Laptops have get increasingly powerful over the last few years, but at that place's one compromise that's hard to overcome: a modest screen. Unless you're going to comport a 17in monster around - and even a 17in screen is tiny by today'south standards - you're forced to work on a display betwixt effectually xi-fifteen inches.

So when you're at a desk, it pays to hook up a large monitor to brand things a bit easier. And you can even comport on using the laptop screen for extra desktop real-manor.

An increasingly popular selection is a portable monitor which y'all can comport around with your laptop and power from a USB-C port. Lenovo's M14 - shown to a higher place - is a expert example, and isn't horribly expensive at $199 (around £220 in the UK).

Nearly laptops have at least one connector that can exist used to plug in a monitor, be it HDMI, VGA, DVI, or DisplayPort. Some of the very thin laptops crave an adapter as there isn't room for a total-size DisplayPort or HDMI output, and this isn't always supplied in the box.

Although we're talking almost laptops, it is only as piece of cake to connect a second screen to a PC: just have a look and see which ports are on the back.

If you lot haven't already got a screen, then be sure to cull one with an input that matches your laptop's output. Handily, nosotros have a list of our recommendations for the all-time monitors to buy.

Sometimes information technology's possible to mix and lucifer some of the digital options. For case, you can convert DVI to HDMI with a basic cable. But yous cannot convert an analogue signal (such as VGA) to digital, such as HDMI, without a box of active electronics: any passive cable yous detect for sale will not piece of work.

The newest laptops may have only a USB-C port. This the same concrete connector you lot'll discover on most new Android phones. It'south reversible and you tin buy a USB-C to HDMI cable, or USB-C to DisplayPort, depending upon which 1 of these inputs your screen has.

Here'due south what to look for on both your laptop and screen:

Connect a screen to a laptop - ports diagram

Another choice is to use a USB docking station that boasts i or more HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI or VGA port, also as extra USB ports, retention-carte du jour readers, Gigabit Ethernet for wired Internet admission, and more.

You lot connect to the dock with a single USB cable, and immediately gain access to all the dock'southward ports.

Plugable USB docking station

Bank check if your laptop uses USB-C or the older USB-A (also known as USB three.0) to choose the right dock. We've tested the best USB-C and Thunderbolt docks. A dock such as Plugable's UD-3900 works well for older USB-A/USB three.0 laptops: nether £100 in the UK and nether $90 in the Usa via Amazon.

How to set up a second screen in Windows

Once yous've continued the appropriate wire between your laptop and monitor (and supplied power to the monitor, if required) it's fourth dimension to configure Windows to use both screens.

In most cases, Windows volition automatically detect when a monitor is plugged in and turned on, and duplicate the contents of your laptop screen on it. If you don't see anything on the screen, utilize its buttons to find the carte and see if y'all tin can select the correct video input every bit not all will automatically switch to an input with a video signal coming in.

Next, correct-click on the Windows desktop and choose Display Settings. Or, click Offset, Settings and Organisation. Here you'll detect options such as orientation, text size and resolution.

Connect monitor to laptop

How to indistinguishable or extend the Windows desktop across two monitors

You have various options for what to display on each of the two screens.

• Duplicate: The second monitor mirrors what'due south on your laptop's screen.
• Extend: The Windows desktop is spread across the two monitors.
• Testify only on 1 or 2: But one of the displays volition be used (click Identify to see which is which).

Some other way to switch between these modes is to look for a part central on the top row of keys on your laptop which shows two monitors. Press the Fn central and that role key and it should toggle through the various configurations: laptop display but, laptop + external screen, external screen but.

Dual Monitor options

In almost every case, you'll want to pick 'Extend these displays' and then y'all can treat the second monitor as a carve up desktop where you can run a different app to the one showing on your laptop screen.

Then, elevate monitor 2 in the diagram below the heading 'Customise your display' to where it is physically on your desk-bound. It defaults to the right-hand side of your laptop'southward screen, which may be ok if that'due south where you put it.

If the resolution of the monitor is larger than your laptop's, the rectangle will be larger in the diagram - it's nix to practice with the actual size of the monitor.

You can drag the second monitor'due south icon so the bottom edges line up, or yous can have an equal area superlative and lesser: it's completely up to yous. But retrieve that this will bear on how y'all have to move the mouse between the screens.

Check that the resolution for each screen is set to each monitor's native resolution - you might have to check the specifications if you don't know these figures already.

For screens with high resolutions (mainly 4K monitors), yous'll probably want to use the 'Change the size of text, apps and other items' slider to make sure everything is hands readable. Typical settings are 150%-250%.

Dual monitor resolutions

Once you're happy, click Employ and the changes you lot simply made should be reflected on the monitor connected to your laptop.

And now you can utilise your connected monitor only as your laptop screen: you tin place shortcut icons on it, open apps and even run multiple apps.

Mac

If you have one of Apple's MacBook laptops or desktop Macs, meet Macworld'south advice on connecting a second screen to a Mac.