Identify The Types of Ports on Your Laptop and What They Can Do
It's important to know what the ports on your laptop can do when you want to connect to a monitor extender, a docking station or other external devices.
You may often see these ports on a laptop: USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, DisplayPort (DP).
USB-A Ports
USB-A is the most commonly known USB type. You may be quite familiar with it as you may often use it to charge mobile devices and other equipment, connect peripherals like keyboards, mice, and gaming controllers to a computer, transfer data between you laptop and a USB drive. USB-A ports can also support audio and video transmission, but may require additional adapters or cables to connect to devices like monitors or TVs.
HDMI Ports
HDMI ports allows a device to send and receive high-definition audio and video over a single cable. They are used to connect devices like DVD players, Blu-ray players, game consoles, and laptops to TVs, portable monitors, projectors, and other displays.
DisplayPort (DP)
DisplayPort is a digital interface that transmits audio and video signals from a device to a display.
USB-C Ports
When it comes to USB-C ports, it's trickier. They may vary in the capabilities though they are manufactured in the exact same shape. Some of them are full-functioned which means you can use that single port to transfer data, audio, video, and power while some can only transfer data or charge.
How to identify what type of USB-C ports your laptop has?
There are a few easy ways to tell whether you have a full-functioned port on your laptop.
Check the symbol beside the USB-C port:
If you see a Lighting Bolt symbol beside the USB-C, it means you can charge your laptop via this port and transmit a video signal.
If all you see is a D symbol (DisplayPort), it indicates that you can transmit a video signal via this port, so you can connect a monitor.
If all you see is Battery symbol: you can charge your laptop via this port. This port doesn't support DisplayPort alt mode, so it doesn't transmit a video signal.
Don't see a symbol?
There are still a few ways to check it out.
Finding Your Laptop's Manual: Online and Offline Sources
Your laptop’s user manual probably tells what ports you have and what they can do. If you don’t have the printed one, you can usually download it from the manufacturer’s website.
Most manufacturers have support pages with FAQs and guides. These can provide insight into specific features and limitations of the USB ports on your laptop.
Check The System Information: MacBook Users
If you use a MacBook, Click the Apple logo in the top left corner, and then click “About this Mac”. In the pop-up, you can see which model you have and which connectors the MacBook has.
Note: for MacBook with M1/M2/M3 chips, they don’t support triple monitor display although there are two thunderbolt ports. You’ll need a docking station or adapter to set up a triple monitor workstation on your MacBook.
What Type of Ports Do You Need to Connect Cevaton Laptop Screen Extenders to Your Laptop?
Our laptop screen extenders support two types of connection: via full-functioned USB-C, or HDMI plus USB-A (for power supply).
If you are looking for a dual monitor setup, you'll need either a full-functioned USB-C port or a HDMI port on your laptop.
If you are looking for a triple monitor setup, you would need 2 full-function USB-C ports, or 1 full-function USB-C port plus a HDMI port. If you don’t have enough ports for connection, you’ll need a docking station that gives you extra ports for connection.
Still No Clue?
Contact us via facebook or twitter, or drop us an email at support@cevatonstore.com, send us the model number of your laptop. We will help you check.