How To Set Up Dual Monitors With Pictures

Find your motherboard’s name. Look up your motherboard’s name in a search engine (e. g. , Google). Select a search result that lists your motherboard’s features. Look for a “Multi-Display”, “Multi-Monitor”, or “Dual Display” feature.

VGA: VGA ports are usually blue and rectangular with 15 holes. They usually have screw holes on the side used to secure the VGA cable. VGA is used on old computers. Most newer monitors do not support a VGA connection. However, you can connect a VGA to a newer monitor using an HDMI-to-VGA adapter. DVI: DVI ports are usually white with 24 holes. They also have a slot with 4 additional holes to the right. Like VGA ports, they often have screw holes on the sides to secure the DVI cable. DVI is another legacy video connection that is mostly used on older computers and monitors. It supports a higher resolution than VGA, but it does not support modern HD or 4K displays. Like VGA, most newer monitors do not support DVI, but you can connect a DVI connection to a newer monitor using a DVI-to-HDMI adapter. HDMI: HDMI ports are small and thin, rectangular-shaped ports with the bottom corners rounded inward. Some smaller laptops may use a mini-HDMI or micro-HDMI connection. These ports are about the same shape as a regular HDMI cable, but much smaller. HDMI is the standard for most newer monitors. It is used on most computer monitors and televisions HDMI supports up to 4K resolution as well as high dynamic range color (HDR). While HDMI is the standard, there are different kinds. HDMI 1. 4 can support 4K at 30 frames-per-second (fps) or HD (1080p) at 120 frames-per-second. HDMI 2. 0 can support 4K at 60 frames-per-second. HDMI 2. 1 can support up to 10k and 4K at 120 frames-per-second and higher resolutions. [1] X Research source DisplayPort: DisplayPort output ports are thin and rectangular-shaped with the bottom-right corner cut. Some laptops may use a mini-DisplayPort connection, which is the same shape as a DisplayPort, but smaller. DisplayPort is a newer display connection mostly used with computer monitors rather than televisions. DisplayPort supports AMD’s FreeSync and Nvidia’s G-Sync. DisplayPort 1. 2 can support 4K at 60 frames-per-second. DisplayPort 1. 3 can support 4K at 120 frames-per-second. DisplayPort 1. 4 can support 8K at 60 frames-per-second and HDR. DisplayPort 2. 0 supports up to 16K at 60 frames-per-second. A DisplayPort connection has the ability to support multiple monitors connected together from a single DisplayPort connection. USB-C/Thunderbolt 3: A USB-C port has a small, pill-shaped port. Thunderbolt 3 ports have the same shape as a USB-C port and support a USB-C connection, but they will generally have an icon that resembles a lightning bolt next to them. USB 3. 0 ports generally have a USB Type-A port, which is rectangular-shaped. You can connect a USB 3. 0 port to an HD monitor using a USB-to-HDMI adapter. USB-C outputs can connect to a monitor and display up to 4K at 60 frames-per-second. Thunderbolt 3 connections support even higher display resolutions. However, not all monitors have a USB-C connection. If the monitor does not have a USB-C connection, you can connect it to a computer using a USB-C-to-HDMI or USB-C-to-DisplayPort adapter. [2] X Research source

Some monitors may have a different port-type than what your computer has. Make sure the cable you purchase has connectors that match the ports on the computer and monitor. For example, if your computer has a mini-HDMI port, and your monitor has a regular HDMI port, you will need to get a mini-HDMI-to-HDMI cable.

On some computers that have a USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 port, you may be able to connect multiple monitors to a single port using a USB-C/Thunderbolt dock. Just be aware that some laptops (Macbooks with a single USB-C/Thunderbolt port) may not support multiple displays connected to a single port. [3] X Research source

Extend these displays (recommended) — Uses the second monitor as an extension of your first monitor. Duplicate these displays — Displays the first monitor’s contents on the second monitor. Show only on 1 — Shows content only on the first monitor. Show only on 2 — Shows content only on the second monitor.

If you want to display the same content on both monitors, you can leave the “Mirror Displays” box checked.

Alternatively, you can click the icon that resembles an arrow pointing down (⏷} in the upper-right corner. Then click the icon that resembles tools to open the Settings menu.

If you are using the settings menu, you can click the magnifying glass icon in the upper-left corner to display the search bar.

To get to this option in the Setting menu, click Devices. Then click Displays.

Orientation: For orientation, you can select “Landscape” (widescreen) or “Portrait” (tall screen) facing left or right. Or you can select “Landscape flipped”. Resolution: Select the resolution that best suits your monitors. Older VGA monitors may only be able to support 800 x 600. Older widescreen monitors may support 1920 x 1080 (HD). Newer monitors may be able to support 3840 x 2160 (4K) or higher. Refresh rate: This affects how fast the image refreshes. Most monitors should be able to support 60 Hz (60 Frames-per-second). Some monitors may be able to support 120 Hz (120 frames-per-second) or higher.

If you want to revert back to the old settings, click Revert Settings or wait 20 seconds.