Connecting a laptop to a monitor is a good way improve our skills when we work on the computer. Today we will review their advantages and use cases, ways to connect these peripherals and manage them in Windows operating systems.

You already know that laptops are the best-selling devices in the large group of personal computers. Their great appeal is mainly explained by their enormous versatility, as they allow you to work mobile, easily transport them and use them interchangeably at home or at work. Although you can work with them independently when we are at the table There are other peripherals that can be used to improve the performance of the laptop in any computational task. A typical case is the mouse, more convenient than the TouchPad. And next is what worries us: connecting another screen.

Multi-screen use cases

If you don’t have a desktop computer and only use a laptop for everything, you will already know its ability to combine the best of both worlds, mobility and desktop. In these cases, connecting to a monitor or multi-monitor system is an excellent option. All operating systems support it, and it is certain that your laptop (even if it is old) will have the necessary ports for connection. Some interesting examples which we can quote:

• Image, video, audio or CAD editing professionals who need to use multiple tools simultaneously.
• Programmers who need to see code on one screen with the other dedicated to documentation.
• Translators that require multiple screens of open documents.
• Financial tasks that require multiple open spreadsheets or viewing current stock prices.
• Collaborate with video conferencing on the next screen.
• Play on two screens, chat with teammates, watch or stream on Twitch, etc.
• In general, any user who wants to see additional content while working, be it streaming or a web page, or who needs to have a fixed screen on their desktop.

How to connect a monitor to a laptop

Before we begin, let’s say that we’re going to focus on computer monitors for this type of connection, although we could also use other types of screens, such as televisions. Here we must have known reservations, the television usually does not offer the quality of the monitor in terms of resolution, refresh rate and other parameters. Yes, it can be used to view the multimedia content that we download from the laptop as streaming.

Any laptop, no matter how old, contains one or more video outputs to connect it to an external display. The oldest ones will have at least one analog VGA port or digital such as DVI (both in the phase of extinction) or the most widespread HDMI or Display Port.

When it comes to the most modern laptops (convertible / 2 in 1 / detachable), they certainly have a USB Type-C connector with Thunderbolt interface, the perfect port for connecting one or more monitors because, in addition to enormous performance, it offers video, audio, data transfer and a power cable plus compatibility with native DisplayPort, HDMI 2 and USB 3.0.

Connecting to a monitor or multiple monitors will depend on these types of connections, although the industry offers multiple adapters and converters to facilitate them. There are VGA and DVI cables, male or female, or those that convert to HDMI for a laptop. You can connect virtually any monitor with them, although a better interface will offer you higher image quality and resolution. Interconnecting cabling has a very economical price and using it to connect a laptop will be very convenient.

Another option that is widely used in a professional environment is expansion base. There are dedicated ones for specific models from the manufacturer, and there are general ones to which monitors and other peripherals can be connected. The most advanced ones cost much more than a cable or a converter, but you can buy a standard one for around twenty euros. They offer quite a few connectivity options, and if you usually work with a laptop on your desk, this is a great option.

Finally, say It is not necessary that the monitor you are using is new or the latest generation And for starters, you can use all the ones you have parked at home or at work. High profitability at low costs.

Administration in Windows

Although all modern operating systems (Linux, macOS…) offer support for these uses, Microsoft’s latest operating systems make it extremely easy to connect to external displays. It’s as simple as connecting your laptop to a monitor in the appropriate port, so Windows extends your desktop. In addition, it offers other interesting configurations.

To access them, connect the computer to the screen of the external display and press the keyboard shortcut “Windows + P”.

You will see four self-explanatory options:

• PC screen only : Windows uses only the main monitor. The rest is not used.
• Duplicate – Windows displays the same image on all monitors. Useful, for example, for a presentation.
• Magnify – Windows will extend and extend the desktop and offer an additional screen or screens to work on.
• Second screen only : Windows turns off the main display and uses only the secondary display.

To configure displays in Windows 10, go to Settings > System > Display Tool or right-click on the desktop and select “Display Configurator”. Here you can manage the identification of each connected screen, choose its orientation, scale level for each one or set the main one:

The system also allows for expansion main panel Windows on multiple monitors by going to Settings > Personalization > Dashboard:

Multiscreen management can also be done in the software provided by the graphics chip vendor, where its performance parameters can be configured. NVIDIA, Intel and AMD offer it in their applications and drivers. For the user who needs more control and functionality, third-party applications can be used, such as the gaming-oriented Universal Split Screen or the more professional DisplayFusion.

In any case, it works with Windows (or another operating system) and with a simple cable you connect the laptop to the monitor and work with multi-screen, as you saw. ideal for increasing desktop productivity, which allows you to work with more applications, open windows and tasks; Expand the display capacity and increase the wearing comfort.