Matching Trading Computer Monitors and Backlighting Matter While people will settle with mismatched equipment out of necessity, no one wants to if they don’t have to. Trading computers with multiple monitors ideally should have matching equipment, particularly when using backlit LED monitors. This is critical for maintaining a smooth operating system and avoiding glitches when performance matters the most, during a trade. Technical Problems Getting right to the point, mismatched monitors can wreak havoc with a PC video card. The video card works like a processing chip booster, adding the vital data crunching needed to run high detail monitors. When it has to operate processing two different ways for two different monitors, that overworks the chipset. At first, nothing may seem wrong, but over time the video card can start to malfunction or fail. Getting Set Up Right
A viable trading computer system will need at least two if not three monitors for full display of critical information. However, most computers and their video cards only handle two monitors at best. There are some aftermarket video cards for some units that can be installed, but one has to know how to do that installation or be willing to pay someone to do the work. It’s not hard, but a card installation is technical enough that a mistake can cause big problems.
Before the right video card installed, it’s important to make sure the right output is used. Many cards for years have used SVGA. However, DVI is a different, newer format. If a user is limited to two monitors, a DVI card is the better way to go. Backlighting With the card approach taken care of, the choice of monitor can make a big different on a person’s eyes. Most traders will spend a couple of hours a day working on their computers, so the lighting level matters. Mismatched backlighting can cause unnecessary eyestrain. Instead, by matching the monitors and their backlit levels, a person’s eyes see the same brightness and display on both screens. If you don’t want to find yourself needed glasses sooner in life than necessary, this is a key step to ensure your setup includes. For more information on setting up an ideal trading computer, consider our buyers guide, "How to Buy a Trading Computer and Save Thousands", which is available as a PDF download.