Using a Laptop as a monitor for a Desktop

[moongem]

Hi! I've recently been looking around for a new computer, for this weathered laptop form 2006 is getting a bit outdated. Looking at the price of a good laptop, I found myself being a bit baffled. But! Upon seeing the price of a standalone desktop, I wondered if I could simply buy a desktop and use my faithful laptop merely as a monitor for that aforementioned desktop.

Naturally, I first Google'd the problem, but I got answers from nine years ago and thought I'd just ask the members of the friendly, neighborhood NarutoBase if anyone here had an answer.

Note: I have no experience "shouldering" or "soldering" Whatever it is... my ignorance on how to spell the damn word is proof enough of that.

[-Carnage-]

u should've gotten one in black friday...
O_o

[Jordanofthecloud]

I dont know if that would work, because I've never looked into it, but I would just buy a pretty Good TV and use that at a monitor

[moongem]

I dont know if that would work, because I've never looked into it, but I would just buy a pretty Good TV and use that at a monitor

Maybe! That's not to bad an idea... Yamato, Gai and fodder agree with you too...

[Jordanofthecloud]

Maybe! That's not to bad an idea... Yamato, Gai and fodder agree with you too...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! They sure do! They also agree with this too!!!!

[alikabok]

Better buy a system unit (commonly referred to as the "CPU") by parts, or at least a package deal, instead of a branded one.

[Unbiased]

VGA cables will work along with HDMI. Make sure you get one that has HDMI and your set.

[Wesobi]

Well, if you have an HDMI slot in your PC, you could buy a HDMI cable and an HDMI-to-VGA converter since your laptop won't have a HDMI slot. Not sure if you'll have HDMI quality though since your laptop is pretty old.

Go for a VGA cable and it will work perfectly.

[7PointOh]

Well yes you can but it's not worth it. Not knowing what kind of laptop that you have, but most laptops ports are output not input. Meaning putting the laptops screen to another display.

Well, if you have an HDMI slot in your PC, you could buy a HDMI cable and an HDMI-to-VGA converter since your laptop won't have a HDMI slot. Not sure if you'll have HDMI quality though since your laptop is pretty old.

Go for a VGA cable and it will work perfectly.

Won't work because as I mentioned above laptops monitor ports (to include vga port) is output only. Unless you have a fancy input that can do that.

But since you asked, if you are electronically capable of dissembling your laptop and remove the display. There should be a wires that runs from the laptops monitor to your laptops video card. Remove those wires and plug them into the new PC's monitor port. Not as simple as it sounds because you have to find out which leads on the wires (pinouts) go where and even then it won't work because the voltages might not be correct.

There are other alternatives but it would be the same price as getting a new monitor. so I won't get into that.

[Ragnaroc]

a lot of laptop makers will sell refurbished model, cancelled custom builts and comestically damaged units at a discount. you can get year old macbooks for like 300-500 dollars less than a new one, not counting the retina display versions so its possible to look into that route.

as 7pointhOh said you can't use a laptop monitor to display desktop picture without some serious hacking and electrical work.

you could also custom build a desktop computer yourself as its not as hard as poeple think you just have to take your time and be careful

[Anduril]

Hi! I've recently been looking around for a new computer, for this weathered laptop form 2006 is getting a bit outdated. Looking at the price of a good laptop, I found myself being a bit baffled. But! Upon seeing the price of a standalone desktop, I wondered if I could simply buy a desktop and use my faithful laptop merely as a monitor for that aforementioned desktop.

Naturally, I first Google'd the problem, but I got answers from nine years ago and thought I'd just ask the members of the friendly, neighborhood NarutoBase if anyone here had an answer.

Note: I have no experience "shouldering" or "soldering" Whatever it is... my ignorance on how to spell the damn word is proof enough of that.

Soldering is basically connecting two pieces together with a conducting material to complete a circuit.
meh if you don't know what you are doing, i would not recommend this. This is going to require some basic hardware knowledge on your part.
I would recommend buying a cheap monitor as well.