How to Attach an LCD Monitor

Once you've made sure that an LCD monitor is compatible with your system, connecting it to your PC is easy. Here’s how.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Check the port of your video card. All video cards support LCD analog monitors, but if you buy a digital LCD monitor you'll need a video card with DVI (Digital Video Interface) to be able to attach it to the computer.

2. Study the manual that accompanies the LCD monitor to understand the cables that need to be connected. Normally the LCD monitor comes with two cables—one to connect it to the power source and one to connect it to the CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the computer.

3. Plug in the cables and view the screen of a LCD monitor after your computer’s operating system has automatically detected the monitor. Most operating systems install the necessary drivers for the LCD monitor automatically. However, if this is not the case, use the installation CD (provided with the monitor) to install the drivers.

4. Use the on-screen display controls of the LCD to adjust settings like color, contrast and brightness to your liking.

5. Adjust the monitor angle so you're looking slightly down at the screen.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the LCD monitor's compatibility with your computer before you buy. Normally, LCD monitors use the analog VGA connector (also known as HD15 or D-Sub) to connect to a PC. Recent models use the DVI connector, which is a digital interface allowing better and brighter picture quality.
• Check the LCD monitor's compatibility with your operating system. If you are a Mac user, you may need to install additional software.