How to Set Up Dual Monitors

Laptops today are almost as fast and powerful as desktop computers are, and with more people than ever working on the go, laptops have become an essential part of our work and business lives.

However, one of the things that make laptops so great — their small size and resulting portability — can also be a limiting factor for their use, especially for those who need multiple windows open at the same time. Using multiple windows on a small laptop screen can be frustrating, as it means that the user has to constantly open and close windows and tabs, or shrink some windows until they are almost too small to see. This is where the dual monitor setup comes into play.

Monitors today are bigger than ever, incredibly affordable, and spot high resolution and bright, clear graphics. All you need now is a way to easily hook up multiple monitors to your laptop, and you’ll be ready to get down to some serious work. Luckily, AUKEY has the solution for you.

Find the Available Ports for Your Laptop

Are you wondering how to hook up two monitors to a laptop? Most Windows laptops made in the last few years will support dual monitors, and many will even support three monitors. To make sure your laptop is able to add two external monitors, check your Windows operating system and the capabilities of your graphics cards and drivers.

Windows 7, 8, and 10 all support multiple monitors, so assuming you have one of those operating systems, you will need to check the graphic card and ports on your laptop.

Available Ports for Graphics Card Requirements

The first step of learning how to connect two monitors to a laptop HDMI is checking the graphics card: You need to make sure your graphics card can support multiple monitors. One way to do this is to go into your settings and search for monitors. Many may automatically display search results for “Rearrange multiple displays”, for example. You may also check the back or sides of your laptop — if there are multiple input ports, it should support multiple monitors. You can also search Control Panel → Device Manager → Display Adapters, or simply refer to Google if you have further questions.

How to Connect Two Monitors to a Laptop HDMI

You may likely find that while your graphics card can support multiple monitors, your computer does not have enough ports to make it all work. This is natural, and a number of add-on tools can help out. For instance, you can:

1. Use a pluggable 4K display port and HDMI dual monitor adapter: This is a small box that has a USB-C cable that plugs into the USB-C outlet on your laptop and can support multiple monitors through the use of dual HDMI ports. If you do not have a USB-C adapter on your laptop, or you do have one but it is being used for something else, you can get a USB-C adapter to plug into one of the other USB ports on your laptop.
2. Use a switch splitter or display splitter: This is a smaller, simpler, and less expensive option than the pluggable 4K display port. A USB-C to dual HDMI adapter converter is a simple connection device that allows plugging in two HDMI monitor cables at once, and the device plugs into your computer’s USB-C port.
3. Use a USB-C hub docking station with multiple HDMI ports: For many, this will make the most sense. Docking stations can act as a central hub for all of the hard extra work your laptop is doing. Available in a huge variety of sizes, a docking station can do much more than just accommodate multiple monitors. They can also be a headquarters where you hook up an external mouse, a wireless keyboard, and cables so you can also charge your phone, connect an external hard drive, and more.

What Hub or Dock Station Do I Need?

AUKEY is a recognized leader in USB-C hubs and provides a wide range of options. USB-C hubs from AUKEY easily plug into your laptop’s USB-C port. What you do next is up to you. To help you narrow it down, we’ve listed a few of AUKEY’s most popular USB-C hubs below:

AUKEY CBC71 8-in-1 USB-C Hub with Ethernet Port, 4K USB-C to HDMI

Sleek and attractive, this do-it-all hub has six ports and two card slots, plus video outputs, convenient charging, and fast data transfer.

AUKEY CB-C91 8-in-1 USB-C Hub with 4K HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet Port (Silver)

One of our most powerful options, this USB-C hub has SuperSpeed data transfer, fast charging, and broad device compatibility.

AUKEY CBC64 USB-C Hub Ultra Slim with 4 USB 3.0 Data Ports (Black)

Affordable and efficient, this radically expands the capabilities of your laptop by adding four additional USB 3.0 data ports.

AUKEY Adapter HDMI VGA 1080p Converter

A simple, affordable, and compact tool that adapts a 1080p plug to a VGA plug.