How To Have Two Screens On Windows

Even a generous 24-inch monitor tin can feel cramped when you've got multiple windows open on your desktop (and who doesn't?). It's much worse if you're confined to a laptop screen. Fortunately, it'southward simple enough to add a 2nd monitor to your PC setup and spread out.

Note: While the monitors we hash out beneath are 1080p, our article nigh 1080p vs. 4K monitors tin help you lot determine which approach to take for your own habitation setup; you should also check out our comparison of ultrawide monitors vs. a dual-monitor setup to larn the pros and cons of each selection.

Whatever modern desktop or laptop PC has the graphics capability to run dual displays. All that's required is a second monitor. Unfortunately, what's been truthful of then many tech products this year, monitor prices have gone up as supply has weakened. A couple years ago, you had a number of respectable monitor options for nether $100. These days, you're lucky to find a 21-inch or higher PC monitor for less than $150. If you're determined not to interruption $100, HP'due south V20 HD+ Monitor comes in at $95, with a nineteen.v-inch diagonal screen using TN engineering science, which offers faster response times but less clarity off-axis.

If you lot tin can spend a little more, Dell's $140 SE2222H steps you up to a 22-inch screen that also features slim bezels, which is nice for minimizing the disruption betwixt your dual monitors. Nicer nonetheless is something like HP'southward V24i FHD Monitor—a 24-inch panel using premium IPS tech, with even slimmer bezels, for $145. And if you lot want an fifty-fifty bigger screen (although the aforementioned 1920×1080 resolution), Dell's S2721HN 27-inch IPS panel is a fine option at $190.

Today'south monitors typically come with some combination of VGA, DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort ports. In other words, you lot'll have a couple options for how to connect the monitor to your PC. While its mutual for VGA and DVI cables to come up included with the brandish, you lot may take to purchase your HDMI or DisplayPort cablevision separately if you go that route. Those can be hands purchased on Amazon.

You can also tap your television to deed every bit a second brandish in a pinch, although doing so has some potential drawbacks. Our guide to using your Idiot box as a calculator monitor explains everything you demand to know. Regardless, the method for managing your displays in Windows is the same, equally described below.

How to set up dual monitors

Step 1: This part is like shooting fish in a barrel. But connect your second monitor to a power outlet and an available port on your PC.

Step 2: Next you lot have to tell Windows how to manage the two monitors. Right-click the desktop and select eitherScreen resolution (Windows vii and Windows eight) orBrandish settings (Windows 10).

multiplemonitor1 — Windows eight: By choosing to *Extend the display*, your two screens will act every bit ane.

In the resulting dialog box y'all can specify the displays' organization. The Multiple Displays pull-down menu allows y'all to command how the 2 screens work together. ChoosingExtend these displays will prompt Windows to care for your displays as i contiguous screen.

windows 10 display — The display settings in Windows 10: Click theIdentify tab under the graphic to found your monitors' arrangement.

Step iii: Choose monitor order. You can tell Windows which monitor is on the left or right by dragging the screen icons at the top of the dialog box. Become this wrong, and scrolling the mouse will exist very confusing.

Pace iv: Choose primary brandish. The Make this my main brandish option controls which monitor gets the taskbar and Start button. If you don't meet that option, the currently selected monitor is already the main i.

You can also control many of these settings by right-clicking the desktop and selecting your graphics command panel.

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