USB powered monitors

original.wood

original.wood

original.wood

Associate
Joined
17 Mar 2009
Posts
311
Location
Manchester
so I've stumbled across this idea and now I'm pretty much stuck on it, but thought I'd ask for other peoples input.

I only have a laptop that I carry to work with me every day, it's my entire job, its a 17" Dell 7720 SE. it's gone through a couple of transformations since I bought it as a return direct from Dell. New SSD boot drive and new 1tb HDD.

it's been enough of a machine to get me to do what I need to do, but the screen isn't great for productivity. Full screen applications like Word or Excel and even web browsing, seem lost on the screen, too much white space, and when using the screen sharing 2 windows, its a little cramped.

so the main idea is buying two USB powered ASUS MB168B+ monitors. (one for creating and editing documents and spreadsheets, other for web browsing and research, I typically need lots of windows open at once, flicking between the two, and my laptop screen for media consumption and a little light gaming) which I will mount to a desk mounting system with two arms. However, the ASUS monitors don't have any way to mount them.

so.....I stumbled across these *** Competitor Link Removed - Armageus ***

I can then have the mount set up permanently with the benefit of not having any extra power needed to be drawn from the wall, as I dont have any outlet other than 1 for my laptop.

can anyone else think of a different or better solution?

thanks!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well it will draw extra power from the wall, just via your laptop. I would carefully research the total power requirement of these screens, and make sure the laptop's power brick can actually handle that much extra. There's a lot of 90-120w power bricks out there, so if the screens turn out to be 10 each then that's probably more requirement than you have headroom.

Also, I don't think those portable screens will have vesa mounting holes with which to attach them to a mount... they're very thin already, there seems nowhere for the screws to screw into. Kind of contrary to their purpose too :)

My 2p is that unless you need the monitors to be portable, get normal screens and a power adapter. USB-VGA adapters are available as separate entities, so you can still have two monitors even with only one conventional output.
 
andicole0 said:
A good solution to your upcoming problem is to remove that link to a competitors site!
Andi.
Click to expand...
I thought you could link to other sites as long as Overclockers didn't sell them.

eddiew said:
Well it will draw extra power from the wall, just via your laptop. I would carefully research the total power requirement of these screens, and make sure the laptop's power brick can actually handle that much extra. There's a lot of 90-120w power bricks out there, so if the screens turn out to be 10 each then that's probably more requirement than you have headroom.

Also, I don't think those portable screens will have vesa mounting holes with which to attach them to a mount... they're very thin already, there seems nowhere for the screws to screw into. Kind of contrary to their purpose too :)

My 2p is that unless you need the monitors to be portable, get normal screens and a power adapter. USB-VGA adapters are available as separate entities, so you can still have two monitors even with only one conventional output.
Click to expand...

the link I shared before it was removed were non-Vesa mounting brackets. They held on to monitors using a couple of arms which were vesa compatible. My laptop only has 1 DVI and 1 HDMI, and 4 USB 3. The reason I liked the ASUS monitors is that they're quite thin and lightweight.
 
Do what everyone else does. Put the laptop on a docking station and have a couple of normal monitors attached to that.
Continue to take the laptop around with you when you need it.
 
original.wood said:
I do understand, but I thought as it wasn't a item that OcUK actually sell I thought it would be allowed. Consider myself educated.
Click to expand...

Just to expand on this (as the FAQ has gone missing since the new forum migration):

You can't link to product types that OcUK sell, even if they don't sell that specific product.
- You can't link to Motherboard XYZ @ Supplier A even though OcUK don't sell it (since OcUK do sell Motherboards and sell Motherboard ABC that is very similar)
- You can mention/link to Amazon or Ebay (rather than calling them "the river", or "that online auction" site), providing you aren't linking to computer related items. E.g. linking to DVDs on amazon is fine, as is linking to car parts on ebay.
- You can link to the manufacturers web page e.g. the Spec sheet for a Specific motherboard (and not normally an issue even if the manufacturers site has it's own direct store or RRPs)

If in doubt, then ask the question in the FCD subforum before posting it for all to see.

Thanks - Armageus
 
Armageus said:
Just to expand on this (as the FAQ has gone missing since the new forum migration):

You can't link to product types that OcUK sell, even if they don't sell that specific product.
- You can't link to Motherboard XYZ @ Supplier A even though OcUK don't sell it (since OcUK do sell Motherboards and sell Motherboard ABC that is very similar)
- You can mention/link to Amazon or Ebay (rather than calling them "the river", or "that online auction" site), providing you aren't linking to computer related items. E.g. linking to DVDs on amazon is fine, as is linking to car parts on ebay.
- You can link to the manufacturers web page e.g. the Spec sheet for a Specific motherboard (and not normally an issue even if the manufacturers site has it's own direct store or RRPs)

If in doubt, then ask the question in the FCD subforum before posting it for all to see.

Thanks - Armageus
Click to expand...

thanks for the reply, I guess the first rule relates to what I posted.
 
ok, so back on topic. I didn't expect Laptop Docking Station to be what they are. I guess they would work, I've seen a Dell one for just over £100 which can support up to 3 monitors, 2x HDMI and 1x display port. And there are others that have a whole array of extra USB, Audio in/out, Ethernet and so on, but they seem a little cheap and unnecessary.

obviously going this route would save me money as I would be able to buy cheaper/second hand monitors and ill just have to buy a power extension cable for the monitors.
 
Last edited:
If the question is now about hanging 2 monitors *of any kind* off a laptop, you can buy USB-VGA or USB-DVI adapters. Can't be any worse than a straight up USB monitor, and cheaper than even the docking station option. Have one on your HDMI out and one on USB :)
 
original.wood said:
ok, so back on topic. I didn't expect Laptop Docking Station to be what they are. I guess they would work, I've seen a Dell one for just over £100 which can support up to 3 monitors, 2x HDMI and 1x display port. And there are others that have a whole array of extra USB, Audio in/out, Ethernet and so on, but they seem a little cheap and unnecessary.

obviously going this route would save me money as I would be able to buy cheaper/second hand monitors and ill just have to buy a power extension cable for the monitors.
Click to expand...

I would also be very careful if I were you depending on how you wish to work - if you want to use two external monitors at the same time as your laptop LCD this can be tricky to set up and problematic even when you manage to get it sorted, if you just want to use the two monitors on their own, and the LCD when you are away from work that wont be any issue at all.

I work with Dell laptops (and monitors) at work, and seemingly two (admittedly lower in the range 7240 / 50 /70's or even 7440/7450's / 7470's ) delivered from the same batch wont always react the same way on the same dock when trying to use three screen at the same time. The extended docks (which Im not sure are still available 1st hand) used to work, but difficult to get hold of according to business connections.

Hope it works for you
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom