# Can I make my PC a dual monitor (2 different views) system?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-make-my-pc-a-dual-monitor-2-different-views-system/629297
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 25, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-make-my-pc-a-dual-monitor-2-different-views-system/629297 "2012-07-25T00:27:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-make-my-pc-a-dual-monitor-2-different-views-system/629297/1 "2012-07-25T00:27:17Z")
I have a dandy laptop, that I can attach an additional monitor to and either have duplicate pictures on the screens, or have two different pictures, one on each monitor.
On my PC, I can’t do this. I can only have duplicate pictures on both screens. Is there a download that I can use to give me the same properties as my laptop?
I have Windows 7 on both machines.
Thanks,
hh
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### Author:  [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-make-my-pc-a-dual-monitor-2-different-views-system/629297/2 "2012-07-25T00:32:16Z")
There should be a ton of options available for this in your video control panel. Do you know what kind of GPU you have? Make sure you are running the latest drivers.
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### Author:  [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-make-my-pc-a-dual-monitor-2-different-views-system/629297/3 "2012-07-25T00:37:59Z")
[This](http://www.microsoft.com/athome/organization/twomonitors.aspx#fbid=xaEbgjoAom_) doesn’t work for you or at least help?
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### Author:  [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-make-my-pc-a-dual-monitor-2-different-views-system/629297/4 "2012-07-25T00:50:16Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#):
>
> There should be a ton of options available for this in your video control panel. Do you know what kind of GPU you have? Make sure you are running the latest drivers.
Thank you for your quick response, **Kinthalis**. I am not sure what the GPU is; I am away from the PC right now, but I can check it out tomorrow, and get with you on the answer. And, I’ll check on the latest drivers. Thanks again,
hh
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### Author:  [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-make-my-pc-a-dual-monitor-2-different-views-system/629297/5 "2012-07-25T00:51:43Z")
> [@Chimera](#):
>
> [This](http://www.microsoft.com/athome/organization/twomonitors.aspx#fbid=xaEbgjoAom_) doesn’t work for you or at least help?
Hmmm… reading it made me rethink my question. I’ll be able to recheck the PC tomorrow, so I’ll get back then
Thanks, **Chimera**!
hh
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2012, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-make-my-pc-a-dual-monitor-2-different-views-system/629297/6 "2012-07-25T07:15:38Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#):
>
> Thank you for your quick response, **Kinthalis**. I am not sure what the GPU is; I am away from the PC right now, but I can check it out tomorrow, and get with you on the answer. And, I’ll check on the latest drivers. Thanks again,
> hh
GPU: graphics card.
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### Author:  [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-make-my-pc-a-dual-monitor-2-different-views-system/629297/7 "2012-07-28T17:19:38Z")
OK: just got back.
So, I checked my computer, etc…
What my difficulty seems to be is that there is only one output for a monitor. Now, I could only think, before taking further actions, to put a dual extension on the back of it. Would a new driver help for what I want? Anything else? I haven’t had much time to look at it further.
Thanks,
hh
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### Author:  [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-make-my-pc-a-dual-monitor-2-different-views-system/629297/8 "2012-07-28T17:26:36Z")
If you only have one video output, then yes if you use a splitter of some sort you can have two monitors but they’ll show exactly the same thing because there’s only one output.
To dual monitor, you’d need to add a video card with multiple outputs. These are available ranging in price from under $50 to over $500.
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### Author:  [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-make-my-pc-a-dual-monitor-2-different-views-system/629297/9 "2012-07-28T17:29:44Z")
to get a different view you would need a second graphic output (graphics card). if you could do this will depend on your computer motherboard and the graphics cards involved.
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### Author:  [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-make-my-pc-a-dual-monitor-2-different-views-system/629297/10 "2012-07-28T19:10:03Z")
Thanks, guys!
hh