HOW TO CONNECT TWO MONITORS TO A LAPTOP HDMI

HOW TO CONNECT TWO MONITORS TO A LAPTOP HDMI

Multiple monitors are all the rage these days, and I am part of it. After all, multiple monitor setups can be quite useful for many situations. Most of us do use it for recreational purposes, gaming basically.


That aside, though, it can boost your productivity by many folds as well. As you plan to connect two monitors with your laptop, you can easily place your external monitors using a monitor stand without consuming more space and easy visibility. However, sometimes we are in a situation where we only have a single HDMI port on our PC or laptop.

two monitors - HOW TO CONNECT TWO MONITORS TO A LAPTOP HDMI

TWO MONITORS CONNECTED USING MONITOR STAND TO LAPTOP USING HDMI

So, if you are in this situation, you might be wondering how to connect two monitors to a laptop hdmi. Well, let me try and answer that question. For the most part, your PC or Laptop only has a single HDMI port. If you want to attach multiple monitors, you are going to need multiple HDMI ports. So, what you can do is get yourself an adapter and required HDMI cables.

These are often called switch splitters or display splitters. If you want even more ports, as these splitters only usually have 2 ports, you should consider getting yourself a docking station. A docking station will give you the most bank of your buck and more ports.

How to connect 2 monitors to a laptop:

So, technically speaking, you are going to have 3 screens in total after you connect 2 additional ones as the screen on your laptop is, well, a screen. The additional monitors will be the 2nd and 3rd monitors.

Before you go out and buy yourself a splitter or a docking station, you must make sure that your laptop allows multiple displays. Most laptops nowadays are capable of handling an additional monitor. 

display multiple monitor -HOW TO CONNECT TWO MONITORS TO A LAPTOP HDMI

However, you must check if yours allow two additional monitors. This will depend somewhat on your Windows OS, drivers, and graphic cards. Here is how you can check if your laptop is compatible with multiple screens:

  • Step 1: If you have Windows 7 or plus, you are in the clear.
  • Step 2: You need to check the Graphics Card. Go to the manufacturer’s website and check the properties of your graphic card there. You will find a section wherein it will be specified if your graphics is compatible with multiple monitors.

Once all of that is done, and you have all the cables and know that your laptop is capable of handling multiple monitors, it is time to get to work.

Connecting 2 monitors to your laptop

During this process, you can keep your laptop turned on as Windows will recognize the new monitors as you plug them in.

connect monitors - HOW TO CONNECT TWO MONITORS TO A LAPTOP HDMI
  • Step 1: Plug the cable of the first external monitor into the correct port. Now, this part will vary as you might be using a VGA cable and using the VGA port for one monitor and the HDMI port for the other. Since, for the sake of this, we are focusing on HDMI. I am assuming that you are either using a HDMI splitter or use laptop a docking station. To plug the first monitor in.

  • Step 2: Now, plug the external monitor into the 2nd HDMI port provided by the splitter or docking station. You have to repeat what you did above.
  • Step 3: Almost there! Now, what you need to do is configure your PC/laptop. Right-click on Desktop and go to Display Settings. On Windows 10, it is pretty direct; it says “Display Settings,” but on Windows 8/7, it is “Screen Resolution,” wherein you will find the display settings.
  • Step 4: In display mode, you will see 3 displays now. 1, 2, and 3. Display number 1 is your laptop’s standard display, while 2 and 3 are the additional monitors.
  • Step 5: You will have 2 main options now. Duplicate the display and Extend the display. Click upon display number 2 and select Extend desktop to this display in Multiple displays and then click on Apply to, well, apply the settings.
  • Step 6: You are going the repeat the process for display number 3 as well. Then, simply press OK, and you are set!

You can now rearrange the display via click and drag, change the display resolution, orientation, and the size of the items according to whatever your preference is. 

Troubleshooting the monitors

On the off chance, the displays aren’t working properly. You need to do the following.

  • Check that all the cables are plugged in correctly
  • Check for defective monitors and cables

If these do not work, then your graphic card may not work to its potential. You need to update the drivers manually or automatically.

Conclusion

This article was written to provide an answer to the question how to connect two monitors to a laptop HDMI. It is fairly easy to do; all you really need is some cables and a splitter/docking station. Provided your graphics card supports multiple displays, of course. I hope this article helped you!

Author

Hello, Myself is Antonio. I’m a full-time blogger, Interested in accessories like the camera and other tech accessories. In my meantime, I enjoy writing about it. On my self-testing, I shared many reviews on the tools and gadgets I used. My blog helps you to get your ideal products or accessories at the best quality.

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