can you use a laptop as a pc monitor

You’re sitting at your desk with your powerful desktop PC on one side and your perfectly good laptop on the other. A thought crosses your mind: could you use that laptop screen as a second monitor for your PC? It seems like a clever way to save space and money. The short answer is, it’s sometimes possible, but it’s not as simple as plugging in a traditional monitor.

The reason this isn’t a standard feature comes down to hardware. Most laptops are designed to send a video signal out, not receive one in through their USB or HDMI ports. Think of them as a video source, not a destination. However, with a little software magic, you can often make it work.

Software Solutions to Bridge the Gap

Since a physical cable connection directly from your PC to your laptop is rarely an option, the most reliable method involves using software. These programs work by creating a virtual network connection between the two machines. Your desktop PC captures its screen and sends it over your local Wi-Fi or Ethernet network to your laptop, which then displays it.

Popular and often free applications like Spacedesk, Windows’ Built-in Projection Feature, or Parsec are excellent places to start. They are generally easy to set up; you just install the server version on your main PC and the client version on your laptop. Once connected, your laptop screen can extend or mirror your PC’s desktop.

What to Expect from the Experience

Using software for this task is convenient, but it has its trade-offs. The most significant factor is your network. A wired Ethernet connection between both computers will provide the smoothest experience with the least lag. On Wi-Fi, you might notice a slight delay, especially for fast-moving content like video games.

For general productivity tasks—like having a web browser open on one screen and a document on the other—the performance is usually more than adequate. It’s a fantastic way to repurpose an older laptop into a handy secondary display without any new hardware.

A Simpler Hardware Alternative

If your goal is simply to have a second screen and the software method feels too finicky, consider a more straightforward approach. A small, dedicated computer monitor is surprisingly affordable. This guarantees a perfect, lag-free picture with zero setup hassle, and it’s a purpose-built solution that will always work reliably.

So, can you use a laptop as a PC monitor? Yes, you typically can with the right software, turning two separate machines into a cohesive dual-screen workstation. It’s a clever trick that breathes new life into a spare laptop, though for the absolute best performance, a dedicated monitor is still the king.