Dual monitor advice

[Sabrina69]

Hello, 

ISSUE  = I want to have 2 HDMI monitors and my laptop screen all working at the same time. I bought a SABRENT USB-C HDMI adapter but on plugging it in, the windows 10 notification shows that ""display might be limited"" and neither of the monitors are detected. 

I downloaded the intel graphics app and it says up to 3 monitors are supported.

LAPTOP =  ASUS f515j laptop which has Intel core i3 10th gen processor. UHD graphics, I cant seem to identify the specific graphics chip/card number. All drivers updated to latest versions

Can anyone advise a HDMI adapter or docking station that will enable the 2 monitors. Sorry if this is an obvious fix but i have been round in circles for ages and cant seem to find an answer

Thank you in advance for any assistance. 

Sabrina

[n_scott_pearson · Accepted solution]

First of all, you can only connect one monitor to a HDMI port. Connecting a second monitor requires a second DisplayPort or HDMI port.

This adapter would be a good choice if you want to connect a (up to 4K) monitor via the USB-C port: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07THJGZ9Z.

Now, very important, this presumes that the USB-C port actually supports DisplayPort Alt. Mode. From everything that I could find, I see no indication that the port is anything but a USB port. There is no mention of either DisplayPort Alt. Mode or Thunderbolt support in any of the documentation I could find. You need to figure this part out.

If the USB-C port does not have support for this capability, all is not lost. You can use USB to support a monitor. This will not a monitor that you will want to use for gaming, but it works fine for as a secondary monitor. Here is an example: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08XB1RRZL. It supports an up to 1920x1080 monitor. I took a chance and purchased this one, despite the reviews, and it works just great. It included a driver CD, but a virtual disk containing the driver automatically appears when you first plug it in. Nice and simple.

Hope this helps,

...S

[Sabrina69]

Hi Scott.

Firstly, thank you so much for your reply.

I’m not sure I was entirely clear in my first post. My efforts are intended to achieve my laptop screen and 2 additional monitors working in extended mode. My understanding of this is that I essentially have one large windows desktop emended (not mirrored) over 3 separate screens. (See image upload)

If my usb-c is power only, is there any option to achieve the 3 monitor setup like the uploaded image? I’m open to purchasing a docking station or another solution but just need it to work.

Thanks again for your efforts.

Regards
Sabrina

[n_scott_pearson]

No, you were clear enough and I understood your requirements.

A desktop can include one or more displays arranged into a desktop as the user desires. When more than one display is present, if is referred to as extending your desktop across these displays. The System | Display settings scene allows you to see what displays are available, choose to place them in an extended desktop, specify which will be the 'main' display and then arrange the displays into particular positions within the encompassing desktop. The displays can come from any activated graphics engine, the embedded Intel engine, a third-party (NVIDIA or AMD, for example) engine, even a USB-based graphics engine such as my example. Each display included in the desktop can have its own individual background or part of an encompassing multi-display background.

Back to your questions. Your laptop has no capability to support a dock other than via USB. This type of dock could include any number of USB devices or ports for downstream USB devices. It could even include a USB-based graphics engine to support connected monitor(s). This is the same as the USB example I gave in my previous response except I was showing a device that supported just the one monitor.

Bottom line, using that cheap, single-monitor adapter or using an expensive dock supporting multiple devices, you add a third monitor via USB. It is a slower updating display than you might get otherwise, but you can certainly use it in an extended desktop.

Frankly, this is your only choice. I was hoping that the laptop's USB-C port would support Thunderbolt or at least DisplayPort Alt. Mode, but it does not seem to have this capability. You have only one way to get a three-display desktop with this laptop, using (1) the Laptop's display, (2) a display connected to the HDMI port and (3) a display connected to a USB-based display adapter or dock.

Hope this explains it,

...S

[Sabrina69]

Sir you are a legend

You have resolved my problem.Please know that I am most grateful.

Kind regards
Sabrina

[n_scott_pearson]

Thanks. As vaudevillian Joe Frisco used to say, "No Applause - Just Throw Money!"   ;^)

…S