having to push them together. Reminds me of flea pit hotels where there are only two single beds :D

I’m split between the new Philips 49 inch ultra wide, which has both productivity and gaming features, or just waiting until Q1 next year for the new LG 42 inch OLED which would have a gaming focus.

 
Well personal taste but I hate the idea of two screens and having to push them together. Reminds me of flea pit hotels where there are only two single beds :D

I’m split between the new Philips 49 inch ultra wide, which has both productivity and gaming features, or just waiting until Q1 next year for the new LG 42 inch OLED which would have a gaming focus.

You'd love my setup then - not! Three 27 inchers, 2 of which are tilt/swivel and can do 'portrait'. It's surprising how often I do put one of them into portrait mode, even occasionally two of them (big pdfs for example, 2 full pages in view). Takes a lot of desk space though, well 2 desks lol. They are all plugged in to 2 separate PCs though, switchable at the screens, and tbh much of the time I just use 1 PC and 2 screens.

I considered 32 inchers but in portrait orientation, they would go way too far above my eyeline. For maximum flexibility, 2 or 3 separate screens beats any single widescreen but that's just me.
 
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Agreed. I run 2 x 27" and the touch screen on the laptop. I run Teams on the laptop screen, as our phone system is integrated into along with calling colleagues etc. so I can answer calls by just tapping the screen.

As I manage a remote development team, comms channels like WhatsApp, emails and Slack occupy the 2nd screen and everything else on the 3rd, spilling over onto the 2nd as required.

I'd only consider a single screen solution if it had decent touch integration - or at least gesture control.
 

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