Monitors

[WayneW]

I'm soon to start a new work-from-home job using Solidworks on a laptop supplied by the customer. After a few months of using CAD of various flavours on a 15" laptop, my eyes are complaining.

I'd like to connect a monitor to the laptop so that I can keep my e-mail etc on the laptop and use CAD on a 24" monitor.

I don't think that a 27" will fit where I want it to go, as I'm going to be working in a corner of an odd-shaped attic room.

Can anyone recommend a good, sensibly priced 24" monitor?

[matt]

My main machine is a 15" laptop too. I use a docking station and a couple monitors. The portrait monitor is for the forum, email, full length portraits... The landscape is for CAD, and the actual laptop screen is for misc.

[MJuric]

I'm soon to start a new work-from-home job using Solidworks on a laptop supplied by the customer. After a few months of using CAD of various flavours on a 15" laptop, my eyes are complaining.

I'd like to connect a monitor to the laptop so that I can keep my e-mail etc on the laptop and use CAD on a 24" monitor.

I don't think that a 27" will fit where I want it to go, as I'm going to be working in a corner of an odd-shaped attic room.

Can anyone recommend a good, sensibly priced 24" monitor?

New Egg is your friend. You can break it down to exactly what you want and then read the reviews. You're going to want to answer a few questions first. What kind of video card, what resolution will you be running it at, what will you be doing with it and so on. Running basic modeling is a lot different than doing realistic renderings.

[MJuric]

My main machine is a 15" laptop too. I use a docking station and a couple monitors. The portrait monitor is for the forum, email, full length portraits... The landscape is for CAD, and the actual laptop screen is for misc.



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What kind of docking station? Have you ever used a docking station with a switch? I'd like to be able to use the same monitors I use for my desktop. Use them for the laptop when I'm docked and switch to the desktop when I'm not docked.

Only reason for the laptop is work as we are only allowed remote access from company systems.

[matt]

What kind of docking station? Have you ever used a docking station with a switch? I'd like to be able to use the same monitors I use for my desktop. Use them for the laptop when I'm docked and switch to the desktop when I'm not docked.

Only reason for the laptop is work as we are only allowed remote access from company systems.

Oh, a TMJ switch? I had one of those. In fact, I still have it. No, it's not TMJ. That's throat mouth and jaw. It's KVM keyboard video mouse. I've got one of those for 4 computers to be controlled by a single keyboard monitor and mouse. But it's old. Like ps2 mouse old, and VGA connector kind of old. I'd send it to you for the price of the postage.

[WayneW]

I'm only ever going to be doing modelling and assemblies in CAD. Mechanical design stuff. It's the same deal that MJuric mentioned; it's a laptop for remote access to company systems. I've never connected an extra monitor(s) before, so here's the next beginner's question: will I need a docking station, or can I just plug a monitor into the laptop?

I've not seen the laptop yet and I don't know what spec it will be, possibly until I get my hands on it.

[matt]

I'm only ever going to be doing modelling and assemblies in CAD. Mechanical design stuff. It's the same deal that MJuric mentioned; it's a laptop for remote access to company systems. I've never connected an extra monitor(s) before, so here's the next beginner's question: will I need a docking station, or can I just plug a monitor into the laptop?

I've not seen the laptop yet and I don't know what spec it will be, possibly until I get my hands on it.

Oh, I think every laptop that can run SW will at least have 1 port for a monitor. You don't have to have a docking station, but if you often take it places, it's more convenient to only have one connection than 5 or 6.

I have a Dell 5530 laptop, and their top docking station from a couple of years ago. Works well.

[Jeremy Feist]

one thing i have run into with my work laptop and external monitors, is if i try to create a new design table, or open an exiting design table within the SW window, while SW is on an external monitor, it will lock up.

And you definitely want the laptop specs before you select a docking station...

[Frederick_Law]

I just plug laptop to 60" TV with HDMI when I work at home.
Any thing above 2.5k will need to scale. So set that monitor as primary so SW will scale properly.

[VTmechie]

I have a dell 5520 laptop. One hdmi monitor is connected directly to the laptop. The other hdmi monitor is connected through the thunderbolt docking station. You can also use a USB-C to hdmi cable or convertor.