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Connecting two monitors to T420

T400/T410/T420 and T500/T510/T520 Series
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sprogis
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Connecting two monitors to T420

#1 Post by sprogis » Wed Aug 30, 2017 6:41 pm

What is the easiest way to connect two monitors with VGA ports to T420? Will I need to get something like mini series 3 docking station?

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Re: Connecting two monitors to T420

#2 Post by rkawakami » Wed Aug 30, 2017 9:09 pm

I believe it makes a difference, but what kind of video controller do you have? NVIDIA or Intel? And are you trying to get three desktops; the T420 LCD, plus the two external monitors?
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sprogis
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Location: Novosibirsk, Russia

Re: Connecting two monitors to T420

#3 Post by sprogis » Wed Aug 30, 2017 9:41 pm

I have Intel. I need just two external monitors. No T420 LCD needed.

Sweater Fish Deluxe
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Re: Connecting two monitors to T420

#4 Post by Sweater Fish Deluxe » Thu Aug 31, 2017 11:09 am

If the reason you're suggesting a dock is because you'd want to use the VGA port on the laptop itself and the one on the dock to run separate screens, I don't think that will work since they're actually wired as the same port. Instead what you want is a displayport to VGA adapter and use the displayport line for the second monitor. That combined with the one VGA port will work either from the laptop alone or from a dock.

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Re: Connecting two monitors to T420

#5 Post by rkawakami » Thu Aug 31, 2017 2:46 pm

^^ What Fish said :)
Ray Kawakami
X22 X24 X31 X41 X41T X60 X60s X61 X61s X200 X200s X300 X301 Z60m Z61t Z61p 560 560Z 600 600E 600X T21 T22 T23 T41 T60p T410 T420 T520 W500 W520 R50 A21p A22p A31 A31p
NOTE: All links to PC-Doctor software hosted by me are dead. Files removed 8/28/12 by manufacturer's demand.

sprogis
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Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:46 am
Location: Novosibirsk, Russia

Re: Connecting two monitors to T420

#6 Post by sprogis » Thu Aug 31, 2017 6:57 pm

I am lost. I am two monitors with VGA IN ports. T420 also has one VGA IN port. So how do I connect that one port on T420 to the two monitors with a displayport to VGA adapter which also has a VGA IN on one end?

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Re: Connecting two monitors to T420

#7 Post by rkawakami » Thu Aug 31, 2017 8:44 pm

Two different cables will be required:

Monitor 1: VGA input <---VGA male connector---cable---VGA male connector---> T420 laptop VGA port

Monitor 2: VGA input <---VGA male connector---cable---DisplayPort connector---> T420 laptop DisplayPort port
Optional: VGA input <---VGA male connector ---cable---VGA male connector--->VGA-to-DisplayPort adapter--->T420 laptop DisplayPort port

The optional connection uses a standard VGA (male-male) cable and a separate adapter: https://www.google.com/search?q=display ... 8&oe=utf-8
Ray Kawakami
X22 X24 X31 X41 X41T X60 X60s X61 X61s X200 X200s X300 X301 Z60m Z61t Z61p 560 560Z 600 600E 600X T21 T22 T23 T41 T60p T410 T420 T520 W500 W520 R50 A21p A22p A31 A31p
NOTE: All links to PC-Doctor software hosted by me are dead. Files removed 8/28/12 by manufacturer's demand.

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