Professional Derivatives Trader Needs Six Monitors - how to do it?

TradingTheta · October 2021

I'm a full-time trader....it's what I do for a living.

My current computer has a Gigabyte motherboard Z97X-SLI, an i7 4790k 4.0 Ghz Intel processer, and a GTX 970 video card that runs three 27" ASUS monitors. I'm finding that I would be more productive if I had six monitors. My question to everyone is how best to go about that. I don't want to change computers as all my software is installed and configured the way I want it on the one I have now.

If my goal is to upgrade to 6 monitors, how do I go about it? I was considering two new video cards and six new monitors (and probably a power supply), but I can only buy one card at Micro Center due to their limitations.

What are my options?

(1) A bigger graphics card rather than two smaller ones (probably more than I need as I'm not a gamer) and a get a splitter to run 6 monitors off one card

(2) One graphics card from Micro Center and buy a second matching card from a scalper. If so, what cards should I consider? I display charts on three monitors, my brokerage internet sites on two monitors, and the sixth one will stream financial news (CNBC). This is not nearly as demanding as the gamers and bitcoin miners but I'm not sure how big a card(s) to buy. My GTX 970 card runs this fine on three screens (but of course I can only look at half of the items at a time)

(3) Is there another way that I haven't considered?

Thanks!

magarity · October 2021

So the great thing is that for productivity (as opposed to games) you do NOT need a fancy graphics card at all. This sort of thing you want to do is indeed the purpose in life for the low end cards. I suggest you look at cards with DisplayPort that is capable of doing daisy chain (one monitor plugs into the next monitor and only one plugs into the card, instead of each monitor plugs into the card).

I don't know where you live; my local MC in Denver seems to be out of the cards I have in mind. Go by your local one and ask in the Build Your Own section. Tell them you want either a card with 3 or 4 ports or one that support daisy chaining and that it is for business multi monitor use. A card like that is going to be in the $150-200 range.

They can also set you up with the appropriate monitors.

Professional Derivatives Trader Needs Six Monitors - how to do it?

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