How to use my monitors for my laptop and desktop?

[Newkist]

Hello, Im unsure exactly what it is I need however I'm working from home now and have a work laptop that i would like to connect to my desktop monitors. I want to be able to have both my desktop and my laptop connected to my monitors and i just click a button to switch between the two for example if i click a button (number 1) it shows my desktop on my screens but if i click another button (number 2) it shows my lap top on the screens. Also my laptop is usbc and laptop everything else hdmi. sorry if i couldnt explain it well but i hope yall know what i mean!! 

[Poinkachu]

46 minutes ago, Newkist said:

Hello, Im unsure exactly what it is I need however I'm working from home now and have a work laptop that i would like to connect to my desktop monitors. I want to be able to have both my desktop and my laptop connected to my monitors and i just click a button to switch between the two for example if i click a button (number 1) it shows my desktop on my screens but if i click another button (number 2) it shows my lap top on the screens. Also my laptop is usbc and laptop everything else hdmi. sorry if i couldnt explain it well but i hope yall know what i mean!! 

Option #1 :
Use USB-C to HDMI adapter, then use an HDMI switcher

Option #1b :

I'm not sure what your laptop is, if you use USB-C because there is only 1 HDMI port on your monitor while THERE IS an HDMI port on your laptop :

Buy another HDMI cable, then use an HDMI switcher

Option #2 :

If there's a DP port on the monitor, buy USB-C to DisplayPort cable / adapter

Connect Desktop to HDMI port
Connect Laptop to DP port
Switch using monitor's OSD button

Option #3 :
If there is two HDMI port on the monitor

Buy an HDMI cable (if your laptop have HDMI port) or Buy a USB-C to HDMI cable/adapter

Plug it to 2nd HDMI port on the monitor

Switch using monitor's OSD button

 

I ran a setup using HDMI Switcher before, just that I didn't use USB-C to HDMI cable/adapter
My current setup is basically using #2, just that since my monitor have a USB-C port input, instead of USB-C to HDMI & DP  I am using USB-C to USB-C & DP

[Kisai]

6 hours ago, Newkist said:

Hello, Im unsure exactly what it is I need however I'm working from home now and have a work laptop that i would like to connect to my desktop monitors. I want to be able to have both my desktop and my laptop connected to my monitors and i just click a button to switch between the two for example if i click a button (number 1) it shows my desktop on my screens but if i click another button (number 2) it shows my lap top on the screens. Also my laptop is usbc and laptop everything else hdmi. sorry if i couldnt explain it well but i hope yall know what i mean!! 

1. Get a USB-C dock, and set your monitors to "auto-switch"

Be aware that UBC-C (not Thunderbolt) docks are 2 x 1080p max

2. When you want to switch devices, either 

a) plug in the laptop and "suspend the desktop" (or put it on a 1 minute monitor sleep)

b) unplug the laptop, and wake the desktop.

 

Option 2 (no dock)

a) plug both monitors into the desktop, and then plug both inputs into the laptop with USB-C HDMI adapters. This of course requires two USB-C ports that have display output.

 

Not really recommended because unless it's an engineering laptop, usually there are only two USB-C ports and only one of them has the video on it.

 

You can plug the laptop's dock into the desktop, you can even plug your desktop keyboard and mouse into the dock and then just use the laptop closed. Then just plug the USB-C back into the desktop when you need the keyboard and mouse. However this is going to result in wear to the USB-C connectors.

 

Option 3:

Just get a video switch

 

 

This is just a random one off aliexpress.  You would need a USB-C to HDMI/DP adapter for the desktop, but this otherwise would work. 

 

There's one other option. If you have a "USB-C" monitor. Most of the (Dell) monitors act as a KVM when the USB ports on the monitor are used, but if one computer isn't USB-C then you can't use it without moving the USB-C cable.

 

The less complicated answer is to just buy what does exactly what you want it to, and if that involves a longer 2M HDMI or DP cable with a USB-C adapter, that's probably the cheapest option. Then use the monitor's button to switch inputs, or set the display timeout's to 1 minute and let it auto switch to what's being used.

 

Basically the answer for "I need two monitors" is "dock", but "I need only one monitor" is "adapter"

 

[Berinejo]

On 5/6/2024 at 5:06 PM, Newkist said:

Hello, Im unsure exactly what it is I need however I'm working from home now and have a work laptop that i would like to connect to my desktop monitors. I want to be able to have both my desktop and my laptop connected to my monitors and i just click a button to switch between the two for example if i click a button (number 1) it shows my desktop on my screens but if i click another button (number 2) it shows my lap top on the screens. Also my laptop is usbc and laptop everything else hdmi. sorry if i couldnt explain it well but i hope yall know what i mean!! 

your laptop should have at least 1 display out (HDMI or DP) so buy a cable or whatever converter, plug it into your monitor and through the settings menu you can swap from laptop to desktop in about 10 seconds usually 5 if your quick