How To Set Up Dual Computer Monitors

Typical computers but take a single display. This is simply fine for a lot of tasks, providing plenty of screen real estate for web browsing and low-cal work. But why just settle for one when you could accept two, iii, or even four monitors at your fingertips?

Dual monitor setups are becoming increasingly pop in the modernistic world, and it's easy to meet why. Not only exercise they make life much easier, they also make you feel super-cool as you work from your cyber-Ikea battle station. Of course, though, it's totally most productivity.

Let'due south take a wait at setting up dual monitors for yourself.

Common Questions Virtually Dual Screen Monitor Setups

Earlier we dive into the juicy stuff of how to set one upwardly, information technology's of import to answer some questions about dual monitor setups.

Which Monitors Should You Cull?

Choosing the correct monitors for your dual monitor setup tin seem uncomplicated at commencement glance. Every bit long as information technology has the right input type, any monitor should exist able to connect upwards to your computer. A few considerations need to be made to build the very best dual monitor setup, though.

Size: The size of your monitors is very important. Near people aim to continue their monitors the same size, though you lot could also have a pocket-size monitor for background tasks.
Aspect Ratio: Most monitors have a 16:9 attribute ratio, simply other types like ultrawide monitors give you more options when you are optimizing your battle station.
Resolution: Having monitors of different resolutions is commonplace, but this doesn't mean that information technology is a proficient idea. For example, a 1080p screen side by side to a 4K one can end upward looking very low-resolution, fifty-fifty if it looks great alone.
Colour: Most monitors volition take unlike color profiles that make them expect singled-out adjacent. This departure is most noticeable between old and new monitors, and this is worth considering if you care near the colors on your screen.
Input Types: HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, and a host of other brandish input connectors can be found on monitors. Adaptors can be used to make devices work together, but it is usually all-time to pair inputs with their right counterparts.

While it is worth keeping all of this in mind, y'all tin can still be creative with your multi-monitor setup. Having two monitors of the same brand and model can look really squeamish. Too, though, you can get a little funky with it, and this is what we have done with the two-monitor setup we'll be putting together afterwards in the article.

How to Mountain a Two-Monitor Setup

So, near monitors come with their ain stands. These stands are perfectly functional, but they can often lack the wow factor that comes with a monitor arm or wall mount. This selection is by no means essential, but it tin can exist incredibly cool, and it'southward never been easier to attain this with your own setup.

You lot can find affordable monitor and television mounting hardware across the web. It'southward important to brand sure that y'all choose a mount that has the right type of mounting bracket, along with a monitor that has a space for it. The nearly common type of monitor mount is a VESA mount, though it can still exist worth checking the size as there are a few variations.

Is My Device Compatible With Dual Screens?

Not every device on the marketplace is compatible with dual screens, whether it's because they lack the ability or the ports to do so. Manifestly, y'all wouldn't become very far with your 2-monitor setup if your device can't support them, so you lot need to figure this out before you get started.

Desktop PCs: Both macOS and Windows are uniform with dual screens in their software. Alongside this, you too need a dedicated graphics bill of fare or monitors that can work with inputs like USB.
Laptops: Nigh laptops come with brandish outputs for one additional display, though many modern machines tin also accept displays fastened to their USB Type-C connectors with a dongle, such as the DUEX Pro Portable Dual Monitor.

Smartphones & Tablets: Both Android and iOS devices can run with additional monitors fastened to them. You are likely to demand an adaptor to attain this with cables, but yous tin also bandage your display wirelessly with devices like this.

How to Set Upwardly Dual Monitors

Now we're onto the good stuff. Setting upward dual monitors is a relatively piece of cake process. It's worth getting all of your cables handy before you go started, and y'all can adjust this guide to make sure that it works best for your setup.

one. Setting upwardly Dual Monitor Positioning

The start stage in this process is to become your monitors set up on your desk. You have to use your imagination a petty, working to ensure that your cables will be able to reach the correct locations. As y'all can run into from the photograph above, we have a regular xvi:9 monitor paired with a 21:ix ultrawide.

2. Plugging in Your Monitors

Once in place, you tin feed your power cables to your monitors and plug them in. This tin exist followed by the display cables you lot are using, with special care being taken to ensure that you plug them in correctly and in the right locations. This can be done with your machine turned on and signed in.

iii. Setting upwardly Your Monitors in Windows

Windows 10 makes it incredibly easy to go started with dual monitors. All of the functionality near users will need can be found built-in, from the full-width taskbar to the easy setup process. This doesn't mean that we won't be looking at the options you lot take on offer, though.

With your monitors plugged in, you can right-click on the Desktop, followed past left-clicking on Display Settings.

This will give y'all access to a window with controls for your monitors. Y'all should see a Multiple displays expanse, with options that will enable y'all to control your monitors. We have broken downwardly some of these settings below to get you started.

Place Monitors: This posts a 1 and a 2 on your screens, showing you lot which is which in the figurer's listen.
Multiple Displays: This option allows you to show the same matter on both screens, extend your displays and make them act as ane, or only display content on one of your displays.
Positioning: The box at the peak of the window you're looking at allows you to change the position of your screens so that the mouse tin can movement between them. We accept laid ours out to match the position of our displays, with the left monitor sitting slightly lower than the right. This setting is inverse by simply dragging the boxes into the desired positions.
Primary Monitor: Setting a monitor every bit the primary monitor will mean that it is the default that applications volition open on. Alongside this, it will also exist home to your clock and other taskbar tray icons.

Aslope these dual monitor-specific options, y'all will as well have admission to your regular monitor settings. This ways that monitors can exist gear up to take different resolutions and refresh rates, while too giving you lot the chance to choose how text scales.

Setting up With Third-Party Software

Dual monitors can also be ready upwards using third-political party software. The nearly mutual examples of this are software options that come up from graphics card companies, like Nvidia'due south Control Panel. Yous can use programs like these to achieve similar results, though they also oft give yous boosted settings that can exist useful in fringe situations.

Setting up With Other Operating Systems

Android, iOS, macOS, and Linux are only a few examples of other operating systems that tin can besides support dual monitor setups. The settings available in each operating organisation are very like to Windows, though yous may need to take boosted steps in some cases.

Devices like smartphones take the do good of being able to connect to wireless displays. When doing this, it is unlikely that you will get many options when it comes to settings. This means that yous have to hope that your devices work together.

Using a Dual Monitor Setup

Two monitors are e'er better than one. Not only do you get more space for piece of work and play, simply you as well become to feel like y'all're using a organization from the future. Cool as it may sound, at that place are genuine benefits to using dual monitors, and this is something that more and more people can fit into their computer upkeep as time goes on.

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About The Author

Samuel Fifty. Garbett (43 Articles Published)

Samuel is a UK-based technology author with a passion for all things DIY. Having started businesses in the fields of web development and 3D press, along with working every bit a author for many years, Samuel offers a unique insight into the world of applied science. Focusing mainly on DIY tech projects, he loves aught more than sharing fun and exciting ideas that you tin try at home. Outside of work, Samuel can unremarkably be constitute cycling, playing PC video games, or badly attempting to communicate with his pet crab.

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