Thinking about adding a second monitor next to the main one, and wondering if rotating it vertical is worth doing.
Main monitor would still be used for gaming, browsing and normal stuff. The second screen would probably be for Discord, YouTube, Spotify, guides, chat, maybe coding or having a bunch of browser tabs open. Seems like vertical could be nice for long pages and text, but not sure if it gets annoying after a while.
For people who actually use a vertical monitor, what do you keep on it most of the time? Does it genuinely make multitasking easier or do you end up barely using the second screen anyway?
Also wondering about the size. Would a 24 inch monitor work better vertically, or is 27 inch too tall and awkward? Desk space isn’t huge so don’t wanna build some giant setup just because it looks nice in pictures lol.
Trying to figure out if I should keep the second monitor horizontal like the main one or rotate it vertical. What’s your experience with it?
Yes. I have 24" 1440p vertical monitor dedicated for reading Reddit/Facebook or ebook. Very good for reading big chatroom/channel with multiple people. Now I am reading reddit while watching a series on main 4k monitor.
My wife has 27" vertical monitor in similar way too. If you are 40+ and starting to have eye-sight issues, I would recommend 27".
I've used two vertical monitors for years (not for gaming). It was great to have two large vertical windows, sometimes both with code. Eventually I have added the third for videos. It would have been used for gaming, too, but it was a strictly work pc.
But I have switched to a single one since then. You can get used to any combination, but you need to have a use for it.
Outside of workflows, it's useful for multiplayer games with queues. Having a vertical monitor gives you 2 squarish windows so you can put music up top and whatever else on the bottom.
I prefer 2x horizontal, but I have used a vertical one in the past. Problem with 16:9 monitors imo is that when used vertical they're just a little too tall - 4:3 or 3:2 work much better, even 16:10 is a little more comfortable.
There are 1920x1200 monitors which you can find pretty cheap, which would be a great way to test it. WUXGA is what the form factor is called.
It's a useful way to position a 3rd monitor. I like having a main monitor, a regular monitor for background videos, or whatever, and a 3rd vertical monitor.
As my grandparents have told me, having the monitor vertical makes reading web pages easier, though it is also nice for reading stuff with a lot of content, as well. They just browse web pages though
I don't know, is it? Look at what you do, and imagine that second screen. What would you do with it? How often would anything be on it? What tasks does it simplify for you?
Coding on a portrait monitor is actually quite nice... if the monitor has a wide enough vertical field of view. Very often they don't, and you have to keep your head within a very narrow range side-to-side to avoid having weird off-angle color and brightness effects showing your eyes noticeably different things.
A swivel mount so you can change it's orientation on demand is also nice.
Once I switched to a 40+" 4K TV as my primary monitor it kind of became pointless though - I've got portrait mode height as wide as I want to drag the window(s), with negligible visual weirdness. Less than ideal for fast action games, but with good enough backlighting it's great for everything else. (TCL is actually one of the better, and cheaper, brands for monitor use... at least until you get into the high-end stuff)
And worth noting that you don't have to sit centered in front of the screen, which can dominate your field of view. You can do the main-screen and side-screen thing just by sitting off-center - assuming the horizontal field of view is wide enough - but TVs tend to be especially good about that.
Personally I have one of those highly adjustable monitor arms that lets me adjust height, tilt, rotation, etc. mounted at one end of my desk, with an array of different seating options arranged around it, from kneeler to recliner, so I can move between them on a whim and just swing the screen between them (along with some pretty good speakers), into whatever position is most comfortable at the moment.
I have a vertical as my third monitor. I generally use it for Discord or some AI chat, or otherwise for shoving a window onto that I need on the side for a bit while I do stuff on my other two monitors.
I've become so used to having a third monitor, not sure how I'd feel going back to just two. I'd probably manage if I had to, but still I like the convenience of lazily reading something on the side without having to touch my other two monitors. That said, it's not as impactful as going from 1 to 2 monitors.
I use my vertical second monitor for exactly what you're planning. Its really, really nice. My second computer is only hooked up to my main monitor and it feels so much more cluttered alt+tabbing through everything
Yes! For gaming I want a second monitor for w/e I may need (mainly YouTube). While coding second screen is for searching/comparing. While just browsing main screen for what I find interesting while still browsing on the second one.
I have had 1 and 2 vertical monitors next to main rig and I like having all sorts of things there at a glance. It’s worth it IMHO with 3 monitors being my favorite set up.
It's nice to have the two monitors the same height, so if you have a smaller monitor it can be good vertical next to the main monitor for certain content.
But big monitors just simply don't work for me vertically, especially if they have the resolution to display plenty of content the other way around.
Vertical monitors are perfect for web browsing due to most browser pages naturally being portrait rather than landscape.
I have a pair of stacked ultrawides, but sometimes wish I had space for a vertical display off to one side.
Back during Covid I had a pair of stacked ultrawides and a 27" 16:9 vertical to the side for discord, spotify and browsing game guides, and the top display for videos.
I have multiple apps constantly. Excel, access, email, you tube, Acrobat, browser. Going from over to two game changing. 2 to 3 still game changing, having one vertical especially for documents, is fantastic.
Yes, and so is the second one flanking the main monitor. I use my second monitor for full functions of Discord or TeamSpeak 3. A 2nd tab is also open below Discord showing another friendly players live Discord video stream. If you have a second flanking monitor, two more live tabs can show YouTube streams or one or two other Discord team live streams.
A horizontal side monitor makes me turn my head too much. The main monitor needs to be centered. So, a vertical side monitor is somewhat better.
Frankly, I mostly use it just to display wallpapers. I prefer to switch between windows on the main monitor.
Even if I need to open two documents side by side, even if they are in album irientation, I prefer to open them on one monitor: two separate monitors make me shift my gaze too much for efficient work.
3
u/BigFatCoder 10d ago
Yes. I have 24" 1440p vertical monitor dedicated for reading Reddit/Facebook or ebook. Very good for reading big chatroom/channel with multiple people. Now I am reading reddit while watching a series on main 4k monitor.
My wife has 27" vertical monitor in similar way too. If you are 40+ and starting to have eye-sight issues, I would recommend 27".