Tech help? Dual monitor setup.

"404 Name Not Found" (404namenotfound)
12/26/2013 at 19:05 • Filed to: None

I have a laptop with a i7 processor and a AMD Radeon HD 6630M 1GB video card. The laptop has an HDMI, VGA, and a USB 3.0 port. I want to get a dual monitor setup at my apartment in college. Is there anyway that I can do this? I don't want to buy a desktop.

DISCUSSION (34)

lone_liberal > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:08

I'm not sure of that video card's specs, but a lot of laptops won't support two external monitors, but they will do the built-in+external. If it won't do two externals, you can always buy a USB video adapter to support the second screen.

Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:08

Just plug in a monitor through the HDMI or the VGA port.

Then set it up through the control panel as a second monitor, not a duplicate or as the sole display.

There should be 3 options when you plug it in or set it up

Mandy > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:10

Dual monitor including the laptop monitor, or excluding? I'm afraid you won't be able to do a dual-external setup barring the purchase of a USB/VGA adapter, or something else along those lines.

404 Name Not Found > Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT
12/26/2013 at 19:10

I might have phrased it wrong. I need two additional monitors. Can I do one via HDMI and one via VGA?

404 Name Not Found > Mandy
12/26/2013 at 19:11

Dual excluding. Can I do one with VGA and one with HDMI?

Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:11

Possibly.

I don't see why not.

You should be able to set them up as extras and not duplicates of eachother, I've never personally tried it.

404 Name Not Found > lone_liberal
12/26/2013 at 19:12

What about doing one monitor with VGA and one with HDMI? Will that work?

lone_liberal > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:13

It's usually an either/or situation. Either the VGA is on or the HDMI is on, not both. Again, I don't know about the specifics of that card so I can't say for certain.

404 Name Not Found > Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT
12/26/2013 at 19:13

That's what I thought. I think I'll just go to a friends house or a computer store and try it out.

pdx107 > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:13

Yes, you should be able to. All depends on the video card honestly

ddavidn > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:14

You will need a device like this. YMMV, don't try playing games on it. http://www.startech.com/AV/USB-Video-A…

Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:15

If I had an HDMI Cable I could answer you right now haha.

I've only done one or the other, once on a 60 inch to watch movies and game on, and then I used to run two monitors on my laptop when I had it at my desk.

404 Name Not Found > Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT
12/26/2013 at 19:16

Haha no problem. Thanks for the help man.

404 Name Not Found > pdx107
12/26/2013 at 19:17

It's a mid level graphics card. It can handle Crysis on mid settings and stuff like Fifa on high.

404 Name Not Found > lone_liberal
12/26/2013 at 19:18

It's a mid level card. I think I'll go to a computer store and try it out.

Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:19

Not a problem.

Just on reading it seems like you will get an error, since the Video card is not powerful enough to manage the resolution and processing it would take to do it.

Do you need 3 or is it more of a want?

Cause with Windows 7 you can run thins split down the center of one monitor, so what I used to do is oppo skype on one, and a game on the other monitor.

lone_liberal > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:20

That's a good idea. If it doesn't allow two you could either do the USB adapter or a dock. The USB adapter is usually cheaper.

404 Name Not Found > lone_liberal
12/26/2013 at 19:22

I think that at that point, it just might make sense to pick up an used desktop. I don't need much performance, just displaying data.

404 Name Not Found > Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT
12/26/2013 at 19:24

What I want to do is dock my laptop and close the screen, while using two monitors at a desk. I need to display charts and data on one monitor and work on the other.

I think that at that point, it makes sense to pick up a used desktop and just use that.

lone_liberal > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:25

The USB adapters that I've bought ran in the $55-$75 range. The docks were somewhere in the $120 range. If you can get a used desktop for that then it would probably be easier.

Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:26

You can always just use the laptops monitor, but not sure how big said monitor is.

My laptop has an 18.5inch. which is fairly large to my knowledge.

I would go and pick up a used desktop with a decent video card and call it a day. Probably the easiest route.

pdx107 > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:32

Hard to say if it will support two w/ the laptop on as well. It may though. Would for sure if it was running on a docking station I believe (that is what most things at work are) dual screen on DVI cables

404 Name Not Found > lone_liberal
12/26/2013 at 19:35

I mean I think a desktop would be a little more expensive but it would have some more benefits as well. So I think that I might do that.

404 Name Not Found > Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT
12/26/2013 at 19:36

And I can leave the desktop on overnight and while I'm away. For downloads and such. For scientific purposes of course.

lone_liberal > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:37

They do have benefits, like ease of swapping or adding components, and they are much easier to fix.

Nick, Drives a Cobalt LT > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:38

Yes "scientific"

lol

BATC42 > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:40

You should check in the control panel of your graphic card what options you have. Anyway, you should be able to do it. The vast majority of the desktop we have at school have a dual monitor display, one hooked to the VGA or the DVI and the other one to the HDMI.

In windows you should be able to activate each screen the way you need it. I recently fiddled with the settings of an MSI gaming laptop and it showed 4 displays (even though only a single VGA display was connected...) in the preference panel.

EDIT : After some research it seems the 6630M comes packed with Eyefinity. From what I found on the internet (check Eyefinity Laptop Screen on Google), you should be able to include your laptop internal display in the display, don't know how that works though. One thing for sure, you'll need the ATI Catalyst Control Center to set up your displays.

Squid > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 19:58

I actually just did this so I can have my laptop on the big tv in my moms office while I'm visiting. All you need is an HDMI cable and you plug it in and find the right HDMI source on the TV and it works just fine. For some reason windows 8 really likes to extend the desktop into the other monitor so you have that and also the HDMI takes the audio out with it so the TV will act as the speakers. Just an FYI so if you run into that issue you got to disable the HDMI audio out in the audio output device screen in the volume control center.

404 Name Not Found > BATC42
12/26/2013 at 20:00

Interesting. Thanks for the research man!

Just4GP > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 20:23

It really comes down to the laptop itself. Most business class laptops will do this without any problems provided you have the right accessories (docking station or port replicator). Consumer class systems on the other hand can be hit or miss. Mind providing the make/model?

404 Name Not Found > Just4GP
12/26/2013 at 20:32

Yeah its a Sony Vaio VPCCA390X. Customized with Dual Core i7 processor, 8gb ram, 6630M 1gb and 640gb HDD.

Textured Soy Protein > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 20:45

My work computer is a Thinkpad T430. It has a docking station with DisplayPort, DVI & VGA ports. It does dual external monitors fine as long as:

1. The laptop screen is closed so the internal screen is off.

2. One monitor is plugged into the VGA port and the other is plugged in to either the DisplayPort or the DVI port. DisplayPort + DVI doesn't work.

You should be able to run two monitors with one plugged in to VGA and the other into HDMI. The main question mark is what happens if you also try to use the laptop's built-in screen. Either one of the external monitors will shut off, or you'll have 3 displays.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > 404 Name Not Found
12/26/2013 at 20:48

Yes you can. But don't try to run any games in that setup. Just plug one to HDMI and another one to VGA, job done.

Just4GP > 404 Name Not Found
12/27/2013 at 00:22

I don't have any personal experience with the current Vaio line, but based on the specs, you should be fine. If the unit is docked with the lid closed, you should be able to get a video signal out of 2 ports at the same time.