Ultrawide Vs. Dual Monitor: Which Is Better For You?

Multitasking allows an individual to perform more than one task simultaneously. This helps you accomplish more in less time and respond to the need for speed, giving you a significant edge over your competitors—and do so without working outside of normal business hours and ruining your work-life balance.

But that’s not all.

Multitasking can also enhance your time management skills and make you more organized, increasing your performance and setting you up for success.

Well, whether you’re looking to enhance productivity at your workplace to climb corporate ladders or want to create an immersive gaming experience that’ll tempt you to indulge, there’s a multitasking-friendly monitor for you.

We’ll explore the pros and cons of the ultrawide vs. dual monitor setup, so you can make more informed purchasing decisions.

What Is An Ultrawide Monitor?

Ultra-wide monitors have a killer 21:9 aspect ratio; to give you perspective, your traditional monitors and televisions come up at a measly 16:9. As a result, you can expect more horizontal screen space—and in higher resolution!

Some ultra-wide monitors come with a curved screen designed to match your field of view. This gives you an immersive experience while being easier on the eyes.

The question is: How can ultra-wide monitors help you with your workflow?

We’ll attempt to answer that by highlighting its pros and cons.

Benefits Of Using An Ultrawide Monitor For Multitasking

An ultrawide monitor setup offers a range of benefits, which include:

• Better Visual Continuity: With an ultrawide, you can divide the screen into multiple sections without worrying about bezels. Every pixel is connected, which eliminates inconsistencies and ensures better visual continuity.
• Reduced Desk Clutter: With an ultrawide, you only have one screen on your workspace compared to two from a dual monitor setup, reducing clutter and paving the way for better organization.
• Better for Certain Tasks:With an ultrawide monitor, you can see more at once in the extra horizontal space. So, each time you sit down to work, play, or watch movies, you’ll find the task fills up the frame (instead of showing up with black bars at the side) for an immersive viewing experience.
• More Affordable:Ultrawide monitors are a significant investment compared to a traditional setup. However, as you won’t be purchasing two screens and a range of accessories, as with a dual setup, it’ll be more cost-effective in the long run.

Disadvantages Of Using An Ultrawide Monitor For Multitasking

Here are some disadvantages of an ultrawide monitor setup you may want to consider before you hit "buy":

• Limited Flexibility:An ultrawide monitor has a fixed curvature, which delivers a constant viewing angle. However, you can’t position two side by side as you would in a dual monitor setup, so it won’t be ideal for certain tasks.
• Reduced Multitasking Potential:While the extra width of an ultrawide is great, it does not compare to a dual monitor’s screen real estate and multitasking potential. You can only have two or more windows and applications open side-by-side, which can be pretty limiting.
• Limited Task Separation:Dual monitor setups have two screens, which makes it easy to separate tasks on the primary and spare displays. That’s not possible with an ultrawide; you can have different tasks and applications running on distinct areas of the screen, but the task separation facility is below average.
• Increased Distractions:Ultrawide monitors offer an enhanced viewing experience. You can have multiple windows open simultaneously, which could lead to distractions and hamper your productivity.
• Compatibility Issues:Not all software and applications work on ultrawide displays. The same is true for games. So, you may end up with black bars on either side of your screen and other scaling and display issues.

What Are Dual Monitors?

MP Geminos dual screen monitor

Dual monitors use two screens on the same computer to extend real estate—perfect for jobs that require extended workspace, such as programming.

However, it requires hardware connections such as DMI and graphic cards for extended desktop mode, which ensure each screen functions as a unit and can be manipulated in a horizontal or vertical orientation to boost productivity.

Are you interested in incorporating it into your workstation?

Here’s all you need to know about the pros and cons to make a definitive choice.

Benefits Of Using Dual Monitors For Multitasking

Here’s why you need to consider investing in dual monitors for multitasking:

• More Screen Real Estate:Dual monitors extend your visual real estate better than an ultrawide monitor to help make your workflow smoother. They also allow you to enjoy games and videos on the secondary screen.
• Enhanced Task Separation:With dual monitors, you don’t have to go back and forth between apps; you can have multiple applications open simultaneously— using one screen for one app and another for another. This enhanced task separation can help you stay focused and boost productivity.
• More Compatibility:Dual monitors have a significant advantage over ultrawide in this regard. Most software and applications are optimized for the multi-monitor setup, so it’s the best choice to consider for a smooth workflow.
• Reduced Distractions:With dual monitors, you can utilize both screens to display important data and applications. You don’t have to minimize the screens (and take a detour to YouTube) midway, which reduces distractions.

Disadvantages Of Using Dual Monitors For Multitasking

Here are the cons of using a dual monitor setup for multitasking.

• Setup and Configuration:As you’re dealing with two screens instead of one, you’ll have to purchase additional cables and accessories to set it up.
• Increased Space Requirements:Dual monitors take more deskspace than an ultrawide setup. This would be problematic if you have limited desk space; although Geminos could save the day. It uses a vertical orientation instead of a horizontal one, giving you enough room for accessories like planners.
• Cost:Ultrawide monitors come with a hefty price tag, but costs for adding another monitor and purchasing extra equipment like a graphics card compatible with a dual monitor setup and stand can add up quickly.

Ultrawide VS Dual Monitor: The Side-by-Side Comparison

Each configuration serves a purpose. Ultrawide, with its crisp visuals and clean setup, is great for streaming and entertainment. However, a dual monitor eliminates the struggle of jumping between screens, allowing you to do more and do it efficiently.

Here are some touchpoints to help you find the right one for the job.

Screen Space

An ultrawide monitor offers a large screen size (the same as two large screens side by side) and raw resolution. You can split your screens to accommodate multiple windows and open applications. Meanwhile, dual monitors provide a wider working area for multitasking, but they have a bezel gap that could obscure your view.

Productivity

An ultrawide monitor allows you to open three or more windows at once, which means less switching between applications. With dual monitors, you can have multiple applications open on different screens. Research has indicated that adding another screen could boost productivity by an average of 42%!

Desk Space

An ultrawide monitor takes up limited desk space. Dual monitors take up more room as there are two screens, cables used to configure them, and additional accessories involved.

But if you still want to use a dual setup with a limited workspace, consider Geminos. Consider the optimum viewing angle to ensure you don’t strain your eyes, neck, back, and shoulders.

Cost

Ultrawide monitors are more expensive than traditional 16:19 screens, but they still cost less than dual monitors. Because with a dual monitor setup, you have to invest in two screens and other equipment.

Gaming And Entertainment

Ultrawide monitors offer a wider field of view, which delivers a top-notch immersive gaming and entertainment experience without the pesky bezels accompanying a dual monitor setup. However, with a dual setup, you can dedicate one screen to gaming and use the other to run Discord, browse the internet, or write emails.

Reference Material

With ultrawide monitors, you must constantly minimize your screen to browse the internet and view reference material. Dual monitors eliminate this back and forth by allowing you to see all important information at a glance.

Flexibility

An ultrawide monitor gives you one orientation; you cannot configure the screen to adjust to different tasks or workflows or add more screen real estate. Dual monitors provide more flexibility, so you can use each monitor in the desired orientation—landscape or portrait configuration.

Setup And Configuration

An ultrawide monitor is a single large display, so it’s easy to set up with a power cord and a standard cable—all you have to do is plug it in, and it’s ready to play.

Dual monitors use two separate monitors, which you need to arrange in the display settings for a seamless look that won’t compromise image quality. They require two different display cables, power cords, a compatible graphics card, and other equipment.

Compatibility

An ultrawide monitor is a recent invention that may not be compatible with all applications and software. Maneuvering around it can be a pain, making a dual monitor setup the more obvious choice for multitasking.

Ultrawide Vs. Dual Monitor For Office Work

When it comes to office work, you’re looking to get more done in less time, so a dual monitor configuration will be your first (and, if we’re honest, only) choice.

This multi-monitor setup gives you extra screen space, which you can use for a fuller view of timelines, editing large files, and content creation. It also gives you flexibility in arrangement, so you can opt for vertical or horizontal installation and even mix-and-match different screens.

Just make sure you’re getting monitors with high pixel density for sharper details.

Ultrawide Vs. Dual Monitor For Programming

There’s no question of “dual monitor or ultrawide” for programmers.

The answer is pretty simple—a vertical dual monitor trumps an extra-wide setup.

Ultrawide monitors provide more display space but have less vertical height. Also, you can’t adjust window sizes to accommodate the demand for long codes, so you’ll be turning your neck from side to side, which could strain your eyes and neck.

That’s not a problem you’ll face with vertical dual monitors.

Vertical dual monitors make editing or writing lines for coding a breeze. It can elevate productivity and efficiency since you don’t have to go back and forth.

Ultrawide Vs. Dual Monitor For Gaming

Ultrawide monitors have a wider aspect ratio, so you can see more at once in some games—something that would’ve otherwise remained outside your field of view.

If you’re streaming the game, however, consider dual monitors.

With this setup, playing a game on two monitors may not be a good idea because of the bezel running down the middle of the screen. But you can run a game on one monitor and use the spare for game walkthroughs or chatting with fans.

Conclusion

So, ultrawide vs. dual monitor—which one should you buy?

Both configurations have their advantages, although one will rank higher on your list than the other based on what purpose you want it to serve.

An monitor for streaming offers a state-of-the-art immersive experience, simplicity in setup, and is picture-perfect for gamers. However, if you want more screen real estate, a larger field of view, and the ability to multitask like a pro without distractions, consider a dual monitor setup.

Made a definitive choice? Head to Mobile Pixels for a desktop experience you’ll love.