TWO MONITORS ONE LAPTOP HOW TO
TWO MONITORS ONE LAPTOP PC
TWO MONITORS ONE LAPTOP WINDOWS 7
TWO MONITORS ONE LAPTOP FREE

When you launch a game, it should appear (emphasis on “should” – see below) on the main monitor, leaving the second display free for anything you want. If the main monitor checkbox is greyed out, it's already checked.įrom there, you're good to go. Unless it’s already checked, in which case congrats! You don’t need to do anything else. Check the “Make this my main display” checkbox to set the selected screen as your main monitor. In the diagram of your two displays, click on the one you want to use as the main monitor to highlight it, then scroll back down to the “Multiple displays” section. This will be the screen that games will launch to by default, as well as where any desktop shortcuts and the Start menu will appear. Step 5: Once you’re happy that both your screens are properly oriented, it’s time to anoint the “main” display.

TWO MONITORS ONE LAPTOP WINDOWS 7

On Windows 7 and 8, click “Apply” after making this or any other changes Windows 10, on the other hand, will save them automatically. If the monitors are arranged incorrectly in the diagram – for example, if the monitor on your left is on the right in the diagram – then click on the corresponding numbered box and drag it to the correct position. Monitor 1 doesn't need to be the main monitor those numbers are just for labelling. If you want to be really sure which screen is which, click “Identify” to show the corresponding numbers on the monitors themselves. This numbering is determined by which graphics card ports they’re connected to, and is solely for labelling purposes they’re not marking a hierarchy per se. Step 4: Back at the top of the window, you’ll see a little diagram of your monitor layout as Windows sees it, with the displays numbered “1” and “2” respectively. Select 'Extend these displays' to spread apps across both screens.

Scroll down to the “Multiple displays” section and select “Extend these displays” from the drop-down menu, then confirm the change. On Windows 10, right-click on the desktop and click “Display settings”. Step 3: Open Windows’ display settings menu: on Windows 7 and 8, just right-click anywhere on the desktop and click “Screen resolution”. Arrange them on your desk however you like, though naturally you’ll spend less time twisting your neck if they’re close together.Īll modern graphics cards have at least two outputs. Step 2: Make sure both monitors are powered up and connected to the display outputs on your PC’s graphics card (on a laptop, you just need the one cable/output for the extra monitor). For our recommendations, check out the overall best gaming monitors list linked above, as well as our best 4K gaming monitors and best budget gaming monitors guides.Īngle both monitors towards your seating position for MAXIMUM COMFORT.

Again, these don’t need to be the same make or model, or even have comparable specs.

TWO MONITORS ONE LAPTOP HOW TO

Here’s how to set up two monitors for gaming and multitasking: You can also follow them to add a second monitor to a gaming laptop, provided yours has a spare display output. Two identical displays? That works just dandy, but the steps below will apply to any combination, regardless of mismatched proportions and pixel densities, or even if you’ve turned one monitor sideways into portrait mode. Triple-screen ultrawide play works best when they’re all of the same size, but if you commit to a dual-screen setup where only one screen is for games and the other is for just about anything else, you can pick and choose any sizes, resolutions and even orientations you want. It’s an expanded but focused setup for when you’re playing a full-screen game but also want a browser tab, video, or streaming controls visible at the same time.Īnother benefit of using two monitors, even over three, is that you have much greater flexibility to mix and match the best gaming monitors. Still! If you can budget for it, two remains better than one.

TWO MONITORS ONE LAPTOP PC

With the borders of each screen running straight down the middle, most of the best ultrawide PC games would be nigh-unplayable. A trio of displays lets you play in ultrawide with a wraparound effect that even most purpose-built ultrawide monitors can’t match, but while you can configure a dual-monitor setup to run games across displays, it doesn’t make nearly as much sense. It’s funny to think how different the use cases are for setting up two monitors for your gaming PC, compared to setting up three.

Two monitors one laptop