Whether you've bought yourself a 34-inch ultra-wide monitor or a dual 27-inch setup, just so you can see more, you'll find that your main screen is probably still a mess of Slack pings, Spotify playlists, and hardware monitors. This creates major friction, as every time you Alt-Tab to change a song or check your CPU temp, you break your deep work flow.

The reality is, you don't need more monitor space; you actually need separate monitor space. To rectify this issue, you can get yourself a dedicated dashboard, a tiny $20–50 USB-powered screen that lives under your monitor or next to your keyboard. More pixels don't solve distraction; they often provide more room for it. Whereas a tiny dedicated screen creates a peripheral lane for the data that usually clutters your main workflow.

The hardware options

You might be able to recycle old tech

When using a dedicated dashboard, you have multiple options to choose from. When picking the hardware itself, it doesn't always have to be a brand-new screen that you've picked up from Amazon. There are also options which utilize tech that you might already have sitting at home in your junk drawer. The recycled choice, which comes at no cost to you, is using an old phone with an app like Remote System Monitor. If you have an old Android phone sitting about, it provides you with a higher-resolution, touch-capable and free, dedicated dashboard that you can have connected to your PC.

If you don't want another LCD screen staring you in the face, then you can also pick up an E Ink option. These are perfect for high-contrast, zero-distraction data like calendars or to-do lists. It doesn't glow, so it doesn't pull your eyes away from your work, but can still display all of the information that's fundamental to you.

Of course, the plug-and-play choice is a 5-inch USB-C LCD screen. You can get these for as little as $20 from retailers like AliExpress or Amazon. They are dedicated IPS panels that connect via a single USB-C cable (no HDMI needed) and then run custom dashboard software on them. This way, you can use them like a tiny monitor and display whatever you need on them, or you can have them solely as a dashboard so you don't endure any further distractions while you're trying to work.

But what's the benefit?

There are a range of use cases for a tiny screen

But what does this tiny screen actually fix? By offloading specific tasks, you're changing your desk dynamic entirely. You can use it as a communication lane, meaning you can keep Slack or Discord open on the 5-inch screen. So you see the notification without it taking over 20% of your primary display or even overtaking an entire screen in your multiple-monitor screen setup, even for the times you're not using it.

However, for PC builders, you might benefit from having a hardware HUD. Having a live readout of CPU and GPU temps, as well as FPS, on a separate screen is a game-changer for troubleshooting and benchmarking, too.

And of course, another great option is using it as a media center. Dedicating the screen to Spotify, YouTube Music, or whatever other media player you want turns your dead space into a physical, touch-sensitive media deck. This means you don't have to alt-tab anytime you want to skip a song or adjust the volume. For those who want a video or podcast to play in the background, you can do this on your tiny screen so you're not missing the action, but don't get too sucked into the visuals, causing you to be distracted and lose focus.

It also provides you with an aesthetic win if you mount and use the correct cabling. The stealth look is great for those who want a clean and tidy setup. Use a right-angle USB-C cable to hide the wire behind the monitor stand, or you can use a simple 3D-printed stand or even a piece of MagSafe tape on the back of your phone or screen to snap it onto a magnetic desk mount. If you are using your phone, then ensure that you're enabling the always-on hack, switch on the stay awake while charging setting in Android developer options so the screen never turns off while the PC is running. If your phone is constantly plugged in and being charged, be aware of battery bloat; unplug it every so often so it doesn't overheat and cause a fire hazard.

Save your productivity

Keep your screen distraction free

While a 49-inch super ultrawide is impressive, a 5-inch screen dedicated to the boring stuff is what actually makes you more productive. Having a dedicated dashboard makes life so much easier and keeps you in the flow of work without having to alt-tab and become distracted. Sometimes the biggest productivity gains come from the smallest hardware.