Need help getting three monitors to work

[Bru]

Monitor 1: Lenovo T470S with Intel 520 and Windows 10
Monitor 2: Asus VS228 monitor
Monitor 3: Dell UltraSharp U2312HM (No HDMI)

I can't get Windows 10 to recognize the third monitor. I can use dual monitor between the laptop and Asus, or laptop and Dell, but not all three. It always says, "Could not detect" when trying to detect the third display in control panel when the other two are functional.

Video driver is updated.

Here are the connections I've tried:
Laptop>Asus via HDMI -- Asus>Dell via VGA (Dell not found)
Laptop>Dell via DVI (HDMI one end, DVI on other) Dell>Asus via VGA (Asus not found)
Laptop>Asus via HDMI -- Asus>Dell via VGA and DisplayPort adapter (Dell not found)

Is this inherently impossible because of the hardware and outdated monitor? VGA cable is brand new - Amazon Basics - and it crossed my mind it could be bad but I don't have any other VGA products on which to test.

Click to read more...

 

[Fish]

We use Startech VGA to USB adapters for third monitors with no problems.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002FJQXXC/?tag=tcg21-20

 

[Bru]

 

[EmersonHart13]

Hey I have the same laptop. I use three with a dock but haven't tried three via cords....

On my 460 I regularly used a display port and HDMI adapter,both to vga.

 

[Lord Tin Foilhat]

Some display adapters wont support more then 2 being active. This sounds like the case unfortunately. You can try to turn off the main laptop display and try 2 external monitors. If that works then the GPU just cant drive all 3.

USB GPU/dongle is the way to get around this.

 

[Nccstud]

I had the same problem at work. Quadro 4000 had 4 output slots, but could only have 2 active at a time. Made very little sense until I checked the specs of the video card and found that out.

 

[Bru]

Some display adapters wont support more then 2 being active. This sounds like the case unfortunately. You can try to turn off the main laptop display and try 2 external monitors. If that works then the GPU just cant drive all 3.

USB GPU/dongle is the way to get around this.

I had the same problem at work. Quadro 4000 had 4 output slots, but could only have 2 active at a time. Made very little sense until I checked the specs of the video card and found that out.

Good tips. I'll give it a try. I don't really need the laptop if I have the others going.

 

[EmersonHart13]

IT told me the same thing with my 460 and it worked for all 3.

 

[Bru]

IT told me the same thing with my 460 and it worked for all 3.

What dock are you using?

 

[EmersonHart13]

The OEM Lenovo docks. They have a vga and a dvi on the back

 

[Kaeghl]

my three monitor setup goes the same way as these guys:
I have a t480 laptop, hdmi and display port out,connect both of those with no problem, can only get a third monitor through a usb adapter:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GSW3K96/?tag=tcg21-20

 

[Bru]

Interesting.

 

[Bru]

I used both monitor outputs to make this work -- one monitor connected to the HDMI port, the other to USB C using this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075JCSG4K/?tag=tcg21-20.

All good now. Can use all three, including the laptop screen, but turned that one off and just use the two large monitors.

 

[b00sted]

I can get two external monitors + the laptop monitor to work on my Dell Precision...But it can't drive three external monitors, at least with the USB-C dock I have.

We're switching to 38" ultrawides, so I may just try to run one of those plus an additional 24" 1080p monitor off to the side.