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XPS 9343, 9350, 9360, 9370 and 9365 2-in-1 LCD Brightness Issues

Summary: The Dynamic Backlight/Brightness Control (DBC) technology will change the brightness of the display according to the content shown on the screen.

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.

Symptoms


On certain XPS notebooks you may notice that the screen looks dimmer than you expect or the screen overall brightness changes constantly.

The above symptoms will be more apparent on solid white areas of the screen and when the screen has a mixture of dark and solid white content.

The above symptom is related to the displays Dynamic Backlight/Brightness Control (DBC) technology. This feature will change the brightness of the display according to the content shown on the screen.

SLN304876_en_US__1icon Note: This is working as designed and is used to save energy according to the content displayed on the LCD screen. If you wish to disable this function please follow the instructions for your computer.

 


For computers that have QHD+ display panels, you can contact Technical Support and reference this article to receive a firmware update tool that can either turn on or off the DBC feature inside the display.

SLN304876_en_US__1icon Note: This feature cannot be modified or turned off on FHD display panels. The above mentioned firmware is not available for and will not work with FHD panels.
  1. Remove any external monitor(s) or undock (when applicable).
  2. Save any data, close any open program(s).
  3. Plug in the AC adapter into the computer.
  4. Download the and install the latest BIOS from the XPS 9350 Product Support page (located in the BIOS category). For more information, refer to Dell Knowledge base article What is BIOS and How to Download and Install the latest BIOS?.
  5. Download the and install the latest Intel HD Graphics Driver from the XPS 9350 Product Support page (located in the Video category). For more information, refer to the Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs.
  6. Download the and install the latest Firmware Update for enabling or disabling Dynamic Brightness Control utility from the XPS 9350 Product Support page (located in the Application category). For more information, refer to the Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs.
  7. Extract the file package and run the exe file to update the QHD+ firmware.
  8. You can choose to either "Enable DBC" or "Disable DBC" (Dell recommends to use Enable DBC, Figure 1).
    SLN304876_en_US__3I_XPS_13_Dynamic Backlight Control_BD_v1
    Figure 1: Dynamic Brightness Control (English Only)
  9. Reboot the computer after the firmware upgrade is completed
  1. Remove any external monitor(s) or undock (when applicable).
  2. Save any data, close any open program(s).
  3. Plug in the AC adapter into the computer.
  4. Download the and install the latest BIOS from the XPS 9360 Product Support page (located in the BIOS category). For more information, refer to Dell Knowledge base article What is BIOS and How to Download and Install the latest BIOS?.
  5. Download the and install the latest Intel HD 620 and Iris Graphics 640 driver from the XPS 9360 Product Support page (located in the Video category). For more information, refer to the Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs.
  6. Download the and install the latest Firmware Update for enabling or disabling Dynamic Brightness Control utility from the XPS 9360 Product Support page (located in the Application category). For more information, refer to the Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs.
  7. Extract the file package and run the exe file to update the QHD+ firmware
  8. You can choose to either "Enable DBC" or "Disable DBC" (Dell recommends to use Enable DBC, Figure 1).
    SLN304876_en_US__3I_XPS_13_Dynamic Backlight Control_BD_v1
    Figure 1: Dynamic Brightness Control (English Only)
  9. Reboot the computer after the firmware upgrade is completed
  1. Remove any external monitor(s) or undock (when applicable).
  2. Save any data, close any open program(s).
  3. Plug in the AC adapter into the computer.
  4. Download the and install the latest BIOS from the XPS 9365 2-in-1 Product Support page (located in the BIOS category). For more information, refer to Dell Knowledge base article What is BIOS and How to Download and Install the latest BIOS?.
  5. Download the and install the latest Intel HD 620/640/615 Graphics driver from the XPS 9365 2-in-1 Product Support page (located in the Video category). For more information, refer to the Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs.
  6. Download the and install the latest Firmware update utility for enabling/disabling DBC (Dynamic Backlight Control) feature utility from the XPS 9365 2-in-1 Product Support page (located in the Application category). For more information, refer to the Dell Knowledge Base article Drivers and Downloads FAQs.
  7. Extract the file package and run the exe file to update the QHD+/FHD firmware
  8. You can choose to either "Enable DBC" or "Disable DBC" (Dell recommends to use Enable DBC, Figure 1).
    SLN304876_en_US__3I_XPS_13_Dynamic Backlight Control_BD_v1
    Figure 1: Dynamic Backlight Control (English Only)
  9. Reboot the computer after the firmware upgrade is completed
  1. Save any data, close any open program(s).
  2. Plug in the AC adapter into the computer.
  3. Download the and install the latest BIOS from the XPS 9370 Product Support page (located in the BIOS category). For more information, refer to Dell Knowledge base article What is BIOS and How to Download and Install the latest BIOS?.
  4. Reboot the computer.
  5. When you see the Dell logo during POST, press the F2 key to enter the setup screen.
    SLN304876_en_US__1icon Note: When the computer boots into Windows normally, try again.
  6. Touch or click the plus sign next to Video.
  7. Touch or click Dynamic Background Control (Figure 1).
    SLN304876_en_US__7iC_XPS_9370_BIOS_Dynamic_Backlight_Option_BD_v2
    Figure 1: Dynamic Background Control Option
  8. Make sure Enabled is selected in the Dynamic Background Control box.
    SLN304876_en_US__1icon Note: There should be a dot next to Enabled (Figure 2).
    SLN304876_en_US__9iC_XPS_9370_BIOS_Dynamic_Backlight_Control_Box_BD_v2
    Figure 2: Enabled or Disabled Option
  9. Touch or click Apply, when any changes were made.
  10. Touch or click Exit.
  11. Confirm exiting, when offered.

Affected Products

XPS 13 9343, XPS 13 9350 (End of Life), XPS 13 9360, XPS 13 9365 2-in-1, XPS 13 9370
Article Properties
Article Number: 000125391
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 10 Apr 2021
Version:  4
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