Setting Up Your New Dell Monitors
- Dan Jakubiak
- A.J. Newman
- Sarah Nguyen (Deactivated)
- Anaya Phillip-Stoute (Deactivated)
This article explains how to set up your Dell monitors, connect them to your computer, and adjust display settings.
The monitors recommended by ITS have a Thunderbolt dock built into them, giving them more functionality than a regular monitor. These monitors replace the traditional stand-alone Thunderbolt docks that were previously used. These monitors have an internal USB hub and can "daisy chain" a signal to a second monitor. The following diagram will help to explain this functionality.
Video tutorials
Written instructions
Assembling the monitor
Connect the monitor stand into the two tabs of the monitor base.
Flip the base over and tighten the set screw until snug.
Place the two top tabs from the monitor stand into the holes at the back of the monitor until it clicks into place.
Repeat steps for your second monitor.
Connecting your monitor cables
If you need a refresher on connector types and names, see Identifying Common Cables.
Rotate your primary monitor counterclockwise on its stand to access all the ports at the bottom of the monitor.
Plug in your video input cable into the monitor.
Laptop: Plug a USB-C cable into the USB-C/Thunderbolt in port (5 in the figure below).
Desktop: Plug a DisplayPort cable into DisplayPort in port (3 in the figure below).
Remove the silicone cover from the DisplayPort out port (4 in the figure below) and plug a DisplayPort cable into this port. Plug the other end of this DisplayPort cable into the DisplayPort in port (3 in the figure below) on your second monitor.
This will create the "daisy chain" setup shown in the diagram at the top of this guide.
Plug an IECC power cord into both of your monitors (1 in the figure below).
Configure the monitors for your computer
Follow the instructions for your device.
You may close your laptop with this setup. See Keep Laptop Awake while Closed to configure your laptop to stay awake while plugged in.
Log in to your laptop with your UConn email credentials.
Power on each monitor.
The power button is located at the bottom right of the monitor.
On the monitor, you may be prompted for the USB-C charging option. Using the directional buttons at the bottom of the monitor, choose Yes.
Plug the USB-C cable coming from your primary monitor into a Thunderbolt port on your laptop. This port may have a lightning bolt icon.
To ensure the daisy chain works, check that Multiple-Stream Transport (MST) is enabled on the primary monitor.
Using the physical buttons at the bottom right of the monitor, open the monitor's menu.
Navigate to the display option.
Navigate to MST, and choose On.
On your computer, open the Settings app and navigate to System → Display
If not already selected in the top dropdown menu, select Extend these displays.
If needed, drag and drop each display to rearrange them according to their physical layout on your desktop.
Troubleshooting
If you have issues seeing an image on the monitors, be sure to check:
Using the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu, Enable DisplayPort 1.2 on your primary monitor.
Ensure that the last monitor in the chain has DisplayPort 1.2 mode Disabled.
Use the DisplayPort cables that came with your monitor(s).
Ensure that your PC has power by plugging in its power supply (15 in the figure below).
Plug the DisplayPort cable coming from your primary monitor into a DisplayPort port (14 in the figure below) on the back of your desktop PC.
Plug your mouse, keyboard, and accessories into USB ports (9 and 10 in the figure below) on the back of your PC.
Power on each monitor.
The power button is located at the bottom right of the monitor.
On the monitor, you may be prompted for the USB-C charging option. Using the directional buttons at the bottom of the monitor, choose Yes.
To ensure the daisy chain works, check that Multiple-Stream Transport (MST) is enabled on the primary monitor.
Using the physical buttons at the bottom right of the monitor, open the monitor's menu.
Navigate to the Display option.
Navigate to MST, and choose On.
Log onto your computer with your UConn email credentials.
On your computer, open the Settings app and navigate to System → Display
If not already selected in the top dropdown menu, select Extend these displays.
If needed, drag and drop each display to rearrange them according to their physical layout on your desktop.
Ports & slots:
1. Power button | 2. Universal audio jack | 3. Line out | 4. USB-C | 5. USB-A (with PowerShare) | 6. Wireless antenna slots | 7. Optional expansion slot | 8. Ethernet | 9. USB-A | 10. USB-A | 11. Cable clip | 12. Thumb screw | 13. Kensington lock slot | 14. DisplayPort | 15. Power connection (DC-in)
Troubleshooting
If you have issues seeing an image on the monitors, be sure to check:
Using the On-Screen Display (OSD) menu, Enable DisplayPort 1.2 on your primary monitor.
Ensure that the last monitor in the chain has DisplayPort 1.2 mode Disabled.
Use the DisplayPort cables that came with your monitor(s).
You may close your laptop with this setup. See Keep Laptop Awake while Closed to configure your laptop to stay awake while plugged in.
Macs with the base M1 or M2 chips only support 1 external display. The Pro, Ultra, and Max variants as well as the newer generations (M3, M4, etc.) support multiple external displays.
Macs do not support daisy chaining using the Dell MST technology. If you are using multiple displays for your Mac, you will need to connect them both directly to your computer using two USB-C cables, or a USB-C and an HDMI connection.
Log in to your laptop with your UConn email credentials.
Power on each monitor.
The power button is located at the bottom right of the monitor.
On the monitor, you may be prompted for the USB-C charging option. Using the directional buttons at the bottom of the monitor, choose Yes.
Plug the USB-C cable coming from your primary monitor into a Thunderbolt port on your laptop.
If your Mac has an HDMI port, plug in the second monitor using an HDMI cable. Otherwise, connect it using a USB-C cable.
On your computer, open the System Settings app and navigate to Displays
If not already selected in the “Use as” dropdown menu, select Extended display.
If needed, you can rearrange the virtual arrangement of the two monitors to match the physical arrangement. Select Arrange… and drag and drop each display to rearrange them according to their physical layout on your desktop.
The 2021 iMac with the M1 chip only supports one external display.
Macs do not support daisy chaining using the Dell MST technology. If you are using multiple displays for your Mac, you will need to connect them both directly to your computer using two USB-C cables, or a USB-C and an HDMI connection.
Power on each monitor.
The power button is located at the bottom right of the monitor.
On the monitor, you may be prompted for the USB-C charging option. Using the directional buttons at the bottom of the monitor, choose Yes.
Plug the USB-C cable coming from your primary monitor into a Thunderbolt port on your desktop. This port should have a lightning bolt symbol above or below it.
If your Mac has an HDMI port, plug in the second monitor using an HDMI cable. Otherwise, connect it using a USB-C cable.
Log in to your desktop with your UConn email credentials.
On your computer, open the System Settings app and navigate to Displays
If not already selected in the “Use as” dropdown menu, select Extended display.
If needed, you can rearrange the virtual arrangement of the two monitors to match the physical arrangement. Select Arrange… and drag and drop each display to rearrange them according to their physical layout on your desktop.
If you have followed all the steps in this guide but still require assistance, please contact the Technology Support Center at techsupport@uconn.edu or your department’s distributed IT support.