A portable monitor is a valuable addition to work, study, or play station. If you have bought a portable monitor and are wondering how to connect it to a laptop, you are in the right place. Follow the guide below to connect a portable monitor to your laptop in five minutes.
5 Ways To Connect A Portable Monitor To Your Laptop
Portable monitors and laptops connect via ports. So, to connect them, you need to know the compatible ports on the devices. Depending on the ports, here are 5 ways to connect a portable monitor to a laptop.
1. Connect Using Type C To Type C Cable
The USB-C port on the portable monitor supports display connection and power supply. You only need one cable to power your portable monitor and display laptop content.
It is a perfect and convenient way to connect if you are always moving. Your laptop must have a Type C port to use this type of connection.
2. Use Type-C Cable to HDMI Cable
Some Modern portable monitors come with a type C port that supports an HDMI connection. In that case, the port allows for display connection and power supply.
3. Use the HDMI, Mini-HDMI cable, or DisplayPort Cable
Most portable monitors and laptops have the HDMI or Mini- HDMI port. To connect them, you need a standard HDMI cable for a successful display connection. HDMI ports do not support power supply. Therefore, you must power the portable monitor using a USB, USB-C cable, or wall charger.
The DisplayPort connection is similar to HDMI but uses a display cable. But most modern laptops do not have DisplayPort.
4. USB A Cable
Portable monitors use the USB A cable to draw power from the laptop. In that case, you need an HDMI cable for the display connection.
5. Use An Adapter
Adapters complete connections where the portable monitor and your laptop have different ports. Suppose your laptop does not have the Type C port but has the HDMI port. In that case, you can use a Type C to HDMI adapter to connect the laptop and the portable monitor.
The common types of adapters available for portable monitor and laptop connections include:
- USB-C to HDMI adapters- Connects portable monitors with Type-C ports to laptops with n HDMI ports.
- USB-C to DisplayPort- pairs portable monitors with the USB-C port to laptops with DisplayPort.
- USB-C to Mini DisplayPort/Thunderbolt/2- Connects portable monitors with Type C port to laptops with the Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt/.
- Mini Display/Thunderbolt to HDMI- pairs portable monitors with the HDMI port to laptops with the Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt.
You need an HDMI cable or DisplayPort cable to pair the adapter and the portable monitor.
Wrap Up
Connecting a portable monitor to your laptop is straightforward. All you need to know is the connection ports on the side of the devices. Most portable monitors come with connection cables.
All you need to do is identify the compatible ports and pair your devices. Check the user guide to learn more about your portable monitor and laptop connection.
