Configuration 3 Displays FAQ
This document lists many of the possible ways to connect a computer to three displays and the ways to optimize your viewing experience.
Click on the questions to expand the content:
Which Intel® graphics and chipsets support three independent displays?
Three independent displays are only supported with the following Intel products:
Intel® Processors:
- 4th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors with Intel® Iris™ Pro Graphics 5200
- 4th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors with Intel® Iris™ Graphics 5100
- 4th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors with Intel® HD Graphics 5000/4600/4400/4200
- 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ Processors with Intel® HD Graphics 4000/2500
- Intel® Pentium® Processors 1403 v2/1405 v2/ 2020M/2030M/2117U/2129Y/2127U/ A1018/G2010/G2020/G2020T/G2030/G2030T/G2100T/G2120/G2120T/G2130/G2140 with Intel® HD Graphics
- Intel® Pentium® Processor 3550M/3556U/3560Y with Intel® HD Graphics
- Intel® Pentium® Processor 3558U/3561Y/G3220/G3220T/G3320TE/G3420/G3420T/G3430 with Intel® HD Graphics
- Intel® Celeron® Processors 927UE/1000M/1005M/1007U/1017U/1019Y/1020E/1020M/1037U/1047UE/G1610/G1620/G1620T/G1610T/G1630 with Intel® HD Graphics
- Intel® Celeron® Processor 2957U/2961Y/2981U/G1820/G1820T/G1820TE/G1830 with Intel® HD Graphics
- Intel® Celeron® Processor 2000E/2002E/2950M/2955U/2980U/2955U with Intel® HD Graphics
Intel® Chipsets:
- Intel® 7 Series Chipsets
- Intel® 8 Series Chipsets
Which operating systems support three display configuration?
Microsoft Windows 7*, Windows 8* and Windows 8.1* operating systems
What three independent display configurations are supported?
View information for the Intel® Iris™ Pro Graphics 5200, Intel® Iris™ Graphics 5100, and Intel® HD Graphics 5000/4600/4400/4200
Three independent displays are supported with most combinations of HDMI*, DVI, VGA, DisplayPort* (DP), Embedded DP (eDP), and Intel® Wireless Display (Intel® WiDi). The following combinations are not supported:
| Unsupported Configurations | ||
| Active Display 1 | Active Display 2 | Active Display 3 |
| HDMI* | HDMI | HDMI |
| DVI | DVI | DVI |
| HDMI | HDMI | DVI |
| HDMI | DVI | DVI |
View information for the Intel® HD Graphics 4000/2500 of 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ Processors, Intel HD Graphics of Intel® Pentium® Processors 2000/G2000/G2100 series, and Intel® HD Graphics of Intel® Celeron® Processors 1000/G1000 series
In most cases, three independent displays are supported in the following configurations:
- If two of the displays are DisplayPort* monitors
- If one of the displays is an Intel® Wireless Display (Intel® WiDi)
- If the built-in display is an Embedded DisplayPort1 (eDP)
View a comprehensive table of supported configurations and notes
In most cases, three independent displays are supported in the following configurations:
| Active Display 1 | Active Display 2 | Active Display 3 |
| DisplayPort* | DisplayPort | HDMI* or DVI or VGA or DisplayPort or Built-in Display2 |
| DisplayPort or HDMI or DVI or VGA | DisplayPort or HDMI or DVI or VGA | Built-in Display3 |
| DisplayPort or HDMI or DVI or VGA or Built-in Display2 | DisplayPort or HDMI or DVI or VGA | Intel® Wireless Display (Intel® WiDi) |
1 To check if your computer's built-in display uses an embedded DisplayPort (eDP) or LVDS connector type: From the Windows* desktop, press Ctrl Alt F12 key combination. If prompted select Advanced Mode application mode. Select Options and Support, change System Information to Built-in Display. Check the Connector Type field.
2 Built-in display uses connector types: eDP off the chipset or LVDS.
3 Built-in display uses eDP off a mobile processor.
How to enable three independent displays?
Three independent displays support two configurations: Extended desktop which provides a larger Windows desktop area spanning all displays, or clone where the same screen is shown on all three displays.
To enable extended desktop using Intel® Graphics Driver Properties:
Newer Drivers
- From the Windows desktop, press Ctrl Alt F12 to open the Intel® Graphics Control Panel.
Note For other methods to open the Intel Graphics Control Panel, see "How to open the Intel Graphics Properties window." -
After opening the Intel Graphics Control Panel, do the following to reach the Display settings:
Select Display:

-
Use the following steps to select multiple displays.
Click on the Display drop down menu and select Multiple Displays:

-
Set your Display Mode or Operating Mode to Clone or Extended Desktop.
-
Select your Active Displays by selecting the Primary Display, second, and third displays.
Note You must have three monitors connected to see all three dropdown menus. -
If setting Extended Desktop, arrange the displays using the steps below.
Use the Arrange Displays window. Then, use the mouse to move the displays in a different arrangement.

-
Click Apply to save changes.
-
Click OK to close the Intel Graphics Control Panel.

Older Drivers
Three independent displays support two configurations: Extended desktop which provides a larger Windows desktop area spanning all displays, or clone where the same screen is shown on all three displays.
To enable extended desktop using Intel® Graphics Driver Properties:
- From the Windows desktop, press Ctrl Alt F12 to open the Intel® Graphics Control Panel.
Note For other methods to open the Intel Graphics Control Panel, see "How to open the Intel Graphics Properties window." -
After opening the Intel Graphics Control Panel, do the following to reach the Display settings:
If prompted to select the application mode, select Advanced Mode and then click OK.

-
Use the following steps to select multiple displays.
Select Multiple Displays:

-
Set your Display Mode or Operating Mode to Clone or Extended Desktop.
-
Select your Active Displays by selecting the Primary Display, second, and third displays.
Note You must have three monitors connected to see all three dropdown menus. -
If setting Extended Desktop, arrange the displays using the steps below.
Use the Positioning window. Then, use your mouse to move the displays in a different arrangement.

-
Click Apply to save changes.
-
Click OK to close the Intel Graphics Control Panel.

What do I do if I cannot get three independent displays to work?
Contact your computer or motherboard manufacturer to find out if three independent displays are supported and what configurations are supported with your specific computer or motherboard model. Intel provides general information about Intel graphics features. However, your computer or motherboard manufacturer can incorporate customizations and might not support all general graphics features.
What is the maximum resolution supported in three independent displays configuration?
View information for the Intel® Iris™ Pro Graphics 5200, Intel® Iris™ Graphics 5100, and Intel® HD Graphics 5000/4600/4400/4200
| 4th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors | Display 1 | Display 2 | Display 3 | Max. Resolution Display 1 | Max. Resolution Display 2 | Max. Resolution Display 3 |
| U Processors | eDP/DP | DP | DP | 3200x2000@60Hz | 3200x2000@60Hz | 3200x2000@60Hz |
| HDMI | 4096x2304@24Hz | |||||
| Y Processors | DP | 2560x1600@60Hz | 2560x1600@60Hz | 2560x1600@60Hz | ||
| HDMI | 4096x2304@24Hz | |||||
| M, H, and Desktop Processors | DP | 3840x2160@60Hz | 3840x2160@60Hz | 3840x2160@60Hz | ||
| HDMI | 4096x2304@24Hz | |||||
| HDMI | VGA | 2880x1800@60Hz | 4096x2304@24Hz | 1920x1200@60Hz |
| Note | To determine whether you are using a "U", "Y", "M", or "H" processor, look for this letter in your processor number. For example, the "Intel® Core™ i5-4200U Processor" is a "U" processor. For help in identifying your processor, visit Intel® Processor Identification Utilities. |
View information for the Intel® HD Graphics 4000/2500 of 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ Processors, Intel® HD Graphics of Pentium® Processors 2000/G2000/G2100 series, and Intel® HD Graphics of Celeron® Processors 1000/G1000 series
- In clone mode: 1920 x 1200 at 60 Hz.
- In extended desktop mode: One display at 2560 x 1600 at 60Hz and the remaining two displays at 1920 x 1200 at 60 Hz.
If using a mobile processor, embedded Display Port (eDP) supports 1920 x 1200 at 60Hz, and two external displays using 2560 x 1600 at 60Hz.
| Note | Intel graphics support a wide range of resolutions, however, your system may support a lower maximum amount depending on many factors including but not limited to:
Check with your computer and display manufacturers to find out the maximum resolution supported by your computer and display. If you are using multiple displays in clone or duplicate mode, you can only select a resolution that is supported by all displays. |
Why are very few resolutions listed in Intel® Graphics Control Panel when the display can support more resolutions in three display configuration?
Only resolutions that support maintain display scaling on all three displays are listed in the Intel® Graphics Control Panel.
Why does the computer not set resolution of 2560x1600, 1920x1200 and 1920x1200 in a three display configuration on 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ Processors, Intel® Pentium® Processors 2000/G2000/G2100 series, and Intel® Celeron® Processors 1000/G1000 series?
With these processors, the following system display configurations can affect resolutions:
- Refresh rate of the panels should be less than or equal to 60Hz
- Bits per channel (bpc) of the content should be less than or equal to 8 bpc
- Scaling should be set to maintain display scaling in Intel® HD Graphics Control Panel/Graphics and Media Control Panel
- Monitor timings
- DisplayPort monitor maximum link rate supported (1.62 Gb/s vs. 2.7 Gb/s)
- Passive or active dongle's ability to support the resolution
Is a passive dongle supported in three display configurations?
Yes. Passive dongles are supported if the system manufacturer has programmed the BIOS to support dual-mode interoperability (DisplayPort > HDMI, DisplayPort > DVI, or DisplayPort > VGA).
| Note | See display combinations for valid passive dongle configurations based on the connected display. |
Is an active dongle supported in three display configurations?
Yes. Intel has validated DisplayPort > VGA active dongles only.
| Note | See display combinations for valid active dongle configurations based on the type of active dongle. For example, if you are using DisplayPort > HDMI dongle, DisplayPort is the source and HDMI is the end interface. |
What is the maximum resolution supported when using dongles?
For active dongles, the maximum resolution depends on the dongle capability and monitor capability. For passive dongles, maximum resolution depends on monitor capability. See monitor manufacturer documents for details.
Why do resolutions differ when the monitors are connected in 3-display configurations?
Every monitor's timings and resolutions are different. When you connect or disconnect a monitor from your computer, the resolutions can change based on the configuration.
Why is 1920 x 1200 resolution not shown in a 3-display configuration on the second and third monitors on 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ Processors, Intel® Pentium® Processors 2000/G2000/G2100 series, and Intel® Celeron® Processors 1000/G1000 series?
These 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ Processors limit the pixel data throughput to 180 MHz for second and third DisplayPort devices. This can limit the second and third DisplayPort devices from displaying 1920x1200 since 180 MHz or more is needed for this configuration.
If Intel® Wireless Display or Intel® WiDi is one of the connected displays in a multi-display configuration, can four displays be active simultaneously?
No. A maximum of three displays can be active at any time. Intel® WiDi is considered as one of the displays in a three display configuration.
In a three display configuration, is it possible to set two displays in clone and one in extended display configuration?
No. All three displays can be set either in clone configuration or in extended display configuration.
Are three display configurations supported using a USB display?
No. Three display configurations are not supported using a USB display.
Is Blu-ray* disc playback or Intel® InTru™ 3D Technology (stereoscopic 3D or S3D) playback supported in triple display clone mode?
No. Blu-ray disc and S3D playback are not supported in triple display clone mode.
How many audio streams do Intel® Core™ Processors support in multiple display configurations?
| 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ Processor Family with Intel® 7 Series Chipset | Three simultaneous audio streams are supported, with one premium audio. |
| 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ Processor Family with Intel® 6 Series Chipset | Two simultaneous audio streams are supported, with one premium audio. |
| 4th Generation Intel® Core™ Processor Family | Two simultaneous audio streams are supported, with one premium audio. |
| Note | In clone configuration, only one audio stream is supported and can be played on one monitor. |
Can Microsoft Windows P keys be used to switch displays in three display configurations?
Yes. Windows P keys can be used to switch to a three display configuration.
Why does one of the external monitors in my three display configuration go undetected by Intel® Graphics Control Panel?
When the bandwidth/dot clock exceeds the maximum allowable limits, a monitor might not show up in the Intel graphics user interface. The graphics driver dynamically detects displays in the Intel® Graphics Control Panel based on the bandwidth availability.
| Related topics |
| Multiple Displays frequently asked questions |
| How to enable extended desktop mode |
| How to enable clone mode |
| How to open the Intel® Graphics Control Panel |
