How to Build a Dual Laptop, Dual Monitor Setup ?
As a tech enthusiast, I spent most of my time in front of my PC. But, I have two laptops. One is given to me by my employer to do my work related stuff. And I have my personal laptop which I use for watching movies, creating videos and mostly my private projects and learning. I think most of the people working in the tech industry are in the same situation.
I personally don’t like to work with just the laptop screen because I feel like that screen is too small for my taste. And I always loved a multi-monitor setup. And I bought two monitors recently. And if you are reading this blog, I think you also have two monitors. The main reason I use two large monitors instead of a single one is the facility to multitask and I can save so much time by not having to change from one window to another every time.
But again I am facing an issue whenever I want to switch laptops, I have to re plug all of my display cables, mouse and keyboard. So I did some intensive research about ways but I could not find any all in one solutions that matched my needs. After while I found several ways to solve this problem and I thought of sharing it with you all. Some are expensive, some are cheap. I am using the cheapest setup and it is working well so far for me. But it is up to you to decide which way to go.
First you need to make sure both of your laptops support multiple displays.
- You need to have two display outputs. Any two of the following -> HDMI, VGA, Display Port, Mini Display Port, Type C / Thunderbolt
- And check this link for more info in this.
- Using multi-system mouse and keyboard
By using this method you can solve the problem of re-plugging the mouse and keyboard. You can switch the working PC by just a press of a button. However this has some cons as well.
- If your favorite mouse and keyboard does not support this feature, you have to say good bye to those.
- These can be really expensive.
- Most of these are connected with Bluetooth connection and you cannot rely on the response compared to good old wired setup. And you have to concentrate on the battery life as well.
- You still have to re-plug your display cables.
2. Buy monitors with multiple inputs.
Now a days, most monitors will support multiple display ports. The most common one is two HDMI inputs. And they come with an in built function to change the display input.
Cons:
- You still have to re-plug the mouse and keyboards when you switch.
But you can combine the 1st option and this one and make a great setup.
3. Using an all in one KVM switch
This is the simplest solution to all your problems. You can directly plug your 2 laptops, keyboard and mouse to this device and switch between your setups very easily even with a remote. I found this amazing video about this device and how to setup.
Cons :
- This is really really EXPENSIVE 😕. By the time I am writing this blog it is $ 255.99 without shipping in Amazon.
4. Cheap DIY way
This is the method I am using. However it is not very straight forward. So bear with me. I have added links to all the products here. First, there are couple of things you need to have.
- Two monitors which have HDMI inputs.
- Two HDMI outputs from each laptop. If you have any other outputs, you may need to convert those with a converter or a dongle. I am listing down some converters here.
- 6 X HDMI cables
- 2 X HDMI Switches ( There is a version with remote too. Whatever you prefer)
Even though this has 3 inputs we will only be using 2 of them. 😊
- 1 X USB Switch
If you have these equipment, we can start building the setup. Please study the chart below very carefully.
After you connect all the cables and devices properly you can switch between your two devices by just pressing three buttons in your switchers. But there are few pros and cons here as well.
Pros:
- Cheaper than all of the above solutions.
- Ability to have one monitor to each at the same time.
- Can connect other USB devices to the USB switch, like Web Cameras, Microphones, Touchpads and Printers and they will be switched as well.
Cons:
- So many cables 😂. It might be difficult to do cable management.
- Have to press three buttons.
- Might need to use several converters to get HDMI outputs from the PC.
So far, this setup is working very well for me. I write another blog soon which talks about cool tips and tricks to use when having a multi-monitor setup. Until then please follow me and share this article with your friends and colleagues.
