Set Up Dual Monitors
Having a dual monitor setup provides more screen space. This can be very useful for increasing productivity. Two monitors can be configured to either show the same image or give you a much larger desktop. Follow this wikiHow to get your monitors set up right the first time.
Steps
Windows
- Check your ports. You will need two video out connections on the back of your computer, one for each monitor. There are 4 main types of connections, listed from oldest to newest: VGA, DVI, HDMI and Display Port. For best results, use two of the same connectors for your dual monitor setup.
- Monitors are typically connected to either the motherboard or the graphics card. Most graphics cards support two or more monitor connections, while most motherboards support one and sometimes two.
- If you have a monitor with a VGA cable, and your port is DVI, you can purchase an adapter that will attach to your VGA connecter and allow you to hook it up to a DVI port.
- The ability to set up dual monitors depends on the power of your graphics card and CPU. Running a second monitor puts more strain on your system. A more powerful graphics card means the display has more pixels, which makes a dual setup possible.
- Attach the second monitor to the open port on your computer. In most cases Windows will automatically detect the new monitor. If it doesn’t, restart the computer.
- If you want to connect a second monitor and there is only one port on your motherboard or graphics card, you will need to install a new graphics card in order to attach the second monitor.
- The monitor does not need to be the same manufacturer or size. For easiest viewing, use two monitors that are the same size so that your desktop stays uniform.
- Follow the monitor setup wizard. In most cases, this will start automatically when a new monitor is plugged in. You will be given options to either mirror or extend your desktop.
- Mirroring duplicates what is shown on your primary monitor. This is most useful for giving presentations, where your laptop may be connected to a projector or TV.
- Extending makes the second monitor another screen for your desktop. This will allow you to drag windows and icons onto the second monitor, giving you more room to multitask.
- You can also set the second monitor as your primary desktop monitor. This is useful if you attach a monitor to a laptop and want to use it instead of your laptop's display.
- Setup the monitor manually. If the monitor wizard does not automatically start, or you want to change the settings yourself, you can use the Display Settings tool.
- Right-click the desktop, and select Properties or Personalize. Select Display Settings from the list of preferences.
- You should see icons with numbers representing your attached monitors. If one is disabled, it will be grayed out.
- Select the second monitor and choose to either extend your desktop or mirror your desktop.
- Your options may be dependent on the graphics card that you have installed. You may need to make these changes from within your nVidia or ATI control panels. If you have these installed, they can be found in your Start menu.
Mac OS X
- Connect your second monitor. Your Mac must have available video connectors to attach a second monitor. Each display will need its own video cable. There are several types of connectors that you may come across, depending on the age of your Mac:
- VGA - This is the older analog standard, and almost all monitors support being connected via VGA cables.
- DVI - This is a step up from VGA in quality, but is being replaced by HDMI and DisplayPort. A very small number of MacBooks use Mini-DVI, which requires an adapter to connect to a standard DVI cable.
- DisplayPort/Thunderbolt - This is one of the more common connectors found on newer Macs. Thunderbolt is there newer version of DisplayPort, and can carry audio signal as well as video. If your monitor only supports HDMI, you'll need a Thunderbolt-to-HDMI adapter.
- HDMI - This is the standard for all digital display devices. Almost every new display manufactured in the last few years supports HDMI connections. HDMI can carry audio as well as video signal.
- Choose to mirror or extend. Most displays will be recognized automatically and you will be prompted to choose your preferred settings. If you choose to mirror, the same image will be shown on both monitors. If you choose extend, then your desktop will stretch across both monitors.
- If the display is not recognized, open the Displays preferences and click Detect Displays.
- Adjust the settings manually. If you’d like to change the settings yourself, you can do so through the Displays preferences menu. To get there, click the Apple menu and select System Preferences. Open the Displays tool.
- To extend the desktop, click Arrangement and then follow the instructions on the screen.
- To mirror the image, set both displays to the same resolution. Then click Arrangement and then Mirror Displays.
Tips
- You can connect more than two monitors if necessary by repeating the previous steps with another monitor if your computer has the video outputs to support additional monitors.
- If one monitor is higher quality than the other, you might need to change the resolutions on the more powerful monitor to match the lesser one.
Things You'll Need
- Computer
- 2 monitors
- 2 video cables
- Compatible graphics card
