3 Posts
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5163
G15 5511 Thunderbolt 4 with DisplayPort with alt mode
Dell G15 5511
Hi all - I have a G15 5511 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060. It has a Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort alt mode. I am trying to connect my Dell monitor S2421HDF via the Thunderbolt port. I have tried a few methods so far:
- VisionTek USB-C to 2x HDMI adapter (Dell Part AB647230) (link)
- USB C to HDMI Cable, uni USB Type C to HDMI Nylon Cable (link)
- Cable Matters USB C to DisplayPort Cable (USB-C to DisplayPort 1.4 Cable/USB C to DP Cable) (link)
None of these have worked so far. The monitor works fine when I connect it with a regular HDMI cable. It also works fine when I connect it to a different computer with a regular DisplayPort cable. Lastly, my wife's laptop is able to use the VisionTek USB-C to 2x HDMI adapter without any issue (it is a Dell but I'm not sure what model).
When I connect a USB-C to the Thunderbolt port, the computer acknowledges that something has been connected (it makes the little sound) but my the monitor says there is no input signal detected.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Tactical_Sunshine
4 Posts
1
August 15th, 2022 21:00
Turns out an Nvidia firmware update is the culprit. In short, make sure you have the correct cables plugged in between your Thunderbolt port and monitor, install a Dell this firmware update, then uninstall and reinstall the Nvidia drivers. Works like a charm! Detailed explanation of my adventures in computing below...
Just to be safe, I got a USB-C to HDMI adapter that supports Thunderbolt 3 and above (cheap adapter from amazon ). To use the HDMI cable, especially since my Thunderbolt port is signal only (does not deliver power on the G15 5511), I got one with power pass-through. I hooked up the hard-wired USB-C adapter cable to the USB-C Thunderbolt, then plugged another USB-C connected to a power source (USB-A to USB-C from an externally powered hub) into the adapter's USB-C power input port, and finally plugged in the HDMI cable between the adpater and monitor.
After that I downloaded and installed this firmware update.
With all that settled, I then simply uninstalled the following drivers:
I did Windows Key + X > Apps and Features, scrolled down and uninstalled. Takes a few minutes and a few restarts, but I kept all my monitors plugged in, and during the graphics driver uninstall, my second external monitor sprang to life, and then flickered out, but that meant there was hope...
Finally, I reinstalled the drivers. I did it through the Nvidia Experience app, which detected them all automatically and reinstalled, but I'm sure the same can be accomplished by going into Device Manager > Display Adapters, right-clicking Nvidia GeForce RTX (graphics card model), and clicking Update Drivers.
So it turns out it is mostly software. I bought about eight different adapters and cables to make absolutely sure it wasn't a hardware issue, which Dell support swares up and down it is. But it's not. It's an Nvidia firmware issue.
After all that, I finally have two external displays set up and ready to rock!
This is another article that may be useful for fixing USB-C to Displayport issues on a Dell G15 with Thunderbolt:
Dell support thread explaining how to do everything
Tactical_Sunshine
4 Posts
0
August 10th, 2022 11:00
Same problem here. Dell G15 5511 with RTX3060, i7-11800H. USB C to DisplayPort isn't working on my 144hz 27" curved Dell gaming monitor. No signal at all. All drivers are up to date. Cable works with other devices. Monitor works fine with other HDMI and display port devices.
Not sure what is going on...bios setting perhaps?
Tactical_Sunshine
4 Posts
0
August 10th, 2022 13:00
Hmm, after reading the fine print on the Amazon page, I see the specific cable I was using is not compatible with several Dell monitors, due to some unique way Dell monitors do DisplayPorts.
It looks like Dell recommends the VisionTek USB-C to DisplayPort 1.4 cable, part number 901289. Just ordered it, let's see if it works...
Suspicious_Lobster
3 Posts
0
August 16th, 2022 09:00
@Tactical_Sunshine Thank you so much for the help! This worked beautifully. I had contacted Dell tech support about 4 times and had given up home on solving this issue. I am so grateful you took to the time to help me with this
TEFACRUZDELL
1 Message
0
September 22nd, 2022 12:00
friend were you able to solve the problem with that cable? maybe you know if this adapter works in that dell..
Cable Matters 201016 USB-C to DisplayPort 8K Adapter
Tactical_Sunshine
4 Posts
0
September 22nd, 2022 17:00
No, sorry, I'm not sure about that particular cable. That's somewhere in the ballpark of running eight 4k monitors at 30 Hz! (I know, it's not exactly the same thing, but it is close.)
Since my initial post I've been able to use the following cables successfully directly from the USB-C thunderbolt port on the laptop to the monitor inputs (both HDMI and Display port inputs):
As far as your 8k 60 Hz cable goes, I believe you do have to plug into a Display port to do any sort of 8k, unless the new HDMI protocol has advanced to 8k (not sure, haven't researched it). But I don't know if this specific graphics card will run 8k at 60 Hz. It may be a bit much for an RTX3060 laptop card that only pushes about 115 to 130 watts. But this thunderbolt port is supposedly rated to run 8k up to 30 Hz, though you may experience some performance issues depending on what you're doing.
Hope this helps.
DeanoL
15 Posts
0
August 7th, 2023 04:00
Thank you for this! I had used a DisplayPort dock with this computer and external displays worked fine. After switching to a UD-MSTHDC (an MST-based dock using Thunderbolt) I no longer had external displays. This process worked perfectly for me.
I find it odd that Dell Command | Update doesn't offer the firmware update for the RTX cards.