Will Surface Laptop 5 work with Dell Thundebolt Dock WD19TB. If yes, how do we connect two monitors and what cables are to be used.

Question

I have a Dell Thundebolt Dock WD19TB. I am planning to buy a Surface Laptop 5 and would like to understand if it works with the dock and what cables do I need to procure and how do I make the connection. I plan to use two monitors.

Answer 1

Hi Family Deep,

Thank you for reaching Microsoft Community.

Firstly, please note that the WD19TB dock is a third-party dock, and we have limited details on its compatibility with the Surface devices. It would be best to also consult this with the manufacturer (Dell).

However, as per checking here on the specifications of the dock (How to Use and Troubleshoot Dell Thunderbolt Docking Station WD19TB or WD19TBS | Dell US), the dock has Thunderbolt 3 USB-C connectivity, and the Surface Laptop 5 has Thunderbolt 4. Also, it has ports for external monitor like DisplayPort, HDMI and a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port that support DP1.4.

To connect 2 external monitors to the Surface through the dock, I would recommend using both DisplayPort or one through DisplayPort and the other through the Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port. Though, I would still recommend checking with Dell support on this.

Here are the steps to connect two monitors to your Surface Laptop 5 using the Dell Thunderbolt Dock WD19TB:

1. Connect the Dell Thunderbolt Dock WD19TB to your Surface Laptop 5 using the included Thunderbolt 3 cable.
2. Connect one monitor to the dock's DisplayPort output using a DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable.
3. Connect the second monitor to the dock's second DisplayPort output using another DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable.
4. Turn on your monitors and your Surface Laptop 5.

Once you have connected the monitors, you may need to adjust the display settings on your Surface Laptop 5 to extend the desktop to the two monitors. Here's how:

1. Right-click on the desktop and select "Display settings."
2. Under "Multiple displays," select "Extend desktop."
3. Drag and drop the monitors to match their physical placement on your desk.
4. Adjust the resolution and scaling as needed.

We'll also leave this thread open for now to allow some time to our other members here in the Community to share their ideas, experiences and inputs on this matter.

Additionally, here is an article also that you can check in connecting Surface to external displays: Troubleshoot connecting Surface to an external display - Microsoft Support

Kind regards,
Marrion

Answer 2

Hello, did you end up buying the surface laptop 5 and does it work with the dell dock for 2 monitors as well as power?