Connecting to an external monitor

[Eric_G55V]

I have a question about using the VGA display port on my Asus notebook. I would like to be able to project the image from my notebook onto a larger monitor and get good results. So far, this hasn't been the case as I've already tried this with a SVGA cable and received horrible results with persistent flickering and ghosting of the image. Perhaps I was using a poorly made SVGA cable for this because I bought it online for only about 4 bucks. I'm trying to set up my notebook so I can work with Photoshop on a larger screen to hopefully reduce eye strain so it's really important for me to get this to work properly and with the best possible image clarity. Am I just using a really crappy SVGA cable for this or should I try using the HDMI port on my ASUS notebook to get the best results? And is it possible to connect my notebook to an external monitor with an HDMI cable as well and should I consider doing that instead? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm under the impression that the HDMI port on my Asus notebook is only for connecting a Blu-Ray player or similar audio/video source to my notebook. That's why I've never even considered using the HDMI port to connect to an external monitor. Any information about this topic would be greatly appreciated as I'm a bit unfamiliar with the capabilities of my new Asus G55 notebook computer.

-Eric

[cl-scott]

Yeah, first thing I'd do is get a new VGA cable. Monoprice is a good place to go for decent quality at non-extortionist prices. HDMI is another option if your monitor supports it.

[Eric_G55V]

Yeah, first thing I'd do is get a new VGA cable. Monoprice is a good place to go for decent quality at non-extortionist prices. HDMI is another option if your monitor supports it.

Hey Scott,

Thanks for your help. I think you're right about my cheap VGA cable but will a higher quality cable really make that much of a difference?

My ASUS notebook does indeed have a HDMI port on the side but I don't know if it supports video output to an external monitor. I could find no information about this in the official ASUS documentation that came with my notebook. I have an HDMI capable monitor but I'm not sure if I can connect my notebook to it. It's a simple matter of me not being very familiar with my new ASUS notebook.

-Eric

[dstrakele]

You laptop's HDMI port is for output to an external monitor. It will also transmit audio to the HDTV.

As for making a difference, sometimes a good cable is the difference between things working or not working.

[Eric_G55V]

You laptop's HDMI port is for output to an external monitor. It will also transmit audio to the HDTV.

As for making a difference, sometimes a good cable is the difference between things working or not working.

Thanks for the info dstrakele. I just did some research online into the matter of using an HDMI cable but I discovered that there are 2 kinds of plugs/ports for HDMI cables. Would you know the actual terminology for the type of HDMI cable that I need to get for my notebook so I don't come home with the wrong cable? Is it called a pc HDMI or something like that?

-Eric

[Myk SilentShadow]

It should be either Mini HDMI or just standard HDMI...though you need to check in the manual you got with your G55 and also your Monitor to make sure they both support the same HDMI standard, otherwise things won't look right on your Monitor.

[Eric_G55V]

It should be either Mini HDMI or just standard HDMI...though you need to check in the manual you got with your G55 and also your Monitor to make sure they both support the same HDMI standard, otherwise things won't look right on your Monitor.

Hi Myk,

Thanks, man. Will do. Hopefully I can find one for a good price on NewEgg.

-Eric

[Eric_G55V]

I just received that HDMI cable from Monoprice in the mail yesterday and managed to hook it up to my external monitor. I'm really pleased with the quality of the cable they sent me and I'm happy to say that everything worked without a hitch! I was able to set up an external monitor to my Asus laptop. I tested it out with Far Cry 3 and it looked great. I also managed to calibrate my 22" Asus LED monitor for the best color reproduction possible for use with Photoshop and that was the main reason I got the cable. I should probably share my color setup information in another post to help other users that may want to try the same thing for digital painting on a larger monitor with their laptop.

Thanks everyone who assisted me with info and I'm sure glad Scott, from post #2, told me about Monoprice--they have low prices on high quality computer cables.

-Eric