Your Guide to Triple Monitor Setups for Gaming, Coding, Work & More

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Everything you need to know about setting up three monitors on your desk
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Have you been interested in a triple monitor setup at your desk, but you didn't know where to start? Then this is the perfect article for you! In this article we go over everything you need to know about making a triple monitor setup: equipment that you need, monitor configuration ideas, step-by-step instructions, and much more.

Quick Steps

  1. Gather your equipment (monitors and cables; adapters and stands optional).
  2. Set your monitors up in the configuration you want.
  3. Plug your monitors into power.
  4. Plug the appropriate display cable into each monitor.
  5. Plug those display cables into your computer.
  6. Turn on your monitors and computer.
  7. Go to your computer's display settings to arrange your monitors and extend your display.
Section 1 of 4:

Before You Begin

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    A triple monitor setup can cost a lot of money and take up a lot of space. Before you buy any additional monitors, identify any money and space limitations.
    • Monitor cost usually goes up with monitor size, so determine how much space you'll have for your triple monitor setup before you decide what size monitors to get. You may also decide to get a bigger desk or add a second desk to expand your workspace.
    • Look for monitors that fit your needs. If you do a lot of gaming, you might want to splurge on a gaming monitor for your main screen. However, if you mostly do general computing, you can get a cheaper monitor that will still work great for your purposes.
      • Computer and tech specialist Luigi Oppido says to think about the top three things you'll be doing on your computer to figure out what monitors to buy. "At that point then you're looking at size, you're looking at refresh rate, and you're also looking at inputs," Oppido says. Higher refresh rates come at a higher cost, but can help reduce eye strain if you use your computer for many hours at a time.
    • Add your current monitors to your setup, if they're still in good condition. This will help cut down on costs from having to buy three new monitors.
      • If you have a working monitor that you don't want to include in your new setup, consider selling, donating, or giving away your old monitor(s). If you don't want to repurpose the monitor, bring it to an electronics recycling facility instead of throwing it in the trash.
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    What you'll need is:
    • Three monitors
      • These could be standard computer monitors, TVs, or even laptops.
    • A graphics card that supports multiple displays
    • Display cables (HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, DVI, Thunderbolt, etc.)
      • Get display cables that match the ports on your monitors and your graphics card.
    • Display cable adapters (optional, unless you have older monitors)
      • If you have older monitors that have VGA or DVI ports, you'll almost certainly need some adapters—unless your GPU is also old.
      • You also may want some adapters if, for example, all of your monitors only have HDMI ports but your GPU only has 2 HDMI ports and 1 DisplayPort port.
    • Monitor arms or stands (optional)
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Section 2 of 4:

Triple Monitor Setup Configurations

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    This is the most common triple monitor setup configuration. All of the monitors are in landscape orientation in a horizontal (or slightly curved) line, with the largest monitor usually in the middle. The monitors may be placed on stands or arms to improve visibility or create more desk space.
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    This is another common setup, especially for users who have a monitor dedicated to text-based websites or chat services like Discord, since the vertical monitor makes it easier to read more text at once. The vertical monitor is usually placed on either the left or right side, with the largest monitor in the middle. The monitors may be placed on stands or arms to improve visibility or create more desk space.
    • Note: If you want to put one monitor in a portrait orientation, make sure the monitor's stand allows you to do that. Not all monitors can be rotated that far.
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    The same concept as the configuration above, but two of the monitors are vertical and just one is horizontal. The horizontal monitor is usually in the middle as it's almost always the main monitor.
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    This setup is popular—especially with coders—but it requires owning a monitor arm. Two monitors are on the bottom in landscape orientation, and the third monitor is floated above them with a monitor arm. The bottom two monitors may also be on stands or arms to improve visibility or create more desk space.
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    The same concept as the triangle configuration, but with one monitor on the bottom and two on top.
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    This configuration also has two horizontal monitors and one vertical, but requires a monitor arm. This setup is a bit more aesthetic, but is still very functional. The two horizontal monitors are stacked one on top of the other on a monitor arm, and the vertical monitor is to either the left or right of the horizontal ones. If all the monitors are similar size, they will make a square-ish shape.
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    If you are using at least one laptop as a monitor for your triple monitor setup, you'll likely go with a disconnected configuration. This configuration is popular with office workers or professionals who travel or work on the go. There's no one way to set this configuration up. You can place your laptop on a laptop stand to make it easier to see when it's functioning as a computer monitor.
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Section 3 of 4:

Connecting the Monitors to Your Computer

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    Leave your monitors unplugged from their power and display cables to allow for easy rearranging.
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    Make sure all of the power cables can easily reach the power source. Some monitors have incredibly short power cables, which can make it difficult to plug them in in a triple monitor setup.
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    Make sure to use display cable adapters as needed to account for older monitors or a mismatch in port types.
    • For example, if your monitor has a VGA port but your GPU only has HDMI and DisplayPort ports, you'll need either an HDMI cord and an HDMI to VGA adapter, or you'll need a VGA cord and a VGA to HDMI adapter.
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    Be sure to plug the cables into the ports on your graphics card, not your motherboard. If your motherboard has integrated graphics, you can plug one monitor into the HDMI port on the motherboard. It's best to plug your main monitor into the dedicated graphics card, however, for the best picture quality. Gamers may also notice dropped frames in their games if their side monitor is connected to the motherboard.
    • If you're using a laptop as a monitor you will likely need a USB display adapter, unless your laptop has a display port. Many newer laptops have eschewed display ports (such as HDMI and VGA), but some models may still have them.
    • If you don't have the space to plug each monitor into your computer, you can also try connecting them in a daisy chain . Daisy chaining only works if your GPU and all of your monitors have either DisplayPort or Thunderbolt ports.
    EXPERT TIP

    Luigi Oppido

    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
    Luigi Oppido
    Computer & Tech Specialist

    Make sure you enable external VGA ports on a laptop. If your laptop has a VGA port, you'll need to turn it on with a keyboard shortcut. This usually involves holding the Fn key along with one of the function keys that has an icon of a monitor on it. It can take some time for the VGA port to switch on. On the contrary, laptop HDMI ports are usually always enabled.

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    If one or some of your monitors aren't working, check the following:
    • Ensure they're plugged into power
    • Make sure they actually turned on
    • Reseat the display cables
    • Clean the display and power ports gently with compressed air
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Section 4 of 4:

Adjusting Display Settings

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    • Type display into the taskbar search bar and click Duplicate or extend to a connected display .
    • Select Extend desktop to this display . You'll have to scroll down to see this option. It's under the "Multiple displays" header.
    • Scroll up and click Identify . Once you do this, a number will be displayed on each monitor. These numbers correspond to the number rectangles in the Display settings.
    • Rearrange the numbered rectangles to match your setup. If you forget which monitor is which number, you can click the Identify button again. [1]
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    • Click on the Apple menu and select System Settings/Preferences > Displays .
    • Click on the name of your main display monitor, then set it as the main display under the "Use as" dropdown.
    • Click the Arrangement tab. Ensure "Mirror Displays" is unchecked.
    • Rearrange the monitors so they match the configuration on your desk. [2]
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    • Click on Activities and search for Displays .
    • Click on Displays .
    • Ensure Join Displays is selected so the display is extended, not mirrored.
    • Drag and drop the displays until they match the configuration on your desk. [3]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/how-to-use-multiple-monitors-in-windows-329c6962-5a4d-b481-7baa-bec9671f728a
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/extend-mirror-mac-desktop-multiple-displays-mchlb5f905a1/mac
      3. ↑ https://help.ubuntu.com/stable/ubuntu-help/display-dual-monitors.html

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