Laptops have become increasingly powerful over the last few years, but at that place's 1 compromise that's hard to overcome: a small screen. Unless you're going to carry a 17in monster around - and even a 17in screen is tiny by today's standards - you lot're forced to work on a display between around 11-15 inches.

And so when y'all're at a desk, information technology pays to claw up a large monitor to make things a bit easier. And you lot tin even conduct on using the laptop screen for extra desktop real-estate.

An increasingly popular option is a portable monitor which you lot can comport around with your laptop and power from a USB-C port. Lenovo's M14 - shown above - is a adept example, and isn't horribly expensive at $199 (around £220 in the UK).

Most laptops take at least one connector that can be used to plug in a monitor, be it HDMI, VGA, DVI, or DisplayPort. Some of the very thin laptops require an adapter as there isn't room for a full-size DisplayPort or HDMI output, and this isn't always supplied in the box.

Although we're talking about laptops, it is only as easy to connect a second screen to a PC: just accept a look and see which ports are on the back.

If you haven't already got a screen, and then be sure to choose one with an input that matches your laptop'southward output. Handily, we accept a list of our recommendations for the best monitors to buy.

Sometimes it'south possible to mix and match some of the digital options. For example, you lot tin can convert DVI to HDMI with a bones cable. But you cannot catechumen an analogue signal (such as VGA) to digital, such as HDMI, without a box of active electronics: whatsoever passive cable yous find for sale will not work.

The newest laptops may have only a USB-C port. This the same concrete connector you'll find on most new Android phones. It's reversible and you lot can buy a USB-C to HDMI cable, or USB-C to DisplayPort, depending upon which one of these inputs your screen has.

Here's what to look for on both your laptop and screen:

Connect a screen to a laptop - ports diagram

Another option is to use a USB docking station that boasts one or more HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI or VGA port, as well every bit extra USB ports, retentiveness-carte du jour readers, Gigabit Ethernet for wired Internet access, and more than.

You connect to the dock with a single USB cable, and immediately gain access to all the dock's ports.

Plugable USB docking station

Check if your laptop uses USB-C or the older USB-A (also known as USB three.0) to choose the right dock. Nosotros've tested the all-time USB-C and Thunderbolt docks. A dock such as Plugable's UD-3900 works well for older USB-A/USB 3.0 laptops: under £100 in the UK and nether $90 in the The states via Amazon.

How to set up a 2nd screen in Windows

Once y'all've connected the appropriate wire between your laptop and monitor (and supplied ability to the monitor, if required) it'southward time to configure Windows to use both screens.

In most cases, Windows will automatically observe when a monitor is plugged in and turned on, and duplicate the contents of your laptop screen on information technology. If you lot don't come across anything on the screen, use its buttons to find the bill of fare and see if y'all tin select the correct video input as not all will automatically switch to an input with a video indicate coming in.

Next, right-click on the Windows desktop and cull Display Settings. Or, click Start, Settings and System. Here you'll find options such as orientation, text size and resolution.

Connect monitor to laptop

How to duplicate or extend the Windows desktop beyond two monitors

Y'all have various options for what to display on each of the two screens.

• Duplicate: The second monitor mirrors what's on your laptop's screen.
• Extend: The Windows desktop is spread across the two monitors.
• Show simply on one or two: Simply one of the displays will exist used (click Identify to see which is which).

Another way to switch betwixt these modes is to look for a function cardinal on the top row of keys on your laptop which shows ii monitors. Press the Fn key and that part central and it should toggle through the various configurations: laptop display merely, laptop + external screen, external screen only.

Dual Monitor options

In almost every example, you'll want to pick 'Extend these displays' so you tin can treat the second monitor as a separate desktop where y'all can run a different app to the one showing on your laptop screen.

Then, elevate monitor 2 in the diagram beneath the heading 'Customise your display' to where it is physically on your desk. Information technology defaults to the right-paw side of your laptop's screen, which may be ok if that's where you put information technology.

If the resolution of the monitor is larger than your laptop's, the rectangle will be larger in the diagram - it'southward nothing to do with the actual size of the monitor.

Yous tin elevate the second monitor's icon and so the bottom edges line upwardly, or you tin can have an equal area top and bottom: information technology'south completely up to you. But recollect that this will bear upon how you have to motion the mouse between the screens.

Check that the resolution for each screen is set to each monitor's native resolution - you might have to check the specifications if you lot don't know these figures already.

For screens with high resolutions (mainly 4K monitors), you'll probably want to use the 'Alter the size of text, apps and other items' slider to make sure everything is easily readable. Typical settings are 150%-250%.

Dual monitor resolutions

In one case y'all're happy, click Use and the changes yous just made should be reflected on the monitor connected to your laptop.

And now you can use your continued monitor just as your laptop screen: you can identify shortcut icons on it, open apps and even run multiple apps.

Mac

If y'all have one of Apple's MacBook laptops or desktop Macs, see Macworld'due south communication on connecting a second screen to a Mac.