# Adding a second monitor to an all-in-one computer?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-second-monitor-to-an-all-in-one-computer/769940
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 28, 2016, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-second-monitor-to-an-all-in-one-computer/769940 "2016-10-28T15:27:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2016, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-second-monitor-to-an-all-in-one-computer/769940/1 "2016-10-28T15:27:15Z")
One of the computers here at work is an HP all in one model 20-B210Z and the boss has asked me to figure out if we can add a second monitor.
[According to this page at HP](http://h20564.www2.hp.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c03807363#N10041), it has an “expansion slot”
Expansion Slots - PCI Express half-length mini card socket: 1
I don’t believe there are graphics cards for such a socket (searching isn’t finding them), but I thought I would ask.
I assume that if I could install a second graphics card, Windows would see it and let me add the second monitor on the software side, so it’s the hardware I’m concerned about.
---
### Author:  [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2016, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-second-monitor-to-an-all-in-one-computer/769940/2 "2016-10-28T16:05:42Z")
How about a USB to VGA adapter? [Like this.](https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-External-Video-Monitor-Adapter/dp/B005G306I2) Or USB to display port?
---
### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2016, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-second-monitor-to-an-all-in-one-computer/769940/3 "2016-10-28T17:53:56Z")
We use a USB to VGA adapter like that on one of the computers at work and it works fine.
---
### Author:  [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-second-monitor-to-an-all-in-one-computer/769940/4 "2016-10-28T19:15:47Z")
Thanks guys, just what I needed!
---
### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2016, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-second-monitor-to-an-all-in-one-computer/769940/5 "2016-10-28T20:15:34Z")
> [@Ornery\_Bob](#):
>
> Expansion Slots - PCI Express half-length mini card socket: 1
>
> I don’t believe there are graphics cards for such a socket (searching isn’t finding them), but I thought I would ask.
Of course there are. There are half-length cards with slot connectors ranging from x1 to x16. You need to find out how long the slot connector actually is.
---
### Author:  [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2016, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-second-monitor-to-an-all-in-one-computer/769940/6 "2016-10-29T06:30:24Z")
While you might be able to find a mini-PCI-E graphics card, perhaps its performance is not the best because it must have a very small chip on it.
What you can do is use a laptop docking station that uses the mini PCI-E socket .
eg
> **[Banggood Sitemap - Wholesale Sitemap - China wholesale](https://www.banggood.com/sitemap.html)**
>
> China wholesale Sitemap, dropshIP wholesale from China, Professional Chinese wholesaler for general merchandise on wholesale price.
Then you can use a full size graphics card via the PCI-E mini.
---
### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2016, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-second-monitor-to-an-all-in-one-computer/769940/7 "2016-10-29T09:10:44Z")
I’m going to have to correct myself as I misread the OP. The PCI Express half-length mini card is usually used for a wireless adapter or SSD and is not generally suitable for a video card. [Here’s](http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/images/g/AjoAAOSw9ZdXKiUi/s-l225.jpg) a picture of the motherboard and it looks like the slot is top-left. Getting the ribbon cable for **Isilder** ’s adapter out of the case might prove _interesting_.
---
### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2016, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-second-monitor-to-an-all-in-one-computer/769940/8 "2016-10-29T09:40:14Z")
But you don’t need a second graphics card. You need to be able to connect two monitors, which may mean using two different connectors on the same card, and the graphics card to be able to recognize it’s connected to two monitors. What connectors does your tower-cum-screen have?
My laptop, my desktop computer and the laptop I just returned at work all could connect with two monitors, and the only one that’s got two graphics cards is my laptop. Stupid thing tends to get confused about which one to use with each program - but that decision appears to be made depending on what’s on screen, not on which screen(s) are being used.
---
### Author:  [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2016, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-second-monitor-to-an-all-in-one-computer/769940/9 "2016-10-29T10:03:49Z")
As far as I know, you don’t need to add a graphics card, you just need a simple splitter cable like [this one](http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-PC-to-2-Monitor-VGA-SVGA-Y-Splitter-Cable-Lead-2-Way-/331552056833?hash=item4d320ae601:g:ZicAAOxyyUtScUJ~).
---
### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2016, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-second-monitor-to-an-all-in-one-computer/769940/10 "2016-10-29T11:08:03Z")
> [@Nava](#):
>
> But you don’t need a second graphics card.
The OP has an all-in-one device, and the picture of the motherboard to which I linked does not appear to have any video ports on the I/O panel at the bottom.
---
### Author:  [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2016, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-second-monitor-to-an-all-in-one-computer/769940/11 "2016-10-29T12:45:44Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#):
>
> As far as I know, you don’t need to add a graphics card, you just need a simple splitter cable like [this one](http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-PC-to-2-Monitor-VGA-SVGA-Y-Splitter-Cable-Lead-2-Way-/331552056833?hash=item4d320ae601:g:ZicAAOxyyUtScUJ~).
I don’t believe that Bob has a port to plug that into. Also, that would just duplicate his current monitor. I think that he wants to extend his desktop, not replicate it.