Two External Displays & More Memory & Faster HDD

Hello fellow HP Laptop users I own an EliteBook 8540w and am wondering a few things about how to best upgrade this box. Detailed specs of the box are as follows. CPU Type: Mobile QuadCore Intel Core i7-740QM, 2100 MHz (16 x 131)
Motherboard Name: Hewlett-Packard HP EliteBook 8540w
Motherboard Chipset: Intel Ibex Peak-M QM57, Intel Clarksfield
System Memory: 8119 MB (DDR3-1333 DDR3 SDRAM) DIMM1: Samsung M471B5273CH0-CH9 4 GB DDR3-1333 DDR3 SDRAM (9-9-9-24 @ 666 MHz) (8-8-8-22 @ 609 MHz) (7-7-7-20 @ 533 MHz) (6-6-6-17 @ 457 MHz) (5-5-5-14 @ 380 MHz) DIMM2: Samsung M471B5273CH0-CH9 4 GB DDR3-1333 DDR3 SDRAM (9-9-9-24 @ 666 MHz) (8-8-8-22 @ 609 MHz) (7-7-7-20 @ 533 MHz) (6-6-6-17 @ 457 MHz) (5-5-5-14 @ 380 MHz) Video Adapter: NVIDIA Quadro FX 1800M (1 GB) Monitors:Ideally I would like to hook up two Dell 2412M. Is this possible or do I need to look out for something specific when connecting the monitors?I assume I can connect one monitor over the VGA connector and the other monitor over the DisplayPort connection, right? Memory:Ideally, with the monitors I would also love to upgrade the System Memory to at least 16GB or if possible 32GB. Can this be done? What memory would I need for that please? Could someone please be so kind to clarify in a detailed manner what memory I could use to upgrade and what memory I should avoid since it won't fit from the technical specifications point of view? It would be great to have this info so that when I browse the many types of memory I have a few pointers to what I can actually buy and what will actually fit inside the box. HDD:I know that more memory is only good with a HDD that has solid transfers rates, so I am thinking of upgrading that as well, but at this stage that is not a must.The HDD I have now is this one.I assume the height of the HDD is the key factor here, so not so many restrictions on the HDD, is this correct? I could get a SSD as well as long as the height is fine, right? Sorry for the three in one question. I figured better ask this all in one question rather than spread it out over three questions. If this is not OK I am happy to spread this out over three questions. So basically you see I am trying to upgrade this box that I use purely for work.No gaming, no video editing!Some simple graphics editing (Illustrator, Sketch, etc), office work (MS Office) and coding for web development (WAMP, Ruby, etc).Using VirtualBox for various OSs and that works well, however it could all work just a bit smoother and faster. If you have any tips or tricks or anything related to how I can get the max out of this box I am all ears. Thank you for your help and time. Best RegardsW9Y

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Similar Messages

Two External Displays and Internal Display Over Different Connections

Hi there.
I'm going to be purchasing a rMBP in the very, very near future. However, I am unclear about how external displays work with this. My current display setup at work is two basic 1080p monitors that can be run over DVI, VGA or HDMI. I'd like to keep using these when I start using the rMBP but also gain the advantage of a third screen by using the internal display at the same time (so much space for activities!).
One of the thunderbolt ports will need to be used for an Ethernet connection (there is no wireless here), so this leaves the setup needing to be one monitor run via Thunderbolt -> DVI and the other monitor run via HDMI.
The internet in general isn't being entirely helpful with this. I'm looking for a clear answer of whether the rMBP will run the internal display and the two external displays using this setup under OS X. Some seem to believe that it won't work using different connection types, for example.
Thanks for any help.

Hello dljfield,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
If you'd like to use multiple external displays with a MacBook Pro with Retina display, then please take a look at the information outlined below. A 15" MacBook Pro mid-2014 can support up to two external displays using different outputs.
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) - Technical Specifications
OS X Yosemite: Connect multiple displays to your Mac
Take care,
Alex H.

Using two external displays that are NOT mirrored

i have a MBP early 2008, meaning the external display port is a dual DVI-I port. I have have two external displays, both samsung syncmaster xl2370 with native resolution 1920x1080. i have a dual dvi-i to vga splitter. when i connect both displays, they mirror one another, which is not what i want. rather, i want to have my MBP display, and two external displays that are not mirror images of one another. according to apple, if i buy a dual dvi-i to dvi splitter, i get the same effect. i've read on various forums about hardware alternatives, like buying a usb to dvi or usb to vga adapter, with some reasonable results (except a bit of sluggishness). the best one seems to be the diamond: http://www.diamondmm.com/BVU195.php
it mostly gets good reviews, but is sluggish. does any know of any better options?
many thanks, jovo

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
USB is slow partly because it is processor and driver dependent. Best to go with a straight video solution, such as Matroxes products like this one: http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/gxm/dh2go/

Helix - Two external displays + laptop display

I would like to extend my desktop to two external displays (1080p) in addition to the Helix screen. Of course, we only have one mini-displayport on the Helix. I don't have displayport-enabled monitors which can daisy-chain. Which of these options would you guys recommend?
1. Using the Lenovo or Startech Displayport Splitter, which will make the two external displays look like one giant display to the computer.
2. Using wi-di for one monitor while using the physical mini-displayport for the other. Will this work? If so, any recommendations for a a wi-di adapter for a monitor?
I don't want to use a USB dock / monitor extension, since I don't want to be using CPU power to drive the displays. Are there any other options I am missing? If it matters, the internal display of the Helix uses a displayport-type adapter.
Thanks!

Trying to figure out how many displays that the Thinkpad Helix can drive via the GPU (independent extended mode, meaning each display is NOT a mirror/clone of another)
Tried to look at the manual/search, can't find it.
I'm sure you can do at least 2 connected displays, like any laptop sold within the past 10 years
1) internal display (1080p)
2) via Minidisplayport (1440p-1660p?)
How about 3 displays
3) via WiDi?
4) via Displayport chaining?
How about max resolutions? (all my displays are below 1080/1200p for now, but for future reference)
(not looking for the USB driven monitors, because
1) a lot of them tend to be cpu-intensive instead of being driven by the GPU
2) I want to be able to "dock" the helix with my existing large displays
Moderator Note; subject edited; post merged in.

How tow connect two external displays that are not mirrored and turn of the retina display

Hello,
I have two questions:
1. Is it possible to use two external displays either mirrored or not and turn off the retina display, and if so how it is done?
2. Is it possible to close the MBP and use an external keyboard while using two external displays?
I am using a music production DAW Persons Studio One-2 Pro and it would be great to be able to have this type of a setup.
Thank You,
Breezinabout
Macbook Pro 15" Retina display I7 2,3mz 500gb SSD late 2013 OSX Yosemite 10.10.1

Hi Breezinabout,
The MacBook Pro Late 2013 retina display model will support two external displays. See this specifications page for reference -
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) - Technical Specifications
Specifically -
Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on up to two external displays, both at millions of colors
And -
Thunderbolt digital video output
Native Mini DisplayPort output
DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter (sold separately)
VGA output using Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter (sold separately)
Dual-link DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (sold separately)
HDMI video output
Support for 1080p resolution at up to 60Hz
Support for 3840-by-2160 resolution at 30Hz
Support for 4096-by-2160 resolution at 24Hz
You would, if you wish, turn off the internal display by closing the MacBook Pro, which is called "closed-clamshell" mode. It requires you to have an external keyboard and mouse. See this article for further information -
How to use your Mac notebook computer in closed-clamshell (display closed) mode with an external display - Apple Support
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Brett L

Two External Displays for iMac

Is it possible to run two external displays off of an iMac? I have a small display running and just was giving an old second display so I was wondering if I could run both at the same time?

It's a real low-down shame that the HD5750-equipped 27-inch iMac cannot support triple displays.
All of the HD5750 video cards available for Windows PCs support triple displays (two DVI and one DisplayPort) with the Eyefinity technology that was built into the HD5750's GPU.
Having one iMac 27-inch flanked by two additional 2560x1440 monitors would be so SWEET.

Two external display with internal diplay on E531

Hi,
I have a ThinkPad E531 laptop, and that includes are VGA and HDMI plug. The video card is Intel HD. Can I use 2 external monitor (over VGA and HDMI) with the internal display? (So I want to use 3 displays).
Thanks!
Regards,
Tamás

Hello dljfield,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
If you'd like to use multiple external displays with a MacBook Pro with Retina display, then please take a look at the information outlined below. A 15" MacBook Pro mid-2014 can support up to two external displays using different outputs.
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) - Technical Specifications
OS X Yosemite: Connect multiple displays to your Mac
Take care,
Alex H.

27 inch iMac (April 2011) - Two external displays - how?

I've just got a new 27" iMac and have connected two external displays via the mini display port. I can only get one to work, what am I doing wrong?

Sorry that was a dumb typo on my behalf. Here is the setup:
Apple 27inch iMac only bought today, so it's the newest version with the two Thunderbolt ports.
Two seperate external monitors each connected to a seperate port via a DVI cable and Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter.
So that's:
iMac x 1.
Thunderbolt port x 2.
External Monitor x 2.
Mini DisplayPort Adapter x 2.
3 displays in total. But when I turn on both displays only one will show up.

Macbook Pro support for two external displays

I keep seeing articles since yesterday stating that the new MBP retina display supports 3 external monitors and the new Macbook Air supports two (through just one ThB port?) but how come no one says anything about the new regular MBP's support? If the Air supports two isn't the regular MBP also supposed to be able to work with two external monitors?

USB video has performance limitations, but it's fine for stuff that doesn't involve fast-action video.
ah yes, sorry, the new USB 3 now supports speeds up to 5 GB/sec so it may become suitable for AV use. Actually, only ThunderBolt (and HDMI) has higher speed than the USB 3 port.
but I just found this page here at the Apple support, which states that the Air and Pro both support 2 displays and the retina MBP one more through the HDMI port, so I guess now it's official

Possible to Connect Two External Displays?

At work I have two 1600x1200 LCD displays connected to my G4 MDD and I've become quite attached to them and truly feel the extra real estate increases my productivity.
I'm due to get a new system and would like to get a laptop rather than a desktop system since I occassionally work from home and would like to just have one machine for everything.
The only thing holding me back is the unavailabilty of using dual displays. Here are the only solutions that I know of, but not that I am interested in:
o use the laptop display with an external display (problem: I would want my two displays to be the same size, and the laptop display would be too small for my taste)
o use one of those matrox dual display external boxes (problem: uses vga but my LCDs are DVI and I'm not interested in sacrificing quality)
o get a huge display to take the place of two, like the 30" ACD (problem: too expensive, and already have two nice 21" displays)
So ... just hoping someone has some other suggestions. If nothing like this is available now, does anyone know if this sort of capability would or could ever be supported? Thanks.

Thanks for the quick reply, but see my second bullet, that what I meant by the "matrox thing". If it were DVI based I'd give it a try, but my understanding is it is VGA.

Can I run two external displays off a MacBook?

Hi there.
I would like to run two external 20" Acer (VGA) displays off of my MacBook. I already use one 20" in addition to my MacBook screen but would like to have two full sized screens to work off and would not need the 13" from the MacBook.
The MacBook literature says that only a second monitor is supported but I was hoping there is a way to override the MacBook screen in a two monitor setup and port the display to the third monitor.
Any ideas ??

You can have two independent external displays on the workstation macs such as G4, G5 and Mac Pros but not on apple laptops to the best of my knowledge. If you look on that page it shows the Mac Pro then underneath it is the image of two montiors side by side with the shark image going across it. Lower down is a Macbook Pro with one additional monitor next to it.
This is the text which accompanies the image:
"With an all PCI Express architecture, Mac Pro supports a lineup of state-of-the-art graphics cards to ensure a spectacular visual experience. Every Mac Pro supports two displays — including one 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display — and can be expanded to drive an array of up to eight displays."
Im assuming the up to eight displays refers to the fact that you can add extra graphics cards to the Mac Pro.

Two external displays - macbook pro

I Have a macbook pro 13" 2013 It has i firewire and one mini display port. How can I (or what do I need) to connect two external monitors, to function as independent screens thanks

bigdrummerboy,
I don’t have a Mac with a Thunderbolt port, so I can’t definitively answer that question. My guess would be that they would not be two mirror copies, but rather treated as two halves of a double-width single desktop, as opposed to two independent desktops. Perhaps someone who currently has a similar desktop could chime in? Or perhaps someone at your nearest Apple store could answer the question with certainty?

Two external displays on L430 (HD4000)

Hi,
I have L430 laptop (HD4000 gpu) and I wanted to connect two external monitors on it and to run with internal display as well. Originally HD4000 should support 3 independend displays, but maybe thinkpad construction does not allow for this. So first question is, is this even possible with L430?
Initially I've tried with one display connected on VGA, the other one on the mini display port, however, only two ouf of three displays can work at the single time. I'm using Linux but I've checked with windows 7 and it has the same problem. Can this particular configuration work with some driver tweaking or something, or I need to connect them somehow differently using some other cables?
Some of the users suggested that only T430u is capable of having 2 external displays, while some others succeedeed with docking stations where both external dispalys go on display ports, some suggested that using some specific cables might help.
So, is there are cables that can then put two displays on the same miniDP (two displays with different resolutions)?

You can use one of the DisplayLink USB adapters such as this one. It says you can add up to 6 monitors, but of course you'll need a USB port for each, and I'll bet a USB hub will not be ideal. Performance of the USB solutions is not as good as straight DisplayPort.
DisplayPort supports daisy-chaining, so theoretically, in the future you may find laptops driving multiple monitors off of the single built-in port. But first somebody needs to start selling DisplayPort monitors with daisy-chainable video ports on them. Dell is also pushing DisplayPort, so maybe they'll come out with one.

Any way to connect two external displays?

Hello,
I have a quick question about connecting my PowerBook G4 15'' (machine model: Powerbook 5,6) to some external displays.
I am trying to connect it to both a Samsung Syncmaster LCD and my TV.
Currently, I am able to connect to each successfully, but only one at a time.
My Samsung syncmaster LCD is connected via the DVI port on my powerbook, and using the DVI to VGA adapter, since the Samsung LCD is VGA. My TV is connected via S-Video, though I do have the s-video to composite adapter that came with my powerbook if it makes a difference.
Anyways, my problem is I want to be able to use all three displays at once (the powerbook screen, my samsung LCD, and my TV), but i can only get one of the external displays working at a given time, and have to unplug the DVI (samsung lcd) to get the TV to be detected and activated as an external display.
Any suggestions will be much appreciated. If there is some adapter I need to buy to make all this work, thats fine, just tell me what it is.
Thank you for all your time.
Regards,
Matt Ellison
PowerBook G4 15" (machine model: Powerbook 5,6) Mac OS X (10.4.3)

This solution was previously pointed out to me on the 17" PowerBook forum. I don't have one and don't know how well it works. Last I saw they didn't have drivers for Tiger, yet.
http://www.villagetronic.com/
I expect you would hook your SyncMaster LCD to the VT Book and then use the S-Video port on the PB to connect the TV.

Tecra A9 - Connecting two external displays using Express Port Replicator

Hi,
I have a Tecra A9 and Express Port Replicator.
I'm trying to connect 2 external displays, one connected on the notebook output and the other connected on the docking station (notebook lid closed, not using the notebook display).
I can only get one to work, does anyone know if this is possible?

Hi
I think you want to connect one monitor to VGA and the other to DVI port.
Is it right?
Well, I found this doc:
http://aps2.toshiba-tro.de/kb0/TSB7B0201000CR01.htm
It depends on the used Tecra A9, if you can get a picture on the DVI out port on the Express Port Replicator (PA3508E-1PRP) or not.
The DVI port on the on the Express Port Replicator is only supported on machines with ATI or nVidia graphic card.
If you have a INTEL graphic card the DVI port on the on the Express Port Replicator is NOT supported.

Two External Displays & More Memory & Faster HDD

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