Multiple Monitors with Dell Latitude E5530

Hardware GPU
1

Hey Guys, 

So my cousin has a Dell Latitude E5530 and wants to do have multiple monitors hooked up to it. I got a couple of questions: 1. Can the laptop support multiple monitors? 2. Can he just plug the monitors in (the laptop has one vga port and one HDMI)? 3. Can he use a program like Maxi Vista?

 

Thanks in advanced, 

Timeshare 

 

Edit: Could he just use something like this: http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-DVI-D-Video-Cable-Adapter/dp/B009YCASUW/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1389152010&sr=1-1&keywords=hdmi+male+to+dvi+female and plug in one monitor to that via DVI and another through the regular VGA port?

2

They support up to two monitors, and I'm not 100% sure they'll run two external monitors off the laptop itself (ie with the lid down).  I'm tempted to say it won't.. but I'm really not certain, I've never tried it.  EDIT:  Actually now I think of it, it won't work at all because you'd need the lid up to turn it on, and that would activate the laptops monitor. 

What will work (and be much easier to manage) is using one of these:

http://accessories.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=331-7947


You connect everything to the dock, both monitors, mouse, keyboard, power etc, and when you just need a laptop, you pop it off and carry it away.  This is how the latitudes are designed to be used. 

3

I 2nd the docking station, I bought one for my laptop and it will work nicely.

4

Is there an alternative to the dock, something similar but cheaper? I'm not sure he can put $200 more dollars into it.

5

Most laptops will only support 1 video out, as the graphics cards can only support 2 outputs. However, I would suggest trying one of those USB to VGA or DVI outs. This should probably be a last resort, because they can burden the CPU depending on what you are doing with it.

6

You don't have to buy a brand new one mate, jump on ebay and pick one up.  Not sure what country you're in, but here's an ebay US link:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=dell+e+series+dock&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.Xdell+e+series+pr02x&_nkw=dell+e+series+pr02x&_sacat=0

 

You want a PR02X model.  It will need to include the dock and a 130w AC adapter.  The laptop won't start up on the dock with the standard 90W adapter connected. 

7

http://www.amazon.com/Dell-Notebook-Replicator-PR03X-Notebooks/dp/B002LK2F2I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389242023&sr=8-1&keywords=dell+e+docking+station

8

He'll want the PR02X with dual DVI out mate, not the 03X.

9

I was thinking about that after the fact.