Ultimate triple monitor setup (for work, not particularly for gaming)
While preparing to redo my office, I am planning the “ultimate” LCD monitor setup. Let me clarify that I mean ultimate for my purposes: server management (RDP/SSH/etc.), email, spreadsheets, some image editing, minimal gaming. This is not ultimate in the gaming sense nor is it going to be as wild as some of the setups I have blogged about!
UPDATE: 2011.11.01
24mm wide angle photo of: 2007WFP, 3007WFP, 2007WFP all wall mounted
[end update]
Currently I am using a Dell M6500 docked with a dual monitor setup:
- 30″ Dell 3007WFP – I traded John two 22″ Apple Cinema Displays for this
- 27″ Dell 2707WFP – got this cheap & new on eBay a number of years back
These monitors do not mesh very well together since font settings to make the 30″ look good tend to make fonts on the 27″ humongous. That’s what you get when you mismatch two monitors with quite different pixel pitch 😉
Switching to Triple Monitors (one wide, two 4:3)
So, I am planning on switching to a triple monitor setup with the 30″ 3007WFP front and center, complimented by 20.1″ 2007FP (IPS version) LCDs on each side. The 21″ monitors will actually be rotated 90 degrees to be in portrait mode. This will lead to a contiguous 1600 height resolution across all three monitors, with a fairly close inch height and PPI as well.
It will actually be very similar to this setup, except with a monitor on both sides:
![3007WFP-HC Dell 30in LCD and 2007FP 20in Monitor - [H]ard|Forum](http://www.jdhodges.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/desktop2af8.jpg)
And here is a simple Phtoshop mockup of the setup I am planning:
(Source: original individual monitor images are from images from Dell.com images for the press/media)
NOTE: if you like this, checkout more posts tagged with #OfficeProject… they are all related to my quest for the perfect office setup!
And finally, here is some info from my mockup spreadsheet:
*if you can decipher my scribbling you’ll see how some combos will work great and others will crash and burn with epic fail 😉
| 27” | GCD: | 240 | |||||||
| Diagonal (c) | 27 | Inches | |||||||
| Aspect ratio: | 8 | 5 | |||||||
| Resolution (WxH) | 1920 | 1200 | Display resolution: | 1920 | 1200 | ||||
| 729 | 3686400 | 1440000 | PPI | 83.8576100627 | 83.8576100627 | ||||
| Times | 0.0001422051 | 524.2247191011 | 204.7752808989 | 729 | |||||
| Inches of screen: | 27 | 22.8959542081 | 14.3099713801 | Area: | 163.8202247191 | Inches | |||
| 20” 4:3 | GCD: | 400 | |||||||
| Diagonal (c) | 20.1 | Inches | |||||||
| Aspect ratio: | 4 | 3 | |||||||
| Resolution (WxH) | 1600 | 1200 | Display resolution: | 1600 | 1200 | ||||
| 404.01 | 2560000 | 1440000 | PPI | 99.5024875622 | 99.5024875622 | ||||
| Times | 0.0001010025 | 258.5664 | 145.4436 | 404.01 | |||||
| Inches of screen: | 20.1 | 16.08 | 12.06 | Area: | 96.9624 | Inches | |||
| 30” | GCD: | 320 | |||||||
| Diagonal (c) | 30 | Inches | |||||||
| Aspect ratio: | 8 | 5 | |||||||
| Resolution (WxH) | 2560 | 1600 | Display resolution: | 2560 | 1600 | ||||
| 900 | 6553600 | 2560000 | PPI | 100.6291320753 | 100.6291320753 | ||||
| Times | 9.8753511235955E-005 | 647.191011236 | 252.808988764 | 900 | |||||
| Inches of screen: | 30 | 25.4399491202 | 15.8999682001 | Area: | 202.2471910112 | Inches | |||
| 24” | GCD: | 240 | |||||||
| Diagonal (c) | 24 | Inches | |||||||
| Aspect ratio: | 8 | 5 | |||||||
| Resolution (WxH) | 1920 | 1200 | Display resolution: | 1920 | 1200 | ||||
| 576 | 3686400 | 1440000 | PPI | 94.3398113206 | 94.3398113206 | ||||
| Times | 0.0001123596 | 414.202247191 | 161.797752809 | 576 | |||||
| Inches of screen: | 24 | 20.3519592961 | 12.7199745601 | Area: | 129.4382022472 | Inches |
Misc links and related info:
So did you work it out? 🙂 What monitors are you using for this now? I’m at the start of a similar project.
Thank you for your comment, yes I did get it all worked out 🙂 I ended up using:
(1) 30″ Dell 3007WFP
(2) 20″ Dell 2007WFP
They both have VESA mounts so I have them on swivel arms and it is working out nicely. Will try to post more photos later, but you can see a little bit more here (construction) and here (scroll down to see the three mounted).
Keep me posted on your project too! 🙂
JD,
Great setup! I wish I found this article sooner as it would have saved me some reasearch time. I would love to have a single arm hold these. Seems to me this might just work. It is meant for three 24″ but I think would work with 20p-30l-20p. Any chance you could measure the distance between the center of the two 2007’s? from my calcs, they should be about 45.2″ apart. this mount is max of 48.36 on center of the outer VESA mounts. JUST squeeks in. Let me know if you agree,,,
http://downloads.chiefmfg.com/MANUALS-I/K4W120_210_310-I.pdf
Thanks Louis!
I measured the 2007’s centers at 41.5″ apart when they were flush facing straight ahead (i.e. a flat plane in front of them, no tilt to any of the displays).
When the 2007’s were each tilted inward to a more suitable angle for a single user I measured them at about 43.5″ with a straight tape measure (but with the angles it could well be closer to the 45″ you calculated).
Regardless, I think the 48.36″ OC would work for sure 🙂
Take care Louis and I look forward to photos of your project!
-J.D.
What did you use for mounting hardware? I have the same three monitors and am setting up my office now. I’d like to wall mount them so I can maximize my desk space.
Hi Dave,
Thank you for your comment. That is very cool that you have the same Dell monitors, they are classics 🙂
I used three of these inexpensive VESA wall mount arms (<$15 on Amazon). They worked fairly well but it was difficult to get all three monitors perfectly level as there is minimal vertical play/adjustment in the arms.
Fortunately, my upper desk surface was directly beneath the monitors so they could basically “rest” on the desk which acted as a level yet the monitors were still easily adjustable left/right and forward/backward as well as taking minimal space because there was no stand and the mounting arms fold to be very flat.
I will try to find a good photo of the setup, but hopefully this gives a little useful info!
Please let me know if you have any questions and thanks again for commenting 🙂
Best regards,
-J.D.