[Don't you know, Clamshell mode?] [Oh..] [ITSub's All Here] [Electronics Lover / ITSub's All Here]
Hi, I'm ITSub. You ask about this a lot And it was mostly from students And I think when I was a student I loved this method too and I was curious about it as well. So today? It's the easiest method to use your laptop as a desktop. It's famous among Apple products in particular. So Mac calls it 'Clamshell' in its official terms, right? So Clamshell, the name because it looks like the clam closed in Windows can do something like this But I don't think they have an official name for it. The reason behind Clamshell mode The laptops nowadays, if not for high end games or work the speed isn't too different with normal desktops in terms of normal work So we use this a lot. It's too pricey to get one laptop and another desktop And especially if you work a lot taking your laptop outside, working with the laptop outside and then moving the files and setting at home, that's a lot of work But if you do the two with a laptop it really gets convenient. For instance going to work or school, get the laptop out and work outside and at home, just connect the cable for a bigger screen You don't need a file or setting with this. So what do you need? The most basic laptop. The specs to a laptop may vary with the convenience you're looking for The model with USB-C (Thunderbolt / DisplayPort Alt Mode support) is best Even HDMI is great So.. there might be difference in the convenience But everyone can use this. And second, you need the monitor. You can use any monitor But the best one is the model with the USB-C output/charge. These models are available with 300,000 won if cheap and the higher-end ones have a lot of functions like this, right? So if it doesn't charge and do output with USB-C you need this USB-C herb. I bought this so much using Mac's USB-C But it really matters with its price. You need to go for a decent brand if you go with the cheap one [I lost at least 3]
it gets broken really easily with this type C herb I'll review this later But if your laptop has the HDMI terminal you don't need a herb. Finally, the most convenient way to do it is to use eGPU. I've done a review on this it's using an external graphic card dock it's the most expensive but for those who use light laptops like Ultrabook you can play game at home with this It's the best product for that but That is.. Not very reasonably priced. [Using it in Windows]
So I'll show you how it works on Windows. You need a monitor If your monitor supports USB-C charging and output it's so simple to connect Just put the cable on And the monitor shows you the screen And see at the bottom You can see how it's charging normally. Like this, the monitor with one cable for charge and output It's usually more expensive so you can't say that it's reasonably priced. So this is the most convenient way. If the monitor doesn't support this Then? Connect the USB-C herb and monitor to the HDMI port You can do the output like this. It's not too hard. You know about it a lot. But the Clamshell mode here, it means you turn the laptop screen off and work with the monitor. So if you close the monitor The problem? On Windows your screen just closes down. So you need a separate setting, right? [How to set up in Windows 10
Settings - Power Options - Change Battery Settings - Choose what happens when you close the lid - Power On - Do Nothing]
Windows 10 has a battery setting environment here, right? But this one doesn't have it, so I'll search this setting 'when lid is closed' Basically everything when the lid is closed says 'save battery' When using battery? Nothing. And save it so when you close the lid your laptop's lock or the screen doesn't go away you can use the keyboard or the mouse to use as a desktop The laptop's closed now and it's working, right? After connecting like this I haven't connected the keyboard and the mouse the next step is at display setting it's whether to copy or to expand If you want to open your laptop too like a dual monitor, you can expand but with Clamshell mode, you don't need to touch this If you want a dual monitor usage? Display just move the position so that it matches yours and that's a simple setting But on Windows there's no official Clamshell mode So there are downsides. If... For the work when the lid's closed it has 'battery usage' and 'power usage' nothing for either is the easiest but if you get the cable off to get it out? The laptop's always on so it will die out quickly. So when I connect the monitor the power's connected too so I only go with 'nothing' when the power's connected That's the setting I'm using And with the battery it goes to 'save battery' that's the setting I'm using. Second, how to do it on Mac. [If you are using an external keyboard and mouse with your Mac laptop, you can close the built-in display after connecting the external display]
However! Because Mac officially supports clamshell mode. So you don't need those Windows settings to use it. With the cable on? The screen, oh? It's working! The screen's on and you can use it. It's charging But! You can't use it with the monitor connected. The conditions to using the Clamshell mode, [Clamshell mode]
1. Power connected 2. Monitor connected 3. Keyboard or Mouse connected That's how Clamshell mode automatically activates. Oh and your MacBook must be closed to use it as a Clamshell mode. At first, just doing this won't work properly, right? So touch your keyboard or mouse See? Out? And at first the monitor doesn't work but if I move the keyboard or the mouse to wake it up? Mac opens up. So Windows or Mac, when the laptop's closed I can use it as the desktop, or Mac Mini like a PC. But using it like this many of you are worried. What about the heat? People have been saying that since you close your laptop to use there has been the heating issue But before or now it's not too wrong. Because? With the test, with the lid closed you get more throttling with the heat. I've been using Mac for a long time I've been using Clamshell mode for a long time But I haven't had a such problem with the Mac I have. But it all differs with each laptop condition or environment so I can't say what's right or wrong and the controversy continues about whether the heat damages the laptop or not. But funny thing is, Mac officially has the Clamshell mode. And looking into it, Apple doesn't say 'don't close it' but it does say to not keep something in-between the lid and the bottom. Thinking about it, some laptops get heats above the keyboard but the cooling doesn't occur there, right? The structure of latest laptops The air goes in from the sides and cools to come up or the air goes in from the top, coming out to the side Or the air to one side and out to the other side That's how it cools down So with the closed lid it's better to have the air space above the keyboard but I don't think it's that severe. So this mode at Mac is pretty nice but M1 that's just out has almost no heating So M1 Mac, rather than the old Intel Mac would be more... calm with the Clamshell.. I think that's what it is. [[When using Clamshell mode, battery swelling is more frequent because the charger is always plugged in]
But still when using clamshell mode Battery swelling could happen often so a solution for me is, On your Mac, at Battery check the battery status and there's the option 'manage the battery life' this is Windows has this as well. Connect to the Galaxy Book, and see? The option, 'battery and performance' Ah? Galaxy Book can only charge up to 85% In Clamshell mode, you charge at the same time so if you use this Clamshell mode often This option will help with the battery life. So that's a quick way to use your laptop as a desktop, which was requested a lot. Of course if you can afford it it's the best to have one desktop and one laptop But since computers are upwardly leveled laptops are also fine with the work, right? Of course if it's not too high-end. And another thing, The fact that it has a USB-C doesn't mean that it supports all these. Lower-end laptops with the USB-C port they may only support charging and file sending So please check if they can do the monitor output with that USB-C before the purchase. Anyways, that's it for today If the laptops improve and the eGPU gets cheaper, it'll be fine but that's not going to happen.. If M1's following models are as competent I'm sure many Mac users will prefer this Clamshell mode too. Then the Mac Mini would not be as reasonably priced. Since you need a monitor for Mac Mini anyways So if you just use it on your MacBook Air although Mac Mini will have less throttling MacBook Air will be much better in terms of cost-efficiency
