What cable do I need to connect second monitor to laptop?

[paulyron]

Hi.  Laptop is an old dell xps 15 9550.  My setup was two external monitors connected to my laptop.  One is a samsung 32' monitor that has 3840 x 2160 solution.  The other was a 24' samsung monitor that that has 1920 x 1200 resolution. So I had two external monitor and my laptop screen which would be a total of three monitors.

 

The cables that I had used to connect these monitors to my laptop was a usb-c to displayplay 4k cable  to the bigger samsung monitor.  Thus I'm able to get 4k resolution with it.

I used an hdmi to hdmi with the samsung monitor.

 

 

My issue now is not long ago, that samsung 24'monitor screen had went bad to the point where its unusable.  But I also have a spare monitor and its this one below.

https://www.asus.com/Displays-Desktops/Monitors/All-series/C624BQ/

This asus monitor screen is in better condition than the samsung 24' monitor.  The reason why I did not use this asus monitor as my second monitor... was because I didn't have the proper cable for it.  Thus I need a cable that is hdmi coming from my laptop... to this monitor.   And from looking at this asus monitor... the receiving end has to be displayport right?   Because if its hdmi... well I could use my current hdmi to hdmi cable and use it but that wouldn't work.

 

 

What specific cable do I need to buy to connect this asus monitor to my laptop?   I know... from my laptop end... it has to be hdmi.   I check online there are many hdmi to displayport cable but I read people said it didn't work for their monitor because it only went one way... such that that cable they bought was hdmi to displayport but it actually meant the hdmi was coming from the monitor... and not the laptop.  

 

 

Now my other question is this.  Does this cable that I need to buy... should I get it in 4k?  The thing is my second monitor would only have 1920 x 1200 resolution as that is the max.  But if I plan to get another 4k monitor in the future... say another samsung 32' 4k monitor, it makes sense to buy a more expensive cable?  For now I don't need that high of a resolution cable but it would make sense to buy that one?  

 

 

Can someone post me to the link of the cable I need right now?  Thanks.

[paulyron]

I took a look more and it seems this monitor is compatible with dvi-d as well? So that means a hdmi to dvi-d cable would also work? But how do you make sure its the correct one as it goes from hdmi laptop to dvi-d monitor as oppose to the other way around?



Thanks.

[IPD]

Says bi-directional.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Basics-Adapter-Cable-1-Pack/dp/B014I8UQJY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=20D0T3P8SAGDE&keywords=hdmi+dvi+adapter&qid=1643424958&sprefix=hdmi+dvi+adapter%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-3

 

Here's one for HDMI > DP - and this type of cable appears to be only uni-directional.  I don't see any bi-directional offerings.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-DisplayPort-Adapter-Resolution/dp/B00JQORLCG/

 

I wouldn't worry about future-proofing your cabling.  Odds are that whatever your new monitor comes with--will have a cable you need for a newer-generation PC.  So the only crux is how long you will be sticking with an older laptop.

[paulyron]

Okay so the links you posted.

 

 

The first link would work with my current asus monitor that has  1920 x 1200 resolution right?

 

 

The second link would be if I get another samsung 32' monitor that has 3840 x 2160 solution?

 

 

This is the current samsung 32' monitor that has 3840 x 2160 solution that I have.

 

 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-uj59-series-u32j590uqn-32-led-4k-uhd-freesync-monitor-displayport-hdmi-dark-gray-blue/6293716.p?skuId=6293716&ref=212&loc=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6NOPBhCPARIsAHAy2zCoR8uNDHQ5evOWVkjYQlWLJUkf4sJXnttfezQ2CkCjwFm6qr1Vl5EaAqWcEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

 

 

The thing is I remember it came with a cable or two cables... but I ended up using one of my old usb-c to displayport cables that I bought a while back.

 

Could you tell me what cables this monitor actually supplies you with?  I remember going through the cable or cables that it came with and I did not use it.  

[IPD]

That would depend on whatever monitor you decide to purchase---which you have not done yet.

[paulyron]

Okay I think it came with hdmi 1.4 cable?  But the issue is it can't do 60hz?  I think that is the reason why I didn't use the cable that came with it.

 

The above is the current 32' samsung 4k monitor I am using. I am using a usb-c to displayport cable on it and it gives 4k resolution. What I do remember was this monitor did come with a cable and I believe it was an hdmi to hdmi cable? But I did not use it because I read if i use it, i would only get 30hz and not 60hz... and 30hz will basically lag all the time and would not be usuable. Is that true?



I still have that hdmi to hdmi cable I believe... but would connecting that to this samsung monitor... while then using my usb-c to display port cable with the asus monitor... work? Thus I would have two monitors then connected? Or is this not recommended because the samsung monitor would have ton of lag since it will be 30hz and not 60hz?

[paulyron]

Well as of right now... I have two monitors that work.  That 32' samsung 4k monitor and the asus 24' monitor with 1920 x 1200 resolution.  I can only use the bigger samsung monitor now because I have the usb-c to display port cable.  I also have the hdmi to hdmi cable... but the issue is the asus monitor has no hdmi port.

 

 

In my previous setup when I was using the 32' samsung 4k monitor and the samsung 24' monitor with 1920 x 1200 resolution, I had the two cables above to connect both to my laptop.  But since that samsung 24' monitor stopped working, I want to use the 24' acer.

 

 

So would that cable I linked in the first one work with the acer?  If I were to get another monitor in the future, it would be the same exact 32' samsung 4k.  But for now... I want to connect the acer to my laptop as my second external monitor.

[LogicalDrm]

-> Moved to Displays