You can use any type of screen in such a multiple monitor system, just as you would with a single monitor system. You can run 4 LCD flat panels, 4 CRT monitors, and even 4 large screen TVs with just one video card or adaptor.

In addition you can configure the monitors in single row, dual row, or however you want. Which portion of the overal image each monitor displays is determined by the operating software or the video card software.

For instance, by entering into 'control panel' (Windows) and clicking on Display you can move each monitor around so that screen 1 moves from the far left to the far right and so on.

Multiple head video cards come in 2 head and 4 head versions. This means that a single video card has either 2 or 4 outputs which feed out to 2 or 4 screens. Basically the video card takes the single image being generated by the software progran and devides the image into 2 or for parts. For example: In windows, a dual head video card takes the desktop image and streches the desktop into two monitors. Once the user has determined if the two monitors are side by side or one on top of the other, the user can move applications around within the two monitors as if the two screens are one large monitor.

Multiple monitor video cards vary dramatically in performance just as they do in the single output variety. Which card you select will be determined by what you wish to do with system ie: flight simultation, 2D graphics, 3D Graphics, or motion video. Each has its own level of demand of the video card. To help you get a grasp on which video card is best for you, visit our Multiple Monitor video card section to learn more.

Multiple Monitor computing is now supported by every major operating software developing in the personal computing industry. Each of the major forces behing graphic computing including Apple, Microsoft, Sun, Linux, and Unix each offer multiple monitor support ranging from 10 monitors to 15 monitors with their standard products. to learn more about Operating systems that support multiple monitor computing visit our Operating System page in the software section of this site.

Multiple monitor computing is driven by the operating software, the video card and in the case of games and motion video by the software program. Regardless of whether your computer is a Dell, Gateway, IBM, HP, Sun, Macintosh, Micron or just a bunch of components thrown together, as long as you are running an operating system and video card that supports multiple monitors you will have no problem getting up and going. Basically any computer made in the last 4 years should be multiple monitor ready. All you need is video power and screens.

CPUs and multiple monitors - we will be short and to the point. Any computer running any of the latest operating software is going to support multiple monitors. What you do need to worry about however is the speed at which your computer operates. Running lots of programs on multiple screens is taxing on your CPU, especially if you are running motion video. If you are running programs like Excel, Illustrator, Word, and so on don't worry about it. If on the other hand you are running video editing software where you are running several video files at a time with sound then get all the CPU power you can get because you are going to need it.