Question Advice regarding a 4 monitor system

[BartonFunk]

Hi

I currently have an Acer Aspire 3 laptop with no dedicated graphics card. It has one HDMI port and no USB C ports. I currently have a two monitor setup which uses the following:

"Plugable" docking station:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07FF6VMSF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Attached using a USB3 to USB C adapter

And two of these Dell 27 inch, 2560 x 1440 monitors
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08FRJ1QCN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This setup works well, but I'm setting up a home office and would love a 4 monitor setup.

I want to add two of these monitors to the setup. They are also both Dell 27 inch, 2560 x 1440 monitors , the same as the others, but newer spec models.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-S2722DC-2560x1440-FreeSync-Speakers/dp/B09CGYHJ84/ref=sr_1_3

I'm not sure what the best approach is and I'm hoping for some advice. I imagine some solutions may be:

1. Get a new desktop computer with a 4 port graphics card

2. Buy a different external dock that can run 4 monitors that I don't know about (I need DisplayLink hardware to run multiple monitors as my computer doesn't have the ports/hardware to run multiple monitors any other way apparently, which is why I'm using the Plugable station linked above for a dual monitor setup)

3. Upgrade my laptop somehow? Graphics card and ports maybe?

I'm not into gaming or anything graphics intensive.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Lutfij]

1| If you're not on the go, then I think a desktop with a discrete GPU that has 4 display outputs or even a cheap system with an iGPU+discrete GPU to drive 4x2K panels is the route to go, or so that's my mindset on how to approach the issue.

3| That's not going to happen anytime soon since everything is soldered onto the motherboard. Frankly speaking, you're asking too much of your laptop.

I'm not into gaming or anything graphics intensive.
What is it that you do with your laptop and why do you need 4 panels?

 

[BartonFunk]

Hi Lutfij, and thanks for the reply.

What is it that you do with your laptop and why do you need 4 panels?
I use Photoshop and InDesign a lot. By "nothing intensive" I meant no 3d, video editing etc. I like to have a habit tracker such as Toggl permanently open. On a typical day the 4 monitors may have the following:

Top right: Toggl open in a web browser
Top left: A 'study with me' youtube video playing (I find these help my concentration)
Bottom left: Photoshop
Bottom right: InDesign, Illustrator or another Photoshop window/project

1| If you're not on the go, then I think a desktop with a discrete GPU that has 4 display outputs or even a cheap system with an iGPU+discrete GPU to drive 4x2K panels is the route to go, or so that's my mindset on how to approach the issue.
I was guessing this may be the best approach. I don't know where to start with finding a suitable desktop, but I'll start googling. Thanks.

 

[Lutfij]

I see yo holding onto a beefy compact footprint desktop which is in turn hooked up to a multitude of displays. You can hold onto the laptop in the event you do need to go out and about.

If you do decide to build your own system from scratch or perhaps look into a prebuilt, please stylize a new thread with info asked of in this thread;

*How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice*

How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice First off, respect where respect is due - this is an adaptation of the Animal's *How To Ask For New Build Advice* Sticky. I created this because there's a lot of posts nowadays asking for upgrade advice both on here and on the CPU forums, and I feel...

forums.tomshardware.com

The community can then chime in with constructive suggestions as they've done so in the past for a multitude of user across our forums

Don't thank me, just helping out!

 

[geofelt]

Have you considered using a large 48" monitor where you can arrange and size windows as you wish?

 

[BartonFunk]

Have you considered using a large 48" monitor where you can arrange and size windows as you wish?
Thanks for the suggestion Geofelt, but I'd prefer the multi screen option in terms of ease of use with multi-task dragging between windows.

If you do decide to build your own system from scratch or perhaps look into a prebuilt, please stylize a new thread with info asked of in this thread
I'll definitely do that Lutfij. Thanks for the suggestion.