New Lenovo Adapter Lets You Connect Displays to PCs With No DVI/VGA Ports

Lenovo’s USB 3.0 to DVI/VGA Monitor Adapter offers simple “Plug-and-Display” connectivity and expansion options for laptops and PCs. The gadget uses the latest technology from DisplayLink to allows users to connect additional displays and transform their PC systems into multi-monitor rigs.

The Lenovo USB 3.0 Monitor Adapter is a simple device with a USB-3.0 port on one end and a DVI port on the other. The device is powered entirely by USB port, and it is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 devices. Lenovo also included a DVI-to-VGA adapter for use with older VGA monitors.

The Monitor Adapter has a DL-3100 chip from DisplayLink, which offers resolutions of up to 2048×1152, with support for (1080p) HD resolution. The response of the Monitor Adapter feels very similar to the graphics output of the ThinkPad USB 3.0 Dock I reviewed in June. When attached, displays are incredibly responsive with none of the annoying lag you’d see in earlier generations of DisplayLink’s technology. I was also able to watch full-screen videos without any noticable degradation of quality.

The Lenovo USB 3.0 to DVI/VGA Monitor Adapter comes with a DVI to VGA adapter

The Lenovo USB 3.0 Monitor Adapter next to the Logitech Touch Mouse M600

The adapter can be set to mirror or extend your PC’s desktop, and screen orientation can also be set to landscape or portrait. You can use as many as six of the adapters with a single PC to connect six addition monitors. The Monitor Adapter could also be used along with new ultra-thin laptops, such as the Lenovo X1 Carbon–which has no HDMI or VGA port–to connect to displays or projectors. The Monitor Adapter weighs no more than a smartphone, and it’s compact enough to slip unobtrusively into a laptop bag.

The Lenovo USB 3.0 to DVI/VGA Monitor Adapter is software upgradable to Windows 8, and it costs $80.  According to Lenovo, the Monitor Adapter starts shipping today.