How To Setup 3 Monitors Windows 10

Want three monitors for improve gaming or multitasking in Windows? Yous've come to the right place! Later reading this article, you'll know exactly what to practice.

5 unproblematic steps:

Cheque if your estimator supports triple monitors
Purchase actress hardware if it doesn't
Bank check if yous have the required cables
Configure your brandish settings
Update the drivers for your monitors

Note that we're not talking about 3 monitors showing exactly the aforementioned thing, here. Nosotros're talking most extending your desktop across all 3 monitors, and being able to movement your mouse from one monitor to the next. Like this…

"Seamless", by Jon B, is licensed nether CC Past-SA two.0, cropped from original.

Footstep 1: Cheque if your computer supports triple monitors

Not all computers support triple monitors – particularly older or cheap computers. To determine if yours does, you lot need to wait at its video ports.

Video ports expect like this:

To run triple monitors, yous demand at least three video ports that tin can all be used at once.

To check 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 will be on the back of your reckoner. Count how many y'all take, and note what type they are.

Next y'all have to determine if all the ports you lot see can be used simultaneously. There are two considerations hither…

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

You probably don't want to utilise integrated graphics AND a graphics menu at the aforementioned fourth dimension

A lot of computers take 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. But don't be fooled by all those ports. Although you lot sometimes tin run monitors off your integrated graphics and graphics card at the same fourth dimension, you probably wouldn't desire to. Things will get pretty laggy – especially when you switch betwixt monitors.

Instead, if you have a dedicated graphics carte, use information technology rather than the integrated graphics. (Alternatively, y'all could use only the integrated graphics, but yous wouldn't usually do that because the graphics bill of fare will practice a better job – higher resolution, better quality, more responsive, etc.)

If yous're non concerned about lag, and yous want to utilise integrated graphics and your graphics card at the same fourth dimension, you have to become into your PC'due south BIOS and permanently enable your integrated graphics carte du jour. (Do this by going to Configuration > Video > Integrated graphics device > Always enable. Your card options may be slightly different.) If you don't exercise this, whatever monitors connected to your integrated graphics (motherboard) volition end working every bit soon as you plug a monitor into your graphics carte du jour.

On some graphics cards (and some motherboards), you tin't employ all ports at the aforementioned time

Some graphics cards have more ports than y'all can use at once. E.chiliad. Yours might have 3 ports, but you may only be able to utilise 2 at the same time. To determine how many of the ports yous can apply simultaneously, you lot'll accept to consult your graphics menu'south documentation. Alternatively, you could Google it; search for the brand and model of your video card, and the number of monitors y'all want to run. (e.k. "Nvidia GTX 570 iii monitors").

The aforementioned applies to motherboards. So if you don't have a dedicated graphics card, and y'all see iii ports on your motherboard, you may only be able to use ii at the same time. So you'll need to cheque the motherboard'southward documentation to see what information technology supports (or, once more, Google it).

Check how many monitors your laptop supports

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

It's possible you lot have 2, just it's very unlikely you accept three. So you won't be able to run triple monitors unless yous buy extra hardware, as explained below.

If your figurer doesn't have the required ports to run triple monitors, don't surrender. You may still be able to do information technology. Read Pace two, beneath to find out how…

If your computer DOES have the required ports to run triple monitors, yous can skip ahead to Pace 3, below.

Step ii: Buy extra hardware if your computer doesn't already back up triple monitors

If y'all don't have plenty video ports on your computer, you lot can still have triple monitors! To make it happen, you need to buy one of the following:

Leap ahead to the device yous're interested in

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

(You can't just utilize a normal video splitter, and attached 3 monitors to information technology, considering that will simply mirror your laptop'south display on all iii monitors.)

If yous're thinking of getting new hardware online, please visit our Coupons folio for the latest coupons from thousands of stores.

A new graphics card (desktop PCs only)

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

You should exist able to option one up from near USD $150 (e.g. Gigabyte Geforce GTX 1050 Ti).

But before investing in a new graphics carte, you should know that non all graphics cards are uniform with your PC's motherboard. To see if a graphics card is compatible with your PC, you need to check your motherboard'south PCI Express slot, the size of your called graphics bill of fare and the power requirements.

Check the PCI Express slot on the motherboard

In that location are different types of expansion slots on a motherboard. For a graphics card to exist connected, you demand a PCI Express x16 slot. The quickest way to find out if you lot accept this slot is to Google your motherboard'southward manufacturer and model. Alternatively, you lot can open up your figurer case to check if y'all accept the slot. (The PCI Express x16 slot should exist the longest on the motherboard.)

Check the size of your chosen graphics card

You'll demand to exist certain that your calculator case has plenty room for the new graphics card (they're frequently quite bulky because they have an attached cooling fan).

If y'all're non certain how big your chosen graphics card is, inquire the manufacturer or retailer.

Once you know how large it is, check how much space you have where the card will go. I.due east. Locate the PCI Express x16 slot, and imagine plugging something like the below into it. Will it fit, or volition the surrounding cards and cables go far the way?

Check the power requirements

A graphics card that supports triple monitors will depict a lot more ability than a card that supports just one. E.g. A standard graphics card needs between 100W to 300W, but a card that supports triple monitors may demand 600W.

If your PC doesn't accept enough power to support it, your figurer may close downwards unexpectedly or fail to plough on when yous install the new graphics bill of fare.

Check your computer's specifications to see how many watts the power supply unit (PSU) tin can provide. If you can't detect any specifications, you should exist able to see the output on your calculator'due south power supply. You'll need to look within the example, for something like this:

"Corsair HX4520 PSU", by Willian Hook, is licensed under CC Past-SA ii.0.

An external multi-brandish adapter

Even if your system just supports one monitor output, y'all can withal run iii independent monitors with an external multi-display adapter such as the Matrox DualHead2Go Digital ME.

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

A USB to HDMI adapter

If you don't have the budget for an external multi-display adapter, you can buy a USB to HDMI adapters. You'll need one adapter per additional monitor – so if you have one monitor already, but plug two of these adapters into your PC's USB ports, adhere a couple of monitors to the other terminate, and voila! Yous have an extended desktop with three monitors!

These adapters are neat if you want a cheap way to get triple monitors (they toll around USD $50), only they don't perform as well as a powerful graphics card or an external multi-display adapter. So they're not a great choice for gaming or Hd video playback.

A docking station

A docking station like the 1 pictured above allows you to adhere upward to three additional monitors to your computer. Yous but connect your computer to the docking station with the supplied USB host cable, and so connect your extra monitors to the docking station's DisplayPort and HDMI ports.

Ane of these docking stations costs around USD $150.

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

Step three: Check if y'all take the required cables

One time you've confirmed that your calculator has the necessary video ports to support triple monitors (or you've bought additional hardware to back up them), you demand to make certain you take all the necessary cables to connect everything.

Call back the video ports y'all identified on your figurer in step one. E.g. If you have two HDMI ports and 1 DisplayPort on your reckoner, you'll need two HDMI cables and a DisplayPort cablevision to connect 3 monitors.

Next, y'all need to bank check the ports on your monitors. East.g. If you're connecting to a reckoner with 2 HDMI ports and 1 DisplayPort, ideally you'll take ii monitors with an HDMI input, and one with a DisplayPort input.

If you don't take the required cables

If you don't have the cables you need, y'all tin can simply purchase them (e.g. on Amazon). Most cables volition cost less than USD $10.

If the ports on your monitors don't friction match those on your computer

If the ports on your monitors don't lucifer those on your computer, don't panic. You tin simply buy an adapter or an adapter cable. E.g. If your computer has a DisplayPort, but your monitor has only a VGA input, you tin go either a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter like the below, and then connect from the VGA input of the adapter to the VGA input of your monitor with a male-to-male VGA cable.

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

Pace four: Configure your display settings

Once y'all have all the necessary hardware (every bit described in steps ane, 2 and 3 higher up) and you've continued everything properly, it's time to set up your monitors. Here's how:

Jump ahead to the section you're interested in

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

Configure your display settings on Windows 7 or 8

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

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

two) Click on one, and so click Identify to run into which illustrated monitor represents which monitor on your desk. East.g. Click on the monitor marked with a one, and a number 1 will appear on i of the monitors on your desk.

three) If whatever of your monitors are missing, click Find and expect for your computer to observe it. (If the problem persists, get to footstep five to update drivers for your graphics product and monitors.)

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

five) Click the drop-downward menu side by side to Multiple displays and select Extend these displays. You'll then see one continuous display that stretches beyond all of your monitors (i.e. you can drag your mouse or windows from ane screen to the other).

v) Click Utilize to salvage all the changes you made.

Hopefully, when you complete this pace, your monitors run properly! Even so, if any problems occur, update drivers may be able to help! Follow step 5 to see how to practice it.

Configure display settings on Windows 10

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

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

ii) Click on ane, so click Identify to see which illustrated monitor represents which monitor on your desk. Eastward.thou. Click on the monitor marked with a 1, and a number 1 volition appear on one of the monitors on your desk-bound.

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

four) If the arrangement 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, y'all tin customize Scale and layout to modify the size of text, apps and other items on your screens. Yous tin can too adjust the resolution and orientation.

6) Click the drop-down menu next to Multiple displays and select Extend these displays. Yous'll then see 1 continuous display that stretches across all of your monitors (i.due east. you can elevate your mouse or windows from one screen to the other).

Hopefully, when yous complete this step, your monitors run properly! If you have whatever problems, try updating your drivers as described in step five beneath.

Stride 5: Update your graphics drivers and monitor drivers

To ensure your triple monitor setup runs smoothly, and to prevent problems like loss of signal and blackness screens, you should update the drivers for both your graphics card and your monitors. There are two ways you can do this:

Option i – Download and install drivers manually
Pick 2 – Automatically update your graphics drivers

Option 1 – Download and install drivers manually

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

Selection 2 – Automatically update your graphics drivers

If you don't have the time, patience or reckoner skills to manually update the drivers for your monitors and your graphics menu, you can practice it automatically with Driver Like shooting fish in a barrel. All it takes is a couple of clicks.

Driver Easy volition automatically recognize your organization and find the correct drivers for it. Y'all don't need to know exactly what organisation your calculator is running, you lot don't need to risk downloading and installing the incorrect driver, and you don't need to worry about making a mistake when installing.

ane) Download and install Driver Piece of cake.

ii) Run Commuter Piece of cake and click the Browse Now push. Driver Piece of cake volition then scan your reckoner and detect any trouble drivers.

3) Click Update All to automatically download and install the right version of all the drivers that are missing or out of appointment on your system. (This requires the Pro version – yous'll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All. If you don't want to pay for the Pro version, you tin still download and install all the drivers y'all need with the gratis version; you just accept to download them ane at a fourth dimension, and manually install them, the normal Windows fashion.)

You tin can practise it for gratuitous if yous like, but it's partly manual.

Hopefully, after post-obit this guide, y'all've been able to get your triple monitor setup working perfectly.

If not, please contact Driver Easy'due south back up team at support@drivereasy.com or leave a comment below.