To buy 3 monitors dilemma....

[saxoross]

Hey people.

I already have one 22" monitor with the view to getting 2 more of the same model on a very tight budget. I get the impression 3 monitors is really beneficial for sim racing and i'm undecided on whether to make that leap. Those who have 3 monitors, is it worth it?

Cheers

Ross

 

[Georg Siebert]

Hi, I'd recommend waiting for the release version of the Occulus Rift. This will give you more immersion than a 3 sceen setup for a lower price.

 

[Juris]

I really find 3 monitors to be a great addition to simming (racing & flight) but of course the cost, space and whether your GPU can handle it are the issues. Occulus will be a game changer figuratively and literally not just for immersion but power consumption cost and space requirements as well but as to its release date god only knows. There are other competitors coming out as well but' we'll have to wait and see what they offer.

Can I ask what is the model of 22" you are using and your total budget please. There are a couple of places online to watch for good priced monitors (often refurbs) which a lot of people don't know about.

 

[RaceNut]

Personally, I would wait and go the Oculus route as the total immersion it'll offer can not be beat IMO. If you have a chance to try the DK2 or newer prototype, that might help you decide if you are unsure about it's potential. The difference is basically like looking at a super-wide monitor vs. being in the car in the game. It's a huge difference.

 

[saxoross]

Yeah the rift looks really nice and I will probably get that but when will it be released?! They say 2015 but I can easily see it being pushed back. It does look like the ultimate experience but I don't want to be waiting around forever.

I have a samsung s22b300. Where do they do refurbished monitors then?

 

[Juris]

Yeah the rift looks really nice and I will probably get that but when will it be released?! They say 2015 but I can easily see it being pushed back. It does look like the ultimate experience but I don't want to be waiting around forever.

I have a samsung s22b300. Where do they do refurbished monitors then?

Check out NRG. They have the Dell P2313h for £89 http://www.nrgit.biz/product/home/dell-p2312h-a-23-monitor-with-full-hd-led.html?c=0&p=473. They often have the P2414h at the same price. You just have to keep an eye out as they go very quickly.

Also keep an eye on this ebayer http://www.ebay.de/usr/electronic-express24?_trksid=p2047675.l2559. They post customer returns, some in perfect condition others damaged on their ebay storefront. If there are stuck pixels or damage they will state it in the description. I purchased x2 Dell U2414h monitors from them for €160 each where the lowest price I could find anywhere in Europe was €230. They were customer returns in perfect condition. Nothing wrong with them at all just the customer didn't like them. Good place to pick up a bargain.

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

While I will for sure test the Rift once it's available in consumer version, and I KNOW it will be awesome, I have my worries about not being able to see buttons on my wheel and buttonbox when using the Rift, when just casually racing for a lil while it's no biggie but enter a longer race with pitstops and it suddenly becomes a completely different ballgame. Now you can learn where a shifter is by muscle memory, so maybe even a buttonbox, especially if it has a layout that allows for easier recognition without actually looking, but still, until I see this obstacle having been fixed with VR headsets I think it's not going to get used much in competitive simracing.

 

[Grega Zorc]

While I will for sure test the Rift once it's available in consumer version, and I KNOW it will be awesome, I have my worries about not being able to see buttons on my wheel and buttonbox when using the Rift, when just casually racing for a lil while it's no biggie but enter a longer race with pitstops and it suddenly becomes a completely different ballgame. Now you can learn where a shifter is by muscle memory, so maybe even a buttonbox, especially if it has a layout that allows for easier recognition without actually looking, but still, until I see this obstacle having been fixed with VR headsets I think it's not going to get used much in competitive simracing.

When you're pressing a button, you shouldn't be looking at the wheel or searching for it on a buttonbox. If you do, change the layout. I never take my eyes off screen when racing.

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

When you're pressing a button, you shouldn't be looking at the wheel or searching for it on a buttonbox. If you do, change the layout. I never take my eyes off screen when racing.

First of all you have peripheral vision, rob your brain of that and it will all of a sudden feel a lot less confident about where to hit that button. Second you don't need to take your eyes off the screen for very long to aid yourself in hitting the right button, and you might even be doing it without even thinking about it because it happens in a split second.
As I said, you might be able to teach yourself where to hit what button with muscle memory, but that depends a lot on your actual setup, I think I'd have a hard time doing that with my setup and my current buttonbox.

 

[jimortality]

That's an interesting point Kjell, I hadn't thought about that as rift is the way I was thinking of going. But the OP, I was on triple screen last year and downsized. I was forever messing with settings but it is great If you can stop messing with setting lol! I'm now on a 29" widescreen dell and really enjoy my racing.

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

I really love my 29" 21:9 aspect ratio Dell, not only for racing but for everything (but watching movies in 16:9 ).

 

[saxoross]

Ok that was also an option, to just get one large monitor.

From the responses I've had on here it's interesting to see the mixed answers.

I guess they all have pros and cons and I'll just have to bight the bullet on one of them.

 

[Mo Selvarajah]

forget 3 screens. its a joke. i tried my DK2 for the first time out the box on Friday around 7pm. 1 hour later, my 3rd monitor was on the floor, ready to be photographed for sale on ebay.

things have moved on. 3d is incredible and i couldnt possibly go back.
dont bother with the screens, either order a DK2 or wait for the consumer version next year.
(but if you can't wait, either 3x 32" so you can run low FOV and still see sides/mirrors, or 1x 42" for a close enough 1:1 scale with low FOV. I ran 3x27" and they were ok but slightly too small for full wrap around immersion. If youre going 3 screens you want it to fill your peripheral otherwise its pointless)