How to connect 2 monitors to laptop with no USB-C port

ButterCheese

I'd be grateful for some advice please:

My partner has a laptop with 1 x USB port, 2xUSB 3 ports and 1 x HDMI.  She uses lots of USB slots so already has a 1>3 USB port extender.

We want to connect 2 monitor screens to the laptop by using a dock, firstly to run the 2 screens but also to tidy everything up by plugging all the USB stuff into the dock instead of them all hanging out of the laptop.

To achieve this, am I right in assuming that I need the following:

USB A to USB C adapter

Dock

So we'd connect everything including the 2 monitors to the dock, and then connect the dock to the laptop via the USB A to USB C adapter?  And that would use the USB3.0 (labelled SS) port on the latop?

Many thanks,

DullGreyGuy

Or just a dock with either an inbuilt USB-A cable or one without a cable where you can connect an A-B USB cable to avoid the need for an adapter. 

As long as the laptop can run two monitors from a single USB3 port it should work fine. 

Vitor

If the laptop doesn't have a USB-C port but has USB-A 3.x ports, chances are you'll need a dock which supports "DisplayLink" and has HDMI outputs, this connect to older laptops with just USB-A.

Docks with a USB-C input are designed for laptops with a USB-C port that natively supports DisplayPort Alternate Mode or Thunderbolt so an adaptor won't help.

ButterCheese

DullGreyGuy said:

Or just a dock with either an inbuilt USB-A cable or one without a cable where you can connect an A-B USB cable to avoid the need for an adapter. 

As long as the laptop can run two monitors from a single USB3 port it should work fine. 

Thanks - how do I know if it can run 2 monitors from a USB 3 port?  I assumed they all can?

ButterCheese

What's confusing is, I have just been looking online at "USB 3.0 docking stations" and they all seems to run a single USB-C cable to the laptop!  And also they seem a lot more expensive.  I think I will just order a USB 3.0 to USB-C adaptor, and a dock, and see if it works.  I can always return it I guess

400ixl

What make and model laptop is it?

Also assuming you want to have extended displays on these two external monitors as well as the laptop screen.

There are many configurations that it may or may not support. If these are all USB A ports then it could be they do not support video over USB.

Worst case is that you can support 1 external monitor on top of the laptop monitor via HDMI. 

Vitor

Have a look at something like this - WAVLINK USB 3.0 / USB C Laptop Docking Station Dual Video Outputs Support HDMI and HDMI/DVI/VGA (6 USB Ports,Gigabit Ethernet,Audio) for Windows and Mac - Horizontal UG39DK1-BL: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Cisco001

Need the model number to tell which solution would work...

400ixl

Vitor said:

Have a look at something like this - WAVLINK USB 3.0 / USB C Laptop Docking Station Dual Video Outputs Support HDMI and HDMI/DVI/VGA (6 USB Ports,Gigabit Ethernet,Audio) for Windows and Mac - Horizontal UG39DK1-BL: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

That only extends to 1 monitor, the other monitor is just a mirror of the main screen.

This is all that many laptops will support though, so without knowing if the OP wants 1 mirror and one extension and the laptop details to understand if it supports it we are guessing as to a relevant solution.

ButterCheese

400ixl said:

Vitor said:

Have a look at something like this - WAVLINK USB 3.0 / USB C Laptop Docking Station Dual Video Outputs Support HDMI and HDMI/DVI/VGA (6 USB Ports,Gigabit Ethernet,Audio) for Windows and Mac - Horizontal UG39DK1-BL: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

That only extends to 1 monitor, the other monitor is just a mirror of the main screen.

This is all that many laptops will support though, so without knowing if the OP wants 1 mirror and one extension and the laptop details to understand if it supports it we are guessing as to a relevant solution.

Sorry, I've been away from my desk.  My partner's Laptop is a Lenovo V15-IIL and also has the "model name" 82C5.

We want it to either extend the Laptop(L) displays to 2 monitors(M) so the screens would be M1-L2-M3 or just to act as the "computer" with the laptop shut, so to just have M1-M2.

The dock I have bought does work on my work laptop (2x monitors so I now have 3 screens) but my work laptop has a USBC output.  My Partner's Lenovo does not have USBC, so I have used a USB3.0 to USBC adpater but that hasn't worked

ButterCheese

Cisco001 said:

Need the model number to tell which solution would work...

Lenovo V15-IIL and also has the "model name" 82C5