How To Extend 3 Displays On Windows 10

Desire three monitors for improve gaming or multitasking in Windows? You've come up to the right identify! After reading this article, you lot'll know exactly what to do.

five simple steps:

Check if your computer supports triple monitors
Buy extra hardware if information technology doesn't
Check if you have the required cables
Configure your display settings
Update the drivers for your monitors

Notation that we're not talking about iii monitors showing exactly the same thing, here. We're talking about extending your desktop across all 3 monitors, and existence able to motility your mouse from one monitor to the next. Like this…

"Seamless", past Jon B, is licensed under CC Past-SA 2.0, cropped from original.

Step i: Check if your estimator supports triple monitors

Not all computers back up triple monitors – peculiarly older or inexpensive computers. To decide if yours does, you demand to look at its video ports.

Video ports look like this:

To run triple monitors, yous need at least 3 video ports that can all be used at once.

To cheque your video ports:

Check how many monitors your desktop supports
Check how many monitors your laptop supports

Cheque how many monitors your desktop supports

Your video ports volition be on the back of your computer. Count how many you have, and notation what type they are.

Side by side you take to determine if all the ports you encounter can be used simultaneously. At that place are 2 considerations here…

You probably don't desire to use integrated graphics AND a graphics card at the aforementioned time
On some graphics cards (and some motherboards), you can't employ all ports at the same time

Yous probably don't desire to use integrated graphics AND a graphics card at the same time

A lot of computers have a motherboard with video ports (chosen 'integrated graphics') AND a graphics card with video ports. If your computer has this setup, you'll see two groups of video ports. Just don't be fooled past all those ports. Although yous sometimes tin run monitors off your integrated graphics and graphics menu at the aforementioned time, you probably wouldn't desire to. Things will get pretty laggy – specially when yous switch between monitors.

Instead, if you have a defended graphics card, use it rather than the integrated graphics. (Alternatively, y'all could use only the integrated graphics, but you wouldn't ordinarily do that considering the graphics card will do a amend job – higher resolution, better quality, more responsive, etc.)

If you lot're not concerned about lag, and yous desire to use integrated graphics and your graphics card at the aforementioned time, you have to go into your PC's BIOS and permanently enable your integrated graphics card. (Do this by going to Configuration > Video > Integrated graphics device > Always enable. Your bill of fare options may be slightly different.) If yous don't practice this, whatsoever monitors connected to your integrated graphics (motherboard) will stop working equally soon as you lot plug a monitor into your graphics carte.

On some graphics cards (and some motherboards), yous tin't apply all ports at the same time

Some graphics cards accept more ports than you tin use at once. East.yard. Yours might accept three ports, but yous may just exist able to use ii at the same fourth dimension. To determine how many of the ports you can use simultaneously, y'all'll have to consult your graphics card'southward documentation. Alternatively, you lot could Google it; search for the make and model of your video bill of fare, and the number of monitors you lot want to run. (e.g. "Nvidia GTX 570 three monitors").

The same applies to motherboards. So if y'all don't have a dedicated graphics carte, and you come across 3 ports on your motherboard, you may only exist able to use two at the same time. So y'all'll need to cheque the motherboard's documentation to meet what information technology supports (or, again, Google it).

Check how many monitors your laptop supports

If you're using a laptop, chances are that you only have one video port on the left or on the right side of your laptop:

It'south possible you lot have 2, but it'due south very unlikely y'all have three. And then you lot won't be able to run triple monitors unless you buy extra hardware, as explained below.

If your figurer doesn't take the required ports to run triple monitors, don't surrender. You may nonetheless exist able to do it. Read Step ii, below to observe out how…

If your computer DOES take the required ports to run triple monitors, you can skip ahead to Step 3, below.

Footstep 2: Buy extra hardware if your computer doesn't already support triple monitors

If you don't have plenty video ports on your computer, you can all the same have triple monitors! To arrive happen, yous demand to buy one of the following:

Jump ahead to the device you're interested in

A new graphics card
An external multi-display adapter
A USB to HDMI adapter
A docking station

(Yous tin can't simply employ a normal video splitter, and attached three monitors to it, because that will merely mirror your laptop's brandish on all 3 monitors.)

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A new graphics carte du jour (desktop PCs merely)

If you lot're using a desktop PC, you can buy a new graphics carte du jour that supports triple monitors. (You can't practise this for a laptop, considering most laptops use an integrated graphics menu which is permanently attached to the motherboard.)

You should be able to option one upwardly from well-nigh USD $150 (east.g. Gigabyte Geforce GTX 1050 Ti).

But before investing in a new graphics bill of fare, you should know that not all graphics cards are compatible with your PC's motherboard. To see if a graphics card is compatible with your PC, you need to bank check your motherboard'due south PCI Express slot, the size of your called graphics carte and the ability requirements.

Check the PCI Limited slot on the motherboard

There are different types of expansion slots on a motherboard. For a graphics carte to be connected, you lot need a PCI Express x16 slot. The quickest way to find out if yous accept this slot is to Google your motherboard'due south manufacturer and model. Alternatively, y'all can open up your reckoner case to check if you have the slot. (The PCI Express x16 slot should exist the longest on the motherboard.)

Cheque the size of your chosen graphics card

You'll need to be sure that your computer example has enough room for the new graphics card (they're frequently quite beefy considering they have an attached cooling fan).

If y'all're not sure how big your chosen graphics card is, ask the manufacturer or retailer.

Once you know how big it is, cheque how much space you have where the carte du jour will go. I.e. Locate the PCI Limited x16 slot, and imagine plugging something like the below into information technology. Volition it fit, or will the surrounding cards and cables get in the way?

Cheque the power requirements

A graphics menu that supports triple monitors will draw a lot more power than a bill of fare that supports just one. Eastward.g. A standard graphics card needs between 100W to 300W, just a card that supports triple monitors may demand 600W.

If your PC doesn't have enough power to support it, your computer may close down unexpectedly or fail to turn on when you install the new graphics card.

Check your estimator'southward specifications to come across how many watts the power supply unit (PSU) can provide. If yous can't detect any specifications, you should exist able to meet the output on your computer'southward power supply. You lot'll need to look inside the example, for something similar this:

"Corsair HX4520 PSU", past Willian Claw, is licensed under CC Past-SA 2.0.

An external multi-brandish adapter

Even if your system only supports one monitor output, you can still run three independent monitors with an external multi-display adapter such equally the Matrox DualHead2Go Digital ME.

An external multi-display adapter should exist cheaper than a new graphics card – they retail for approx USD $150. They're also much easier to install – you lot simply plug one of the supplied cables into your USB port (this powers the adapter) and the other into your Mini DisplayPort or USB Blazon-C port (this sends the video indicate from your estimator to the adapter).

A USB to HDMI adapter

If you don't have the budget for an external multi-brandish adapter, you tin can buy a USB to HDMI adapters. You'll need one adapter per additional monitor – then if you have one monitor already, simply plug two of these adapters into your PC's USB ports, attach a couple of monitors to the other end, and voila! Y'all have an extended desktop with 3 monitors!

These adapters are great if you want a cheap way to get triple monitors (they cost effectually USD $50), just they don't perform besides as a powerful graphics card or an external multi-display adapter. And so they're not a great choice for gaming or Hd video playback.

A docking station

A docking station similar the one pictured above allows you to attach up to three boosted monitors to your computer. Yous just connect your computer to the docking station with the supplied USB host cablevision, then connect your extra monitors to the docking station'due south DisplayPort and HDMI ports.

1 of these docking stations costs around USD $150.

The drawback of a docking station like this is that it doesn't have any cooling fans. Some users take reported that information technology heats up quickly, and then it may not be ideal for long-term or aways-on use.

Footstep 3: Check if you take the required cables

Once y'all've confirmed that your computer has the necessary video ports to support triple monitors (or you've bought additional hardware to back up them), you need to make certain y'all have all the necessary cables to connect everything.

Remember the video ports you lot identified on your computer in step 1. Due east.1000. If you lot take two HDMI ports and i DisplayPort on your calculator, you lot'll need ii HDMI cables and a DisplayPort cable to connect iii monitors.

Next, you lot demand to check the ports on your monitors. E.g. If you're connecting to a computer with 2 HDMI ports and one DisplayPort, ideally you'll have ii monitors with an HDMI input, and one with a DisplayPort input.

If you don't have the required cables

If you lot don't have the cables you need, you can simply buy them (e.g. on Amazon). Well-nigh cables volition cost less than USD $10.

If the ports on your monitors don't match those on your figurer

If the ports on your monitors don't match those on your computer, don't panic. You lot tin simply buy an adapter or an adapter cablevision. E.k. If your computer has a DisplayPort, but your monitor has only a VGA input, you lot can get either a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter similar the below, and so connect from the VGA input of the adapter to the VGA input of your monitor with a male-to-male VGA cable.

Or yous can get a DisplayPort-to-VGA cable like the below (for less than USD $10) and plug ane end into your computer and the other into your monitor:

Step 4: Configure your display settings

Once you have all the necessary hardware (equally described in steps ane, 2 and 3 above) and you've connected everything properly, it'southward fourth dimension to gear up your monitors. Hither'south how:

Jump ahead to the section you're interested in

Configure your display settings on Windows 7 or 8
Configure your brandish settings on Windows 10

Configure your brandish settings on Windows 7 or eight

ane) Right-click on your desktop and select Screen resolution.

You should now see a collection of monitors illustrated, each with a number on it.

2) Click on ane, and so click Identify to run into which illustrated monitor represents which monitor on your desk-bound. E.one thousand. Click on the monitor marked with a ane, and a number i will appear on 1 of the monitors on your desk.

3) If any of your monitors are missing, click Detect and await for your computer to detect it. (If the problem persists, go to stride five to update drivers for your graphics production and monitors.)

four) If the organisation on-screen doesn't match how your monitors are arranged on your desk, just rearrange it by dragging and dropping with your mouse.

5) Click the drib-down card adjacent to Multiple displays and select Extend these displays. You'll and so run across one continuous brandish that stretches across all of your monitors (i.e. you lot tin drag your mouse or windows from one screen to the other).

5) Click Apply to save all the changes y'all made.

Hopefully, when you lot consummate this footstep, your monitors run properly! Nevertheless, if whatever problems occur, update drivers may be able to help! Follow footstep 5 to run across how to do it.

Configure display settings on Windows ten

1) Right-click on your desktop and select Display settings.

You lot should now see a collection of monitors illustrated, each with a number on it.

2) Click on one, so click Identify to come across which illustrated monitor represents which monitor on your desk. E.thou. Click on the monitor marked with a 1, and a number one volition announced on one of the monitors on your desk.

iii) If any of your monitors are missing, click Discover and wait for your reckoner to detect it. (If the problem persists, go to step 5 to update drivers for your graphics product and monitors.)

4) If the organization on-screen doesn't match how your monitors are arranged on your desk, merely rearrange it by dragging and dropping with your mouse.

5) If you want, you can customize Scale and layout to modify the size of text, apps and other items on your screens. You lot can also adjust the resolution and orientation.

half dozen) Click the drop-downwards menu adjacent to Multiple displays and select Extend these displays. You'll and then see one continuous display that stretches beyond all of your monitors (i.east. you tin drag your mouse or windows from one screen to the other).

Hopefully, when you complete this step, your monitors run properly! If you have whatsoever problems, try updating your drivers as described in pace 5 beneath.

Step 5: Update your graphics drivers and monitor drivers

To ensure your triple monitor setup runs smoothly, and to preclude bug like loss of indicate and black screens, you lot should update the drivers for both your graphics carte du jour and your monitors. There are two ways you tin do this:

Choice one – Download and install drivers manually
Option 2 – Automatically update your graphics drivers

Option one – Download and install drivers manually

To manually get the latest drivers for your graphics card and monitors, you can go to all the manufacturers' websites, detect the right drivers for your device models and version of Windows, then manually download and install each.

Option 2 – Automatically update your graphics drivers

If you don't have the fourth dimension, patience or computer skills to manually update the drivers for your monitors and your graphics card, you tin exercise it automatically with Commuter Easy. All it takes is a couple of clicks.

Driver Like shooting fish in a barrel will automatically recognize your organisation and detect the correct drivers for information technology. You don't need to know exactly what system your figurer is running, you don't need to hazard downloading and installing the incorrect driver, and you don't need to worry virtually making a fault when installing.

1) Download and install Driver Easy.

2) Run Driver Like shooting fish in a barrel and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect whatever trouble drivers.

three) Click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system. (This requires the Pro version – you'll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All. If yous don't want to pay for the Pro version, you can notwithstanding download and install all the drivers yous demand with the free version; you just have to download them i at a time, and manually install them, the normal Windows way.)

You can exercise it for free if you lot like, but it's partly transmission.

Hopefully, after following this guide, you've been able to go your triple monitor setup working perfectly.

If not, delight contact Driver Piece of cake's support squad at support@drivereasy.com or leave a comment below.

Source: https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledge/set-up-a-triple-monitor-on-windows-7-8-and-10-step-by-step/

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