Question What laptop specs to run dual 1080p monitors?

[muddledlunacy]

Hi! I'm looking to buy a new laptop, as my current one struggles to run my 2 monitors. I'm hoping you guys can help me figure out what specs I need to look for in order to run those 2 monitors seamlessly. I'm not gaming, but do have a lot of Chrome tabs open and do need to use it for conference calls.

My monitors are both HP EliteDisplay E223 21.5-inch, 1080p, LED, IPS.

I just need advice on the specs to look for when choosing a new laptop. How many cores? What quality of graphics card to get those results? Do I need a specialized graphics card? How much RAM? Best processor for the job? Do I need to do anything special to optimize whatever setup I'm looking for? I don't know enough about laptops to really know what I need to make sure this setup works well with these two other screens.

I'm not looking for a super high end laptop, but one that runs reliably and well (so I can use these two screens when at home), is like 15 inches, and has a matte screen with good brightness settings so I can use it outside. If anyone has specific recommendations that fit that criteria that is welcome too. Budget wise I am flexible if I can find the perfect fit - it's well worth it! Thanks in advance!

 

[Barty1884]

Driving dual 1080p displays doesn't need much. Chrome tabs are more memory intensive than anything else.

The problem you're going to have with laptops, is the lack of numerous display outs.
The E223 have 1x VGA, 1x HDMI and 1xDP.

Chances of a laptop having HDMI and DP are slim. VGA and HDMI would be older.

 

[muddledlunacy]

Driving dual 1080p displays doesn't need much. Chrome tabs are more memory intensive than anything else.

The problem you're going to have with laptops, is the lack of numerous display outs.
The E223 have 1x VGA, 1x HDMI and 1xDP.

Chances of a laptop having HDMI and DP are slim. VGA and HDMI would be older.

Yeah the laptop I have now is an older HP Pavilion and it has a VGA and HDMI, so getting the screens to work was just plug and play. I didn't realize newer laptops are less likely to have that (which seems really regressive and unfortunate), so I'll have to look for that specifically.

How much memory would be advisable for a lot of Chrome tabs? What's the best way to run those 1080p screens with little to no effect on the laptop?

 

[Barty1884]

Newer laptops are more likely to have Thunderbolt, so you can daisy-chain DisplayPort.
Failing that, HDMI. VGA is pretty much gone at this point, as it's an old analog standard.

As for memory.... it really depends what you consider "a lot". For most users, 16GB would be ideal.

 

[muddledlunacy]

I remember seeing splitters in my initial research so hopefully that will solve the issue. I'm sure there's a way!

Does the graphics card matter, then? That's what the screens would run off, right? The graphics card doesn't need dedicated memory or something? I guess I need to know what NOT to look for...

 

[Barty1884]

I remember seeing splitters in my initial research so hopefully that will solve the issue. I'm sure there's a way!

Does the graphics card matter, then? That's what the screens would run off, right? The graphics card doesn't need dedicated memory or something? I guess I need to know what NOT to look for...

Unless it's Thunderbolt, splitters will only duplicate. TB (or DisplayPort) allows daisy-chaining, which can drive monitors independently.

Yes, the GPU matters....to an extend. Just pushing a display is not demanding at all, really. And laptops typically auto-switch between the iGP and the discrete GPU, depending on what's required.