Key Takeaways
- After using a PC with a secondary display, it’s clear that these accessories are an excellent blend of form and function.
- Sub-screens can be added to just about any PC case, showing useful information like frame rates, CPU and GPU usage, and more.
- Costing less than $100 and connecting over HDMI, they’re an accessible way for anyone to level up their PC gaming setup.
One of the best parts of building a custom PC is making it your own, since no two custom-builds will end up exactly the same. There are a lot of ways to make your high-end gaming PC uniquely stand out from the rest, including by picking a stylish PC case, adding RGB components and accessories, and creating a custom cooling system. Those are classic, tried-and-tested options that date back to the early days of PC building. In 2024, there’s a new option, and in many ways it’s better and more uncommon than the others. You can install something known as a sub-screen into your existing PC case, and it’s a secondary display that can display graphics, widgets, performance stats, and much more.
I was exposed to the world of PC case sub-screens while testing the Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM02, which is a tiny gaming computer with an inbuilt 4-inch touchscreen. To put it simply, having a secondary display on your PC is a game-changer. It’s not going to give you more FPS or improve performance, so you’ll need to tame your expectations in that department. However, a sub-screen can provide the best balance of form and function you can get from a PC accessory. It’ll show useful information while looking cool and adding an eye-catching piece to your PC build. The best part? They’re cheap, and easy to set up. You should consider adding one to your next PC build, and you can even throw one into your existing setup if you want.
Related
Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM02 review: A powerful mini PC with a great design
The Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM02 is another mini PC from Ayaneo, and it’s capable of quite a bit more than the first.
Keep tabs on your PC’s performance
Don’t let FPS levels and fan speeds cover up your in-game environment
Let’s start by talking about the functional aspect of a PC case sub-screen. Some users like to see information about their system at a glance through visual overlays that cover up some of their desktop or in-game environments. A great example of this is frames-per-second, because it gives gamers an excellent gauge of how their system is performing while being relatively unobtrusive. With a sub-screen, your live FPS levels are moved away from your main display, and you gain access to a full suite of PC monitoring information. The Ayaneo AM02’s display software includes particularly-useful stats like CPU, GPU, and RAM usage, upload and download speeds, and default performance modes.
There are even more options available when you pair a standalone IPS display panel with a custom PC. Popular PC-monitoring programs, such as AIDA64, have software tools available that will let you design and power a sub-screen layout of your own. Whether you want to see things like in-depth performance data or others like the weather, there are plenty of ways to make the display unique to your needs. Even if the sub-screen trend blows up, everyone will still have different implementations of it. Just like you change your wallpaper and app layout, you can infinitely tweak a PC sub-screen to your liking.
Go a step above RGB
Anyone can have LEDs in their PC case, but a screen is next-level unique
Of course, there are aesthetic benefits to installing a secondary display in your PC case. Accessories and components that only provide style points have been part of PC building for ages, from trinkets and figures hidden behind tempered glass side panels to RGB lightstrips. But the fact of the matter is that RGB lighting isn’t anything new, and everyone has it. Basically every gaming keyboard, gaming laptop, and pre-built PC has some sort of RGB lighting, even at the lowest ends of the PC gaming market. If you want your setup to stand out in 2024, then you’ll need to do better than simple RGB lightstrips and fans.
There is a vast market for weird and unique PC accessories, but secondary displays are some of the best options out there. They are infinitely customizable, and you don’t have to configure them with an all-business collection of numbers and performance stats. There are other options, too, like displaying graphics of your favorite video game characters or playing looped versions of your favorite TV shows and movies. A sub-screen can easily fit into whatever vibe you were already going for in your PC setup, or give you a new avenue for expression.
They’re cheap and easy to setup
Costing under $100 and connecting over HDMI, setup is painless
The best parts about secondary displays are how cheap they are and how easy the setup process really is. You can find a standalone display for under $100, and it can be installed in just about any PC case with the right tools and creativity. Or, you can buy a PC case with a screen pre-installed — like the HYTE Y70 Touch — and save yourself the hassle. There’s also the option of stashing a sub-screen somewhere on your desk, a nearby wall, or any place there’s room. Really, the only thing you need to be sure of is that your sub-screen has an HDMI connection, like the one below. Some are made for the Raspberry Pi and other SBCs, so they won’t be plug-and-play with desktop systems. Aside from that, a secondary display is a cheap and easy way to add a bit of extra flair and customization to your setup.
EDIY 8.8-inch IPS PC sub-screen
PC case sub-screen
This 8.8-inch screen fits into any PC case you’ve got lying around, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty of standalone PC displays that can be integrated with regular cases, and PC cases that feature built-in displays. It’s an easy and unique way to elevate your PC setup without breaking the bank.