I'm helping my mom set up a work-from-home station that she'll use about once a week. She has a work laptop, plus an existing all-in-one desktop at home. Her job requires two displays, and ideally she would connect the laptop with as few cables as possible, use the two larger screens, and avoid working directly from the laptop's built-in display.
The all-in-one has one HDMI output and several USB-A ports, including 5 Gbps and 10 Gbps ports. The laptop has one HDMI port and possibly a 5 Gbps USB-A port. Does the all-in-one support being used as an external monitor, and what would be the simplest setup for two displays?
2 Answers
If the all-in-one can’t accept video input, the easiest setup is to use two regular external monitors. Connect one through the laptop’s HDMI port and the other through a compatible USB display adapter or, preferably, a USB-C/Thunderbolt dock if the laptop supports it. A USB-A display adapter can work for office applications, but it acts like an additional graphics adapter and may not be ideal for video or demanding graphics.
The main limitation is that an all-in-one computer usually has video output only, not video input. Its HDMI port is generally meant to send the all-in-one’s picture to another monitor, so you normally can’t plug the laptop into it and use its built-in screen as a display. Check the exact model for an HDMI-in feature, but it’s uncommon.
A dock or adapter can definitely add another display; the restriction is specifically trying to use the all-in-one’s built-in panel. The exact laptop model and whether its USB port supports DisplayPort or a dock would determine the cleanest option.