PC power supplies haven't seen a whole lot of change in the last decade or two. We've gotten modular cables for easier routing, smaller standards for itty-bitty builds, and that's about it. But today Intel has finalized the ATX 3.0 standard, coming soon to a full-sized PC case near you. The biggest addition announced today is a new standardized connection for graphics cards and other PCIe devices, delivering up to 600 watts on a single connector.

Currently graphics cards are in a bit of a power pinch. The maximum throughput for an 8-pin ATX rail is 150 watts, so the biggest and most power-hungry GPUs need to double or even triple up, adding extra space requirements and more complex cable routing inside the case. The new 12-pin 12VHPWR connection should be able to deliver more energy than even the most powerful graphics cards need for the next generation or two. Each pin housing is also physically smaller, with a 3.0mm pitch versus 4.2mm on current power supply rails.

Technically it's 16 total pins (12+4), with four additional data pins squeezed in beneath the primary power pins. This is to manage DC output voltage regulation and a series of new tools designed to regulate high power output efficiently and safely, all handled intelligently by the power supply. According to Intel, the new 12VHPWR connection will be the standard for “most, if not all” PCIe cards using the 5.0 spec.

Some of Nvidia's 30-series Founders Edition cards use a “dumb” version of this connection, with 12 primary power pins but lacking the four additional pins. Nvidia includes adapters in the box for double-8-pin power supply rails to more easily conform with current PSUs, but that 12-pin connection should be forward-compatible with the new 12VHPWR rails. They'll be limited to 450 watts without the extra data pins for power regulation.

ATX 3.0-compliant power supplies and pre-built systems are scheduled to hit the market later in 2022. Based on everything we've seen thus far, the next generation of power supplies should be physically compatible with all ATX-standard PC cases, though you may need adapters for pre-ATX12VO motherboards and SATA components. There have been rumors that at least some vendor versions of the forthcoming GeForce RTX 3090 Ti graphics card will feature the new 12+4-pin 12VHPWR connection, but there's no official word.

The market for advanced, customizable mechanical keyboards is heating up. Formerly the domain of small-batch, super-expensive designs or homebuilt one-offs, you can now find mod-friendly keyboards on Best Buy shelves. NZXT is known for cases, fans, and motherboards, not input devices, but the company is throwing its hat in the ring with the new Function series mechanical keyboards. If you've been looking for a quality keyboard with a lot of options for upgrades and programming, without breaking the bank, it's definitely worth your attention.

NZXT offers the Function in full-sized, tenkeyless, and “mini-TKL” sizes, and they sent us the latter for review. And we're glad they did. It's broadly following the midsize trend of popular keyboards like the GMMK Pro or the Keychron Q1, but its intelligent layout uses all-standard keycap sizes. That means that if you want to upgrade to a fancy novelty set, you don't have to hunt for a smaller left Shift key.

Michael Crider/IDG

Despite the compact size and layout, the mini-TKL features a scroll wheel (programmed to volume by default), dedicated keys for mute, “game mode” (Windows key disabled), and lighting levels. It's also got a smart position for most of the other stuff: function-level playback controls are in the upper-right corner, while the crucial “delete” key is placed exactly where your muscle memory expects it to be on a larger board. It's an incredibly efficient package. The hot-swap switch bays should be compatible with all standard Cherry-style switches.

Michael Crider/IDG

The Function includes the usual bells and whistles: RGB lighting, layout and macro programming (via NZXT's CAM program, not an open-source option), and fold-out feet for a high profile feel. While the case is plastic, it feels high-quality and solid, though I'm not a fan of the weirdly off-center placement for the USB-C port and detachable cable. The package comes with everything you need to start tweaking: keycap puller, switch puller, and a few spares. Despite the clear intention that the user replace them, the bundled keycaps are quite good. They're doubleshot PBTs with alternate colored keys, though they don't feature shine-through, so the RGB lighting is entirely decorative.

Michael Crider/IDG

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Function is its dedication to user choice right at the point of purchase. In addition to the three different sizes and layouts, NZXT will sell the keyboard in three different base colors (black, white, grey) and both ANSI and ISO layouts. On top of that, you get an impressive collection of switches from Gateron: clicky Blue, tactile Brown, linear Red, plus two “premium” options for Aliaz tactile and Black Ink linear silent switches. (“Silent” by mechanical keyboard standards, which means they're about as soft as a laptop keyboard.) Those are rather pricey upgrades, starting at $70 for the smallest board. Naturally, said switches can be swapped out at any time.

All this can be chosen via NZXT's online configurator, which will let you listen to the different switches and choose some fun add-ons, like more accented keycaps or a different braided cable. It's an impressive way for newbies to jump into the custom mechanical keyboard space.

NZXT

The NZXT Function full-sized, tenkeyless, and mini-TKL keyboards are shipping today, for $150, $130, and $120, respectively, before additional options. We'll have a full review of the keyboard soon.

By now, a dual-monitor setup has become commonplace. Multitasking on a single screen is just way too confining. But why stop at two displays?  I can speak from experience: Having multiple monitors (and I'm talking three, four, five, or even six) is just…awesome, and something you totally need in your life.

Right now, my main PC has a triple-monitor setup: my main 27-inch central monitor, with a 24-inch monitor on either side. I use my extra monitors for a number of things, such as comparing spreadsheets side-by-side, writing articles while also doing research, keeping tabs on my social media feeds, and, of course, watching Netflix.

Using one of your monitors in vertical orientation can make a big difference for scrolling long documents. If you're a gamer, well, surely you can see how great three-plus monitors can be for games that support multi-monitor setups. You can even use your TV as an extra computer monitor!

But before you jump in, you want to give your multi-monitor plan some forethought. This guide will walk you through all the factors you need to take into account before setting up three or more monitors.

Step 1: Check your graphics card(s)

Before you run out and buy a bunch of extra monitors, check to see whether your computer is physically capable of handling all that graphics prowess. First, look at the back of your PC: How many graphics ports (DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, and VGA) do you see?

If you don't have a discrete graphics card, you may only see two video ports—most motherboards come with integrated graphics that can only run dual-monitor setups. If you do have a discrete graphics card, you'll probably see at least three ports, not including the ports on your motherboard.

Tip: While it is possible to set up multiple monitors using ports on both your motherboard and your discrete graphics card, you'll see a performance drop and some lag when you move windows between monitors. If you want to do this, you will also need to enter your PC's BIOS and go to Configuration > Video > Integrated graphics device and set it to “Always enable.”

Just because you see three or more ports on your discrete graphics card, however, doesn't necessarily mean you can use all of them at the same time. For example, many older Nvidia cards are unable to run more than two monitors on a single card, even if they have more than two ports. The best way to find out whether your graphics card supports multiple monitors is to find the name of your card (Control Panel > Device Manager > Display Adapters) and Google it with the monitor setup you're looking to run (e.g. “Nvidia GTX 1660 four monitors”).

If your graphics card supports—and has enough ports for—the number of monitors you want to set up, excellent. If not, you may need to purchase an additional graphics card to get the multi-monitor support you're looking for.

Before you buy an extra graphics card, you'll need to make sure you have enough space in your tower (and open PCIe slots), as well as a power supply unit that can handle the extra strain.

If you buy a graphics card solely for the purpose of having multiple monitors, it's best to get a cheaper modern option, as current GPUs can power several displays without issue. Check out the best budget graphics card section of our GPU guide for your best options.

Alternatively, monitors with DisplayPort multi-streaming support can be daisy-chained together from a single DisplayPort connection on your graphics card, using additional DisplayPort cables to connect the additional monitors to one another. The various displays don't even need to be the same size or resolution. ViewSonic's VP2468 is one such example. At around $330 on Amazon, this 24-inch monitor is on the pricier side, but in addition to DisplayPort-out, it also offers a premium IPS screen, and a super-thin bezel, which is ideal for multi-monitor setups.  

mentioned in this article

ViewSonic VP2468 24″ Frameless IPS

Best Prices Today: $327.99 at Amazon | $336.11 at Newegg

Step 2: Select your monitors

Once you figure out your graphics card situation, it's time for the fun part: obtaining extra monitors. In general, monitors can be had for fairly cheap these days. Assuming you can't finagle a hand-me-down, a 24-inch monitor with an IPS screen will run you around $150, such as the Acer R240HY. You can get a 24-inch TN screen, which will likely trade strong off-axis viewing for a lower response time—something gamers might prefer—for roughly the same money, such as the Asus VS248H-P ($160 on Amazon). You can also find smaller IPS monitors at around 21.5 inches, such with this HP Pavilion IPS display, for.   

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HP Pavilion 21.5″ IPS Monitor

MSRP: $119.99

Best Prices Today: $134.99 at Amazon

Meanwhile, it you're looking for even more screen real estate, you can find a decent 27-inch IPS screen for just a little over $200, such as the $210 ViewSonic VA2759-SMH. 

Of course, the perfect monitor for you depends on multiple factors, including the monitors you already have, the size of your desk, and what you're planning on using your extra monitor for. (Of course, resolution is yet another variable, and you can see our article about 1080p vs. 4K monitors to help you make a decision in that area as well.)

Mentioned in this article

Acer R240HY 23.8″ monitor

MSRP: $179.99

Best Prices Today: $149.99 at Amazon

In my case, I already had two 24-inch monitors, and I wanted a larger monitor as the centerpiece of my setup, so I picked up a 27-inch monitor and placed it between my two 24-inch displays. I'm not using my multi-monitor setup to play multi-monitor games, so the difference in sizes (and the difference in heights—my 27-inch monitor's stand holds that monitor about one inch higher than my 24-inchers) isn't an issue for me. However, if you're planning on doing a lot of gaming or watching videos that span multiple monitors, this height difference will make for a not-so-seamless experience.

Mentioned in this article

ViewSonic VA2759-SMH 27″ IPS Monitor

MSRP: $262.00

Best Prices Today: $230.99 at Amazon

Before you buy your monitors, you'll also want to make sure they have input ports that correspond with your PC's output ports. While you could use conversion cables, such as DVI-to-HDMI or DisplayPort-to-DVI, they can be a hassle. If you have a VGA port on your PC or your monitor, I suggest staying away from it: VGA is an analog connector, which means your picture will be noticeably less sharp and colors will be less vivid.

Step 3: Set up your PC

Set up your monitors, plug them in, and turn on your PC. Voila! A perfectly formed multi-monitor setup! Well, not so fast. Setup is easy, but there are still a couple more steps.

The first thing you'll want to do is configure Windows to play nicely with your multiple monitors. If you're running Windows 7 or Windows 8, right-click on the desktop and click Screen resolution; in Windows 10, click Display settings. This will take you to a screen where you can configure the options you have for multiple monitors in Windows.

Here, you can confirm that all your monitors are detected. Click Identify, which will cause a large number to appear on each of your displays, so you can determine which screen is which. Select the monitor you'd like to serve as your main display (which will also determine where your taskbar and Start button appears). A drop-down menu lets you choose whether to duplicate your desktop or extend your desktop across all the screens. In most multi-monitor setups, you'll want to extend your desktop across all three (or four, or whatever) of your displays.

Alternately, you can set up your multi-monitor configuration in your GPU's control panel. Right-click your desktop and choose either the Nvidia or AMD control panel (depending on your graphics card), and find the Display section, which will offer similar options as Windows.

Gaming

It's one thing to use multiple monitors to do work and watch Netflix. It's another thing entirely to use multiple monitors to play video games. If you want to use your snazzy new multi-monitor setup to do some three- or four-panel gaming, there are a few extra things you'll have to take into consideration.

Gaming on several displays at once requires far more graphical firepower than gaming on a single screen alone, because the GPU has so many more pixels to push—so if you're not running a sufficiently robust graphics card or cards, you'll almost certainly see lag and artifacting in your multi-monitor games. Once again, check out PCWorld's guide for choosing the best graphics card for gaming.

Before you can start playing your games across multiple panels, you'll need to set up your graphics card and your game. Nvidia users will need to set up Nvidia Surround, while AMD users will need to create an Eyefinity group for their monitors.

You'll also need to go into your game—not all games are multi-monitor compatible—and configure the video or display settings to the correct resolution so that the game spans across all of your monitors instead of staying squished on just one. You'll also want to play around with other settings as the game allows, including field of view (too low, and there will be too much going on around you; too high and everything on your left and right screens will be hugely distorted).

For gaming, it's easier if you have multiple identical displays, because otherwise you'll run into issues with resolution, distortion (if your displays aren't at the same height), and color calibration, all of which can be difficult to work with if you're trying to play in a “seamless” environment.

If working with multiple displays seems like more trouble than you want to bother with for gaming, maybe you'd be better off with a single ultrawide monitor. Check out our article on the pros and cons of dual displays versus a single ultrawide.