Use USB to HDMI on my laptop for second monitor

[CocoaBallz]

How do I use a USB to HDMI to connect a second monitor to my laptop?

I have an AMD Ryzen 5600h and an Rtx 3060.

The USB c port doesn't support dp.

[GuiltySpark_]

We don't know what ports your laptop or what they support (a model # would be useful) has so how many external monitors do you have already? Do you not have native HDMI or DisplayPort port?

 

If the native is already in use any you have no other output options, you'll need a USB "videocard" like an adapter using DisplayLink. Example: https://plugable.com/products/uga-hdmi-s

[CocoaBallz]

I have a nitro 5 an515 45.

The other HDMI port is being used and I have an adapter 

[Arika]

Main question: what is the purpose for this other display? There are displaylink adapters that will "work" but generally recommend against it as they do have issues with latency and can be jittery and put extra stress on your CPU.

[CocoaBallz]

12 hours ago, Arika said:

Main question: what is the purpose for this other display? There are displaylink adapters that will "work" but generally recommend against it as they do have issues with latency and can be jittery and put extra stress on your CPU.

Use my other monitor for a second monitor with my laptop

[CocoaBallz]

I still need help

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

7 hours ago, CocoaBallz said:

Use my other monitor for a second monitor with my laptop

Provided you aren't trying to do any sort of Hardware accelerated work (things like CAD, photo/video editing/games, etc) then a USB video adapter should suffice. A USB video adapter is NOT a full blown GPU though, so do not expect that level of performance. Depending on what chipset you go with, and how much VRMA (video RAM) it's paired with you may have an experience suitable only for light spreadsheet scrolling, or, you might be fine with full 4K60.

Keep in mind though, as these are over USB, you will see higher system usage than normal. Various chipsets for this sort of thing exist including those made by DisplayLink, Magic Control Technology (MCT Trigger), Fresco Logic, Silicon Motion Images (SMI) and possibly some I'm not familiar with. DIsplayLink is kinda the go-to, but they all work.

Many companies out there have options, from rando ones on Amazon to more established brands like Plugable, StarTech.com and Targus. Do some shopping around and find one that supports the resolution you want and go from there. As I work for one of these manufacturers, I will refrain from making a direct recommendation as I'm not here as an affiliate for that organization, but I don't want to get in trouble for shilling my own company's stuff without being properly labeled.

[CocoaBallz]

30 minutes ago, SlayerOfHellWyrm said:

Provided you aren't trying to do any sort of Hardware accelerated work (things like CAD, photo/video editing/games, etc) then a USB video adapter should suffice. A USB video adapter is NOT a full blown GPU though, so do not expect that level of performance. Depending on what chipset you go with, and how much VRMA (video RAM) it's paired with you may have an experience suitable only for light spreadsheet scrolling, or, you might be fine with full 4K60.

Keep in mind though, as these are over USB, you will see higher system usage than normal. Various chipsets for this sort of thing exist including those made by DisplayLink, Magic Control Technology (MCT Trigger), Fresco Logic, Silicon Motion Images (SMI) and possibly some I'm not familiar with. DIsplayLink is kinda the go-to, but they all work.

Many companies out there have options, from rando ones on Amazon to more established brands like Plugable, StarTech.com and Targus. Do some shopping around and find one that supports the resolution you want and go from there. As I work for one of these manufacturers, I will refrain from making a direct recommendation as I'm not here as an affiliate for that organization, but I don't want to get in trouble for shilling my own company's stuff without being properly labeled.

I'm only using the second monitor to just like browse stuff and work better not anything big. I bought a random one from Amazon and when I plug it in there's no signal.

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

Just now, CocoaBallz said:

I'm only using the second monitor to just like browse stuff and work better not anything big. I bought a random one from Amazon and when I plug it in there's no signal.

Did you install the driver for it?

[GuiltySpark_]

18 minutes ago, CocoaBallz said:

I'm only using the second monitor to just like browse stuff and work better not anything big. I bought a random one from Amazon and when I plug it in there's no signal.

Link what you bought 

[CocoaBallz]

53 minutes ago, SlayerOfHellWyrm said:

Did you install the driver for it?

No what do I need to do? 

[CocoaBallz]

37 minutes ago, GuiltySpark_ said:

Link what you bought 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CJ95M7PG?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

[GuiltySpark_]

Just now, CocoaBallz said:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CJ95M7PG?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

That's.. a capture "card", for recording an HDMI source to your PC. That isn't for a monitor output. I linked an option above but @SlayerOfHellWyrm went into far more detail. I've just used multiple Plugable products in the past and they've always done their job.

[CocoaBallz]

On 11/17/2023 at 2:06 AM, GuiltySpark_ said:

That's.. a capture "card", for recording an HDMI source to your PC. That isn't for a monitor output. I linked an option above but @SlayerOfHellWyrm went into far more detail. I've just used multiple Plugable products in the past and they've always done their job.

Are there any cheaper alternatives?

 

And can I use an HDMI DP cable on laptop and monitor? 

 

And can I use the video card to connect a console to my laptop and play on my laptop

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

1 hour ago, CocoaBallz said:

And can I use an HDMI DP cable on laptop and monitor? 

Alrighty, let's go into lesson time for video cables and connections, because this is important.

Do you need HDMI to DP, or DP to HDMI?

Why am I asking? So, this is because these cables are not reversible. While both are a digital signal, they use very different signaling to communicate, and so you can't just go pin-to-pin from one side to the other*.

So now, how do you know which one you need? Easy. The order tells you. Now, most people seem to list what they need in the order of monitor -> graphics card, but this is incorrect. You have to list what you need in the order of graphics card -> monitor. You can remember this by simply remembering which thing is actually making the video, as that's the direction the data is travelling. It's coming out of the graphics in your computer and going into the monitor.

 

So, if you're going from DP on your card/laptop to HDMI on the monitor, you need a DP to HDMI cable/adapter. If you're going from HDMI on the card/laptop to DP on the monitor, you need an HDMI to DP solution. 

1 hour ago, CocoaBallz said:

And can I use the video card to connect a console to my laptop and play on my laptop

No. A video card, and USB video adapter are both OUTPUT devices. So, you can only output a signal from it.

 

2 hours ago, CocoaBallz said:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CJ95M7PG?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

This is a USB HDMI capture card. This is intended to allow you to connect the HDMI output of a device like a console, a laptop, a media box, etc into the capture device and capture what is being sent to it. For instance, if you connected a PS4 to it, you could use some software to view the incoming video footage which would be the gameplay from the PS4 and then you could record it, or stream. You could use the software to just view it and use it as like, a ghetto way to use a laptop monitor as a monitor for a console. Don't do this though. Given the questions you've already asked, this is going to be a bit too much effort and complexity and you won't have a fun time. Not, to sound condescending, I just dealt with this at work for years and I have a good idea of where a user will struggle and hate what they are trying to do.

In terms of "cheaper" adapters, I think the better question is what is your budget? You'll need to give the specific currency and I can find some that might work. I'll let you do the research into them, or maybe @GuiltySpark_ will be a bro and help you pick one. As mentioned before though, I won't make a particular recommendation given I work for a company that makes them, and I'm not an affiliate account.

Total side note, if this is a laptop, what is the model? You might have some other way to do this. You can open up MSINFO32 (Windows + R -> MSINFO32 -> enter) and then provide the System Manufacturer, model, and SKU which should be lines 6, 7, and 8:

[CocoaBallz]

14 hours ago, SlayerOfHellWyrm said:

Alrighty, let's go into lesson time for video cables and connections, because this is important.

Do you need HDMI to DP, or DP to HDMI?

Why am I asking? So, this is because these cables are not reversible. While both are a digital signal, they use very different signaling to communicate, and so you can't just go pin-to-pin from one side to the other*.

So now, how do you know which one you need? Easy. The order tells you. Now, most people seem to list what they need in the order of monitor -> graphics card, but this is incorrect. You have to list what you need in the order of graphics card -> monitor. You can remember this by simply remembering which thing is actually making the video, as that's the direction the data is travelling. It's coming out of the graphics in your computer and going into the monitor.

 

So, if you're going from DP on your card/laptop to HDMI on the monitor, you need a DP to HDMI cable/adapter. If you're going from HDMI on the card/laptop to DP on the monitor, you need an HDMI to DP solution. 

No. A video card, and USB video adapter are both OUTPUT devices. So, you can only output a signal from it.

 

This is a USB HDMI capture card. This is intended to allow you to connect the HDMI output of a device like a console, a laptop, a media box, etc into the capture device and capture what is being sent to it. For instance, if you connected a PS4 to it, you could use some software to view the incoming video footage which would be the gameplay from the PS4 and then you could record it, or stream. You could use the software to just view it and use it as like, a ghetto way to use a laptop monitor as a monitor for a console. Don't do this though. Given the questions you've already asked, this is going to be a bit too much effort and complexity and you won't have a fun time. Not, to sound condescending, I just dealt with this at work for years and I have a good idea of where a user will struggle and hate what they are trying to do.

In terms of "cheaper" adapters, I think the better question is what is your budget? You'll need to give the specific currency and I can find some that might work. I'll let you do the research into them, or maybe @GuiltySpark_ will be a bro and help you pick one. As mentioned before though, I won't make a particular recommendation given I work for a company that makes them, and I'm not an affiliate account.

Total side note, if this is a laptop, what is the model? You might have some other way to do this. You can open up MSINFO32 (Windows + R -> MSINFO32 -> enter) and then provide the System Manufacturer, model, and SKU which should be lines 6, 7, and 8:

I want an HDMI to DP adapter. HDMI port from my laptop and the DP port on my monitor. I was wondering would it work on my laptop or on the ps4. My budget is $20 for the adapters and I'll give the laptop model later. 

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

4 hours ago, CocoaBallz said:

I want an HDMI to DP adapter. HDMI port from my laptop and the DP port on my monitor. I was wondering would it work on my laptop or on the ps4. My budget is $20 for the adapters and I'll give the laptop model later. 

You're going to be hard pressed to find one for $20, sorry. HDMI to DP requires an active converter to... you know, convert between HDMI signaling and DP signaling. Those active converter chips are the majority of the cost.

[CocoaBallz]

27 minutes ago, SlayerOfHellWyrm said:

You're going to be hard pressed to find one for $20, sorry. HDMI to DP requires an active converter to... you know, convert between HDMI signaling and DP signaling. Those active converter chips are the majority of the cost.

Actually nvm I'll just refund the thing