How to Connect a Monitor to a Dell Computer | Dell US
It is important to identify the type of video connector that is available on the computer and the monitor or projector. Using the correct type of video cable helps prevent video or display problems.
There are two types of video transmission methods: digital and analog (see table below). each video connector is capable of transmitting analog or digital video signals. analog video connectors such as s-video, composite, vga, svga, and dvi (analog) do not support playback of protected high definition digital content, such as blu-ray movies, over an analog connection, you will probably get an error message or the movie will play in lower quality resolutions.
- Dell Computer: The video connectors are on the back of the computer. If your Dell desktop has a dedicated graphics card (GPU), you must use the video connector that is available on the graphics card (GPU).
- Dell All-in-One – Video connectors are on the back of the computer. Note: The video out connector for connecting a secondary display is not available on all Dell All-in-One PCs. To identify if your Dell All-in-One supports a secondary display, see your Dell All-in-One User’s Guide.
- Dell Laptop – Video connectors are available on the back, on the left, or the right side of the laptop. For more information on available video connectors, see your Dell Notebook User’s Guide.
- Dell Monitor – Video connectors are available on the back of the monitor. For more information on available video connectors, see your Dell monitor’s user guide.
- Dell Projector: Video connectors are available on the back of the projector. For more information on available video connectors, see your Dell projector’s user guide.
When the video connector on the back of your computer does not match the video connector on your monitor or projector, you may need an adapter or converter. see the using adapters or converters section of this article.
