Hi
Daytrader. New skullcanyon (6770hq 32m 1tb SSD, HDMI, thunderbolt, mini DP, 4usb 3.0)
Have 3 monitors up (2 24" 1080p, 40" Samsung 1080p), one on each out. Super fast, zero lag, no downloads, no setup issues, no problems.
Need a forth monitor. Chip specs say 3 monitors so I assume a USB to HDMI adaptor is out? Not sure about this. Is a DP 1.2 to 2x DP hub (then just dp to HDMI cables) a possibility?
Any help or insight on expanding my desktop realestate- greatly appreciated.
Thx
Get a video card.
So your problem is you have a laptop with an inbuilt GPU that doesn’t support more than 3 monitors. One solution is a bigger monitor - that laptop will support 4k monitors, and you just have 3 1080p monitors. A 4k is 4 times the pixels, and if you had three 4k monitors, you’d have 4 times the pixel area you have now. That 40" is especially low resolution for it’s size - I’d just upgrade it to 4k and call it good.
Most windows apps you can split to half a screen with windows key + dragging to the side or arrow key. But you need a high enough resolution for this to be worth it - 1080 is not very many pixels that you can afford to lose half, while 4k generally is.
Solution 2 is to stop using a laptop and use a compact desktop. This is what I do.
Solution 3 is some of those USB to HDMI adapters are weaksauce additional GPUs. You do get another monitor supported because the dongle itself has a terrible GPU in it. Problem is, the latency and limited bandwidth means it won’t be great, but if you use the monitor as your least important monitor that you don’t try to smoothly scroll on, it might be ok. Like this : https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-External-Monitor-Graphics-USB32HDE/dp/B00612ZPQA
That’s got a GPU in it, and with USB 3.0 it might not be terrible.
Ok, this one has better Amazon reviews. They claim to solve the problem of only 3 monitor outputs through some bit of software wizardry. https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Graphics-Multiple-2048x1152-1920x1080/dp/B00A2E1MQA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1493491454&sr=8-3&keywords=usb+3.0+external+video+card
Didn’t even consider the 4k idea. Oddly enough just bought the 1080p at Costco three weeks ago- didn’t really think about it was just on sale. But easily exchangeable. That should get me what I need.
BTW not a laptop. 
Thanks for the effort with the replies!
M
The NUC Skull Canyon is a laptop, for the purposes of this discussion. Its motherboard design and expansion capability are basically the same as a laptop.
In addition to the options laid out by SamuelA, there’s a 4th option: a Thunderbolt-3 external GPU such as the Razer Core or the AKiTiO Node Thunderbolt 3 eGPU. The latter is $250, but that’s just the enclosure - you need to add a graphics card to it. And it’s a fairly bulky enclosure, so if you bought the NUC because you needed something small and compact, it may not be an option.
p.s. Having said that, if you want the most screen real estate, 4k monitors are the way to go. OR 4k TV. One 4k monitor/TV has the same screen real estate (# pixels) as FOUR 1080p monitors.
First time in here. Amazing you guys take the time Thanks!
Replaced 1080p with UHD samsung last night. Added “high speed” hdmi 2.0/1.4a IBRA cable, and a 2400 dpi mouse.
Plug play go