# Trading with Multiple Screens



## waza1960

I would like to here from anyone re Multiple screen setups experiences,opinions and or specs would be appreciated


----------



## wayneL

Depending on your style it can range from a nice luxury to an absolute necessity.


----------



## noirua

wayneL said:


> Depending on your style it can range from a nice luxury to an absolute necessity.





Hi wayneL, Is this a picture of a desk in your luxurious front office?


----------



## wayneL

noirua said:


> Hi wayneL, Is this a picture of a desk in your luxurious front office?



Good God no!

I'm slumming it with 3 screens, but I certainly covet that setup.


----------



## Freeballinginawetsuit

Wayne,

Have you ever tried a larger LCD, split screens and wall mounted? Less clutter and plenty of desk space!


----------



## noirua

wayneL said:


> Good God no!
> 
> I'm slumming it with 3 screens, but I certainly covet that setup.




I get by with two computers, one my old one. Two screens, all attached to the wall, plus a TV screen.


----------



## nizar

One 22-inch widescreen and the notebook is enough for me - For now


----------



## wayneL

Freeballinginawetsuit said:


> Wayne,
> 
> Have you ever tried a larger LCD, split screens and wall mounted. Less clutter and plenty of desk space!.



No, This setup I've tacked onto as time goes by, but that sort of setup would also be very cool. I'm stingy with computer expenses but I'll have an expense budget soon so who knows.


----------



## waza1960

I only have 22" Flat Screen at the moment but think I will set up 4 screens soon.I was told that I would need 2 video cards to run 4 screens off same computer does anyone know if this is correct


----------



## tech/a

Yes.

I'm just setting up mine now.
You can get 2 port cards and you'll need 2.
I am having mine made up.(Fitted in a new computer setup)
As I'm pretty dumb when it comes to building Computers.
I'll initially run 2 and if I need to then more.


----------



## AnalysisParalysis

Ok, I'll share, in the hope that someone will be grateful enough to buy me one as well. The laptop one please.

http://www.digitaltigers.com/zenview.shtml


----------



## Strw23

I currently use a tripple monitor setup and find it very useful. I have CMC up on one screen, metastock on another and either outlook, internet or a spredsheet with what trades I need to place on the third. Metastock looks good stretched across all 3 screens too.

I run 3 Benq 19inch LCD screens.
I use 2 video cards
          128mb nvidia AGP dual output dvi and dsub and TV out
          128mb nvidia PCI dual output dvi and dsub and TV out

With the cards I am using I can run upto 4 monitors. Depending on how much money you want to spend you can have 4 screens off 1 card using a Matrox Parhelia card - see link.

http://www.smartcomputing.com/edito...=articles/archive/r0805/21r05/21r05.asp&guid=

If you are thinking about multiple screens then you should download ultramon. Its a good program for managing multiple screens.

You can also get some fantastic multiple sceen wallpapers from
http://www.digitalblasphemy.com/
the best I have seen online

Hope this helps

Scott


----------



## CanOz

Awesome setup...love the tidy look too.

Cheers,


----------



## nizar

CanOz said:


> Awesome setup...love the tidy look too.
> 
> Cheers,




I second that.
Id fancy that sort of set up for myself, but maybe in the future, when my account size makes such a spend practical.


----------



## wayneL

CanOz said:


> Awesome setup...love the tidy look too.
> 
> Cheers,



How is it possible to have a desk that tidy?  

LOL


----------



## wabbit

I recently did some work for a client (let's call him Ralph! (not his real name, just what he does after too much red wine!)) who has an awesome setup at his house; 5 x 19" screens, layered two on the top and three on the bottom row... it was really quite interesting to see him at work with it...

BUT

within a matter of minutes of the opening of the market, even as a spectator, I was swamped with information, too much information for me to even make simple decisions that would normally have come to me easily sitting at home with my simple single screen setup.  I noticed Ralph started to focus on his primary screen and for the next few hours he completely ignored the top two screens and only glanced very occassionally at the two peripheral screens on the bottom row.

When Ralph took his break I asked him about what the 'other' screens were for if he only rarely looked at them, and was taken by surprise at his answer...

Ralph uses five screens so he doesn't have to use his mouse or keyboard to click to the information he is looking for, and, he likes showing it off to his other trader mates.  (Sorry Ralph, your secret is out!)  It's a power trip!  He gets off on his mates being impressed at how rich and lazy he is!

Nonetheless, I am sure there are people out there who employ their systems to the full and are not just showing off.

For me though, I know how much information I can process in a session and have my level of technology based around this level and my ability to navigate through the information using my mouse and/or keyboard.  However, I am considering getting another monitor to assist my trading, and yet another monitor again for my computer programming, modelling and simulation, and design!  (Yes, I am considering triple 19" monitors for development but will only use two of these for trading).  If I implement these changes, I will let you know if having more instantly visible information makes any difference to my trading results or decision making, or whether it just gives you a headache, sore neck and red eyes from having to watch too many things happening at the same time.



wabbit


----------



## Strw23

wayneL said:


> How is it possible to have a desk that tidy?
> 
> LOL




In my office I have desks that wrap around 3 walls in a big U shape with a main work area at each wall. My center one is for trading, my wife uses one of the other areas and the last is for general stuff. For the photo I picked everything up and moved it to another desk.



wabbit said:


> Nonetheless, I am sure there are people out there who employ their systems to the full and are not just showing off.




As for actually using multiple screens effectively, with my trading system I sometimes can  place 15 limit orders in one night to be executed tommorrow if the cfds hit the right price (normally only one or two get hit if any). So by having multiple screens I have CMC on one and a spreadsheet on another with all my orders up so I dont have to flick from one page to another trying to remember entry price, positition size and fixed stoploss price, saves a lot of time and there is less chance of typing in the wrong number which I have done before.



nizar said:


> I second that.
> Id fancy that sort of set up for myself, but maybe in the future, when my account size makes such a spend practical.




It wasnt actually that expensive to do.
2 video cards $200.00
2 monitors     $600.00
having widescreen pr0n on 3 monitors PRICELESS 

Scott


----------



## CanOz

Strw23 said:


> It wasnt actually that expensive to do.
> 2 video cards $200.00
> 2 monitors     $600.00
> having widescreen pr0n on 3 monitors PRICELESS
> 
> Scott




Got to admire your honesty there Scott! LOL!

Cheers,


----------



## wayneL

Check out these trading rooms:

http://www.trading-naked.com/TradingRooms.htm

Lots and lots of photos, most really really nice.... at least one reflects reality (with the mess  ) e.g.\/


----------



## x2rider

Geez wayne 
Some of those setups must just about bring another power station online.
I am just currently using my laptop while on holiday and even though I have a large screen I so, so,so miss my big screen at home .
I think also sometimes it has a bearing on what exactly you are trading to what screens you would need. I did have a TV in my office that was just purely for news and found it quite handy sometimes  (especially when there was some sport on and not much to trade)

Cheers Martin


----------



## Captain_Chaza

We Yachties always seem to love these new fangled gadgets and ideas

This Navigator's Table  looks OK  albeit with antiquated Screens and TOO many Keyboards for my liking!

With so many keyboards I feel It could get a bit clumsy in Rough and Choppy Seas when Urgency really becomes Paramount?

Accidents at Sea in these times are all too common

NB: Safety at Sea is always Paramount

Salute and Gods' Speed


----------



## BIG BWACULL

And with ye hook on ye hand can make for dreadful mistakes, and the peg leg a mouse a thy feet would fair thy weather better ay Cap'n LOL


----------



## nizar

LOL CRTs what a joke.

I just got my 22-inch widescreen put in today. Looks unreal, much easier on my eyes compared to my 12-inch notebook that i was previously using LOL.


----------



## Wysiwyg

nizar said:


> LOL CRTs what a joke.
> 
> I just got my 22-inch widescreen put in today. Looks unreal, much easier on my eyes compared to my 12-inch notebook that i was previously using LOL.




You might need some designer style sunglasses to go with your new style too.


----------



## investforwealth

I just ordered a new PC... having some geekish tendencies, it's got all the latest components and lots of bells and whistles... definitely overkill just for trading but it'll be awesome for games when I get some "down time".

Of course, I had to order new monitors to go with it.  Currently I run one 17" and one 19" LCD, but it sucks when they're side by side that the screens don't line up.  So I went all out and got myself a couple of Dell's latest 24" high definition 2407FWP LCD's.

Like my current machine, the new system will have two video cards and support up to four displays. I'm planning on running the two dell 24" LCD's and will probably use the old 19" LCD for news/email/browsing/etc.  I'm toying with the idea of plugging the 42" plasma in too, which these days seems to only ever get used for Bloomberg :

As a full-time trader, I couldn't live without at least two screens any more,  although I've found that some applications don't like running across multiple screens.  I've trialed a number of real-time charting packages and trading platforms and still don't seem to be able to go past CommSec's Professional Trader platform for flexibility when it comes to multiple screens.  IMO it's far superior to WebIress.


----------



## constable

wayneL said:


> How is it possible to have a desk that tidy?
> 
> LOL




It doesnt get used!
My desk is like a tram stop....builds up until someone comes along and clears it! (have a look at the snake thread  )
I personally cant understand the need for multiple screens for the majority
unless you need 8 or more pages open simultaneously. Sure most days i would have 4 -5 pages open asf being one and 3 - 4 broking pages + 2 or so for submit orders,if a trade looks like tanking or peaking.
Getting off track but ive learnt too fast that multiple trades cannot be tracked efficiently unless you have staff! Christ ive got up for a piss and lost a thousand bucks! (from a day trading perspective obv). 
So my objective now (under constant review mind you) is too take no more than 3-4 daily position just so i can devote my attention and get to know the stock if i havent traded it already.
cheers c


----------



## wayneL

constable said:


> Christ ive got up for a piss and lost a thousand bucks!



There are some inventive solutions to this problem.


----------



## professor_frink

try this constable. Should keep those toilet trip losses to a minimum-


----------



## constable

you guys crack me up! 












ps just quietly can you send me the catalogue for the toilet model?


----------



## Joe Blow

professor_frink said:


> try this constable. Should keep those toilet trip losses to a minimum-




Frinky I told you never to post photos of the ASF office!


----------



## wabbit

investforwealth said:


> Like my current machine, the new system will have two video cards and support up to four displays. I'm planning on running the two dell 24" LCD's and will probably use the old 19" LCD for news/email/browsing/etc.




investforwealth,

What cards are you using?  Are they digital only/analogue only/combo output?

I am looking at purchasing two Dell 22" Widescreen LCDs and keeping my LG 19" analogue for 'other purposes'

Has anyone bothered purchasing a Matrox TripleHead2Go?



wabbit


----------



## purple

frankly, just 1 screen will do for me. 

of more importance to me is to get a session on the treadmill so that the processor between your ears is workimg to full speed.

i'll get more screens when i get more eyes.


----------



## investforwealth

wabbit said:


> investforwealth,
> 
> What cards are you using?  Are they digital only/analogue only/combo output?
> 
> I am looking at purchasing two Dell 22" Widescreen LCDs and keeping my LG 19" analogue for 'other purposes'
> 
> Has anyone bothered purchasing a Matrox TripleHead2Go?
> 
> wabbit




My current system is running 2 x nVidia GeForce 6800GT cards... they have 2 x DVI and 1 x SVideo output each.  The system I just ordered has 2 x GeForce 8800GTX cards with similar outputs.

I'm currently using an LG 17" LCD with digital connection and a CMV 19" LCD with analogue, but the video cards came with converters so I can plug the 19" into a DVI port.

When I first started working in IT, Matrox ruled as far as video cards... these days the market seems to be ruled by nVidia and ATI, however Matrox continue to be highly regarded for hardware to suit specialised purposes.

Having multiple screens is obviously a personal choice and I certainly wouldn't see it as a necessity if I was a medium to long-term investor.  Being an intra-day trader and usually having a few open positions at any given time, I do like to be able to watch a few charts at once.  I work off the laptop from time to time, when I feel like working outside, or I'm away from home... it's hard to go back to one screen when you're used to more.

Purple... I have a treadmill too, as well as an exercise bike and a fairly hefty home gym... and get both aerobic and anaerobic exercise every day.  I do however prefer to exercise before and after, not during, market open times.


----------



## purple

investforwealth said:


> Purple... I have a treadmill too, as well as an exercise bike and a fairly hefty home gym... and get both aerobic and anaerobic exercise every day.  I do however prefer to exercise before and after, not during, market open times.




LOL

yep i meant get a good early morning treadmill workout in the gym, to clear the brain for the day.

bouncing up and down on the treadmill might make me miss a stock breakout on the ASX when there's too many sweat breakouts on my forehead.


----------



## mrWoodo

Dell are having one of their sales, their 30" lcd is $600 off !


----------



## investforwealth

mrWoodo said:


> Dell are having one of their sales, their 30" lcd is $600 off !




You can also get $400 off the 24" LCD, making it a bargain at $999.

Plus, if you're a student or work in education or for selected other organisations, you can get a further 10% off the already discounted prices.


----------



## Dukey

Havn't been following this thread - but here's a possible alternative if you don't want to buy/run/fill up  a wall with LCD's.....

Just use a 3D desktop.    The one I use is Beryl and yes you need a Linux system to run it. This is my desktop...(sorry - it's just over sized)







Check it out in operation on Youtube   (not my machine).

Basically you can send each open window to 1 of 4 cube faces. (top/bottom aren't used?) Easy to flick between windows using mouse or see all windows by smashing mouse into TR corner etc. Many other features  ++ its waaayyy  cool!!!  

 I think MS Vista has a 3D desktop - but apparently it's not as good.  





So thats my plug for Linux O/S's. !!!


----------



## investforwealth

I got my 2 x Dell 24" monitors... they're very very nice; charts look fantastic on them, and being widescreen, I can show an even greater timeframe for each chart than I previously could on my old 4:3 apsect ratio monitors.  And not a single dead pixel on either one of them.  I'd highly recommend these to anyone with video cards that have the grunt to drive them!

Of course now I'll have to go and buy a bigger desk!

Dell's big sale finishes at the end of the month, I believe, and now is a great time to pickup their monitors at great prices.  Although, it seems as soon as one sale ends, another one starts, so if you miss out, it's probably not going to be long before you can pick the monitors up again at the cheaper prices.

My new PC arrived last Friday, it was purchased from Plus Corporation in Sydney.  There were some supply problems with the case I wanted and it looked like I would have to wait until the second week in May to get the case as the distributor was completely out of stock.  I wasn't too happy about waiting that long and Plus Corporation bent over backwards to get it to me sooner... they rang around other resellers all over the country to try and find someone who had one in stock that they could buy for me, and eventually tracked one down and paid retail price for it so they could supply the PC to me in a timely manner.  They've offered exemplary customer service all the way through the purchase process and I would highly recommend them to anyone after a new PC, or any other computer-related parts.

The PC was shipped via Star Track Express.  When it arrived, I excitedly opened the box and took it out, only to discover that one of the side panels was half off, and the tray the motherboard sits on had partly slid out.  Further inspection caused my excitement to turn to extreme disappointment as I discovered that the machine had been dropped, obviously from a great height.  The CPU was damaged, the hard drives were damaged, the case was damaged and many other parts were also damaged.  All up, there was about $3,000 worth of damage to the machine.  I was certainly glad I'd spent the $160 on freight insurance, but I'm pretty pissed off that I've had to return the machine and now have to wait until it can be assessed, repaired and freighted back to me.  

The machine was well packaged and literally covered with "Fragile - Handle with Care" stickers and the consignment note also stated the same.  If you're having something fragile delivered by courier, and have a choice of carrier, DO NOT choose Star Track Express.  When the courier driver arrived at my house, he drove onto my lawn and basically dumped the heavy boxes onto the grass and expected me to carry each of them to the house... despite having a trolley sitting in his van.  I thought he would have at least helped by carrying one of the boxes to the house.  His only comment the whole time was, "They're heavy today".

Moral of the story is make sure you pay the extra for freight insurance if you're having anything of value sent by courier, because although we hope we'll never need to claim on the insurances we pay for, when we do have to, it can make an impossible situation at least bearable.

The Dell monitors were carried by Australian Air Express, and the driver did bring those all the way to my front door.  They're a great courier company and I would recommend them as highly as I recommend Plus Corporation.


----------



## rico01

Just had to do it so I could save my little mouse after going from site to site and also after such a good year on the market god bless ZFX!
 3/ 22 inch screens give me a good view of whats going on


----------



## caribean

The more screens the better if you are trading many different instraments at the same time, intraday.
I'm not a computer expert, but i build three boxes so far...the one driving the four monitors uses a Matrox M200 quad card, which i purchaced second hand and it lasted over 2 1/2 years, i use that PC for trading and banking only & still manage to find the occasional spyware etc!.
I also build the desk and the stainless bracket for the monitors (took plastic stands off monitors).
Seting up the single desktop is very easy with XP, anyone can do it.
Original price quote from shop, over $6000.00 excluding monitors...my cost
$3200.00 including monitors, for the first PC.
The other box runs 2 monitors, but will have 4 as well soon, it also uses a matrox M200 quad card...keep in mind these cards are quite old now and not the best for gaming 3D etc, but for the purpose of trading they are great.
The only problem i found with this setup is the occasional keyboard/mouse mixup 
Sorry about the photo...still new at this.


----------



## 1stunnedmullet

22" lcd's are the sweetspot these days, can be had for $350+

www.staticice.com.au is a fantastic site to find lowest prices for comp goods


----------



## caribean

Correction: the video card should read Matrox G200 (not M200).


----------



## caribean

It appears a lot of you are running Linux OS, i would like to change from MS,XPpro,IE ,any info from people experienced in running Linux will be appreciated,(what to expect, tricks, virus protection, etc).


----------



## CanOz

Trying a 22" WFP next to my two others. Going to order a new Vid card this week and either just the 22" DELL or another 19"FP. Leaning towards 4 screens, the cost would be 3200 RMB or about $600 AUD for the two screens and the vid card.

Cheers,


CanOz


----------



## BentRod

Don't go nuts on the video card, any Nvidia PCI card will do the job.

As for monitors, the Dell 24's are great value for money IMO.


----------



## traderc

waza1960 said:


> I only have 22" Flat Screen at the moment but think I will set up 4 screens soon.I was told that I would need 2 video cards to run 4 screens off same computer does anyone know if this is correct




I know this is probably a little long in the tooth by now but you can actually get a Quadro card manufactured by a company called Leadtek than allows 4 screens off one video card.

Matrox also makes a video card that does 3 screens so shouldn't be that difficult.

A lot of the newer computers are coming out with due PCI-E slots (video card slots) so you can also easily run 2 video cards that are linked via a daughterboard.

Regards,


Christian

P.S.: Used to sell computer hardware for a living so trust me, I know computers


----------



## nulla nulla

Interesting that this thread was idle/quiet for over a year then suddenly popped up again. 

I run two computers, An all-in-one IBM netvista with a 17" display and a Dektop with 2 IBM 17" lcds. Both pc's run XP Service pack 3 with IE7. The all-in-one has two tabs open, one to stock chat sites and one for news. The Dual set up has one screen (and IE tab) dedicated to my "Iress" setup with the second screen for spreadsheet, email, and a seperate IE tab for Chart Sites. I am considering upgrading to 19" wide screens but I am wary of going to 22" or 24" because of the "in your face glare". 

One of the earlier posts raised the question of Red eyes, neck damage etc. It is a pity some of the earlier posters haven't followed up with their experiences with any associated health issues. Since adding the third screen i find i am getting neck pain from the constant swiveling from one screen to the other. Either that or it is old age creeping on.


----------



## Trembling Hand

nulla nulla said:


> Interesting that this thread was idle/quiet for over a year then suddenly popped up again.
> 
> I run two computers, An all-in-one IBM netvista with a 17" display and a Dektop with 2 IBM 17" lcds. Both pc's run XP Service pack 3 with IE7. The all-in-one has two tabs open, one to stock chat sites and one for news. The Dual set up has one screen (and IE tab) dedicated to my "Iress" setup with the second screen for spreadsheet, email, and a seperate IE tab for Chart Sites. I am considering upgrading to 19" wide screens but I am wary of going to 22" or 24" because of the "in your face glare".
> 
> One of the earlier posts raised the question of Red eyes, neck damage etc. It is a pity some of the earlier posters haven't followed up with their experiences with any associated health issues. Since adding the third screen i find i am getting neck pain from the constant swiveling from one screen to the other. Either that or it is old age creeping on.



Get 1 BIG screen like the Dell 30". Many little screens will result in the exact problem you have stated. Having to look too far away from centre.


----------



## tech/a

Having 3 screens and neck problems every time I return from holidays/lpng weekends, I have to agree.
When I can get one which fills a wall and tiles windows easily---Nirvana.


----------



## MS+Tradesim

tech/a said:


> Having 3 screens and neck problems every time I return from holidays/lpng weekends, I have to agree.
> When I can get one which fills a wall and tiles windows easily---Nirvana.



Have a look at some good quality projectors maybe.

http://www.cnet.com.au/projectors/


----------



## sinner

Hi guys,

This is my desk at work. When I am working the Friday night graveyard shift I can usually trade the US session (unless something goes wrong and I have to actually work!) 3 monitors? 5 monitors? feh. I need at least 27 monitors (capable of 4 inputs per screen) for my trading system to have positive expectancy!


----------



## MS+Tradesim

Looks like air traffic control!


----------



## Trembling Hand

MS projectors are no good as their max resolution is only 1920 x 1080 about the same as a 22" LCD. So you will get no more detail on them. What you need is more pixels


----------



## Naked shorts

Trembling Hand said:


> Get 1 BIG screen like the Dell 30". Many little screens will result in the exact problem you have stated. Having to look too far away from centre.




I agree with TH. I went from a 17in screen connected to my laptop to a 24in and it is just incredible. I only wish I had gone for the 30in.

Bigger is defiantly better and imo worth the money.


----------



## CanOz

I think i should be ok for neck problems because i have a good quality chair and i can turn and look directly at the screens. I will however, use the center screen for stuff i need to concentrate on the other two will be periodic viewing. I plan on having a fourth to the side for news and other web pages.

I should be setup in a week.

CanOz


----------



## waza1960

I got three screens a couple of months ago benq 22" and two nvidia video cards with dual DVI output,I feel this setup is very good value for money .Yes larger screens would be nice but not the best value.I found Umart online and the benq screens hard to beat.


----------



## James Austin

some nice screen set-ups at this site

$9000.00 for this one, but if you need that many screens, that's probably only half a days income 


http://www.digitaltigers.com/zenview.asp?caller=products


----------



## CanOz

waza1960 said:


> I got three screens a couple of months ago benq 22" and two nvidia video cards with dual DVI output,I feel this setup is very good value for money .Yes larger screens would be nice but not the best value.I found Umart online and the benq screens hard to beat.




Thats almost exactly what i'll be getting Waza, except my center screen will be a WS 22" and the two side screens will be normal  19" FP. 

I can get the 2 screens and the video card for 652.81 AUD.

Is that good compared to your deal?

I think screens have come down in price over the last two months.

Cheers,


CanOz


----------



## waza1960

I got the Benq T2200HD for $226 aud +gst each and video cards cost$160aud +gst each


----------



## sleepy

Trembling Hand said:


> Get 1 BIG screen like the Dell 30". Many little screens will result in the exact problem you have stated. Having to look too far away from centre.




Good thinking TH
... is anyone using a Dell 30" to trade ... and have a pic they can share.

sleepy


----------



## Trembling Hand

sleepy said:


> Good thinking TH
> ... is anyone using a Dell 30" to trade ... and have a pic they can share.
> 
> sleepy




Here ya go.


----------



## Sean K

Trembling Hand said:


> Here ya go.



Why is ASF relegated to the lap top?  Should take up the Dell front a centre!


----------



## Trembling Hand

kennas said:


> Why is ASF relegated to the lap top?  Should take up the Dell front a centre!




So when the boss comes home I look like I have been "working" all day not surfing youtube and posting on ASF.


----------



## classer

Trembling Hand said:


> So when the boss comes home I look like I have been "working" all day not surfing youtube and posting on ASF.




hahahahaha......mmmmm good idea.


----------



## >Apocalypto<

dual monitirs is a way of life for me now.

I can't go back


----------



## IFocus

TH what size is the top screen?


----------



## BentRod

Ifocus,
          It is a 22, the same as the two side ones.


----------



## Glen48

Are there any programmes that can give you multi views on the one screen ?


----------



## Trembling Hand

Glen48 said:


> Are there any programmes that can give you multi views on the one screen ?




Multi views??

Ifocus yep they are 22's


----------



## Sakk

TH,

are all the charts shown from NinjaTrader?

If so how much RAM do you need to have that many open at once.

I have two FX charts open set at 5min and 1min and NT is chewing up almost 500+MB of RAM.


----------



## Naked shorts

Glen48 said:


> Are there any programmes that can give you multi views on the one screen ?




Glen if by that you mean multiple desktops on the same screen, and the ability to change between desktops with hotkeys then yes, nvidia has that program built into their software. but you got to have a nvidia card to use it


----------



## Naked shorts

Sakk said:


> TH,
> 
> are all the charts shown from NinjaTrader?
> 
> If so how much RAM do you need to have that many open at once.
> 
> I have two FX charts open set at 5min and 1min and NT is chewing up almost 500+MB of RAM.




500mb ram?! you sir, are in dire need of an upgrade.


----------



## Sakk

Naked shorts said:


> 500mb ram?! you sir, are in dire need of an upgrade.




right you are 

currently have 1GB of RAM, how much RAM do you recommend?


----------



## CanOz

Sakk said:


> right you are
> 
> currently have 1GB of RAM, how much RAM do you recommend?




I've not long upgraded to 2.5 GB of Ram from 1 GB and its like Day vs Night.

I believe though that windows XP can only make effective use of 3 GB of RAM.

Interactive Brokers TWS is particularly resource hungry, as is Amibroker Pro with IB as a data source. E Signal is somewhat better, but lower times frame kill performance.

Slightly off topic:
One positive thing about Tradeguider is the relative ease that it handles many pairs in FX in multiple time frames. WOW.

Generally:
RAM should have no impact on screens, to my knowledge.



Cheers,


CanOz


----------



## Trembling Hand

Sakk said:


> TH,
> 
> are all the charts shown from NinjaTrader?
> 
> If so how much RAM do you need to have that many open at once.
> 
> I have two FX charts open set at 5min and 1min and NT is chewing up almost 500+MB of RAM.




Gee. I wouldn't put up with that. I mean its the only bit of equipment you need in this business. 

I got 4G of DDR3. Eats 30 windows before breakfast without a sweat


----------



## Sakk

CanOz said:


> I've not long upgraded to 2.5 GB of Ram from 1 GB and its like Day vs Night.
> 
> I believe though that windows XP can only make effective use of 3 GB of RAM.
> 
> Interactive Brokers TWS is particularly resource hungry, as is Amibroker Pro with IB as a data source. E Signal is somewhat better, but lower times frame kill performance.
> 
> Slightly off topic:
> One positive thing about Tradeguider is the relative ease that it handles many pairs in FX in multiple time frames. WOW.
> 
> Generally:
> RAM should have no impact on screens, to my knowledge.
> 
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> 
> CanOz




Thanks TH and CanOz, was thinking only an extra 1GB will suffice.


----------



## Naked shorts

Sakk said:


> currently have 1GB of RAM, how much RAM do you recommend?




2gb minimum. And please, if you have a slow cpu upgrade that to. There is no point in having 32gb of ram (for example), if you cpu is running at 1ghz. You cpu needs to be fast enough to be able to upload things into the ram.

and then if you upgrade your cpu, chances are you need to upgrade your motherboard to handle the cpu. and if you upgrade your mother board, chances are you also need to upgrade your hard-drives. so in other words, if your system is old, dont bother upgrading, put it on ebay and buy a new one. You could get a decent one for trading for around $800, it doesn't have to be too fancy. Just dont allow it to get full of crap that slows it down.



CanOz said:


> I believe though that windows XP can only make effective use of 3 GB of RAM.




Windows XP can take 4gb maximum and allocate only 2gb to any one program. Vista is useful only if your system is really fast.


----------



## Sakk

Naked shorts said:


> 2gb minimum. And please, if you have a slow cpu upgrade that to. There is no point in having 32gb of ram (for example), if you cpu is running at 1ghz. You cpu needs to be fast enough to be able to upload things into the ram.
> 
> and then if you upgrade your cpu, chances are you need to upgrade your motherboard to handle the cpu. and if you upgrade your mother board, chances are you also need to upgrade your hard-drives. so in other words, if your system is old, dont bother upgrading, put it on ebay and buy a new one. You could get a decent one for trading for around $800, it doesn't have to be too fancy. Just dont allow it to get full of crap that slows it down.
> 
> 
> 
> Windows XP can take 4gb maximum and allocate only 2gb to any one program. Vista is useful only if your system is really fast.




CPU is 3Ghz.  Thanks NK


----------



## Naked shorts

Sakk said:


> CPU is 3Ghz.  Thanks NK




That sounds alight, but another thing to note is if your system is too old, the price of ram will be through the roof compared to the newer stuff....yes its true, the price of ram fluctuates and can be traded :

(note: it cant be traded on some exchange)


----------



## Sakk

Naked shorts said:


> another thing to note is if your system is too old, the price of ram will be through the roof compared to the newer stuff....yes its true, the price of ram fluctuates and can be traded :




tops!! I better pull out the RAM from my old P2 

Just had a look at what type I have, it's 2 X 512MB DDR

Can I remove those two and add a 2GB DDR3 as TH uses or will the motherboard not accept DDR3?

or do I have to use DDR only?

Cheers


----------



## Naked shorts

Sakk said:


> tops!! I better pull out the RAM from my old P2
> 
> Just had a look at what type I have, it's 2 X 512MB DDR
> 
> Can I remove those two and add a 2GB DDR3 as TH uses or will the motherboard not accept DDR3?
> 
> or do I have to use DDR only?
> 
> Cheers




lol there is no way that will work. it has to be ddr (not ddr2 or ddr3 or ddr4).

If you are still using ddr memory, i would also assume your cpu is a P4? (most likely with HT technology). if this is the case, i would suggest you...c:

I went through the same situation as you about a 1.5 years ago, buying a whole new computer was far more cost effective then upgrading. (if you were a full nerd, you could do a cost benefit analysis of the two options )


----------



## Sakk

Thanks for the advice


----------



## Glen48

Naked Shorts:
Nvidia card will it give you 2+ images on the one screen or allow you to use 2 separate screens?
I have a Nvidia card and duel core cpu so I think I can run 2 sep. screens but running out of room here for 2.
Up to my neck in Gold.
If you put 1 screen on top of the other will that give you a longer Buy?


----------



## Naked shorts

Glen48 said:


> Naked Shorts:
> Nvidia card will it give you 2+ images on the one screen or allow you to use 2 separate screens?
> I have a Nvidia card and duel core cpu so I think I can run 2 sep. screens but running out of room here for 2.
> Up to my neck in Gold.
> If you put 1 screen on top of the other will that give you a longer Buy?




dunno what you mean exactly by 2+ images on the screen (like a security camera tv screen?). Anyway, the nvidia software means you only have 1 physical screen..just different desktops. What you should be looking at is the hardware on the nvidia card... where your monitor plugs in, if there is more then one spot where your monitor can plug in, you can have more then one monitor.

See the image below, see how this card has two ports, that means that you can support two monitors.


----------



## Naked shorts

see with this card you can have 4 monitors hooked up, it also has a s-vid output so in addition to your 4 monitors you can output to a TV. 

Chuck two of these into your computer and your can have 10 screens running 

You could probably support a family with the money these things cost.


----------



## BentRod

Sakk said:


> tops!! I better pull out the RAM from my old P2
> 
> Just had a look at what type I have, it's 2 X 512MB DDR
> 
> Can I remove those two and add a 2GB DDR3 as TH uses or will the motherboard not accept DDR3?
> 
> or do I have to use DDR only?
> 
> Cheers




Sakk,

It won't accept DDR3 unless it is fairly new.....What sort of Motherboard is it?

If you don't know, use this :

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html


----------



## Trembling Hand

Naked shorts said:


> see with this card you can have 4 monitors hooked up, it also has a s-vid output so in addition to your 4 monitors you can output to a TV.
> 
> Chuck two of these into your computer and your can have 10 screens running
> 
> You could probably support a family with the money these things cost.




Although for a trading computer you don't need good Vid cards you just need lots. You are better off going for good specs on CPU, hard drive, memory & screens than a expensive vid card.

Think mine cost $100 each last year.


----------



## Naked shorts

Trembling Hand said:


> Although for a trading computer you don't need good Vid cards you just need lots. You are better off going for good specs on CPU, hard drive, memory & screens than a expensive vid card.
> 
> Think mine cost $100 each last year.




Defiantly true. You dont need to buy a costly video card unless you plan to play games. My laptop with no third party video card will handle my external 1920x1200 screen no worries. cpu, memory and screen size should be your main concerns when choosing a trading computer.


----------



## caribean

You most certainly don't need expensive video cards, but it does help if they are quad display ones.
Old Martox G200 are cheap but work best on 4:3 displays, if you want wide screens try to find a NVIDIA 400 NVS  quadro, they are inexpensive, and will run widies, also if you look at picture above, you can see first monitor top row
is running a 19" wide on portrait, that way i can see a lot more of my DOM on a fast moving market (about 50 points either side), the 2 monitors next to it are 22" and then one 17" on portrait again, as you can see XP PRO will let you configure any way you want.
Cheers.


----------



## Glen48

Naked Shorts
Yes I have to sockets but still wondering if you are better to " picture in Picture" style display on the 1 screen or multi screens?
I assume you could be watching a trade and click on it if you wanted more info suppose it depends on what type of trader you are????


----------



## Trembling Hand

Glen48 said:


> Naked Shorts
> Yes I have to sockets but still wondering if you are better to " picture in Picture" style display on the 1 screen or multi screens?
> I assume you could be watching a trade and click on it if you wanted more info suppose it depends on what type of trader you are????




Glen what the hell are ya talkin bout


----------



## Naked shorts

Glen48 said:


> Naked Shorts
> Yes I have to sockets but still wondering if you are better to " picture in Picture" style display on the 1 screen or multi screens?
> I assume you could be watching a trade and click on it if you wanted more info suppose it depends on what type of trader you are????




Unfortunately, I dont know of any way to do "picture in picture" on a computer monitor (a Google search might be able to help you out). If given the choice, I would go for a multi screen setup any day over a "PIP" setup.

In fact a pip setup is basically useless, you could just have charts of interest next to your main chart, and then when ever you want to see it bigger, you just click the maximize button.


----------



## Naked shorts

caribean said:


> View attachment 28243
> 
> You most certainly don't need expensive video cards, but it does help if they are quad display ones.
> Old Martox G200 are cheap but work best on 4:3 displays, if you want wide screens try to find a NVIDIA 400 NVS  quadro, they are inexpensive, and will run widies, also if you look at picture above, you can see first monitor top row
> is running a 19" wide on portrait, that way i can see a lot more of my DOM on a fast moving market (about 50 points either side), the 2 monitors next to it are 22" and then one 17" on portrait again, as you can see XP PRO will let you configure any way you want.
> Cheers.




Wheres the screen that shows ASF?


----------



## CanOz

Naked shorts said:


> see with this card you can have 4 monitors hooked up, it also has a s-vid output so in addition to your 4 monitors you can output to a TV.
> 
> Chuck two of these into your computer and your can have 10 screens running
> 
> You could probably support a family with the money these things cost.




Hey Shorts, do you know the model of that quad DVI card, and if i can buy online? I just realized i have no spare PCIe slots

Really appreciate the help.

CanOz


----------



## Trembling Hand

CanOz said:


> Hey Shorts, do you know the model of that quad DVI card, and if i can buy online? I just realized i have no spare PCIe slots
> 
> Really appreciate the help.
> 
> CanOz




It would probably be cheaper to get another motherboard. Mine has got 4 PCIe slots cost $400. Bet that cards close to $1000.


----------



## CanOz

Trembling Hand said:


> It would probably be cheaper to get another motherboard. Mine has got 4 PCIe slots cost $400. Bet that cards close to $1000.




That's a great suggestion, thanks. I've asked a supplier for a range of options as a solution to the issue, so i am hoping there is cheaper option.

CanOz


----------



## BentRod

Can....Why haven't you got a spare pci slot?

What pci cards do you have installed?


----------



## CanOz

BentRod said:


> Can....Why haven't you got a spare pci slot?
> 
> What pci cards do you have installed?




I only have one PCI express slot that the current video card is in. I have two more slots, but they're PCI slots.....that's where i am a bit confused, can i put another card in one of those and just expect it to run simultaneously with the other card?

CanOz


----------



## BentRod

Yes you can use a pci video card and it will work , you don't need dual pci-E slots.

So when you get your video card get a standard PCI one, not a PCI x16 which is the one you have now.


----------



## CanOz

BentRod said:


> Yes you can use a pci video card and it will work , you don't need dual pci-E slots.




Thanks mate, you've made my day! I'll take the PCIe card back that i bought today, it won't fit anyway.

So Bent, do you use two cards to support multiple screens? Have you or anyone else installed another PCI card for this purpose and if so:

1.) what problems should i anticipate?
2.) how do i accurately match the card to the mobo?
3.) when you power up, do you need to change anything in the initial setup? 
4.) do i need any drivers for the new card?

Sorry for the questions I'm a real newbie at PC Hardware.....funny thing though is i could become a real geek  at this, its quite interesting and there is so much information available on the internet.

The other thing i found interesting is that when i went to the tech market today, the sales guys (mostly PC geeks and Uni students) would not believe that the PC would run two cards simultaneously. Basically they have nver heard of running anymore than two screens. This market is huge, like two or three buildings and several floors on each, all electronics and gadgets.

CanOz


----------



## BentRod

> So Bent, do you use two cards to support multiple screens?




I run quad Dell 24's but my Motherboard has twin PCI-Ex16 slots so I use two cards like the one you bought.

There is definitely no need to have that though.



> 2.) how do i accurately match the card to the mobo?




You just need a normal PCIx1 card and you will be fine, that will fit any mobo.

Most likely there will not be many to choose from as most cards are AGP or PCI x16.




> 3.) when you power up, do you need to change anything in the initial setup?




When you power up you will just have to right click desktop..."properties"......"settings TAB"......click on the monitor that is greyed out and select "extend my windows desktop onto this monitor"



> 4.) do i need any drivers for the new card?




Windows will install drivers but it is best to download the latest one from either AMD or Nvidia depending on what sort of card you get.



> The other thing i found interesting is that when i went to the tech market today, the sales guys (mostly PC geeks and Uni students) would not believe that the PC would run two cards simultaneously. Basically they have nver heard of running anymore than two screens. This market is huge, like two or three buildings and several floors on each, all electronics and gadgets.





Sounds strange they have never heard of running more than two?

What are the prices like at that market place?
Much cheaper than here?


----------



## CanOz

Well the video card was 400 RMB, or about 80 AUD, and i thought that was pretty dear really. That was basically a copy of the one in my machine except for this huge set of cooling fins, which made the installation impossible because it interfered with the Internet cable socket, not allowing it to pop into the slot.

Thumb drives and little stuff can be quite inexpensive.

Let me know what you want prices for Bent and i'll check tomorrow when we go to return the PCIe card and get the new PCI vid card.

Cheers,


CanOz


----------



## BentRod

> Well the video card was 400 RMB, or about 80 AUD,




What sort of card is it??



> Let me know what you want prices for Bent and i'll check tomorrow




If you get a chance, ask them if they can get an MSI DIVA LIVE 5.1 motherboard???

No one in Australia can get them and only a couple of places in the US has them but they won't ship here.

http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=proddesc&prod_no=1654&maincat_no=134


----------



## CanOz

BentRod said:


> What sort of card is it??
> 
> 
> 
> If you get a chance, ask them if they can get an MSI DIVA LIVE 5.1 motherboard???
> 
> No one in Australia can get them and only a couple of places in the US has them but they won't ship here.
> 
> http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=proddesc&prod_no=1654&maincat_no=134




Its a "Colorful" GeForce series PCIe graphics card. 

I'll ask them about the Mobo, we've got to get some more RAM for one of GF's Laptops too.

Cheers,


CanOz


----------



## BentRod

> I'll ask them about the Mobo,




Thanks mate 

I doubt they will have it but worth a shot



> Its a "Colorful" GeForce series PCIe graphics card.




What model Geforce...8800gt???


----------



## prawn_86

BentRod said:


> What model Geforce...8800gt???




I was recently looking at getting a 9800GTX (i think) but the mobo i wanted (phenom 4 9550) is sold out across Aus


----------



## BentRod

prawn_86 said:


> I was recently looking at getting a 9800GTX (i think) but the mobo i wanted (phenom 4 9550) is sold out across Aus




The phenom 9950 is a CPU not a motherboard.:

You should be able to get them cheaper now as the new Phenom II 920 and 940 just came out in the last few weeks.

9800GTX is a good card!


----------



## CanOz

BentRod said:


> What model Geforce...8800gt???




GeForce 9400GT-GD2 CV

CanOz


----------



## BentRod

CanOz said:


> GeForce 9400GT-GD2 CV
> 
> CanOz




Yeah looks like around the same prices as here although I couldn't find the exact model.


----------



## prawn_86

BentRod said:


> The phenom 9950 is a CPU not a motherboard.:
> 
> You should be able to get them cheaper now as the new Phenom II 920 and 940 just came out in the last few weeks.
> 
> 9800GTX is a good card!




Sorry, ghave had a couple drinks. I meant CPU (9550), U would think now the Phenom 2 is out it would make the originals cheaper, but nope, cant find any...


----------



## BentRod

Did you try MSY ??

http://www.msy.com.au/


----------



## Trembling Hand

Just one possible prob with using a Graphic PCI card. They are probably old tech. You may find the odd problem running games or stuff.

Just a thought.


----------



## CanOz

Trembling Hand said:


> Just one possible prob with using a Graphic PCI card. They are probably old tech. You may find the odd problem running games or stuff.
> 
> Just a thought.




Yes, i had heard that before, however i don't play PC games so i should be ok for everything else i hope.

The trouble may be finding the PCI card, i may be able to get a used one, but news ones may be difficult to find here.

Cheers,


CanOz


----------



## nulla nulla

If you are just adding screens for the sake of data display (not playing games with huge frames per second refresh rate requirements) what is to stop you from using old PCI (32 bit) video cards which were the standard before vga?


----------



## Trembling Hand

nulla nulla said:


> If you are just adding screens for the sake of data display (not playing games with huge frames per second refresh rate requirements) what is to stop you from using old PCI (32 bit) video cards which were the standard before vga?




Some don't support wide screen formats that most LCD are in.

It may just be me but if my business had only 1 piece of relatively inexpensive equipment I wouldn't be looking at saving $50 on it to end up with 10 year old tech


----------



## Naked shorts

nulla nulla said:


> If you are just adding screens for the sake of data display (not playing games with huge frames per second refresh rate requirements) what is to stop you from using old PCI (32 bit) video cards which were the standard before vga?




I would like to be able to watch youtube vids and google earth fullscreen with-out it being like a slide show.


----------



## nizar

BentRod said:


> I run quad Dell 24's but my Motherboard has twin PCI-Ex16 slots so I use two cards like the one you bought.




Thats bloody impressive mate, bloody impressive!


----------



## CanOz

Trembling Hand said:


> Some don't support wide screen formats that most LCD are in.
> 
> It may just be me but if my business had only 1 piece of relatively inexpensive equipment I wouldn't be looking at saving $50 on it to end up with 10 year old tech




Well i finally found a PCI card in China, and its on its way here today from Beijing. Its an new version of an older card with VGA, DVI, and S-vid, so its a reasonably new version of the PCI cards. It should have no worries feeding one of my 19" FPs and my small 19" WSFP. The PCIe card will feed the other 19" FP and the 22" WSFP.

Cheers,


CanOz


----------



## CanOz

WHOOOOA! Got the card installed, got three of the four going....need more power

Cool.

CanOz


----------



## prawn_86

How bout a photo Canoz?  I like to dream of things i may one day be able to afford...


----------



## BentRod

CanOz said:


> WHOOOOA! Got the card installed, got three of the four going....need more power
> 
> Cool.
> 
> CanOz




N1 Can

:dance::dance::dance:


----------



## CanOz

prawn_86 said:


> How bout a photo Canoz?  I like to dream of things i may one day be able to afford...




Here you go, very happy with the setup, sorry about the photo, i'll take a better one with the camera on the weekend.

Cheers,


CanOz


----------



## BentRod

Looks good Mate.

Your desk looks similar to mine except I've just got a single one.


----------



## CanOz

BentRod said:


> Looks good Mate.
> 
> Your desk looks similar to mine except I've just got a single one.




Yeah, i love these glass desks. I see Linda Raschke uses them too!

These came with the apartment but we're considering buying them when we go. They're modular too, so we may add more to them.

Thanks for all the help with the setup Bent, TH and everyone else on the thread, really appreciate it.

So when i installed the card, which i had to do first before the driver was installed, i also had to enter into the bios and change the settings back so that the original card overrides the new card. After that it was some fussing around with the settings and res and thats it.

I'll use the center screen to watch for setups in FX with TG help, plus my new system. The other screen on the left is for IB. The screen on the right is for Oanda/Amibroker. The screen on the far right is the Web for ASF, news etc.

Just how i visualized it!

The card and the screens came today.

Its a nice feeling, 4ScreenEstate!

Cheers,


CanOz


----------



## Naked shorts

CanOz said:


> Just how i visualized it!
> 
> The card and the screens came today.
> 
> Its a nice feeling, 4ScreenEstate!
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> 
> CanOz




Nice setup

Your right, it defiantly feels good when you get a sweet setup. I will have to upload a pic of my setup when I finally find a new house.


----------



## Pairs Trader

This is my trading system, old school some may say, some things just never change in my opinion. Thats me on the left waiting for the morning print out of potential pair trades.


----------



## Naked shorts

Pairs Trader said:


> This is my trading system, old school some may say, some things just never change in my opinion. Thats me on the left waiting for the morning print out of potential pair trades.




What does that big wheel do? Does that allow you to navigate the markets?


----------



## Pairs Trader

Naked shorts said:


> What does that big wheel do? Does that allow you to navigate the markets?




Good question, it allows me to quickly shift my portfolio from net long to net short. Swing to the right gets the portfolio net long, left gets me net short. Ive been turning a lot to the left lately.


----------



## CanOz

ROTFLMAO @ Pairs Trader!

Very, very funny mate. 

That suit is actually back in style now!

CanOz


----------



## rossw

to you guys with multi-screen setups how do you find the performance of the computer?

I woudl've thought that you'd only want to be running 2-3 screens per PC.. In case of something crashing and you've got something in the market you've still got one machine running as a fail safe, or if you're running a lot of applications (and most charting stuff is fairly taxing) and system performance starts slowing.


----------



## CanOz

rossw said:


> to you guys with multi-screen setups how do you find the performance of the computer?
> 
> I woudl've thought that you'd only want to be running 2-3 screens per PC.. In case of something crashing and you've got something in the market you've still got one machine running as a fail safe, or if you're running a lot of applications (and most charting stuff is fairly taxing) and system performance starts slowing.




The screens themselves don't hurt performace of the CPU. Running more applications can drain the system of RAM and put pressure on the CPU. You need a system that is capable of handling several apps at once. 

The screens just allow a better view of all the apps withour changing windows all the time.

I can run the IB TWS, itself a resource hungry behemoth, Oanda's FX platform, Amibroker Pro with ESignal, Tradeguider RT with Esignal, and firefox with lots of tabs open, plus i run Opera with Bloombergs live TV.

It eats it up no worries. I had troubles before i beefed up the ram by 2Mb. I now run 2.5 MB.

Heck, my new DELL laptop can probably do the same thing, with just the two screens!

Cheers,


CanOz


----------



## rossw

yeah sorry, i meant that with more screens it gives you the chance to run more apps, which leads to more strain on the system

but it seems like that's not an issue for you anyway


----------



## CanOz

I figured it would be good to have a nice desktop to go with the 4 screens. Thanks to Beamstas over on Reef, i now have a unique desktop on the center screen, using RocketDock, and the same wallpaper on the other 3.

Cheers,


CanOz


----------



## Naked shorts

CanOz said:


> I figured it would be good to have a nice desktop to go with the 4 screens. Thanks to Beamstas over on Reef, i now have a unique desktop on the center screen, using RocketDock, and the same wallpaper on the other 3.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> 
> CanOz




looks very nice


----------



## Sakk

I gave up with the old PC and have just upgraded to a Dell XP running i7 with 4GB DDR3 RAM and a 23inch monitor.  

Came with Vista 64bit, pain in the rear with some of my older charting programs, have to run as administrator to open them.

Using the old 17inch monitor and the bew 23inch side by side........what a difference, don't think i can ever go back to a single monitor.

Thanks for the help guys


----------



## It's Snake Pliskin

Sakk said:


> I gave up with the old PC and have just upgraded to a Dell XP running *i7* with 4GB DDR3 RAM and a 23inch monitor.
> 
> Came with Vista 64bit, pain in the rear with some of my older charting programs, have to run as administrator to open them.
> 
> Using the old 17inch monitor and the bew 23inch side by side........what a difference, don't think i can ever go back to a single monitor.
> 
> Thanks for the help guys



I am curious as to why Vista is problematic. Is 64 bit slower or heavier than 32 bit?
Are you using internet explorer 7?


----------



## investorpaul

Windows 7 is apparently due for release every shortly. Apparently you will need vista to upgrade to W7 though.


----------



## Sakk

It's Snake Pliskin said:


> I am curious as to why Vista is problematic. Is 64 bit slower or heavier than 32 bit?
> Are you using internet explorer 7?




From what I have been told by a tech guy is that 64bit is a little slower.

I use Firefox v3.0.10, surfing is no probs, however had to unistall Zone Alarm as there is an issue with Firefox and Vista 64bit.  ZoneAlarm eventually locks out Firefox from the internet and disables Internet Explorer from also connecting to the internet.  Can't delete Firefox process from Task Manager to restart, have to reboot the PC.

Installed Comodo instead and works fine.

Have issues running Metastock in normal mode and my end of day data provider software.

Have to run as administrator otherwise i get errors and vista shutsdown the programs...why?...i have no idea..


----------



## It's Snake Pliskin

investorpaul said:


> Windows 7 is apparently due for release every shortly. Apparently you will need vista to upgrade to W7 though.



This is good news considering I am about to purchase a vista machine. It's like buying a car without knowing wether the engine will opearate in 5th gear. I don't want "a $2000 e-mail machine" as a Microsoft guy put it a while ago. I already have two of those. 

Sakk,
Thanks for the info.


----------



## warezwana

Nothing wrong with Windows7... Well unless your still driving an old P4 CPU with 1Gb RAM (or less)

I have been running it all year with the odd week or so of reverting back to tweaked versions of XP SP3 both 32bit and 64. 

As for Vista :couch.... why would someone use that! (I mean Win7 is sooo nice and XP is lighter/faster if your system is old)


----------



## Mr J

rossw said:


> to you guys with multi-screen setups how do you find the performance of the computer?
> 
> I woudl've thought that you'd only want to be running 2-3 screens per PC.. In case of something crashing and you've got something in the market you've still got one machine running as a fail safe, or if you're running a lot of applications (*and most charting stuff is fairly taxing*) and system performance starts slowing.




No it's not. Trading in general is pretty light on the computer, it's only when you're number crunching that it becomes more intensive. As someone said, extra screens don't tax the cpu, but the gpu. Most video cards only handle 2 screens and are limited by connections, not performance, so the workload is light there as well. This is always a funny topic, because people assume that trading setups are intensive. They may look intensive (all the monitors and charts), but they're not.


----------



## mattswrxy

Wow, they are some full on setup's.


----------



## anthonyriley

Hi guys ive recently got a whole new system, check out the pic. Sorry its dark was taken at night on an iphone, LOL.


----------



## ThingyMajiggy

Do you actually NEED that many screens? Or don't you know you can drag the corner of each chart and make it smaller?


----------



## beamstas

ThingyMajiggy said:


> Do you actually NEED that many screens? Or don't you know you can drag the corner of each chart and make it smaller?




Don't think he's worked out how to use the minimize button yet


----------



## Naked shorts

anthonyriley said:


> Hi guys ive recently got a whole new system, check out the pic. Sorry its dark was taken at night on an iphone, LOL.




Good setup, those Samsungs are great screens. Are they 22s?

You are missing a notepad, always good to right down things you notice.


----------



## CanOz

Very nice setup, even more impressive is the fact that it was the iPhone's shot!

Gotta love Screen-estate. But where is ASF?

Cheers,


CanOz


----------



## anthonyriley

Thanks for the comments guys! Yeh they are Samsung 22inch screens only cost $238 which i thought was a bargin for them. Basically i use the main 4middle screens for the Bourse; having a different time frame on each screen. Its easy to look at instead of having four small charts on the 1 screen. The screen on the left runs GFT (4futures charts on screen), with the screen on the right running excel (spreadsheets to record trades) My laptop is used for anything else i basically decide to do (ASF, internet n what not).
Everyone has their own way this works for me as i can see everything i need to and not have to switch between windows etc etc. No way to miss a trade or missinterpret information.


----------



## jono1887

anthonyriley said:


> Hi guys ive recently got a whole new system, check out the pic. Sorry its dark was taken at night on an iphone, LOL.




wow, thats a very nice setup!! where did you get those 22" from?
and what stand/bracket are you using to hold up the 4 monitors... im looking to get a similar setup, with 3 screens, 2 on bottom, 1 above it in the middle


----------



## warezwana

anthonyriley said:


> Yeh they are Samsung 22inch screens only cost $238 which i thought was a bargin for them.




Sure is a nice looking set up, you just need wireless mouse and keyboard and a lazy boy chair and your set for the night .. and some cans of RedBull.





jono1887 said:


> wow, thats a very nice setup!! where did you get those 22" from?
> and what stand/bracket are you using to hold up the 4 monitors... im looking to get a similar setup, with 3 screens, 2 on bottom, 1 above it in the middle




I bought an Acer X233H 23inch Wide 16:9 Full HD LCD Monitor Black for $226.00 from Umart which I thought was good value. Also some 19" WS for my wifes system and they were only $150each. They also sell stands to raise 2 monitors for $400 called (LX Dual Display Lift Stand) if your only running 3 I wouldnt spend the money and would leave it on the table unless your short of room of course.


----------



## alphaman

anthonyriley said:


> Hi guys ive recently got a whole new system, check out the pic. Sorry its dark was taken at night on an iphone, LOL.



What video card do you use to drive those monitors?


----------



## anthonyriley

jono1887 said:


> wow, thats a very nice setup!! where did you get those 22" from?
> and what stand/bracket are you using to hold up the 4 monitors... im looking to get a similar setup, with 3 screens, 2 on bottom, 1 above it in the middle




Hey mate hows it going! If your in sydney a place called CCPU in Carlingford has them sweet deal and they r very well priced and for the stands u need to search up ATDEC Spacedec Donut Bracket with Pole they are approx $200 per pole.


----------



## anthonyriley

alphaman said:


> What video card do you use to drive those monitors?




I run one monitor off my laptop which is a Apple Cinema Display 24inch, and i run the 4 in the middle off one tower which has 2 i think 9600GT video cards and the other screen is run of another tower which has the same card. Works well!


----------



## alphaman

anthonyriley said:


> I run one monitor off my laptop which is a Apple Cinema Display 24inch, and i run the 4 in the middle off one tower which has 2 i think 9600GT video cards and the other screen is run of another tower which has the same card. Works well!



Thanks. I was thinking maybe you got one of those quad-monitor 2D cards (I think they call it FireMV for ATI and Quadro for Nvidia).


----------



## jono1887

anthonyriley said:


> I run one monitor off my laptop which is a Apple Cinema Display 24inch, and i run the 4 in the middle off one tower which has 2 i think 9600GT video cards and the other screen is run of another tower which has the same card. Works well!




Geez mate... thats a **** load of cash invested into all that equipment. esp the Apple Cinema Display which would've cost the same as 5-6 of those samsung screens!!


----------



## Mr J

Minus the apple and laptop, I imagine it cost less than what the average PC user paid not so long ago for a brand system.


----------



## jono1887

Mr J said:


> Minus the apple and laptop, I imagine it cost less than what the average PC user paid not so long ago for a brand system.




true, but the apple cinema display costs 1500 whereas the 4 samsungs would've totalled less than 1k. just doesnt seem right that apple can charge 6x more for an almost identical product.


----------



## Trembling Hand

jono1887 said:


> true, but the apple cinema display costs 1500 whereas the 4 samsungs would've totalled less than 1k. just doesnt seem right that apple can charge 6x more for an almost identical product.




No way the 30" is 10 times more usable than 4 X 22". I have one Dell 30" and 3 x 22". And the 30" is worth it for sure.

Just about to order another 30". $2000 bit of equipment is nothing as your main business tool.


----------



## Mr J

TH, that's a 24 incher, not 30 inch. 30 inch is 2560x1600, the 24 inch is probably 1900x1200 or maybe 1080. The 30 incher is about 230% larger in resolution than the 22 incher, while the 24 incher is at best 30% larger.


----------



## Trembling Hand

Mr J said:


> TH, that's a 24 incher, not 30 inch. 30 inch is 2560x1600, the 24 inch is probably 1900x1200 or maybe 1080. The 30 incher is about 230% larger in resolution than the 22 incher, while the 24 incher is at best 30% larger.




Oh! yeah


----------



## jono1887

Trembling Hand said:


> No way the 30" is 10 times more usable than 4 X 22". I have one Dell 30" and 3 x 22". And the 30" is worth it for sure.
> 
> Just about to order another 30". $2000 bit of equipment is nothing as your main business tool.




the apple display he has isnt 30", its only 24"... so i doubt that an extra 2" is worth the 6x increase in price.


----------



## sleepy

Trembling Hand said:


> No way the 30" is 10 times more usable than 4 X 22". I have one Dell 30" and 3 x 22". And the 30" is worth it for sure.




Based on your experiences T/H .... would you recommend someone (whos looking for the ideal setup) starting with a *single Dell 30" *rather than having multiple smaller (e.g., 22") screens ....
... and only if/when absolutely necessary adding a 2nd/3rd 30".


sleepy


----------



## anthonyriley

hey guys! I had the macbook pro n 24inch cinema since they came out i only got the rest about 1 or so months ago but yeh i use the cinema display for adobe stuff i do, hence why i bought it better colours etc in it . . . .anyways for some1 starting i think a few 22 or 24z is decent it really depends how u sturcture ur trading plan n what u need them for i mean i use that many screens for simplicity and organisation.


----------



## alphaman

I'm rather ignorant on Apples. What panel does the the Apple Cinema Display use? S-IPS?


----------



## anthonyriley

alphaman said:


> I'm rather ignorant on Apples. What panel does the the Apple Cinema Display use? S-IPS?




Man i have no idea sorry . . . .


----------



## Trembling Hand

sleepy said:


> Based on your experiences T/H .... would you recommend someone (whos looking for the ideal setup) starting with a *single Dell 30" *rather than having multiple smaller (e.g., 22") screens ....
> ... and only if/when absolutely necessary adding a 2nd/3rd 30".
> 
> 
> sleepy




The Dell 30" are $2200 each. I guess on one hand its a great bit of equipment for a biz that doesn't need much equipment to make good dollars.

But then again if its 1 month of profit its not the best use of capital. And your capital is the most important piece of equipment. Really depends on your type of trading but first would make sure I could get some return from trading.


----------



## Cartman

Trembling Hand said:


> But then again if its 1 month of profit its not the best use of capital. And your capital is the most important piece of equipment. Really depends on your type of trading *but first would make sure I could get some return from trading*.





lol ----- exactly ------ 

if u own one takeaway u can eat "free" chips every night of the week ---

but if u own three takeaways --- u can eat "free" chips every night of the week ---AND drive a BMW --- lol


----------



## sleepy

Trembling Hand said:


> The Dell 30" are $2200 each. I guess on one hand its a great bit of equipment for a biz that doesn't need much equipment to make good dollars.
> 
> But then again if its 1 month of profit its not the best use of capital. And your capital is the most important piece of equipment. Really depends on your type of trading but first would make sure I could get some return from trading.




I agree with the above comments. However, I probably should have said the ideal setup for an already profitable trader.

sleepy


----------



## jono1887

sleepy said:


> I agree with the above comments. However, I probably should have said the ideal setup for an already profitable trader.
> 
> sleepy




but if this ideal setup costs more than you make in a month, is it really worth it??


----------



## nulla nulla

ThingyMajiggy said:


> Do you actually NEED that many screens? Or don't you know you can drag the corner of each chart and make it smaller?




Nah, reducing the screens makes it harder to read, big screens are easier on the eyes, especially if it is a DVI or HDMI connection with a good resolution setting.


----------



## ginar

Probably need welding goggles to look at this all day ! is this many screens really necessary , probably not but doesnt it look impressive


----------



## Naked shorts

ginar said:


> Probably need welding goggles to look at this all day ! is this many screens really necessary , probably not but doesnt it look impressive




The guy who uses that is a regular at the elite trader forums (or was, I dunno about these days).

Thats not his only setup either, he has more. Total waste of space imo. but cool to look at


----------



## nulla nulla

I wonder if he wears a neck brace. Constantly swivelling his head to view all 24 screens would be an incredible strain on the neck muscles.


----------



## skc

ginar said:


> Probably need welding goggles to look at this all day ! is this many screens really necessary , probably not but doesnt it look impressive




Most people's trading won't even cover that power bill.

You probably need a very quick zoom and mouse movement function to make this set up work. Those gadgets that detect eye movement would be great, and a special function where you click and the mouse cursor will appear on the screen where you eye is looking.

Interesting to note that this guy uses IB (bottom row, 3rd from right).


----------



## nulla nulla

Is anyone using 30" screens with resolutions of 2560 x 1440 (16:9) or 2560 x 1600 (16:10)? 

If so how many DVI connections do you need to hook up from your video card(s) to the dvi inputs on the screen(s) to get the resolution above 1920 x 1080??


----------



## CanOz

nulla nulla said:


> Is anyone using 30" screens with resolutions of 2560 x 1440 (16:9) or 2560 x 1600 (16:10)?
> 
> If so how many DVI connections do you need to hook up from your video card(s) to the dvi inputs on the screen(s) to get the resolution above 1920 x 1080??




You can only hook up 1 DVI from the video adapter to the screen DVI port. Some newer screens are using Display Port which is faster and easier to hook up. Generally though if you use display port adapters (video cards) you need display port screens, avoiding cable adapters.

Most DVI video adapters are pretty cheap for our uses, so don't pay for a gaming card unless you are gaming.

Here's my five screen setup at the moment (2 Pcs)

CanOz



CanOz


----------



## nulla nulla

CanOz said:


> You can only hook up 1 DVI from the video adapter to the screen DVI port. Some newer screens are using Display Port which is faster and easier to hook up. Generally though if you use display port adapters (video cards) you need display port screens, avoiding cable adapters.
> 
> Most DVI video adapters are pretty cheap for our uses, so don't pay for a gaming card unless you are gaming.
> 
> Here's my five screen setup at the moment (2 Pcs)
> 
> CanOz
> 
> 
> 
> CanOz




Thanks CanOz, I'm currently running 3 Computers. One has 2 x 24" screens running 1920 x 1024 resolutions and the other 2 computers running one screen each at 1920 x 1080 resolution. Im looking to squeeze more data in without shrinking the various fonts. so I am looking for info on the 30" screens running 2560 x 1440 resolution.

Is the right hand screen in your setup 30"? If so what resolution have you set it too?


----------



## FlyingFox

nulla nulla said:


> Is anyone using 30" screens with resolutions of 2560 x 1440 (16:9) or 2560 x 1600 (16:10)?
> 
> If so how many DVI connections do you need to hook up from your video card(s) to the dvi inputs on the screen(s) to get the resolution above 1920 x 1080??




You will need dual link DVI connections to support this. This manifest itself in various forms but the simplest is a single cable with slightly different pin out. Your video card will need to support this as well. 

If your completely updating your system, look for a video card with multiple HDMI and/or DisplayPort connections instead. Most if not all modern screens will have either HDMI or Displayport connectors so please ensure you have the right type on both. 

Personally I really like the mini displayport connectors that you get on macbooks etc. I have seen video cards with three of these outputs. You can get cables that go from mini-displayport to full displayport for connecting to screens. Depending on your card max res, you should be able to drive three screens at 2560 x 1600 from these.


----------



## CanOz

nulla nulla said:


> Thanks CanOz, I'm currently running 3 Computers. One has 2 x 24" screens running 1920 x 1024 resolutions and the other 2 computers running one screen each at 1920 x 1080 resolution. Im looking to squeeze more data in without shrinking the various fonts. so I am looking for info on the 30" screens running 2560 x 1440 resolution.
> 
> Is the right hand screen in your setup 30"? If so what resolution have you set it too?




No, it's a 24....

What's the best value for money in LCD now?

CanOz


----------



## jimmyizgod

27" screens are prob best value for money at the moment.
viewsonics are good quality and cheap at about $210ex 
a couple of those and some dual or triple VESA mounts from dell to make them all look nice...


----------



## DJG

I recently bought a VGA splitter for my two monitors + laptop screen. I tried emailing Centrecom Bundoora store & the Centrecom website..no reply from either.

Anyway, now I've come to you guys for advice, could you please recommend me a graphics card that will support the extra 2 monitors, so I can extend on each and not duplicate the two monitors as its doing at the moment.

The card doesn't need to be to flashy, I won't be playing games etc on it.

Thanks guys,

Daniel


----------



## FlyingFox

DJG said:


> I recently bought a VGA splitter for my two monitors + laptop screen. I tried emailing Centrecom Bundoora store & the Centrecom website..no reply from either.
> 
> Anyway, now I've come to you guys for advice, could you please recommend me a graphics card that will support the extra 2 monitors, so I can extend on each and not duplicate the two monitors as its doing at the moment.
> 
> The card doesn't need to be to flashy, I won't be playing games etc on it.
> 
> Thanks guys,
> 
> Daniel




Hi Daniel,

1) How many screens in total do you want to have running from the system into which the card will go? What sizes are these and what resolution?
2) How old is your system? Do know if it has PCI express slots? (if it is under 4 yrs old it should)
3) What connections are present on your screens ? VGA, DVI, HDMI or displayport?

Cheers


----------



## jimmyizgod

DJG said:


> I recently bought a VGA splitter for my two monitors + laptop screen. I tried emailing Centrecom Bundoora store & the Centrecom website..no reply from either.
> 
> Anyway, now I've come to you guys for advice, could you please recommend me a graphics card that will support the extra 2 monitors, so I can extend on each and not duplicate the two monitors as its doing at the moment.
> 
> The card doesn't need to be to flashy, I won't be playing games etc on it.
> 
> Thanks guys,
> 
> Daniel




Daniel - all a VGA splitter does is duplicate the VGA signals from your computer - so you wont have any luck there.
Am i right in assuming you are running from a laptop? if this is a case you dont have many options regarding graphics cards. i'd say your best option would be to :
display on the 2 external monitors using a docking station for your laptop (if your laptop doesn't have docking station capacity, you can get USB versions such as the targus docking station): http://www.targus.com/au/product_details.asp?sku=ACP71AU

note depending on the inbuilt laptop gfx card, you MAY be able to use the 2 external monitors plus the laptop screen.


----------



## captain black

DJG said:


> Anyway, now I've come to you guys for advice, could you please recommend me a graphics card that will support the extra 2 monitors, so I can extend on each and not duplicate the two monitors as its doing at the moment.




https://www.aussiestockforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24004&p=743805&viewfull=1#post743805


----------



## Mr J

Matrox offers products that allow 2-3 monitors for a laptop. Last I read the resolution isn't great and they're not inexpensive. Also look at usb adapters.


----------



## DJG

FlyingFox said:


> Hi Daniel,
> 
> 1) How many screens in total do you want to have running from the system into which the card will go? What sizes are these and what resolution?
> 2) How old is your system? Do know if it has PCI express slots? (if it is under 4 yrs old it should)
> 3) What connections are present on your screens ? VGA, DVI, HDMI or displayport?
> 
> Cheers




Hi mate,

1) - 2 external monitors + laptop screen should do me. Screen 1 is a Philips 190B 19" (1280 x 1024). Screen 2 is a Dell E173FP 17" (1280 x 1024)
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/monitors/E173FP/En/specs.htm
http://www.pacificmedicalsupply.com/Philips_190B_19_inch_LCD_Computer_Monitor_p/philips 190b.htm
2) - Laptop is only about a year or two max! Asus R500V.



Mr J said:


> Matrox offers products that allow 2-3 monitors for a laptop. Last I read the resolution isn't great and they're not inexpensive. Also look at usb adapters.




Thanks mate.
Do they require a better graphics card or just a straight up plug in?



jimmyizgod said:


> Daniel - all a VGA splitter does is duplicate the VGA signals from your computer - so you wont have any luck there.
> Am i right in assuming you are running from a laptop? if this is a case you dont have many options regarding graphics cards. i'd say your best option would be to :
> display on the 2 external monitors using a docking station for your laptop (if your laptop doesn't have docking station capacity, you can get USB versions such as the targus docking station): http://www.targus.com/au/product_details.asp?sku=ACP71AU
> 
> note depending on the inbuilt laptop gfx card, you MAY be able to use the 2 external monitors plus the laptop screen.




Yeap, running a laptop.
So will the Targus extend the 2 external screens and not duplicate them?
Also, how can I tell if I my laptop has a docking station?

Thanks


----------



## captain black

Dangaff, in case you missed it I'll post it again.

https://www.aussiestockforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24004&p=743805&viewfull=1#post743805

These are a great low cost solution for a laptop.


----------



## CanOz

For those that want multiple screens with a lappy...check this gem out...that's whats powering two of my three screens, the other one is just plugged into the VGA port.

WS-UG39DH1 USB 3.0 Dual Display DVI+HDMI

CanOz


----------



## nulla nulla

Mr J said:


> Matrox offers products that allow 2-3 monitors for a laptop. Last I read the resolution isn't great and they're not inexpensive. Also look at usb adapters.




There is a blast from the past. Good to hear from you Mr j. thanks for your input in regard multiple screens. I'm trying to achieve resolutions of 2550 x 1440.

cheers


----------



## DJG

CanOz said:


> For those that want multiple screens with a lappy...check this gem out...that's whats powering two of my three screens, the other one is just plugged into the VGA port.
> 
> WS-UG39DH1 USB 3.0 Dual Display DVI+HDMI
> 
> CanOz




How much did it cost mate and I assume that little device goes straight into the USB, which then you connect USB cables from the screen into that little thing?



captain black said:


> Dangaff, in case you missed it I'll post it again.
> 
> https://www.aussiestockforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24004&p=743805&viewfull=1#post743805
> 
> These are a great low cost solution for a laptop.





Thanks mate,

So how does that work, would that help me be able to get the 2 external screens running? Or would I as suggested in the thread need to get a 7 port USB hub and display adapters?


----------



## captain black

DJG said:


> So how does that work, would that help me be able to get the 2 external screens running? Or would I as suggested in the thread need to get a 7 port USB hub and display adapters?




To connect 2 screens to your laptop you'd connect one to your VGA or HDMI port on your laptop. To connect the other you'd use the display adapter plugged into a USB (2.0 or higher) port in your laptop and the screen plugged into the DVI or HDMI outlet on the display adapter (depending on which model you buy).

You'd only need a USB hub if you require several adapters and don't have enough USB ports on your laptop. My current setup has  5 screens with one connected to the HDMI port on my laptop and the other 4 connected via 4 adapters plugged into a powered USB hub as the laptop has only 3 USB ports.

I picked up my adapters for around $70-$80 a few years ago. There are better models out now such as the one CanOz posted above. Staticice/Shopbot/Ebay/MSY would be useful places to search for the best prices on one.


----------



## CanOz

captain black said:


> To connect 2 screens to your laptop you'd connect one to your VGA or HDMI port on your laptop. To connect the other you'd use the display adapter plugged into a USB (2.0 or higher) port in your laptop and the screen plugged into the DVI or HDMI outlet on the display adapter (depending on which model you buy).
> 
> You'd only need a USB hub if you require several adapters and don't have enough USB ports on your laptop. My current setup has  5 screens with one connected to the HDMI port on my laptop and the other 4 connected via 4 adapters plugged into a powered USB hub as the laptop has only 3 USB ports.
> 
> I picked up my adapters for around $70-$80 a few years ago. There are better models out now such as the one CanOz posted above. Staticice/Shopbot/Ebay/MSY would be useful places to search for the best prices on one.




Yeah Dangaff, my price was about $50.00 but i bought it as a sample directly from the manufacturer here in China. I think as the Captain says it would be less then $100. You should be able to find the same model from one of the online shops as Captain suggested. Mine plus into the USB port and then i have one screen in the VGA port of the laptop.

Also Cap, haven't tried the Ethernet yet, not been game lol.

Captain, would you oblige us with a shot of your setup?

Cheers,


CanOz


----------



## captain black

As requested CanOz 

Here's the office. You'll notice the sleek modern design.... 
There's six screens in front of me. 5 run off the laptop (3 screens with 3 instances of Amibroker and Zeroline Trader on the other 2), the other has a media server connected to it for the quiet moments on the Kospi 




The display adapters.




The 7-port USB hub.


----------



## captain black

I'm left-handed btw if anyone is wondering why the mouse(s) are on the left hand side


----------



## DJG

Nice setup mate!!

Alright, my laptop has 3 USB ports. One is being used by the wireless mouse, I use the printer every now and then but this isn't to much of a hassle if I had to quickly take the mouse receiver out for a few seconds. 

So essentially if I run one screen off the VGA port in my laptop and another off a USB port, then I'd have both external monitors running + my laptop screen and still allowing my mouse and printer to work.

If I wanted more screens sometime in the future maybe, then I'd just get a USB hub as you suggested.

So all I need now is basically a USB cord from monitor to laptop
Then my VGA cord from monitor to laptop and should have them all running.

EDIT: When I connect one of the monitors (VGA) to the laptop it works fine, now the other monitor has a USB cable but it isnt working, it doesn't seem to detect on the properties settings either
Should it detect and find the Philips (USB montior)? Or do I have to click connect via composite, even though going by what I read it doesn't sound right at all.

The Dell doesn't have a USB port otherwise I would of tried interchanging...

Thanks


----------



## captain black

DJG said:


> Nice setup mate!!
> 
> Alright, my laptop has 3 USB ports. One is being used by the wireless mouse, I use the printer every now and then but this isn't to much of a hassle if I had to quickly take the mouse receiver out for a few seconds.
> 
> So essentially if I run one screen off the VGA port in my laptop and another off a USB port, then I'd have both external monitors running + my laptop screen and still allowing my mouse and printer to work.
> 
> If I wanted more screens sometime in the future maybe, then I'd just get a USB hub as you suggested.
> 
> So all I need now is basically a USB cord from monitor to laptop
> Then my VGA cord from monitor to laptop and should have them all running.




I'm not sure if I'm misreading your post (apologies if I am) but you'll also need a display adapter between the USB connection and the monitor. Either one for each monitor as I have or a double adapter like the one CanOz posted. The Kospi is quiet atm so I'll post a photo if I get a chance.


----------



## captain black

I've hooked up one of the adapters to my other lappy to make it a bit clearer. The adapter is plugged into a USB port in the lappy. The monitor in the background is connected to the adapter via a DVI cable which is plugged into the adapter (my hand obscures it a bit but there is a cable coming out). Another monitor is connected to the VGA port in the lappy. This gives 2 monitors plus the laptop screen.


----------



## CanOz

Well Done Captain!

You get much heat off the screens?

CanOz


----------



## captain black

CanOz said:


> You get much heat off the screens?




I haven't noticed any extra heat from the screens. When I knocked up the mounting frame for them I made sure that none of the ventilation outputs on the monitors were blocked and there's about a foot of room behind them to allow plenty of airflow. I live in a very dusty part of the country in a not so airtight old house so keeping dust out of stuff is the biggest issue.

The top 3 monitors are mounted on standard VESA brackets that are screwed into a length of 140x35 piece of timber that is bolted into the old timber bookcase I've made into a desk.


----------



## DJG

Awesome thanks mate, I'll be sure to get myself one of those adapters! Should make it perfectly easy to use!

Appreciate it alot.

Now I just need to find one, I'll go back through the thread because I believe you linked one.

Thanks mate


----------



## captain black

DJG said:


> Now I just need to find one, I'll go back through the thread because I believe you linked one.




This is the brand I use at the moment:

http://www.win-star.com/eshop/category.php?id=4

These are the ones I have:

http://www.win-star.com/eshop/goods.php?id=103

(Don't buy this one, there's much better options available now)

Shop around because there looks to be a wider variety of options than there were a few years ago.

Staticice is one online shopping search engine I use:

http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=usb+display+adapter&spos=3

A quick check shows some HDMI adapters around $50-$60. Check what input your monitor has available. 

Other places to look (in no particular order) : Shopbot/ Ebay/ MSY.

Post back here or PM me before you buy if you'd like to check the specs etc.


----------



## DJG

captain black said:


> This is the brand I use at the moment:
> 
> http://www.win-star.com/eshop/category.php?id=4
> 
> These are the ones I have:
> 
> http://www.win-star.com/eshop/goods.php?id=103
> 
> (Don't buy this one, there's much better options available now)
> 
> Shop around because there looks to be a wider variety of options than there were a few years ago.
> 
> Staticice is one online shopping search engine I use:
> 
> http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=usb+display+adapter&spos=3
> 
> A quick check shows some HDMI adapters around $50-$60. Check what input your monitor has available.
> 
> Other places to look (in no particular order) : Shopbot/ Ebay/ MSY.
> 
> Post back here or PM me before you buy if you'd like to check the specs etc.




Thanks mate,

PM on its way.

Cheers,
Dan


----------



## DJG

Got it all setup after running into a few troubles.
Also picked up a 7 slot USB HUB which makes it all that much better + room for more...screens  

Thanks all for the help


----------



## CanOz

DJG said:


> Got it all setup after running into a few troubles.
> Also picked up a 7 slot USB HUB which makes it all that much better + room for more...screens
> 
> Thanks all for the help




Hey...where is the obligatory photo?


----------



## captain black

DJG said:


> Got it all setup after running into a few troubles.
> Also picked up a 7 slot USB HUB which makes it all that much better + room for more...screens
> 
> Thanks all for the help




Good to hear, Dan. Well done


----------



## DJG

CanOz said:


> Hey...where is the obligatory photo?




Was thinking about that, that one's coming


----------



## DJG

Now I get the problem though when I connect all 3 screens, some (most of the time, all of them) desktop icons disappear. - It's as if they're sitting on a screen that isn't actually existent though because when I go to the desktop through the windows explorer type way, they're all there. - All screen resolutions are set at 'high' which is the 'recommended'.

Thanks guys


----------



## captain black

DJG said:


> Now I get the problem though when I connect all 3 screens, some (most of the time, all of them) desktop icons disappear. - It's as if they're sitting on a screen that isn't actually existent though because when I go to the desktop through the windows explorer type way, they're all there. - All screen resolutions are set at 'high' which is the 'recommended'.
> 
> Thanks guys




Go into your display settings, either through control panel or right click on the desktop. You'll need to move the monitor positions around until you can see the desktop icons on one of the monitors. Once you find them, drag them back to your main display. It's one of those things that happens occasionally when you're playing around with display settings.


----------



## CanOz

I have a lifetime license to these guys...fix ya right up forever...but what Captain said will work too.

Cheers,


CanOz


----------



## DJG

captain black said:


> Go into your display settings, either through control panel or right click on the desktop. You'll need to move the monitor positions around until you can see the desktop icons on one of the monitors. Once you find them, drag them back to your main display. It's one of those things that happens occasionally when you're playing around with display settings.




As soon as I drag them back, then re position my screens so that they're actually how they look to my eye externally, the icons go straight back to disappearing the way they were.



CanOz said:


> I have a lifetime license to these guys...fix ya right up forever...but what Captain said will work too.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> 
> CanOz





Looks pretty awesome, will keep it in mind  

---

EDIT - managed to do as I said, then just moved them further to the centre, applied the normal spots the monitors sit and then just moved them back after that. - hopefully stays that way once I shut it down. - I think I have all the desktop icons back...important one's anyway


----------



## MikeRR

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to bump this thread as I need to stop trading on my work laptop. 

Can anyone make any recommendations as to a laptop system that can run multiple monitors and handle running AmiBroker and TWS. 

Thanks!

PS - I would post a photo of my setup but it would just be a photo of a laptop in the lounge room.


----------



## skc

MikeRR said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> Just wanted to bump this thread as I need to stop trading on my work laptop.
> 
> Can anyone make any recommendations as to a laptop system that can run multiple monitors and handle running AmiBroker and TWS.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> PS - I would post a photo of my setup but it would just be a photo of a laptop in the lounge room.




My suggsetion: DO NOT buy Win8 laptop. It's utterly unusable.

As to multiple screens... most laptops would have a video output socket. VGA/DMI are not popular anymore, as they are replaced by HDMI or Display Port (or mini Display Port) so make sure your monitor is compatible (or get some adaptors). There are also USB video dongle thingy that you can use for additional displays.

e.g.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/J5Create...00-USB-Video-Card-PC-Mac-JUA210-/300765854248


----------



## VSntchr

skc said:


> My suggsetion: DO NOT buy Win8 laptop. It's utterly unusable.
> 
> As to multiple screens... most laptops would have a video output socket. VGA/DMI are not popular anymore, as they are replaced by HDMI or Display Port (or mini Display Port) so make sure your monitor is compatible (or get some adaptors). There are also USB video dongle thingy that you can use for additional displays.
> 
> e.g.
> http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/J5Create...00-USB-Video-Card-PC-Mac-JUA210-/300765854248




What's so bad about windows8 SKC? Im running it, and once used to it I dont think its too bad. I do feel that windows is taking a lead from apple by reducing the amount of user access to the system (or as I like to tell my friends - reducing our access to the 'matrix')...

And yes, the USB to HDMI is necessary if 2 additional monitors are required from a laptop. Only exception would be if the laptop came with 2 video cards installed - which I dont think many do...

I just recently bought one of the adapters for about 50 bux, it works great


----------



## skc

VSntchr said:


> What's so bad about windows8 SKC? Im running it, and once used to it I dont think its too bad.




It's unintuitive to the extreme. This video kind of describes how I feel about it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4boTbv9_nU

I bought one as a backup trading laptop so I don't use it day-to-day. But most of my experience can only be described as frustration... as opposed to delighted (which is what one might say when they use an ipad for the first time).


----------



## 5oclock

Got to agree with SKC as to WIN 8 useability, makes WIN 7 look really good!!!


----------



## VSntchr

skc said:


> It's unintuitive to the extreme. This video kind of describes how I feel about it.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4boTbv9_nU
> 
> I bought one as a backup trading laptop so I don't use it day-to-day. But most of my experience can only be described as frustration... as opposed to delighted (which is what one might say when they use an ipad for the first time).




LOL that video reminds me of me when I first opened my laptop with windows 8. 

A concept I heard recently on a podcast interviewing a tech-product reviewer (Unbox Therapy) was about that "breath of fresh air" you get when you open a good product (he was referring to apple laptops). I certainly didn't get that with mine!!! and windows 8 was a big part of that. I just figured that I am usually slow to adjust to new tech...but thinking back on it now - I've just adjusted and have never really increased my liking or understanding of the new windows platform.

That's opposed to another change, which was to webiress. Daunting at first and completely un-user friendly...but after a few days...its freaking awesome!


----------



## MikeRR

VSntchr - when you say that it is awesome... apart from the learning curve what do you like about it?

That video makes me nervous... very nervous... I feel naked without a start button.


----------



## Wysiwyg

One day some company will build a 19" thin bezel triple screen monitor.  My wish list custom build costs 12k. You can connect your lappy easy and there are docking stations for laptops. https://www.digitaltigers.com/index.asp


----------



## RADO

MikeRR said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> Just wanted to bump this thread as I need to stop trading on my work laptop.
> 
> Can anyone make any recommendations as to a laptop system that can run multiple monitors and handle running AmiBroker and TWS.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> PS - I would post a photo of my setup but it would just be a photo of a laptop in the lounge room.




You could try something like this. Its a portable 14 inch monitor (Lenovo) that plugs into your laptop through just one USB cable no power cable is needed. Its small and portable. the laptop in the pic is a Lenovo X1 their good but get pretty hot if left on for a long time. I would suggest a workstation laptop because they have really good cooling, good graphics card and better specs in general. I use mini display port to dvi if I want to run an extra monitor. But you can usually buy docking stations for workstation laptops with up to 6 monitor ports. There's also a company called matrox that makes multi video adaptors for laptops as well.


----------



## VSntchr

MikeRR said:


> VSntchr - when you say that it is awesome... apart from the learning curve what do you like about it?
> 
> That video makes me nervous... very nervous... I feel naked without a start button.




I was referring to webiress being awesome, windows 8 is just acceptable. I can navigate it fine now, but I haven't been able to figure out any cool tricks or efficiencies that I usually find overtime with software...


----------



## payday

This dock will allow you to connect 2 more monitors to your laptop.
http://www.mwave.com.au/product/tos...tion-aa45171?gclid=CM-s3eihvL8CFYksvQod5JsAxg
This is what I use and it's cheap and easy to do. As for the specs for a laptop ( I run amibroker, NT and TWS) I used the amibroker help page to give me a basic idea of what specs I needed and took it from there. http://www.amibroker.com/kb/2011/10/25/recommended-hardwaresoftware-for-amibroker/

I run a SSD 256gb with no Hard drive and I have a drop box subscription for my backups. I have no antivirus on my lappy as I only use it for trading - I use another lappy for surfing the net etc. I like to keep  my trading laptop as bare bones as possible so less can go wrong with it - no bloatware etc.


----------



## waza1960

Windows 8 is great IMO. But I did tweak it 
The best tweak is "classic shell" which gives you back a start button + W7 menu --
so  Functionality almost the same as W7.

 The best things about W8 are more integrated multi-monitor desktop environment 
               + Windows defender does anti-virus as well.
     So there is  no need to worry about getting an additional anti-virus program unless
           you are paranoid about that sort of thing.


----------



## MikeRR

waza1960 said:


> Windows 8 is great IMO. But I did tweak it
> The best tweak is "classic shell" which gives you back a start button + W7 menu --
> so  Functionality almost the same as W7.
> 
> The best things about W8 are more integrated multi-monitor desktop environment
> + Windows defender does anti-virus as well.
> So there is  no need to worry about getting an additional anti-virus program unless
> you are paranoid about that sort of thing.





Thanks Waza! When you say tweak are these just standard options that you are adjusting? I'm not a technofobe but don't tend to get too off piste with screwing about with settings. I think I would feel a little more comfortable with start button etc. Although, if it makes things easier I'm happy to embrace a new way of doing things.


----------



## waza1960

> Thanks Waza! When you say tweak are these just standard options that you are adjusting? I'm not a technofobe but don't tend to get too off piste with screwing about with settings. I think I would feel a little more comfortable with start button etc. Although, if it makes things easier I'm happy to embrace a new way of doing things.



 No "Classic Shell" is a standalone free program but very good and makes W8 a bit more user friendly


----------



## sydboy007

payday said:


> This dock will allow you to connect 2 more monitors to your laptop.
> http://www.mwave.com.au/product/tos...tion-aa45171?gclid=CM-s3eihvL8CFYksvQod5JsAxg
> This is what I use and it's cheap and easy to do. As for the specs for a laptop ( I run amibroker, NT and TWS) I used the amibroker help page to give me a basic idea of what specs I needed and took it from there. http://www.amibroker.com/kb/2011/10/25/recommended-hardwaresoftware-for-amibroker/
> 
> I run a SSD 256gb with no Hard drive and I have a drop box subscription for my backups. I have no antivirus on my lappy as I only use it for trading - I use another lappy for surfing the net etc. I like to keep  my trading laptop as bare bones as possible so less can go wrong with it - no bloatware etc.




Please rn some antivirus software.  While unlikely, the trading websites you use could become compromised and install malware on your PC from just visiting the site - no clicks needed.

Microsoft security essentials is free, takes little RAM, and provides a decent level of protection - no AV is perfect.


----------

