When you connect an external display to your laptop, the graphics processing unit (GPU) has to work harder to manage both the laptop’s built-in display and the external one. This increased workload requires more power.
The GPU must render the images, videos, and other visual elements on both screens, and in some cases, it might need to render different content on each. This extra processing effort consumes more energy.
Additionally, the external display might require the laptop to send power via the connection, depending on the type of connection used (such as HDMI or USB-C). This would also contribute to a faster battery drain.
Together, these factors lead to a higher energy consumption, which will cause the laptop’s battery to deplete more quickly than when using the laptop’s display alone.
In most cases only the first one applies. Rarely ever see monitors that aren’t powered independently. Also sounds like chatgpt wrote this.
Edit: apparently everyone skipped over the part where I said I rarely see them
They exist but they are rare. Most of them are USB powered small monitors.
If you're connecting your laptop to an external display it's usually via a hub/dock (powering your laptop too, making battery drain irrelevant) unless you're connecting it to a display in eg. a meeting room without connecting power separately and then GPU load matters
I'm having a 15" mobile external monitor for my business trips, which is powered through my laptop. At least for those mobile displays, this is quite typical. Often you just need one USB C convention for power and video
When you connect an external display to your laptop, the graphics processing unit (GPU) has to work harder to manage both the laptop’s built-in display and the external one. This increased workload requires more power.
The GPU must render the images, videos, and other visual elements on both screens, and in some cases, it might need to render different content on each. This extra processing effort consumes more energy.
Additionally, the external display might require the laptop to send power via the connection, depending on the type of connection used (such as HDMI or USB-C). This would also contribute to a faster battery drain.
Together, these factors lead to a higher energy consumption, which will cause the laptop’s battery to deplete more quickly than when using the laptop’s display alone.
In most cases only the first one applies. Rarely ever see monitors that aren’t powered independently. Also sounds like chatgpt wrote this.
Edit: apparently everyone skipped over the part where I said I rarely see them
They exist but they are rare. Most of them are USB powered small monitors.
If you're connecting your laptop to an external display it's usually via a hub/dock (powering your laptop too, making battery drain irrelevant) unless you're connecting it to a display in eg. a meeting room without connecting power separately and then GPU load matters
I'm having a 15" mobile external monitor for my business trips, which is powered through my laptop. At least for those mobile displays, this is quite typical. Often you just need one USB C convention for power and video