How to Connect Laptop with Two Monitors?

Sunny10 on 18/12/2022 - 17:37
Last edited 18/12/2022 - 18:18 by 1 other user

Hello Members

I need your help. I am trying to setup my work station at home and have bought two monitors. My laptop has only one HDMI slot and 2 USB slots.

I am not sure what things do I need to connect my laptop with monitors? I have to open different applications so need both screens so that I can easily open what I want on one and different on another.

I went to JB Hi-Fi and OW and asked there but info provided were different and now I am confused.

Could you please tell me whether I need a splitter and 2 HDMI cables or something else also?

Note: My both monitors have HDMI PORTS

Thank you

Computing Computer Laptop Lenovo

Comments

  • CodeXD on 18/12/2022 - 17:42
    +1

    What laptop make and model do you have?

    If it has usb c alt mode, then you can get a usb c hub to connect the 2 monitors to your laptop.

  • Sunny10 on 18/12/2022 - 17:47

    Ideapar L 340

  • bweiss on 18/12/2022 - 18:18

    Do your monitors have anything other than HDMI?

    I suspect that you'll be able to hook up one monitor with straight HDMI from the laptop, the other one you probably need to use something like a dock, or a USB-C HDMI adapter.
    Like this: https://www.amazon.com.au/CableCreation-Thunderbolt-compatib…

    Some higher end monitors can support USB-C directly. But you mention your monitors only have HDMI.
    Your other choice would be a dock/adapter that supports multiple monitors, like: https://www.amazon.com.au/Docking-Station-NOVOO-Multiport-Et…

    • Sunny10 on 18/12/2022 - 18:34

      Yes HDMI slot, USB slot and slot for VGA cable, Diplay Port, DVI-D

      • avoidfullprice on 18/12/2022 - 18:47

        What’s yours monitor model?

        • Sunny10 on 18/12/2022 - 19:00

          Dell P2210 with speakers

  • pjetson on 18/12/2022 - 18:20
    +3

    A splitter will not work because it just displays the same thing on both monitors, and that's not what you want.

    The only thing you can do is connect one monitor to the laptop's HDMI port, and then buy a Microsoft Wireless Display adaptor to connect the other monitor.

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/d/microsoft-wireless-display…

    You can probably get it for about $20 cheaper than the Microsoft price with a few minutes of googling.

  • TEER3X on 18/12/2022 - 18:44
    -3

    Why does your laptop have 2 monitors?

    Day trading?

    • bweiss on 19/12/2022 - 11:14

      When I'm working from home, I have three extra monitors hooked up to my laptop (through my USB-C dock). I can add another through HDMI (but it's a hassle and I don't).
      There is a quad monitor dock out there that I've been looking at, but it's a bit expensive still (~AUD$500).

      It's convenient having a dedicated monitor for emails, another for the webs, then others for various specific work tasks (PLCs, SCADA, HMIs, Excel are my main-stays).

  • cashless on 18/12/2022 - 18:56

    I have two monitors for WFH set up with my laptop. One plugged into HDMI slot, one plugged into USB C slot. Bit of fiddling with the resolution to get them both the same & I have perfectly functioning twin monitors with no need for hub.
    Also lucky enough that the laptop has a spare USB C & USB A slot, so can connect peripherals & charge

    • Sunny10 on 18/12/2022 - 19:01

      How did you work this out? What things do you need? I have a 2 usb slot too in my laptop and one HDMI

      • cashless on 19/12/2022 - 09:15

        I have one HDMI-HDMI lead plugged into one monitor. In the other I go from USB C to DisplayPort.
        Windows detects both external displays.
        I have maximum resolution (allowed by windows settings) running on both side by side monitors (1920 x 1080).
        Also run the laptop screen as a 3rd monitor.
        Works well.

  • altomic on 18/12/2022 - 19:48
    +1

    A week ago I bought&received the Targus Universal Port Replicator Docking Station HDMI ACP70AU ACP70 second hand off ebay for ~$15 delivered.

    Input via usb from laptop. Connected two monitors - 1 via hdmi, 1 via vga.

    Was straight plug n play

    • Sunny10 on 18/12/2022 - 19:58

      Any link? I have to open different applications on both monitors so will that work? Trying to understand what I have to connect with that docking station? Appreciate

      • altomic on 18/12/2022 - 20:56

        My phone is crap so can't post link . Search on ebay for ACP70AU. It's the one with a BIN of $12 & postage $15.90. There are 4 available. Listed as for parts as not tested, but pulled from a working environment.

        Diff apps will work on diff screens.

        From laptop to box - USB cable . PSU plugs into box. Then vga cable to monitor 1, Hdmi cable to monitor 3.

        For me it was a straight foward connect everything up and it worked. Then from control panel you change monitor settings as needed.

        Oh yeah, it makes laptop screen one of the monitors. So you you end up with 3 screens ( if you want) you can turn off the laptop screen if wanted via control panel.

        I asked your same question a couple of months ago as my daughter wanted multi screens for school. Buying the ACP70AU box did it perfectly and super cheaply

  • RM on 18/12/2022 - 20:27

    I had the same issue… After trying multiple cheap splitter options ( nothing worked), we alwere suggested Targus Travel Dock.

    This worked..

    https://www.centrecom.com.au/targus-usb-30-usb-c-dual-travel…

  • dcep on 18/12/2022 - 20:43

    https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo-IdeaPad-1xx-3xx-5xx-7xx-…

    This guy got it working.

  • scrimshaw on 18/12/2022 - 20:51
    +2

    Your USB-C port needs to support USB Alt-Mode. BenQ has a page explaining this feature and it tells you how to identify if this feature exists on your computer

    https://www.benq.com/en-us/knowledge-center/knowledge/usb-c-…

    Going by the user's manual it appears your laptop does not support DisplayPort over USB-C, meaning there is no video output on that USB-C port. you may have to buy a DisplayLink dock or adapter instead — In essence the adaptor acts like a external GPU that takes the data from the USB port and then turns it into an HDMI signal. Usually this is done through drivers and adaptors that come from a company called DisplayLink.

    These have a major caveat though

    • Your CPU will now be doing work that the GPU normally does. This can cause your laptop to run a little warm and the laptop's fan to be constantly on to keep it cool.

    • CPU utilisation, since it's half-busy with compressing an image and pushing it out to the USB port to be processed by the Displaylink chip, you're basically sacrificing a little bit of CPU performance..

    • Each update on the external display will require a CPU cycle so this means gaming and watching video on that external display is going to tax your processor heavily.

  • Seraphin7 on 19/12/2022 - 08:48

    You need a docking station with two monitor output. This will run off your USB slot. I'm using that exact set up right now.

  • Soundwave on 19/12/2022 - 10:08

    You just need a dual screen dock. Make sure it has 2 x HDMI outputs. Plug Monitors into dock and plug the dock into the laptop via USB and you will be all good. May have to install display drivers but you should be fine. Then once set up you may have to go into Display Settings to swap your screens around so you can move your mouse left to right. Also, you can use your laptop screen as a third screen or go into your Power Settings and set the Close Lid option to Do Nothing. So you can close the laptop screen and just work off your two monitors.

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