How to set up dual monitors with a Windows laptop | Laptop Mag
How to set up dual monitors with a Windows laptop
Want a big expansive view of your information, websites, games, and apps but tin't afford to splurge on a $1,000+ large 4K screen? There's another way to go big – very big – on a monitor: put together your own dual-monitor brandish.
By mounting a pair of screens on a special stand, you can combine their abilities, creating an ultra-wide display that will non but make your piece of work and play a lot easier, simply volition let you lot stretch out your data. I'll show you how to do it from start to cease, and give you a few tips and tricks along the manner to make the build quicker, easier and feet-free.
Don't be intimidated, this is not a hard project to accomplish and all the tools you lot'll need are included with the stand up. Let's showtime with the parts.
Screen starter
It all starts with the screens. While it's best to go ii displays of the aforementioned model, you don't have to. Today's monitors generally have plenty adjustments for color, brightness and contrast and then y'all can closely lucifer two dissimilar models, making them seem like a single limitless expanse.
For the visuals, I'll be using a pair of Acer CB242Y displays. They sell for almost $140 each, although you can catch them on sale for $100. The screens take 1080p (HD) resolution, a gamer-friendly response rate of one millisecond and very narrow side bezels. This is important because a larger frame would prove up where the two screens meet.
For me, the pair of 23.8-inch screens will yield the equivalent of a 43-inch display with a combined resolution of 3840 x1080. More to the signal, it will be long and narrow enough to comfortably fit v or six open windows.
Stand by me
With its ability to concur the pair of displays securely side by side to each other, the Ergotron Lx Dual Adjacent Arm clamped easily onto my desk. The key is that each arm is articulated and has a 100 millimeter VESA mounting plate for screwing into each screen. The arm's pull-out string tray does a pretty good job of hiding the power and video cables.
The stand allows each screen to exist tilted or moved up or down so they meld into one continuous panel. The $300 stand can be ordered in silver or black, but in that location are cheaper alternatives. In addition to the LX, Ergotron makes a $275 Sixty Desk Dual Direct Arm.
Connect and conquer
There are two means to connect my HP EliteBook G4 1040 to a pair of screens:
- If your computer'south graphics can handle information technology, the easiest method is to connect them direct to the laptop. For me, this means using its HDMI port and cable for one screen and a Plugable USB-C adapter cable for the other.
- Another method relies on an external graphics adapter, similar Startech's $seventy MSTCDP122HD; it creates two HDMI streams out of a USB-C connection.
While this build uses a notebook, it might be easier with a desktop computer. That's because many belfry systems take ii video outputs, like an HDMI along with a DVI or VGA port.
Putting it all together
Now that we have all the parts ready to go, allow'southward put it together. I advise starting with the stand up, then adding the displays and finally, plugging it all in.
ane. My first step is to clamp the stand to the desk-bound. I'm using a thin piece of wood to protect the desk's surface.
ii. Next, I put the arm onto the base of operations and got the first brandish ready.
3. So, I screwed the mounting plate to the back of the display using the included thumbscrews.
4. In one case set, I put the display on the stand's arm.
5. I finished by hiding the cables in the arm's cord tray and pressing in the covers that hide the screw holes.
half dozen. Repeat steps 2 through five with the second screen. The displays should look like a pair of wings.
7. Turn the computer on and plug an HDMI cablevision into the notebook'south port and the first display, followed by plugging the USB C-to-HDMI-adapter cable into the computer and 2nd brandish.
8. In that location's another style: I plug both screens into the Startech MSTCDP122HD with HDMI cables then plug information technology into the USB-C port of the host notebook.
9. Either manner, the calculator'southward Display Settings section now shows both screens. Click on Place and the screens should display a "ane/2" (for the host notebook and the left screen), and a "3" (for the right screen).
10. If they don't match up with what'south on the figurer'due south display, reverse the cables. Finish by changing the Multiple Displays to Indistinguishable.
eleven. I want to use the notebook with its lid shut, so I go to the Avant-garde Settings department of the Power & Sleep category and set the organization to not turn off when I shut the lid.
12. I stop upwardly by connecting the wireless transmitter for the wireless keyboard and mouse.
It's a good idea to practise some tweaking. Start past adjusting the summit and angle of the screens to make them match. Then, fix the distance from your chair to roughly two anxiety. You take 2 major layout choices: apartment or angled. The sometime provides a long, narrow view of your apps and data, only you might need to refocus your eyes to encounter the extremities. The latter allows my head to exist in the middle of the activity, surrounded by 2 screens. I advise setting them at roughly a 150-degree angle, which is a prissy compromise.
When I'1000 happy with the layout, I tighten the stand's screws with the included hex cardinal.
Relax and relish the show
Now that it's all done, I love the broad expansive view of my digital earth. This project was well worth the time, effort and cost. All told, it's not but bigger but better than a 42-inch display because, for me, the long narrow 3820 x 1080 resolution provides plenty of room to piece of work with 5 or 6 horizontal windows. At a little more than than $600 and 45 minutes of my time, the dual-brandish has transformed my desk and online life.
I ofttimes utilize it to play a game of Crusader Kings, while I try to practice some piece of work using Word, Excel and a browser window or two. It all fits without feeling crowded, making everything a lot easier.
This project worked so well that information technology's got me thinking that two displays might not be enough. How does four screens sound?
Beak of Materials
| 1. Ergotron LX Dual Side-by-Side Arm | $300 |
| ii. Pair of Acer CB242Y displays | $220 |
| 3. Startech MSTCDP122HD | $lxx |
| four. Cables and adapters | $thirty |
| Total | $620 |
Amount of fourth dimension required: 45 minutes
Source: https://www.laptopmag.com/how-to/how-to-set-up-the-multiple-monitor-solution
Posted by: blevinswheely.blogspot.com
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