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All the essential information for setting up a triple monitor display at your desk
If you’ve been considering a triple monitor setup for your workspace but aren’t sure where to start, look no further! This guide is just what you need. In this article, we’ll cover everything involved in setting up a triple monitor system: the required equipment, ideas for monitor layouts, a detailed step-by-step guide, and much more.
Quick Setup Guide
- Collect your equipment (monitors, cables; stands and adapters are optional).
- Arrange your monitors in your preferred setup.
- Connect each monitor to a power source.
- Connect the correct display cables to each monitor.
- Link those cables to your computer.
- Power up your monitors and computer.
- Adjust your display settings on your computer to arrange the monitors and extend your desktop.
Setup Instructions
Things to Consider Before You Begin
First, assess cost and available space. A triple monitor setup can be expensive and require a considerable amount of space. Before purchasing any additional monitors, be sure to evaluate your budget and spatial constraints.
- The price of monitors often increases with their size, so it’s crucial to assess the available space for your triple monitor setup before choosing monitor sizes. You might also decide to invest in a larger desk or add a second desk to create more room.
- Choose monitors that align with your needs. If you're into gaming, consider investing in a gaming monitor for your main screen. However, if you're primarily doing general computing, a more affordable monitor will likely suffice for your needs.
- Tech expert Luigi Oppido suggests identifying the top three tasks you'll be performing on your computer to determine what kind of monitors to purchase. "At that point, you're considering size, refresh rate, and inputs," Oppido advises. While higher refresh rates tend to cost more, they can alleviate eye strain during extended computer use.
- If your current monitors are still in good condition, add them to your setup. This can help lower costs by avoiding the need to buy three new monitors.
- If you have an old monitor that you don’t want to include, consider selling, donating, or recycling it. Instead of discarding it, you can bring it to an electronics recycling facility.
Collect your equipment. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Three monitors
- These could be regular computer monitors, TVs, or even laptops.
- A graphics card capable of supporting multiple displays
- Display cables (HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, DVI, Thunderbolt, etc.)
- Ensure the display cables match the ports on your monitors and your graphics card.
- Display cable adapters (optional, especially for older monitors)
- If you have older monitors with VGA or DVI ports, adapters are likely needed unless your GPU is also outdated.
- Adapters may also be required if, for example, all of your monitors use HDMI but your GPU has only 2 HDMI ports and 1 DisplayPort.
- If you have older monitors with VGA or DVI ports, adapters are likely needed unless your GPU is also outdated.
- Monitor stands or arms (optional)
Popular Triple Monitor Setup Configurations
All horizontal This is the most typical configuration for a triple monitor setup. All the monitors are arranged in landscape orientation, forming a horizontal (or slightly curved) line, with the largest monitor positioned at the center. The monitors can be mounted on stands or arms to enhance visibility or free up desk space.
Two horizontal, one vertical This setup is a popular choice, particularly for users who need a monitor dedicated to text-heavy websites or chat apps like Discord, as the vertical monitor allows for more text to be displayed at once. The vertical monitor is typically placed on the left or right side, with the largest monitor in the center. Mounting the monitors on stands or arms can enhance visibility and free up desk space.
- Note: If you wish to position one monitor in portrait mode, ensure that the monitor’s stand supports that feature, as not all monitors can rotate fully.
One horizontal, two vertical This configuration follows the same principle as the previous one, but with two vertical monitors and just one horizontal monitor. The horizontal monitor is usually positioned at the center as it’s typically the primary monitor.
Triangle A favorite among coders, this setup requires a monitor arm. Two monitors are placed at the bottom in landscape orientation, with the third monitor mounted above them on a monitor arm. The bottom monitors can also be placed on stands or arms for better visibility or to save desk space.
Inverted triangle This setup mirrors the triangle configuration but with one monitor placed at the bottom and two monitors positioned above it.
Square This configuration also features two horizontal monitors and one vertical, but requires a monitor arm for optimal placement. It’s a more aesthetically pleasing setup, though still highly functional. The two horizontal monitors are stacked one above the other on a monitor arm, with the vertical monitor positioned to the left or right. If all the monitors are the same size, the arrangement will form a square-like shape.
Disconnected If your setup includes at least one laptop as part of the triple monitor configuration, you may find yourself using a disconnected setup. This layout is often favored by professionals or office workers who are frequently on the move. There isn't a fixed way to arrange this setup, but placing your laptop on a laptop stand can make it more comfortable and accessible when using it as a monitor.
Connecting Your Monitors to the Computer
Arrange your monitors the way you prefer. Begin by unplugging all your monitors from both the power and display cables. This gives you the freedom to experiment with different layouts before finalizing the placement.
Attach the power cables and plug them in. Ensure that all power cables can easily reach the outlet. Some monitors come with very short power cables, which might make it challenging to position them properly in a triple monitor setup.
Connect the correct display cables to each monitor. If necessary, use display cable adapters to accommodate older monitors or mismatched port types.
- For example, if your monitor has a VGA port but your GPU only has HDMI and DisplayPort options, you’ll need either an HDMI cable with an HDMI-to-VGA adapter, or a VGA cable with a VGA-to-HDMI adapter.
Connect each display cable to your GPU. Ensure you plug the cables into the ports on your graphics card, not the motherboard. If your motherboard has integrated graphics, you can connect one monitor to the HDMI port on the motherboard, but for the best image quality, it’s better to use the dedicated graphics card for your primary monitor. Gamers might also experience frame drops if their secondary monitor is linked to the motherboard.
- If you are using a laptop as a monitor, you will likely require a USB display adapter, unless your laptop has a dedicated display port. Many modern laptops have done away with traditional display ports like HDMI and VGA, though some still feature them.
- If you're short on space to plug each monitor directly into your computer, you could explore connecting them through a daisy chain. Daisy chaining only works if both your GPU and monitors are equipped with DisplayPort or Thunderbolt ports.
EXPERT ADVICE
Luigi Oppido
Tech & Computer Expert
Tech & Computer Expert
Enable external VGA ports on a laptop. If your laptop is equipped with a VGA port, you will need to activate it using a keyboard shortcut. Typically, this involves holding the Fn key while pressing a function key with a monitor icon. It may take a moment for the VGA port to become active. On the other hand, laptop HDMI ports are usually enabled by default.
Power up your computer and monitors if they're not already turned on. If any of your monitors aren't functioning, try these troubleshooting steps:
- Verify that the power cables are plugged in properly
- Ensure the monitors are actually powered on
- Re-seat the display cables to ensure a good connection
- Gently clean the display and power ports with compressed air to remove any dust or debris
Adjusting Your Display Settings
Windows
- Search for display in the taskbar search bar and select Duplicate or extend to a connected display.
- Choose Extend desktop to this display. Scroll down to find this option under the 'Multiple displays' section.
- Click Identify to display numbers on each monitor. These numbers correspond to the display settings rectangles.
- Rearrange the rectangles to match the physical layout of your monitors. If you're unsure which is which, click Identify again to see the monitor numbers.
macOS
- Open the Apple menu and navigate to System Settings/Preferences > Displays.
- Select your primary display monitor and set it as the main display from the "Use as" dropdown.
- Click the Arrangement tab and make sure that the "Mirror Displays" option is unchecked.
- Adjust the arrangement of the monitors to match your physical setup on the desk.
Linux
- Click on Activities and search for Displays.
- Click on Displays to open the settings.
- Ensure that Join Displays is checked so your display is extended instead of mirrored.
- Drag and drop the display icons to arrange them according to your desk layout.
