Using a second PC as an external monitor?

[luckyrick]

So, I have a laptop and a Lenovo Ideacentre, which is a standalone desktop.

The laptop screen is very small. However, the laptop's specs are waaay better than the Ideacentre.



How can I use the Ideacentre's monitor as a display for my laptop?

Should I buy a HDMI-to-HDMI cable?

 

[TVeblen]

If the monitor on the ideacentre has an input then you should be able to do that. You could use a VGA, DVI, or HDMI connector depending on what is available. If it does not have additional ports for input then you won't be able to do this.

The HDMI receptacle on the PC portion is for output.

I have 2 PCs connected to one monitor here. I can switch between them with an input button on the monitor. That would also be very important to have. Standard PC monitors have these. I'm not sure about All-In-Ones.

 

[bobafetthotmail]

In case you don't have any input in that ideacentre, you can install some softwares (a free one, a paid one with more features) that disguise themselves as a video card and pass the screen data through LAN, so it will totally suck for decent games but will be fine for everything else (well maybe HD movies may suffer, don't know, you can try the free one and see).

 

[luckyrick]

In case you don't have any input in that ideacentre, you can install some softwares (a free one, a paid one with more features) that disguise themselves as a video card and pass the screen data through LAN, so it will totally suck for decent games but will be fine for everything else (well maybe HD movies may suffer, don't know, you can try the free one and see).

Thanks. Both computers have HDMI ports.

Is any additional software required?

 

[linnemeyerhere]

You shouldn't require any software, just hook up the hdmi cable to the screen set the input source and configure the 2nd screen showing now on the lappy and dial in the settings till you're happy !

 

[luckyrick]

If the monitor on the ideacentre has an input then you should be able to do that. You could use a VGA, DVI, or HDMI connector depending on what is available. If it does not have additional ports for input then you won't be able to do this.

The HDMI receptacle on the PC portion is for output.

I have 2 PCs connected to one monitor here. I can switch between them with an input button on the monitor. That would also be very important to have. Standard PC monitors have these. I'm not sure about All-In-Ones.

Cool. But the problem is that since the Ideacentre is an all-in-one PC, my laptop monitor may end up displaying my Ideacentre desktop, but I want it to be the other way round.

 

[mmkarimi]

i think there would be some problems
first check if the HDMI is an input port on lenovo, the hdmi port on your lenovo may be an output port the same as HDMI port on your laptop.can you take a photo from the back panel of your lenovo here?

 

[linnemeyerhere]

If you have an HDMI cable give it a go and report back what happens.

 

[TVeblen]

You will probably not be able to use the HDMI port on the computer section to do what you want.

 

[luckyrick]

i think there would be some problems
first check if the HDMI is an input port on lenovo, the hdmi port on your lenovo may be an output port the same as HDMI port on your laptop.can you take a photo from the back panel of your lenovo here?

sure.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Something tells me the lappy isn't going to control the lenovo without software.

 

[mmkarimi]

i think there would be some problems
first check if the HDMI is an input port on lenovo, the hdmi port on your lenovo may be an output port the same as HDMI port on your laptop.can you take a photo from the back panel of your lenovo here?

sure.

i see, there are two ports here for HDMI, if i'm right and one is not usb3, then you can plug in your laptop to the lenovo monitor
and should say that you dn't need an expensive one, i think you can find one with 3-4 bucks
if 1% it doesnt work, use your network to do so...

 

[bobafetthotmail]

In case you don't have any input in that ideacentre, you can install some softwares (a free one, a paid one with more features) that disguise themselves as a video card and pass the screen data through LAN, so it will totally suck for decent games but will be fine for everything else (well maybe HD movies may suffer, don't know, you can try the free one and see).

Thanks. Both computers have HDMI ports. Is any additional software required?

Both computer's HDMI ports are output-only so are irrelevant in this situation. You cannot use them to connect the two devices, they can go only to a screen or a TV (<-- recommended choice), because those have input-only HDMI ports.

the software I linked uses the ethernet network to move video data around and have either of the two become a screen for the other.

 

[luckyrick]

If you look at the photo above, at the right end of there is a tiny port, with this symbol:

 

[Pedroc1999]

Try this, you may need a crossover cable


ZoneOS ZoneScreen

 

[Pedroc1999]

Correct me if im wrong but that might be a mini display port or firewire port,

 

[Pedroc1999]

But before anything.... Just try and see if it works

 

[bobafetthotmail]

If you look at the photo above, at the right end of there is a tiny port

I don't recognize that symbol. Still, I might be wrong after all. :sarc:After a quick google-image search, I found that some models of that device do have a HDMI-input port, that will allow it to become a screen for your laptop. It is a very very rare feature.

Please state what is the model ("Ideacentre" is a bit generic as half of Leonovo products are Ideacentre) and we can find out for sure (by fetching the manual or a reputable review of it) before you waste money on a HDMI cable. The one I linked is a Ideacentre A300 and looks like yours, but they may have made other models with the same looks.