Laptop as PC monitor/keyboard ?

[Kulo]

Hey guys , I got limited space to play atm. Is there anyway to hook up a laptop and use it strictly as a monitor / keyboard for my tower that would be underneath and out of the way ? ty

[loramin]

While I'm sure it's possible, you would likely have to get into your laptop's hardware to do it. AFAIK most laptops come with external display outputs and keyboard/mouse inputs ... but not the opposite.

You can get a great new monitor for $100-$200 now, and keyboards and mice are even cheaper, plus they'd undoubtedly give you a better experience. And if you're pressed for space you can always get a "numpad-less" keyboard like I have.

[bomaroast]

You're looking for some kind of streaming software. Run EQ on the main computer and stream the output over a network to a client computer. Steam's offerings are the go-to option from what I've seen.

Other options are remote control softwares: logmein, teamviewer, go to my pc, tightvnc, etc.. There is even one of these that claims to be for gaming, but it's not free and I can't remember the name.

And then there is software that lets you use a single keyboard/mouse for multiple computers. You'd need a monitor for the desktop though, or a combination of one of the above plus Synergy, which is the name of said software.

[loramin]

You're looking for some kind of streaming software. Run EQ on the main computer and stream the output over a network to a client computer. Steam's offerings are the go-to option from what I've seen.

Other options are remote control softwares: logmein, teamviewer, go to my pc, tightvnc, etc.. There is even one of these that claims to be for gaming, but it's not free and I can't remember the name.

And then there is software that lets you use a single keyboard/mouse for multiple computers. You'd need a monitor for the desktop though, or a combination of one of the above plus Synergy, which is the name of said software.

Oh, I hadn't even thought of doing it that way, good idea!

However, it will only work if you don't mind running two separate computers (the laptop can't just "be a keyboard/monitor" in that scenario, it has to be a fully running computer), and I would very much expect some lag (though depending on how you set things up it might not be an insurmountable amount).

[mcoy]

You could also use a USB KVM / console adapter. But, the price of a decent one is way more than a cheap monitor, keyboard, and mouse:

https://amzn.to/2FbN2ea

-Mcoy

[bomaroast]

Even at $350 that USB 2.0 KVM is going to be wretchedly slow. Cool find though. Those won't be half bad once they're on USB 4.0.

[feniin]

hook your PC up to the TV and play with a wireless keyboard/mouse ;)

[Naethyn]

https://symless.com/synergy

[marty31636]

Boy didn’t already answer this for you?!

[loramin]

When I was looking for the right software, I looked at many options, but none of them suited me....

Mods, please remove this spammer from the forum.