Connect 2 monitors to oldish laptop

[Electric_Andy]

Hi All,
My partner has a laptop with 1 x USB port, 2xUSB 3 ports and 1 x HDMI. She uses lots of USB slots so already has a 1>3 USB port extender.

We want to connect 2 monitor screens to the laptop by using a dock, firstly to run the 2 screens but also to tidy everything up by plugging all the USB stuff into the dock instead of them all hanging out of the laptop.

To achieve this, am I right in assuming that I need the following:

USB A to USB C adapter
Dock

So we'd need to connect everything including the 2 monitors to the dock, and then connect the dock to the laptop via the USB A to USB C adapter? And that would use the USB3.0 (labelled SS) port on the latop?

 

[CXRAndy]

Depends on the graphics capability to run multiscreen mode via usb outlet as well as HDMI.

I have to ask my SiL he runs two screens I think for work from his laptop

 

[markemark]

My understanding is that a standard USB cannot output to a screen. Converting the slot to a USB C won't change that.

 

[Dadam]

My understanding is that a standard USB cannot output to a screen. Converting the slot to a USB C won't change that.

That's correct, but usually solved by a DisplayLink compatible dock. The dock software drivers pipe the display output down the USB bus to circuitry in the dock. This then converts to HDMI or whatever video output signal the dock supports.

I think you can (still) buy monitor docks with USB-A plugs so an adaptor might not be needed, but the thing to check is whether the USB 3.0 port itself has enough bandwidth to drive 2 monitors of the desired resolution. I suggest a lot of reading of small print and tech specs of different products lies in the OP's future.

It should be able to support two displays but I suspect not two 4K displays. Alternatively you could have a single monitor driven off the existing HDMI and another one off the DisplayLink adaptor in a USB3.0 slot.

It also depends on what the other devices are, as they will also be sharing the single USB 3.0 pipeline with the displays. Keyboards and mice won't be a problem but fast storage devices might be.

 

[fossyant]

DisplayLink docks connect via standard USB. Lenovo do them and they are very good (used mine on a 6 year old laptop). I'm currently using the later USB C Lenovo dock. Should be cheap on ebay

 

[fossyant]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/11383656...dqaco3sRMq&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

£30 max with usb cable and charger

 

[lazybloke]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/11383656...dqaco3sRMq&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

£30 max with usb cable and charger

Seems cheap, but looking at the photo it seems to have DVI connectivity so is possibly a very old dock; which might have have issues with compatibility and performance.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Thanks everyone. I tried looking in to the exact specs but they aren't always given. I have purchased a usb 3.0 to usb-C adapter and a dock from Amazon. If it doesn't work then I'll have to return it. The monitors are not 4k and one of them has been working fine plugged direct into laptop, so we'll have to wait and see. I didn't realise it would be such a minefield if I'm honest; perhaps it's because we are in a no-mans-land of old laptop and newer-focused docks

 

[Electric_Andy]

I bought a 2xHDMI dock. Tried it on my partners laptop using the USB to USB C adapter to try and run 2 screens. Didn't work. Tried the dock on my laptop and it powered 2 monitors so that's something at least.

I can only conclude that the USB 3.0 port is not designed to go into a dock, or at least won't function as a USB C port just because an adapter fits. I don't understand why they make the adapters then, if this is the case?

 

[Dadam]

If the dock works on your laptop it looks like the usb-a to usc-c adaptor isn’t compatible.

USB-c is a standard that supports video, but usb-A doesn’t natively carry a video signal, it needs the specific DisplayLink protocol which isn’t part of the usb-a standard. I suspect you'll need a dock that comes with a usb-a plug and advertises DisplayLink compatibilit.

 

[markemark]

I bought a 2xHDMI dock. Tried it on my partners laptop using the USB to USB C adapter to try and run 2 screens. Didn't work. Tried the dock on my laptop and it powered 2 monitors so that's something at least.

I can only conclude that the USB 3.0 port is not designed to go into a dock, or at least won't function as a USB C port just because an adapter fits. I don't understand why they make the adapters then, if this is the case?

USB c does a lot more than a standard usb port. The adaptor doesn’t suddenly give it the extra functionality. All it does is make the hole the same shape. The purpose is to be able to use simple things like storage devices compatibility but nothing that uses the extra usb c functionality like video.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Thanks for all your input. In case anyone is reading this in the futre and has the same problem, someone from a techie forum suggested a workaround that uses the laptop's spare USB3 output to act as a second HDMI display port:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00H91B...LYLB2HP7&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

So with that adapter, both screens could plug into the laptop without using a dock. But as it's around £40 and we already have a wall mounted dual arm laptop/monitor stand, we are going to stick with that. I'm not even 100% sure the above will work, as apparently our Lenovo laptop is the most entry of entry level machines

 

[Dadam]

As mentioned above, a DisplayLink compatible dock is what you need.

Most of the cheaper adaptors and dongles use the USB-C video standard built into most modern laptops that have a USB-C port. The cheap adaptors don't need a lot of circuitry as the laptop is doing the work, the adaptor is not doing much more than just wiring up connectors. DisplayLink has a lot going on inside the dock, so they're more expensive. They're also less popular now as most devices have USB-C video built in.

The Startech one you linked doesn't claim DisplayLink, but must be doing a similar job, hence it's more expensive than the normal adaptors.

 

[lazybloke]

I'm using a kensington sd3600 dock. It has keyboard, mouse, network and two video outs, plus the laptop screen too, so 3 separate screens, without even using the hdmi-out on the side of the laptop.

The only issue with this dock - it's usb A, so it doesn't charge the laptop.

Sd4781p is a newer model with usbC chArging so i can my laptop charger at home.