I will be purchasing a 22" 1680x1050 lcd in the next couple of months. I would like to use it as my main monitor/gaming screen.

I also have a 17" widescreen 1280x768 tv w/dvi hookups that has been my main screen for the past 3 years. It does picture in picture tv, ps2, and has been pretty good. Its an earlier lcd so does have some ghosting that I've just got the eye to notice.

I would like to set up the two monitors side by side such that I can watch tv, browse the web, email, etc on the side with the 22" right in front of me.

I don't won't to split the screens for gaming. I want to run both off the same single video card.

Does any one have experience advice on:

1) Running two monitors at different resolutions?

2) Running a game on one screen without being on the other?

3) Do Ati/Nvidia support this differently? (there websites aren't very friendly)

Thanks if you can help!

Currently running 2 CRT monitors from one nVidia 6600GT card.
no problems at all to set it up, they both run at different resolutions (the 21" is at 1600*1200@75hz and the 19" is at 1280*960@85hz)
Took a bit of fiddling with the control panel, but got there in the end

When running a game in full screen mode, it will ONLY display on the main monitor, cannot get a game to spread over two screens.

Be prepared for crashes/lockups when exiting a 3D full screen game..for some reason my computer freezes if I exit a game normally...my workaround is to ALT-TAB to desktop, then close the game from the taskbar....not perfect I agree, but it works!

Never tried this with an ATI card, cos I havent touched ATI since about 1997 (when my All-in-Wonder blew up!)

So long as you have two video outputs it shouldn't be a problem.

UltraMon is a great utility for enhancing twin view support (creates an extra taskbar on the secondary monitor, enables separate desktop backgrounds, etc).

No problems on dual screen with either ATI or nVidia here. It's easy to run different resolutions. Games by default will only run on whichever screen is the primary. Note this renders the second screen rather useless, as you won't actually be able to access or use the secondary screen, if you do managed to get to it your fullscreen app will minimise.

Should you ever want to merge the screens, that's easily achieve through the respective control panel, I can merge my screens into one 3200x1200 display and run games no problem. It's very sweet. Merging is only possible with the same resolution on both screens, so if you wanted to try it you'd have to use a resolution both monitors support.
The way to merge the screens is different for ATI and nVidia, a little more intuitive with nVidia, their drivers also provide a little extra by default. I can go into more specifics if you require.

Wow, great news!

I just needed to ensure it would be plausible at this point, early planning.

About the second screen being useless during gaming, thats fine. I will primary just be watching some tv on it, maybe a movie or a game tracker website.

Thanks very much for the quick responses and very good information.

Could you give some more information on merging the two screens into one large desktop? I can't seem to find how to do that. I tried searching around about horizontal spanning and couldn't find anything.

EDIT: Ah, found it in the catalyst center, it's called Stretch horizontally onto, had to right click on one of the icons, fairly unintuitive.

Quote from srdsprinter :

I will be purchasing a 22" 1680x1050 lcd in the next couple of months. I would like to use it as my main monitor/gaming screen.

I also have a 17" widescreen 1280x768 tv w/dvi hookups that has been my main screen for the past 3 years. It does picture in picture tv, ps2, and has been pretty good. Its an earlier lcd so does have some ghosting that I've just got the eye to notice.

I would like to set up the two monitors side by side such that I can watch tv, browse the web, email, etc on the side with the 22" right in front of me.

I don't won't to split the screens for gaming. I want to run both off the same single video card.

Does any one have experience advice on:

1) Running two monitors at different resolutions?

2) Running a game on one screen without being on the other?

3) Do Ati/Nvidia support this differently? (there websites aren't very friendly)

Thanks if you can help!

In answer to your questions

1.) Yeah you can - I've got one 17" & one 15" both on two res and it works fine - Both on two different gfx boards

2.) Yeah automatically goes on your main one (usually bigest) can be changed if you like

3.) Windows looks after dual screens rather than the gfx board drivers I think

Hope that helps you!

I was thinking of getting a twin TFT monitor setup (as i cannot afford 3). The line in the middle would be annoying although if I can find the right TFT's only 2x5mm bezels, further more has anyone ever tried taking the bezel off the outside of a TFT so there is no plastic in the way?? (for better joining)

The circuit board extends outside of the screen into the bezel afaik

Quote from anttt69 :

I was thinking of getting a twin TFT monitor setup (as i cannot afford 3). The line in the middle would be annoying although if I can find the right TFT's only 2x5mm bezels, further more has anyone ever tried taking the bezel off the outside of a TFT so there is no plastic in the way?? (for better joining)

a while ago a friend and i took a 15" tft apart to build a ghetto overhead projector beamer

anyway iirc after taking it apart all that was lift was a few mm of metal round the screen to hold the lights which i would strongly advise you not to take apart unless you know exactly what youre planing to do

so to get back to your original question yes you should be able to knock off a bit of beezel that way

can you remember the make of the TFT you took apart? You say there was only 2mm protrusion from the edge after the bezel was removed so if I can find two monitors made in the same way that adds up to only 4mm gap in the middle which should'nt be to off putting.

i think it was a iiyama but im not entirely sure
i dont think tfts are built all that differently inside any those 2mm where more or less pulled from you know where as i dont exactly remember how the frame was build and only remember how the panel itself looks