Tech News Today
  • Hardware
    • Motherboards
    • CPUs
    • Graphic Cards
    • RAM
    • SSDs
    • Computer Cases
    • Monitors
    • Peripherals
    • Power Supply Unit
    • PC Builds
    • Computer Tips
  • Software
  • Operating System
    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
  • Gaming
  • Mobile
  • Console
  • More
    • Internet
    • Networking
    • Security
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Gadgets
    • Laptops
    • Reviews
    • How To
    • News
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Tech News Today
  • Hardware
    • Motherboards
    • CPUs
    • Graphic Cards
    • RAM
    • SSDs
    • Computer Cases
    • Monitors
    • Peripherals
    • Power Supply Unit
    • PC Builds
    • Computer Tips
  • Software
  • Operating System
    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
  • Gaming
  • Mobile
  • Console
  • More
    • Internet
    • Networking
    • Security
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Gadgets
    • Laptops
    • Reviews
    • How To
    • News
Tech News Today
Home»Monitors»How to Connect Dell Laptop to Monitor?

How to Connect Dell Laptop to Monitor?

Deep ShresthaBy Deep ShresthaJanuary 12, 2023
how to connect dell laptop to monitor

Your Dell laptop will automatically project the screen to the monitor once you connect the two devices. But before connecting the two devices, you need to get the right cables. The cables required entirely depend on the type of display port on your monitor and Dell laptop. 

Once you have the right cable, connect the laptop to a monitor. But there are still a few settings that you might need to configure or you may not get any display on your monitor. 

To ensure this does not happen, you can start by getting the right equipment that connects the two devices.

Table of Contents

  • Thing You Need
  • Check Available Video Ports
    • HDMI Port
    • DisplayPort
    • VGA/DVI Port
    • USB Port
  • Connect Dell Laptop to the Monitor
  • Set Input Source
  • Set Projection Mode
  • How many monitors does my Dell Laptop Support?

Thing You Need

Here are a few things you need before connecting your Dell laptop to the monitor.
  • Display Cable
  • USB-to-Video-port Adapter (If your laptop does not have a separate video port)

Check Available Video Ports

hdmi dp and vga dell laptop to monitor

Video ports are designed to send and receive video data. Depending on the video ports available on your laptop you need to get the cable for the video port. Dell monitors come with a variety of display ports. 

Make sure both monitor and laptop have at least one common type of video port. If your laptop and monitor do not have a common video port, you will require a converter/adapter to connect the two devices.

HDMI Port

hdmi port dell laptop to monitor

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) port is one of the most common video ports available on most laptops and monitors. If both laptop and monitor have an HDMI port, you can connect the two using an HDMI cable. Depending on the HDMI version, it supports up to 18 Gbps video data transfer speed.

DisplayPort

displayport dell laptop to hdmi

A slightly newer version of the video port is the DisplayPort. The latest version of the display port, 2.1, offers a data transfer rate of 80 Gbps. One downside to using a DisplayPort is that not all devices have a DisplayPort. 

But if your monitor and laptop both support DisplayPort, we recommend using a DisplayPort cable.

VGA/DVI Port

vga and dvi port dell to monitor

VGA/DVI ports are some of the oldest video ports. Newer laptops may not support them. But if your monitor and laptop only have these ports, you need a VGA/DVI cable to connect the two. Unfortunately, VGA and DVI do not support audio data transfer.

USB Port

usb c port dell to monitor

Some 360 or ultraportable Dell laptops may not have a video port. In that case, you can use one of the USB ports to connect your Dell Laptop to your monitor using a USB-to-video port converter. 

These converters have one USB end that goes into your laptop and the other end has one of the video ports, HDMI, DP, VGA, or DVI. One thing to keep in mind when using a USB-to-video port converter is that you cannot connect the converter to any USB port. You can only use a USB Type A or USB Type C converter.

usb c to hdmi hub dell to monitor

In the case of USB Type A, you can only use a USB version greater than 3.0 as it supports higher data transfer. In the case of USB Type C, only USB C Thunderbolt or USB C DisplayPort support video data transfer. So depending on your laptop you need to get a converter that is compatible with your system.

Using the ports mentioned above, you need to choose the right display cable that supports both the monitor and Dell laptop.

Connect Dell Laptop to the Monitor

Once you have the display cable, connect the two cables.

  1. Insert one end of the cable into your laptop. 
    connect dhmi port on dell laptop
  2. Take another end of the display cable and insert it into the display port on your monitor.
    connect dell laptop to monitor hdmi

If you are using a USB-to-video-port adapter, 

  1. Insert the USB side of the adapter into your laptop’s USB port.
    connect usb hdmi converter dell laptop
  2. Connect one end of the display cable to the video port on the adapter.
    connect display port to display adapter
  3. Now, take another end of the display cable and insert it into the monitor.
    connect dell laptop to monitor hdmi

Most of the time connecting the monitor and laptop should work. But in case you do not get any display, you may need to set the input source on your monitor.

Set Input Source

A monitor will have multiple displays-in-port. So you need to configure the monitor so that it takes data from the port to which your laptop connects. 

  1. Use the buttons on the sides or back of the monitor to open monitor settings.
    monitor side button
  2. Navigate to the setting named Input Source using these buttons.
  3. Set it to the port to which your laptop connects.
    select input source dell laptop to monitor
Note: Navigating through monitor settings will vary depending on your monitor. Please refer to the monitor’s user guide if you cannot find the correct settings.

Once you set the correct input source, the monitor should display the laptop’s screen.

Set Projection Mode

set projection mode dell laptop to monitor

Once you get the display, there are various projection modes you can choose. These projection modes determine how the laptop and your monitor screen behave. Some projection modes to choose from are, extend, duplicate, PC screen only, and Second screen only.

Press the Windows + P key to open the Projection mode settings. Select the projection mode according to your choice.

How many monitors does my Dell Laptop Support?

The total number of monitors supported by any laptop depends on its GPU. Most Dell laptops support a maximum of three monitors. However, you will need a separate adapter to connect all three, as laptops do not have three separate display ports.

how-to
Deep Shrestha
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Deep Shrestha works as a computer hardware writer at TechNewsToday with several hardware and programming certifications. Although he has been writing technical content for more than a year, his interest in hardware components started at a very young age ever since he heard about PC building. Pursuing his passion, he has assembled several desktop computers. Besides building desktop PCs, Deep also has hands-on experience fixing software and hardware issues on laptops and desktop computers. Using all this knowledge and skills about computer hardware, he's on a quest to make content that's easy to read and understand for everyone. You can contact him at deep@technewstoday.com

Related Posts

asus-monitor-hdmi-no-signal

ASUS Monitor HDMI No Signal? Here’re 8 Ways to Fix It

March 12, 2023
no signal benq

7 Ways to Fix “No Signal” in BenQ Monitor

March 9, 2023
Use Monitor Without PC

How to Use Monitor Without PC? Detailed Guide

March 8, 2023
external monitor not waking up

External Monitor Not Waking Up After Sleep? 7 Ways to Fix It

February 13, 2023
lg-monitor-speakers-not-working

LG Monitor Speakers Not Working? Here’re 8 Ways to Fix It

February 10, 2023
how high should monitor be

How High Should Your Monitor Be?

February 7, 2023
Add A Comment

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Latest Posts
Best-1200W-PSU

8 Best 1200W PSUs for Extreme PC Builds in 2023

May 16, 2023
Best-1000W-PSU

10 Best 1000W PSUs in 2023

May 16, 2023
best-700w-psu

10 Best 700W PSUs for Gaming in 2023

May 14, 2023
You may also like
antimalware service executable high memory

Fix: Antimalware Service Executable High Memory

May 18, 2023
printer-printing-pink

Why is My Printer Printing Pink? 6 Ways to Fix It

May 18, 2023
how to clean usb c port

How to Clean USB-C Port Safely

May 17, 2023
Recommended
Cookie Clicker Garden Guide

Cookie Clicker Garden Guide to Unlocking Every Seed

September 26, 2021
monitor no signal

Computer Turns On But Monitor Says No Signal (9 Ways To Fix)

November 10, 2022
Facebook Twitter Pinterest
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Our Team
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure
© 2023 TechNewsToday, editor@technewstoday.com | Tech Central Pvt. Ltd.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.