Desktop PC. Which connectors for a Monitor?

jsmith9

You cannot connect it to your laptop monitor as the laptop does not accept input display signals

you will have to buy a dedicated monitor

 you seem to have three ways of connecting to a dedicated monitor

one is display port as previously said this is a high-resolution signal the other is VGA that is a lower resolution signal

both of these are display only i.e. will not carry sound

the HDMI sockets which are below the purple keyboard socket will carry both video and audio so if you buy a monitor that has inbuilt speakers you will be able to see and hear

flashg67

If you have a modern(ish) tv, that should work ok. Display port to HDMI adapter (will give picture only) or VGA (blue socket)to VGA cable  (if your tv also has one of these ports on the back)

J_B

jsmith9 said:

the HDMI sockets which are below the purple keyboard socket will carry both video and audio so if you buy a monitor that has inbuilt speakers you will be able to see and hear

Something like a television perhaps?

jsmith9

If I by television you mean a modern LCD LED etc screen with HDMI inputs then yes

A_Lert

The PC has a VGA output (the blue trapezoid with 3 rows on pins) and 2 DisplayPort outputs. DisplayPort and HDMI look very similar (I've mixed them up myself before), but you can tell them apart because HDMI is symmetric with two corners notched whereas DisplayPort is asymmetric with one notched corner.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Common_Display_Interfaces.png

DisplayPort also has the logo you can see next to the outputs on your PC.

DisplayPort, HDMI, and DVI-D are all compatible at 1080p60 (full HD) resolution with cables/adapters with the relevant plugs on each end. If you have a display with any of those inputs (a TV perhaps), you can connect the computer to it. (Higher res or framerates depends on versions and stuff.)

J_B

A_Lert said:

The PC has a VGA output (the blue trapezoid with 3 rows on pins) and 2 DisplayPort outputs. DisplayPort and HDMI look very similar (I've mixed them up myself before), but you can tell them apart because HDMI is symmetric with two corners notched whereas DisplayPort is asymmetric with one notched corner.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Common_Display_Interfaces.png

DisplayPort also has the logo you can see next to the outputs on your PC.

Are you saying that the two that look like HDMI, under the 'Pro Windows' sticker, are actually Display Ports?

It's not clear to my untrained eye, sorry.

wongataa

J_B said:

A_Lert said:

The PC has a VGA output (the blue trapezoid with 3 rows on pins) and 2 DisplayPort outputs. DisplayPort and HDMI look very similar (I've mixed them up myself before), but you can tell them apart because HDMI is symmetric with two corners notched whereas DisplayPort is asymmetric with one notched corner.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Common_Display_Interfaces.png

DisplayPort also has the logo you can see next to the outputs on your PC.

Are you saying that the two that look like HDMI, under the 'Pro Windows' sticker, are actually Display Ports?

It's not clear to my untrained eye, sorry.

They are Displayports.  The shape is correct and they have the Diplayport symbol by them. There is no HDMI socket in the photo.

debitcardmayhem

https://downloads.dell.com/manuals/all-products/esuprt_desktop/esuprt_optiplex_desktop/optiplex-7020-desktop_setup guide_en-us.pdf

the service code is 2mrfcc2

jsmith9

the socket with 10101 next to it is a serial port.

lammy82

To spell out why there is conflicting advice, it seems that some have interpreted "laptop monitor" as "the screen that is built into the laptop" and others as "the external monitor that the laptop is connected to".