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Exceptional performance demands special tools. The top players of any industry or sector can’t be held back by inadequate equipment. The same holds for traders and their 6 monitor setup. In fact, trading is a fast-paced, high-risk, and too demanding job. No trader wants to be worrying about equipment downtime or any other issues while trying to stay on top of their markets.
Modern trading platforms like Thinkorswim, TradeStation, and NinjaTrader can place significant demands on a computer’s processing power—especially when running multiple charts, custom indicators, and real-time data feeds across several monitors. Standard desktops often struggle under this load, resulting in lag, delayed chart rendering, or even application crashes during critical market moments. To avoid these issues, many traders rely on purpose-built trading computers with high-end CPUs, fast SSDs, and ample RAM. These systems are designed specifically for performance and reliability in fast-paced trading environments.
What do Traders Need from their 6 Monitor Setup?
To know how to transform your trading experience, it’s worth first understanding what to demand from your 6 monitor setup, as listed below:
- Ability to track multiple sources of data and information
- Resolution and real-time data updates
- Speed and reliability
- Multi-focus
Tracking Data and Information
As a trader, you’ll want to keep an eye on many graphs and other sources of information. Your 6 monitor setup allows you to lay out all this information exactly how you want it for your workflow patterns.
Speed, Reliability, and Real-time Data Updates
In the background, you want to make sure that your computer or laptop can keep up with all the data you’re tracking. These days, trading laptops are just as rugged as computers, although there are a few basics to remember.
For real-time data updates, you’ll need a powerful processor, often intel or Mac, combined with a Graphics Processing Unit of around 3GHz. This GPU hardware takes the graphics work away from the core processor so giving it a break. Therefore, your graphs are updated virtually instantly.
For speed and reliability, a good rule of thumb is a RAM of 16GB, although many traders seem happy with 8GB.
Resolution
Resolution is perhaps more of a personal choice. Monitors have LCD screens with several panels commonly available on the market. However, the majority of users, including traders, opt for the lower resolution Twisted Nematic (TN) panels. Even though they are at the lower end of the range, they are more than excellent for regular use, including trading. Many professional gamers even choose this resolution. This is because they work with high refresh rates that would be too much for higher resolution panels.
Multi-Focus
Clearly, traders need to view many charts, tables, and reports at the same time. However, many are now programming algorithms to carry out common trades in the background while working on more complex ones. Consequently, If you’re one of these budding coders, then you might appreciate the extra space a 6 monitor setup gives you.
Transforming your Trading Experience with your 6 Monitor Setup
- Monitor size
- Number of monitors
- Ergonomics
- Shortcuts and Apps
Monitor Size
Many traders wonder about choosing large ultra-wide monitors versus smaller ones. This is one is down to personal preference, though. Moreover, some people might say those ultra-wide monitors are easier on the eyes, but it depends on installing your 6 monitor setup. Also, note that some larger monitors will have flat screens, and others will be curved. This might cause issues if you’re mounting them on stands at home, though.
Number of Monitors
You can transform your trading experience with the number of monitors you use. It’s not just about increasing your workspace, but it’s also about maximizing your workflow. Think about the kind of tables and graphs you like to review and which reports you to follow. How could these then be arranged for quick viewing?
For instance, some traders have a monitor dedicated to Bloomberg. Others also like to arrange their monitors according to market movers or trading time frame. Another neat trick is to set up alarms when your key stocks cross over a particular pricing point. That way, you can be sure that you won’t miss anything.
Ergonomics
It goes without saying that it’s critical that you’re comfortable sitting at your 6 monitor setup. The right chair, desk, mouse, and monitor stands could be the difference between ease and strain. To help you, there are many different types of adjustable desks and chairs available. Monitor stands also come as adaptable, although they are slightly more expensive than fixed ones. In terms of comfort, though, it’s worth the little extra cost.
Shortcuts and Apps
Another significant impact on your comfort and sanity is the shortcuts you use. It’s very easy losing your cursor or getting lost with too many windows when working with multiple screens. Luckily, some great apps, including DisplayFusion, help you create the perfect environment with more shortcuts for your ease of use.
Final Thoughts on a 6 Monitor Setup for Trading
Everyone has a different definition of what a great experience feels like. In general, though, most people agree that comfort and ease of use make a big impact. Therefore, plan your workflow, choose comfortable accessories and reliable equipment. You should then be well on your way to transforming how your daily trading work feels.
You may also like: The 10 Best Trading Computers and Laptops for 2020
