Upgrade Your Laptop to Dual Ultra HD Screens, No Matter the Original Specs Insights
Upgrade Your Laptop to Dual Ultra HD Screens, No Matter the Original Specs Insights
Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI adapter
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI adapter is available on Amazon for $90 .
- It’s small, portable dual-HDMI adapter that supports dual 4K 60Hz displays from a single Thunderbolt, USB4, or USB-C port, compatible with macOS 11+, Windows 10+, and ChromeOS 100+ systems.
- This adapter requires drivers to be installed to make use of DisplayLink, and it does not support High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) digital rights management.
There’s nothing like attaching a couple of extra displays to a laptop to boost productivity. Sure, it isn’t mobile anymore, but you gain the ability to transform your device into a powerful, versatile desktop setup.
The problem is, that not all laptops natively support dual displays, not even quite powerful, high-end systems such as the base M1, M2, and M3-powered Macs. These MacBooks only support a single external monitor.
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So, what can you do?
A simple solution is to use a USB-C to dual-HDMI dongle, such as the Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI adapter .
Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI adapter tech specs
- Connection to host: USB-C, Thunderbolt, or USB4
- OS compatibility: macOS, Windows, and ChromeOS
- Number of displays supported: 2
- Ports: 2 x HDMI
- Max resolution: 3840x2160 @ 60Hz
- Driver installation required: Yes
- HDCP support: No
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Laptops were supposed to free us from the shackles of a desk and big displays. But as the power of portable systems has increased exponentially over the years, a laptop can now rival the power of a desktop, so it makes sense to have a single system for the office and for when you’re on the move. The only drawback is the display – there’s nothing like sitting in front of a couple of 4K displays to boost productivity.
Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI adapter
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
This is exactly what the Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI adapter offers, and it works even on systems that don’t natively support dual displays. Plug it into a USB-C, Thunderbolt, or USB4 port, install the relevant DisplayLink drivers (a process that’s automatic on Windows systems, Mac users will have to go find them ), and you’re done.
It’s really that simple.
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While the target market for this adapter includes owners of Macs with the base M1, M2, or M3 chips – processors that don’t natively support dual displays – it also works on Windows and ChromeOS systems.
I’ve tested this adapter with dual 4K displays attached, and it works reliably on both macOS and Windows – the sort of reliability that I’d expect from a Plugable device.
ZDNET’s buying advice
Not everyone needs dual 4K displays connected to their laptop, but if you’re among those who do, the Plugable USB-C Dual HDMI adapter is a great buy if you find yourself with a system that doesn’t support two displays. At $90, it’s not cheap, but it is a solid, reliable solution that works well.
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- Title: Upgrade Your Laptop to Dual Ultra HD Screens, No Matter the Original Specs Insights
- Author: George
- Created at : 2024-10-29 21:00:17
- Updated at : 2024-11-01 19:20:20
- Link: https://hardware-tips.techidaily.com/upgrade-your-laptop-to-dual-ultra-hd-screens-no-matter-the-original-specs-insights/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.