🖥️🖥️ Multi-Screen Alignment
Align your dual or triple monitor setup perfectly. Test alignment, color matching, and bezel compensation.
💡 Why This Test?
Multi-monitor alignment ensures lines, content, and colors flow seamlessly across your displays. Misaligned monitors cause eye strain, break immersion in games, and disrupt workflow when dragging windows between screens. Perfect alignment requires matching physical height, angle, color temperature, and brightness.
This test provides edge alignment guides, color matching patterns, and grid overlays to help you physically adjust your monitors and calibrate their settings. Proper multi-screen setup dramatically improves productivity and comfort for extended work sessions.
✅ What You'll Check:
- Vertical alignment (top/bottom edges match across screens)
- Horizontal continuity (lines flow smoothly across bezels)
- Color consistency (brightness and temperature match)
- Physical angle alignment (no tilt or rotation)
- Bezel gap compensation settings
📖 How to Use This Test
- Click "Edge Alignment" to test vertical/horizontal line continuity
- Drag the fullscreen window across monitors or press F11 on each screen
- Look at the red vertical line - it should appear continuous across bezels
- Adjust physical monitor height/angle until lines align perfectly
- Use "Color Matching" mode to compare brightness and temperature
- Adjust each monitor's OSD settings to match colors
- Use "Grid Overlay" to check multiple alignment points simultaneously
💡 Tip: Most alignment issues are physical. Adjust monitor stands first before changing software settings. Match brightness to the dimmest display, then calibrate color temperature to 6500K on all screens. Use monitor arms for precise positioning.
📖 How to Use
Vertical Alignment
Check if your monitors are aligned at the same height. The vertical line should appear continuous across screen edges.
- • Adjust monitor stands to match heights
- • Check for physical tilt
- • Ensure bezels align properly
Horizontal Continuity
Horizontal lines should flow seamlessly across monitors. Check if lines break or shift at bezel edges.
- • Use grid mode to check multiple lines
- • Adjust angle/rotation of monitors
- • Fine-tune in OS display settings
Color Consistency
Different monitors may display colors differently. Use color matching mode to compare.
- • Match brightness levels first
- • Adjust color temperature (warm/cool)
- • Calibrate using monitor OSD
Bezel Compensation
Some GPUs support bezel compensation to hide gaps between monitors in games/apps.
- • Check NVIDIA Surround or AMD Eyefinity settings
- • Measure bezel width for precise compensation
- • Test with fullscreen games
⚠️ Common Multi-Monitor Issues
Height Mismatch
Monitors at different heights cause eye strain.
Fix: Adjust stand height or use monitor arms. Center of screen should be at eye level.
Color Temperature Difference
One monitor looks warmer/cooler than others.
Fix: Adjust color temperature in monitor OSD. Aim for 6500K (D65) standard.
Different Brightness
Monitors have mismatched brightness levels.
Fix: Match brightness to the dimmest monitor. Use hardware calibration tools.
Scaling Mismatch
Different DPI scaling on mixed-resolution monitors.
Fix: Set same scaling on all monitors, or use per-monitor DPI (Windows 10+).
💡 Setup Tips
Physical Placement
- • Place monitors at equal distance from eyes
- • Angle side monitors inward 15-30°
- • Match bezels as closely as possible
- • Use monitor arms for flexibility
OS Configuration
- • Arrange monitors in Display Settings
- • Set primary monitor correctly
- • Match refresh rates if possible
- • Enable GPU-based alignment tools
Calibration
- • Use hardware colorimeter for accuracy
- • Calibrate all monitors to same target
- • Warm up monitors for 30 minutes
- • Recalibrate monthly
🔧 Common Issues & Solutions
🎨 "One monitor looks warmer/cooler than the other" (Color temperature/panel mismatch)
What's happening: Different panel types/manufacturers have different color profiles. IPS vs VA: IPS typically 6500K (D65 neutral white), VA often 7000-7500K (cooler, bluer whites). Same model, different manufacturing batches: ±500K variance common. Panel age: Older monitors shift warm (backlight yellowing), measured 6200K after 3+ years vs 6500K new. Brightness mismatch: 250 nits vs 300 nits looks like color difference - brighter appears cooler/whiter.
Real measurements: Colorimeter (X-Rite i1Display Pro $250, Datacolor SpyderX $170) measures true color temp. Mixed brands worse: Dell UltraSharp (6500K ±50K) vs Samsung Odyssey (7200K ±200K) = visible warm/cool difference. Cheap monitors: No factory calibration, 6000-8000K out of box. Gaming monitors (ASUS ROG, MSI) often ship 6800-7200K for "vibrant" look. Professional monitors (BenQ SW series, EIZO ColorEdge) ship calibrated to 6504K ±50K.
✅ Solution: Match brightness first - set all monitors to same nit level (use OSD brightness %, test with phone light meter app or colorimeter). Adjust color temperature in monitor OSD: Look for "Color Temp" or "White Point" setting, change from "Cool" (7500K) to "Warm" (6500K) or "User/Custom." Fine-tune RGB gains: Reduce blue channel 5-10% on cooler monitor, increase red 5% on cool monitor. Hardware calibration: Use colorimeter + DisplayCAL (free) or manufacturer software, target 6500K D65 for all monitors. Match panel types: Don't mix IPS + VA if color accuracy critical.
📏 "Lines don't align across monitors, window jumps/resizes" (Scaling, resolution, bezel compensation)
What's happening: DPI scaling mismatch: Windows 10/11 per-monitor DPI causes apps to resize when crossing monitors. 1080p 24" (92 PPI, 100% scale) + 1440p 27" (109 PPI, 125% scale) = windows shrink/grow when moved. Physical misalignment: Monitors at different heights - 5mm difference visible as line break. Bezel gap: 10-15mm bezel creates visual disconnect, mouse "jumps" across gap.
Windows Display Settings issues: Monitors positioned wrong in "Identify" layout - Windows thinks left monitor is on right, cursor exits wrong edge. Fractional scaling (125%, 150%): Causes 1-2px misalignment at monitor edges due to rounding errors. Different refresh rates (144Hz + 60Hz): Some apps stutter when window spans both. NVIDIA Surround/AMD Eyefinity: Creates single virtual desktop but requires manual bezel compensation in driver settings (measure bezel width in mm, input as pixel offset).
✅ Solution: Physical: Use monitor arms (VESA mounts) to precision-adjust height/angle - aim for 0-2mm vertical misalignment. Use level or alignment app. Software: Windows Settings → Display → Advanced scaling → 100% on all monitors (avoid 125%/150%). Match resolutions if possible (2x 1440p 27" ideal). Windows 11: Settings → Display → Scale → "Only change text size" instead of scaling everything. GPU settings: NVIDIA Control Panel → Surround → Bezel Correction (measure bezel, input mm). For gaming: Use single monitor or identical monitors. For productivity: Accept slight mismatch or use identical panels.
🎮 "Mouse stutters/judders, video playback choppy on second screen" (Refresh rate conflict)
What's happening: Mixed refresh rates (144Hz gaming + 60Hz secondary) cause Windows Desktop Window Manager (DWM) conflicts. Windows 10 bug: Playing video on 60Hz screen limits entire desktop to 60Hz - 144Hz monitor stutters. Hardware cursor issue: GPU renders cursor at lower refresh rate when hovering lower-Hz monitor. Dragging window across monitors: Compositor switches refresh mid-drag causing visible stutter.
GPU/driver issues: NVIDIA pre-496 drivers: DWM always runs at lowest refresh rate of all monitors. AMD has similar issue with mixed refresh. Fixed in newer drivers but still occurs. G-Sync/FreeSync complications: VRR active on 144Hz monitor but 60Hz fixed on secondary = compositor can't sync both. Watching YouTube/Netflix on 60Hz while gaming on 144Hz: Game may microstutter. Chrome hardware acceleration: Each tab can have different refresh rate causing tearing when dragging.
✅ Solution: Update GPU drivers: NVIDIA 496+ fixes multi-refresh DWM. Windows 11 better than Windows 10 for mixed refresh. Match refresh rates if possible: Overclock 60Hz to 75Hz, or downclock 144Hz to 120Hz for both (reduces incompatibility). Disable G-Sync/FreeSync on secondary monitor (only enable on gaming display). Settings → Display → Advanced → Choose 60Hz or 120Hz for secondary (not 59Hz). Use dedicated GPU for main monitor, integrated graphics for secondary (separate display pipelines). Nuclear option: Disable hardware acceleration in browsers (fixes video playback stutter but increases CPU usage).
💡 "Can't match brightness - one monitor too dim/bright" (Backlight, panel age, settings)
What's happening: Different backlight technologies have different brightness ranges. Budget IPS: 250-300 nits max. Gaming monitors: 350-450 nits. VA panels: 300-400 nits. Panel aging: LED backlight degrades 10-20% brightness over 3-5 years (30,000+ hours). Mixing new + old monitors: New at 300 nits vs old at 240 nits max = can't match. OSD brightness non-linear: 50% brightness ≠ 50% nits. Monitor A at 40% OSD = 150 nits, Monitor B at 40% = 200 nits.
Measurement needed: Without colorimeter, brightness matching is guesswork. Phone light meter apps (lux meter) inaccurate for monitors. Professional tools: X-Rite i1Display Pro measures 0.1-10,000 cd/m² (nits). Target brightness: 120 nits for dark room editing, 200 nits for office with ambient lighting, 250-300 nits for bright rooms. HDR complication: HDR monitors have separate SDR and HDR brightness settings - must match SDR mode across all monitors (HDR typically 400-1000 nits, SDR 200-300 nits).
✅ Solution: Match to dimmest monitor - if one maxes at 240 nits, set others to match using colorimeter. Without colorimeter: Display solid gray (RGB 128,128,128) on all monitors, adjust OSD brightness until they look identical. Use f.lux or Windows Night Light consistently on all monitors (applies same color temp shift). Replace aging monitors if brightness dropped 30%+. For mixed monitor types: Accept slight brightness difference or invest in matching panels. Professional work: Buy 2-3 identical monitors from same batch (reduces variance).
🖥️ "Text too small on 4K, too large on 1080p in dual setup" (PPI mismatch, scaling nightmare)
What's happening: DPI (dots per inch) determines text/UI size. 24" 1080p: 92 PPI, comfortable at 100% scale. 27" 4K: 163 PPI, needs 150-200% scale or text unreadable. Windows per-monitor DPI scaling: Attempts to scale apps independently per monitor but many apps don't support it (Adobe, Chrome, older apps). Result: App window looks correct on one monitor, too small or too large on other when moved.
Specific PPI combos that fail: 1080p 24" (92 PPI) + 1440p 27" (109 PPI) = 18% difference, manageable with 100% both. 1080p 24" + 4K 27" (163 PPI) = 77% difference, requires 100% + 175% scale = app chaos. 1440p 27" (109 PPI) + 4K 32" (138 PPI) = 27% difference, acceptable with 100% + 125% scale. macOS better: Retina scaling "just works" because integer 2x scaling (163 PPI at 2x = looks like 81 PPI). Windows fractional scaling (125%, 150%) uses blurry interpolation.
✅ Solution: Match PPI across monitors: 2x 27" 1440p (109 PPI each), or 2x 24" 1080p (92 PPI each) at 100% scale. If mixing resolutions: Use 4K as main (150% scale), 1080p as secondary (100% scale), keep apps on their "native" monitor. Windows 11 slightly better than 10 for per-monitor scaling. Set scaling in Windows Settings → Display → Scale (per monitor). Avoid 125%/150% if possible - use 100% or 200% only (less blurry). For programming/design: Buy matching high-PPI monitors (27" 4K or 32" 4K at 150% scale gives sharp text with large UI).