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I want to buy two monitors for using with my laptop (without using the laptop's screen) My laptop has VGA and HDMI outputs.

1st scenario:

VGA output of laptop -> VGA input of monitor +

HDMI output of laptop -> HDMI input of another monitor. I tested extending screens with this scenario and it worked perfectly.

2nd scenario:

VGA output of laptop -> VGA input of monitor +

HDMI output of laptop -> HDMI input of HDMI2DVI converter -> DVI output of HDMI2DVI converter -> DVI input of monitor.


For the 1st scenario, I have to buy 2 monitors which have HDMI input.

For the 2nd scenario, I can buy 2 monitors which haven't HDMI input (cheaper than 1st scenario, because this type of monitor is cheaper than HDMI monitors).


Does the second scenario work? (extended screens, not mirror/same screen)

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  • I do not quite understand the "For the 1st scenario then i have to buy 2 monitors which have HDMI input." Are you assuming you need two identical monitors? (Which is NOT required, aesthetics aside).
    – Hennes
    Oct 12, 2014 at 14:17
  • yes, i need two identical monitors.
    – Musher
    Oct 12, 2014 at 14:23
  • To over-simplify, there are two DVI standards: DVI-A (analogue) and DVI-D (digital). I don't know what your converter is, but I suspect it is probably just a cable which connects HDMI to DVI-D. If you buy a monitor without HDMI, it is almost certain that the DVI connector will be DVI-A, so an HDMI to DVI cable will not work. See datapro.net/techinfo/dvi_info.html for more details.
    – AFH
    Oct 12, 2014 at 16:51
  • AFH, he was asking if he could connect the laptop's HDMI output to a DVI monitor's input. There's no analog signal involved here.
    – Ryakna
    Oct 12, 2014 at 16:57
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    @AFH, that is certainly not correct. The DVI-A connection is rarer that both DVI-D and DVI-I. Almost all monitors with DVI connector and no HDMI follow the DVI-D standard. And you can easily verify that with a DVI-only monitor, just by connecting it to any graphics card and check the connection type.
    – Ryakna
    Oct 12, 2014 at 17:20

2 Answers 2

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It will not be a problem. HDMI and DVI use the same signal, being that HDMI carries sound and DVI doesn't.

You can confidently buy a DVI monitor.

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  • thanks, hepsiburada.com/liste/… 1 question more: I will buy this HDMI2DVI converter. It's okey?
    – Musher
    Oct 12, 2014 at 14:29
  • Yes, that will work perfectly for it.
    – Ryakna
    Oct 12, 2014 at 14:35
  • This is no longer universally true. HDMI has evolved since. DVI is only compatible with unencrypted HDMI up to version 1.2.
    – Daniel B
    Oct 12, 2014 at 15:02
  • Daniel, correct me if I'm wrong, but HDMI 1.3 is backward compatible with DVI Single Link and perfectly compatible with DVI Dual Link is it not?
    – Ryakna
    Oct 12, 2014 at 15:24
  • No, HDMI 1.3 can use a higher bandwidth (340 MHz) for higher resolutions (up to 2560x1600@60Hz). This is outside of what DVI specifies and as such not compatible. Of course, both endpoints will negotiate mutually supported features, so higher resolutions will simply not be available for the user to select. So while it will fall back gracefully, saying they “use the same signal” is not really true anymore. HDMI 2.0 pushes the bandwidth even higher, to support 4K.
    – Daniel B
    Oct 12, 2014 at 15:51

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