Laptop - getting dual monitors set up

Mollymawk

Hi all. I've searched, but not found this addressed elsewhere. If there's another thread covering it, I'm happy to be directed there.

Working from home, decided to set up dual monitors for my laptop, mimicking the office. Assured by the salesman that it would be easy-peasy, I bought two nice new monitors and lots of cables etc. I can't get the two monitors working my laptop.

I only have a single HDMI port on the laptop, and three USBs. I googled the graphics card (Intel (R) UHD Graphics 620) and it should be able to cope with the laptop monitor plus 2 external monitors.

I thought a HDMI splitter would work, but I just got a duplicate image on both screens. Does anyone here know of another type of "splitter" that would allow me to extend to two seperate monitors?

I'm going a bit mad here trying to get this to work. My OH has an older laptop that worked straight off, but he has a seperate HDMI and VGA port.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

Schorpio

Whether it's easy-peasy or not fully depends on what laptop you have.

Does your laptop have usb-c ports? And if it does, is there a little thunderbolt icon next to them? If so, your laptop probably supports additional displays via usb-c, and you'll need a usb-c to hdmi cable. I would check your exact laptop specs to be sure though.

Failing that, you can get a usb3 or usb-c docking station for your laptop, most of which support multiple displays.

Mollymawk

Thanks ffor the quick reply, Schorpio.

Two of the USB ports have "SS" beside them, the other just has the usual USB fork-like connection symbol. So no USB-c.

Docking station might be the best option? Or is it likely to work with a standard USB to HDMI adapter?

km991148

Mollymawk wrote: »

Thanks ffor the quick reply, Schorpio.

Two of the USB ports have "SS" beside them, the other just has the usual USB fork-like connection symbol. So no USB-c.

Docking station might be the best option? Or is it likely to work with a standard USB to HDMI adapter?

SS just means high speed USB.

What laptop is it exactly? If only one HDMI your options are limited. I think you can use USB adaptors but laptop performance might suffer.

Mollymawk

The laptop is a HP 250 G7.
i7 processor
Graphics card: Intel(R) UHD graphics 620

km991148

Mollymawk wrote: »

The laptop is a HP 250 G7.
i7 processor
Graphics card: Intel(R) UHD graphics 620

I wanted to double check that the laptop didn't have in built docking capabilities (It looks like it doesn't).

You need a USB dock or adaptor for one of the monitors. I think they usually have 'display link' or something in their name. The quality won't be as good as native, but you shouldn't notice on a work/email/web browsing machine.

I haven't used them before, but as I understand they will use more resources from your CPU (someone else can correct me here) but the i7 processor in your machine is plenty (just battery life would suffer, but I imagine you will be using it plugged in anyway!).

BailMeOut

Get yourself a docking station. It will plug into your USBC and then you can plug both monitors into the docking station. You can also plug in a keyboard and mouse so your setup works like a traditional PC depending on the model you chose.

you need something like this for the second monitor output through your usb A 3.0 port

as you found out a splitter will only duplicate the one signal coming from hdmi

seems to have kosher reviews on this one

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adapter-Converter-Output-Compatible-Windows-black/dp/B08121Y311/ref=sr_1_20?dchild=1&keywords=usb%2Bto%2Bhdmi&qid=1616927935&sr=8-20&th=1

BailMeOut

BailMeOut wrote: »

Get yourself a docking station. It will plug into your USBC and then you can plug both monitors into the docking station. You can also plug in a keyboard and mouse so your setup works like a traditional PC depending on the model you chose.

there is no usb c on that laptop

km991148

BailMeOut wrote: »

Get yourself a docking station. It will plug into your USBC and then you can plug both monitors into the docking station. You can also plug in a keyboard and mouse so your setup works like a traditional PC depending on the model you chose.

I think it might still be better to run one monitor from the native? I'm not sure tho because it's an on board graphics card. You might need to experiment.

Intel 620 integrated graphics will provide discrete signal out to 2 external monitors

BailMeOut

glasso wrote: »

Intel 620 integrated graphics will provide discrete signal out to 2 external monitors

The laptop has 1 HDMI and 1 VGA so would assume it can drive both these concurrently.

km991148

BailMeOut wrote: »

The laptop has 1 HDMI and 1 VGA so would assume it can drive both these concurrently.

Only has one hdmi and some usb ports.

Mollymawk

I really appreciate the help, guys. Lovely to be able to ske these quetions and get a response.

I just want to update you - I resolved the issue. I have one monitor working via the HDMI port, the other one via a USB 3 to VGA adapter. I had to download the driver for the adapter, but it's all working beautifully now.

Hope this helps somebody else at some point.

daheff

you can connect one screen to the laptop and use it as dual screen (using the laptop screen as the second.

obvs not ideal, and what you want to do, but might get you by until you get the right docking station to do it.

connect the screen by HDMI. Then go to 'Display Settings'

scroll to the bottom and set 'Multiple displays to 'extend these displays.

you will then have your desktop extended across 2 screens.

next to figure out which is screen one/two. Move your mouse cursor as far right as you can go. If it moves between both screens then you are good to go. Otherwise if it stops on the screen edge in the middle, you need to change your screens. At the top of the 'Rearrange your displays' drag/drop screen from left to right. Then try move the cursor between both screens. It should now flow between screens through the middle.

BailMeOut

BailMeOut wrote: »

Get yourself a docking station. It will plug into your USBC and then you can plug both monitors into the docking station. You can also plug in a keyboard and mouse so your setup works like a traditional PC depending on the model you chose.

BailMeOut wrote: »

The laptop has 1 HDMI and 1 VGA so would assume it can drive both these concurrently.

has no usb-c

has no VGA

beauf

I think your options are

USB (A or C depending on port) to HDMI.
USB hub that has a HDMI

You can't use a dock unless you have a docking connector on the bottom of the laptop. Do you, I don't think that model does.