Desktop Computer Setup
Date created: 2020‐03‐18
General Information
If you are required to take home your desktop computer, you might
find some difficulty setting the computer up exactly the way you had at
work. These instructions will help you in setting up your desktop at
home.
Please keep in mind that your monitor might only use one of the 4
cables (Also pictured below in order): A DVI Cable (White on both
ends), a VGA Cable (Blue and sometimes black on both ends), a HDMI,
or a Display Port (DP) Cable. It is preferred to use a DP Cable.
Contents
General Information ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Connecting your peripherals to your Computer ........................................................................................... 2
Speaker Wire Jack ......................................................................................................................................... 2
HDMI Connector ........................................................................................................................................... 2
Display Port Connector ................................................................................................................................. 2
VGA Connector.............................................................................................................................................. 2
USB Connector .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Network Area Connector .............................................................................................................................. 3
Power Connector .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Complete Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Page 1 of 4
Connecting your peripherals to your Computer
Before we start, let’s identify the connectors
we will need on the back of the computer
and go over each of the cables/wires and
connectors that they plug into.
Speaker Wire Jack
Most of our Lenovo and Dell monitors will come with a separate speaker that clips on back of the
monitor. Some will only require USB, while others will require you to plug in the green audio cable into
the Speaker jack.
HDMI Connector
HDMI stands for High‐Definition Multimedia Interface and is a
digital connection. This means that it can transmit high‐definition
video and better audio through one cable. If your monitor is not
capable of using Display Port, your HDMI cable is the next best
option.
Display Port Connector
This connection is another digital connection. Display Port, much like your HDMI cable, can transmit
high‐definition video and great audio. This option is highly encouraged if your monitor has the
appropriate jack. See image above for reference.
VGA Connector
Relatively old, the VGA Cable still has a lot of use. Most computers will
still have a VGA connector on the back as a go to when your monitor
doesn’t support other video connectors such as the HDMI and Display
Port.
Page 2 of 4
USB Connector
USB stands for Universal Serial Bus and is a computer standard designed to
eliminate guesswork in the connecting of peripherals (mouse, keyboard,
headphones, etc) to your PC. Typically, your PC Operating System supports
USB really well and once something is plugged in, it will install the device
drivers needed to use the peripheral really quick and easy.
On the back of most modern PC’s you will now see that there are color
coded USB ports. These darker ports are USB 2.0, and the blue ports are
USB 3.0. The difference between the two is important depending on the
peripheral you want to use. USB 2.0 offers a speed of close to 500
megabits per second, while the USB 3.0 offers 5 gigabits per second which
is 10x faster than the USB 2.0.
USB 3.0 ports are typically backwards compatible, so you won’t have to worry about if the device you
are using is still a USB 2.0 or not. It will work in all USB Connector ports on the back of your PC.
Network Area Connector
These Ethernet cables are slightly larger than
your typical phone cables. One end is usually
plugged into the Network Area Connector (see
image below) and the other end is plugged into
a wall jack, phone or modem. This is how you
will be getting your internet connection on your
computer.
Power Connector
After plugging all of your cables into the PC,
push the power button on the front of your PC.
Page 3 of 4
Complete Overview
In this overview, starting from top to bottom, we have our Display port connected out to the monitor,
the 2 USBs are our mouse and keyboard, our blue ethernet cable is connected to the modem, and our
power cable is connected to power outlet.
Page 4 of 4