How to Add a Second Monitor

Increase your PCs screen spread in five easy steps.

In recent years, wide-screen displays have diminished the need for multiple monitors on your desktop—their extra width provides plenty of space for comparing documents, arranging windows, or viewing particularly unruly spreadsheets. But installing a second monitor can still provide some hard-to-beat freedoms. On some desks, it’s easier to arrange two smaller displays than one very wide one. Also, you can maximize frequently used programs on the second screen, leaving your first monitor clear to the desktop. And many games let you use your second display to show crucial information while the first remains focused on the action.

You’ll marvel at how much having two—or more—monitors can better organize your computing life. Procure a second monitor, and you’re ready to go. (Though it’s not strictly necessary, for best results, your second monitor should have the same diagonal screen size as the first; if they’re both flat panels, a matching native resolution is ideal, too.)

1. Make the hardware hookups

For you to use two monitors, both must be able to physically connect to your computer. Many PCs are built on motherboards with integrated graphics and more than one monitor output; others may have a graphics card installed that has dual monitor connectors. If your computer falls into either category, you’re set—skip to the last paragraph of this step. If not, you first need to upgrade your hardware to support dual displays.

The easiest way is by installing a graphics card with two monitor connectors. Just make sure when shopping for the card that the kind of connectors it has matches those on your monitors. A look at the monitors’ manuals, or at where you plug in the various cords and cables, should give you the information you need. Almost all new cards today come with two DVI ports, or one DVI port and one VGA port, and some provide a DVI-to-VGA adapter in the box. (These adapters are also available separately.) You may also see a DisplayPort connector on some modern cards, but this connection type isn’t widely used yet.

Installing the new card is simple. Turn off your computer, unplug the power cable, and open the case. You’re looking for the PCI Express (PCIe) x16 slot, the longest slot on the motherboard. (At the slot’s inward-facing end, you should see a small release lever.) Assuming there isn’t a card in the slot already, free up the slot by removing the metal spacer where the slot intersects with the PC’s rear panel. You may have to unscrew the spacer with a Phillips screwdriver, though some cases employ restraining clips instead. (Note: Some extra-wide video cards require you to remove two spacers rather than just one.)

Once you have a slot open, align the back edge of the video card (the part with the monitor connectors) with the open space and carefully push the card into the slot until it’s secure and evenly seated. If it’s not fully inserted, you could run into problems when you turn your computer on again.

Some video cards draw all the power they need through the PCIe expansion slot, but others—especially high-end models—need a direct feed from the power supply, too. If your card does, find a free six- or eight-pin connector from the power supply, and connect it to the appropriate jack on your card, usually located along the card’s innermost edge. Next, screw the card into the slot (or, if you have a tool-free case, secure it using the case’s mechanism), close up the system, and replace the power cable you unplugged earlier.

Connect both of your monitors to the video connectors on your computer and/or video card, and to power outlets. Turn them on, then boot up your computer.

2. Install drivers, if needed

If, when booting up, you notice that your computer is displaying the same image on both monitors, then you’ve done everything right. If you installed a graphics card in the previous step, you’ll need to install the appropriate drivers for it. Chances are the card came with a disc that contains the software you need; pop it into the optical drive and follow the instructions. Alternately, you can ensure that you have the most recent drivers by downloading the latest versions from the video chipset’s manufacturer; that’s probably either ATI or Nvidia. If you go this route, simply double-click the file you downloaded, and the software should guide you through installation.

3. Set up your second monitor

Once your second monitor is connected, you need to instruct Windows how to recognize it. If your computer is running Windows Vista, right-click on the desktop, then click on Display Settings in the “Personalize appearance and sound” window that comes up. If you’re using Windows XP, right-click on the desktop to bring up the Display Properties window, then click on the Settings tab.

In either version of Windows, once you’re in the appropriate screen, you need to tell Windows not only how to see the second monitor, but what to do with it. On the visual representation of your setup, one monitor will be big, highlighted, and labeled “1” (this is your main monitor); your secondary monitor will appear smaller and dark. Right-click the secondary display and select “Attached” to activate it, then click the checkbox that says “Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor.”

Use the slider to adjust the second screen’s resolution. Under most circumstances, having each monitor set to its native resolution will minimize disorientation when moving or looking from one to another. (Also remember that LCDs tend to look their best at their native resolutions.) Even so, you can experiment with different resolution combinations until you find one to your liking.

Once you’re done, click Apply. Your second monitor is now ready to use.

4. Adjust your monitor layout

This step is optional, but if you don’t want to have to move your cursor onto the second monitor by navigating off the upper-right edge of the screen, as the second monitor’s default position dictates, you’ll need to change its virtual positioning.

From the same window in which you set up the monitor in Step 3, click on your secondary monitor and drag it to its new position. You’ll be informed of the exact pixel location of the second monitor as you move it, and it will “snap” to the nearest edge of the first monitor to automatically create an orderly layout (though you can stagger the two displays messily, if you so desire).

You can “move” the monitor to a position above, below, or to the left or right of your current monitor. For obvious reasons, we recommend having the physical monitor in the same position as its virtual counterpart, but this isn’t essential if another setup works better for you.

5. Add even more monitors?

Today’s cutting-edge graphics cards make it possible for systems using them to run three, four, or even more monitors. If your PC has two or more graphics cards set up in Nvidia’s Scalable Link Interface (SLI) or ATI’s CrossFireX configuration, and each of those cards has multiple video outputs, you could be well on your way to a wall of displays. You’ll need enough video jacks, cables, and electricity to keep them all running, but you would set them up the same way you did your second monitor.

Just make sure to arrange them sensibly so you’ll always know where you’re working—it can be easy to get lost between screens. But once you start working with more than one monitor, you’ll wonder how you did without them for so long.

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