Your First Step - Choosing A Connection
Determining what which port is where, what you have available, and where the cables connect to is your first step.
I am using an old (cheap) laptop I bought at a pawn shop and an older Acer computer monitor. The only port I had available (without purchasing an adapter) is a VGA port. Not the best set up but it works.
*Checking your display manual before starting could be helpful.
VGA vs DVI vs HDMI vs DisplayPort
VGA - Video Graphics Adapter
Some call this a Video Graphic Array. You may also hear it used to describe the resolution of the output from the computer.
Connectors and cables carry analog signals. It is pretty "old school" but like I mentioned. That is what I am using and seems to be working fine.
DVI - Digial Visual Interface
A DVI can carry both analog & digital signals. It is newer and offers better, sharper display compared to the VGA
The Video signal over DVI is basically the same as HDMI. It generally does not do audio
HDMI - High Definition Multimedia Interface
Most televisions and computer monitors have HDMI. It is easy to use, inexpensive, and carry's audio.
DisplayPort - Most Expensive and Not Always Needed
The DisplayPort cable is similar to HDMI but has super mega bandwidth. It is possible that it may be too high that your screen may not even support the resolutions.
It is more expensive than an HDMI plug and not necessarily needed for most people who are connecting a computer to a monitor.
I did not wish to get too techy with these explanations in this tutorial. I just wanted to give a basic idea of your choices. If you would like further information on this subject, YouTube is the place to go.
Lesson 3 - The Four Display Modes & How To Access Them