5 Steps to Setup or Connect Dual (Two) Monitors with Laptop or Computer

Sometimes one monitor isn’t enough. It doesn’t matter if you are a gamer or a programmer , or just want to be able to have a series on in...

Sometimes one monitor isn’t enough. It doesn’t matter if you are a gamer or a programmer, or just want to be able to have a series on in the background whilst you work. If you aren’t sure where to start when it comes to setting up two monitors with your laptop or computer, don’t worry, we’re here to help.

5 Steps to Setup or Connect Dual (Two) Monitors with Laptop or Computer

1. Choosing Your Monitors

If you haven’t got any monitors at all, then that’s easier than trying to buy the same monitor if you have an older model. Your monitors don’t need to be exactly the same though, you can have an older one or one that is a different size, don’t worry, about can be connected. But if you want to make sure that your system looks nice, then buy two of the same to give you that smooth desktop look.

2. Setting Up Your Desk

Once you have purchased your monitors, you’ll want to get them on the desk. You can either use the stands that they came with. Or you can opt for dual monitor arm to free up more space for you. Either one will work, and it will come down to personal preference and how big your desk is.

3. Connection

Once you have got your monitors all set up, now it is time to connect them. You need to check which cables your Laptop or PC will receive so that you can chose how you are going to connect them to your machine. Most modern pc’s will have a display port and a HDMI, with older models having a VGA cable. Some PC’s have two display ports and others have two HDMI’s. More likely is that you are going to have different connections when you plug it into your system. Once you have found out what ports you have, connect them all up together and turn your computer on.

4. Setting Up Your PC

Once you have plugged everything in, now comes the time to fire up the PC. If you are running windows, then the entire process is pretty straight forward. Once your desktop is fully loaded click through to the control panel and find the one for display. At this point, you may notice that the second monitor is dark, or is mirroring what you are doing with your pc. Mirroring is pointless, so you want to make sure that you are extending the displays to work across both the monitors. Click through to the multiple display menu and here you will see your options. It is worth thinking about how you work at this point, as some people prefer to have the secondary monitor on their left and work on their right. Some people are the other way around. So before you select your primary, think about how you like to sit and work out what you are doing from there. Once you have figured out which monitor you want as your primary, windows will ask you to select one. From there, your desktop might blink for a second as it sets itself up. Once you have it all set up, you can start moving items across from your primary screen to your secondary screen. If you leave something in the middle of both of the screens you can run into issues and cause confusion within the programme. So, it is always worth choosing where you want something to go prior to moving it.

5. Mac Users

If you are using a Mac, all the steps are the same except when you come to configure it. Simply start your mac up and go into launch pad and then settings from there you can click through to displays until you see two monitors in the window. You can then click on which one you would like to be your primary monitor and which one you would like to be your secondary and whether you want to extend the displays or mirror them.

Conclusion:

If you have decided on a dual screen set up, then it will always be good to buy two of the same monitors. Not only does this make the entire set up look better, it also means that you won’t have one new one and one outdated one with two different ports. Once you have got your monitors plugging them in is straight forward once you have checked what ports you have. Finally, the configuration is the easiest part, simply click through the menus until you reach the option where you can select which one is your primary and which one is your secondary. Don’t worry if you don’t like your choice, they are super easy to switch around.