How To Connect Two Monitors to a Laptop

Connecting monitors to your laptop is an excellent idea. It is one of the best decisions you can make, to perform multiple tasks simultaneously. Call it a way of multitasking and saving time.

That being said, how do you connect two external monitors to your laptop?

First, you have to check for a few things before you begin connecting. This is the compatibility test/check. You have to make sure that your laptop supports multiple monitors before starting the process.

Operating System

If your laptop operates with Windows XP/7/8/10, then you are good to check for the next requirement.

Graphics Card

Every graphics card has a minimum of two outputs. You could check if your graphics card supports two or more monitors. To do this, go to the manufacturer’s website, search for your graphics card, and see the specifications to know if your graphics card supports two monitors.

Available Ports

The following requirement to look out for is the ports on your laptop. Your laptop should have any of the following ports:

• DP – Display Port
• DVI – Digital Video Interface
• VGA – Video Graphics Array
• HDMI – High-Definition Multimedia Interface

The ports can be found on the side of your laptop or at the back of your device. You should check the monitors you want to connect for the same ports. If there are no corresponding ports, you will have to buy a DVI to HDMI adapter to fill in.

What to if There Are Not Enough Ports on Your Laptop

There are other options if your laptop ports are different from the monitor cables or if aren’t enough ports available.

Display Splitter

If there is just one HDMI port on your laptop and you need two, you can use a display splitter to provide extra HDMI ports.

Docking Station

This could also come in handy for different functions.

How To Connect Two Monitors to Your Laptop

Now that you have completed the compatibility test, you can proceed to connect your monitors to your laptop.

Follow these steps using VGA and HDMI:

1. Connect your first monitor’s cable to your laptop’s video port. In other words, the VGA cable of your first monitor should be connected to the corresponding port on your laptop.
2. Connect your second monitor’s cable to the other port on your laptop. The HDMI cable of your second monitor goes into the corresponding port on your laptop.
3. Move the cursor to the empty area on your laptop’s desktop and right-click on your mouse or touchpad.
4. For Windows 10 operating system, select “Display settings.” For Windows 7/8 operating system, select “Screen resolution.”
5. There should be three labels in the “Display mode,” the first one for your laptop and the other two for the monitors you connected.
6. Select the second display labeled “Display 2.” In the “Multiple displays,” click “Extend desktop to this display” and tap “Apply.”
7. Select the third display labeled “Display 3.” In the “Multiple displays,” click “Extend desktop to this display” and tap “Apply.”
8. Lastly, you can duplicate your applications from your laptop to the monitors by selecting “duplicate desktop” in the “multiple display” menu. This way, all three screens will show the same program.
9. Select “Ok” to complete your settings, and now you can use your external monitors and laptop.

Connecting two monitors to a laptop is very easy if you ensure that you have all the requirements and follow every step accordingly. Enjoy your multiple displays while you complete tasks and save time!

Frequently Asked Questions