In this article, I will try to answer one of the most asked questions, is triple monitor setup worth it? Many people, including myself a few years back, when looked at a triple monitors setup, thought, wow, that’s got to be the ultimate setup.

But now, when I have one, I’m going to talk about some of the advantages and disadvantages of having a triple monitor setup to help you make a better decision as to whether you should build a triple monitor setup or not.

Advantages of Triple Monitor Setup

It’s been one year since I am using three monitors for my setup. So, I think its time that I can give you an honest opinion about it. Let’s start with the pros of having such a setup.

Looks

Before we talk about the cost, we all can agree on one thing that they look amazing. I mean there’s something about a triple screen setup that looks a little bit NASA mission control room. It’s very visually appealing and especially when you see one in person.

I remember when I build my triple monitor setup, I was super blown away with the look. The setup will look more outstanding if you can get actual thin bezel monitors.

Productivity

Honestly, productivity is probably the biggest pro about a triple screen setup. There’s not only a huge amount of screen real estate, but you’ve also got three separate screens to snap programs into. There’s no resizing or anything, you just drag something on to a screen, and it’s done.

When I only had a single monitor setup, I used to run two programs by giving them half the screen by pressing “windows and left/right button.”

It’s handy for video editing, content writing (while doing research) or even just day-to-day tasks. I can have Netflix open on one screen, Amazon on another and even then I’ve still got one screen-free. 

It’s just great to have a physically separate screen for everything, which makes multitasking extremely easy. Fewer windows switching definitely gets more done in less time.

Gaming

One of the most talked-about aspects of a triple monitor setup is gaming. Whenever we see a multi-screen setup, gaming is the first thing that comes to our mind. 

I think everyone associates triple monitor setup with gaming, and perhaps rightly because it can be super fun when you’re playing a game in this ridiculously wide resolution.

It’s highly immersive, and you have lots of stuff kind of rushing past in your peripheral vision, especially in racing games. I used to play racing games but not very much now. My favorite thing to do is to get the racing wheel out and play a bit of Forza Horizon 4.

It’s kind of difficult to describe the sense of immersion you get. In cockpit view, you really feel like you drive in a car, and the same is true for space simulations as well to have such a wide set of screens really adds to that immersion.

Another game, Elite Dangerous, is just absolutely killer on this kind of setup. Admittedly I don’t really have my screen set up specifically for this. True racing sim enthusiasts will have a much steeper angle on the monitors to fill more of their vision. Either way, three screens are primarily incredible for gaming.

To make the most of the triple monitor gaming experience, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got a good internet connection. A huge part of gaming relies on your connection with the game servers, known as ping, it’s essential it’s as low as possible. Aim for sub 20ms ping to get the best experience. Fibre optic broadband is one of the best options as it offers some of the fastest speeds for gaming. You can checkout and compare best fibre optic broadband deals available right now.

Disadvantages of Triple Monitor Setup

Let’s see some of the disadvantages of a triple monitor setup.

Space

The first major con of having such a setup is space. You need a lot of space. I had to move my whole setup from the smaller side to the biggest wall in my room because they just wouldn’t fit.

If you are wondering about my desk’s size, it’s 7ft wide, and the monitors are 27 inches each. You remember how I said they were good for gaming? 

When I originally planned myself, I thought I was going to be playing everything in triple screen surround. I mean that’s what a triple monitor setup is for, isn’t it? 

But the reality is, I’d say about 80% of the time, I don’t. Anything that’s first-person and competitive kind of sucks and doesn’t help at all having a screen on either side of you. You’re basically stretching what a person would normally see on one monitor over three.

They can move their eyes an inch to the corner of the screen, and you’ve got to turn your whole head. You’re basically at a disadvantage. Games like Rocket League will also not give you an out of the world experience.

In conclusion, anything that’s not space or racing simulation doesn’t look very good.

Settings

Changing settings every time you need to game on a triple monitor setup is another big disadvantage. You need to enable the triple-screen mode from the Nvidia control panel, and it’s not the easiest piece of software to deal with.

There is a program called Helios Display Management that I found to be helpful in setting up the screens for gaming. 

But in general, the thought of having to set something up every time you want to play a game can kind of discourage you from doing so altogether.

Price

Finally, the price of a triple monitor setup. I don’t really count this as a disadvantage because it’s just the nature of it, but yes, it is pricey. If you want to play games on all three screens, you’ll need a lot of power for a good frame rate to push all those pixels.

So, you will need a high-end graphics card, and obviously, the price of three screens itself can be pretty expensive as well. You will also need a triple monitor arm to hold these monitors, which will also add to the cost.

Conclusion

So, is a triple monitor setup worth it? 100% yes If you’re doing it for productivity. In my opinion, the three screens setup is absolutely amazing, and you just can’t beat it.

But if you’re thinking about doing a triple one specifically for gaming, I would say it’s honestly just not worth it, guys. It’s just not practical for most of the games unless you are that into racing sims. In which case you’ll love it.

In the end, if you’re one of those people who wants it because it looks cool, then it’s up to you. It’s your money, and its what you spend your money on at the end of the day. I’ll be honest with you guys that it was one of the appeals for me too.

It really does feel like having an ultimate setup, but then again, I sometimes look at people’s really nice single monitors setups with the PC at the side, and they look fantastic as well. You can get a single large curved monitor, and it will work great for gaming.

So, don’t feel like you need to have three monitors to have an impressive setup. I hope this article helped some of you to make a better-informed decision.