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U3219Q, not showing Apple PC BIOS, pre-Windows screens
Just over a week ago I bought a U3219Q monitor. I'm using it with a Mac which I can also dual-boot into Windows. The Mac desktop and the Windows desktop both display okay. BUT, computers aren't limited to just displaying desktops. For example when Windows boots up it will quite often display some BIOS output or some other DOS text. Unfortunately, none of that gets displayed on the new U3219Q. Likewise, I can press a certain key during boot up and it should display a small menu for me to choose between booting to OS-X or booting into Windows. That menu doesn't appear either. So I need to make a guess at when it will be on screen and hope I manage to press the right buttons at the right time. This is all very unexpected and hugely unsatisfactory for a product costing so much money. Is it possible to adjust something somewhere so that the U3219Q will display whatever gets sent to it? Instead of it trying to second guess what I'll want to see and what I don't want to see.
DELL-Chris M
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April 9th, 2019 10:00
* For my internal notes, click my name and private message me the U3219Q service tag number
Regardless of the operating systems installed, you are still using the non-tested/non-validated Apple proprietary hardware which has their proprietary BIOS. Because this is not a "true" Windows PC, I can only give you best guess support.
* What video card model?
* What video out ports are available on the video card to test on the U3219Q video in ports (HDMI/DisplayPort/USB Type-C) ?
* Show in detail how the U3219Q is currently connected to the video card using all ports and cabling
johne53
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April 9th, 2019 11:00
Thanks Chris - I ran the Monitor Reset and then realised something... this problem is affecting the DisplayPort input but not the HDMI input (HDMI input seems to work as expected).
Anonymous
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April 9th, 2019 12:00
Hi again John
With my fairly new Dell XPS 8930 tower, I had noticed a similar issue. When using two monitors, one connected to DP, the other to HDMI, the Dell BIOS sends all BIOS POST video to the HDMI port. Even if that secondary monitor on HDMI is turned off.
I had relegated a lesser non-Dell monitor to that HDMI port. There seems to be no way to tell Dell BIOS to favor the superior monitor.
I also tested behavior with the XPS on-board ports, those driven by the intel i7 integrated GPU. I don't recall exactly what monitors I connected to it and simultaneously to the nVidia port. But whatever. That test config also directed the BIOS to the unintended port. In some case, making it impossible to view the BIOS setup even if blindly pressing the F2 button during powerup.
Part of my interest in doing the on-board GPU experiment above was to discover if there was any possible way to fully disable the i7 GPU via the Dell BIOS. (there's not). It hogs 100MB or more of system RAM. As result, Windows reports only 15.8 of 16GB available in my system.
My point is, these BIOS developers haven't really made any progress regarding POST support for multiple GPU ports and monitors since the 1980s. oh well.
johne53
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April 10th, 2019 01:00
Hi Mike and Chris - my situation is slightly different from Mike's because I'm not using a Dell computer. I have 2 x Apple Macs here:- 1) a 9 year old Mac Mini, and 2) a brand new Mac Pro. The Mac Pro connects to my monitor's HDMI input and works okay. The Mac Mini connects to my DisplayPort input. Its graphics system (inbuilt of course) is an NVidia GeForce 9400. Previously I used it with an old Dell 4x3 monitor (2007FP) and it still works fine if I connect it back to that monitor.
I suspect this must be a problem with DisplayPort inputs. Computers often display BIOS output or whatever while booting up. My suspicion is that any initial boot-up text will most likely be in 4:3 format (and probably at a low resolution for compatibility with older monitors). Once Windows or OS-X gets launched it recognises the monitor and displays its desktop (in 16:9 format). And only when DisplayPort sees the 16:9 image does it suddenly jump into life.
Could it really be the case that DisplayPort doesn't support 4:3 format??
DELL-Chris M
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April 10th, 2019 13:00
The native Aspect Ratio is 16:9. See page 43. Using the Menu- Display, you can change the Aspect Ratio to:
Wide 16:9
Auto Resize
4:3
1:1
As to how you would do this just for the boot screens, then flip back to Wide 16:9 on the fly, switching between PCs, no idea.
Anonymous
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April 10th, 2019 21:00
Yeah, I kind of felt my first post was Off Topic, sorry. I can't delete it. So I thought I'd compound my blunder with another. considering... chuckle.
I looked up that Mac Mini model on Wikipedia. If I got it right, it offers max resolution 2560×1600.
That's not one of the VESA modes identified in the manual p15-16 which Chris mentioned.
I don't know what to think of it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_Mini#External_connectivity_2
Have you considered this? A miniDP-HDMI cable rated 4K. I'm not pushing you to waste $7.99 on this, but my curiosity is killing me. I checked the reviews, and found some happy Mac Mini users among them.
https://www.amazon.com/Rankie-Mini-DisplayPort-Cable-Ready/dp/B00YONKZ72/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
johne53
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April 25th, 2019 01:00
Hi Chris and Mike,
After a couple of emails to Dell they told me that the DisplayPort technology apparently requires an OS driver - and as such, it won't display any output before the OS has booted up. To get around the problem I simply switched over to HDMI which doesn't have this limitation.
BUT... for whatever reason, when I boot into Windows and view my screen resolution settings etc, the only Refresh Rate offered for this monitor is 24Hz. I can't say I've noticed any screen flickering etc but to me, 24Hz seems worryingly low. My previous monitors (including an ancient, Dell 2007FP) were always capable of at least 60Hz or even 70Hz.
My contact at Dell seems a bit puzzled by this so I just wondered if either of you can shed any light on it.... do you know if 24Hz is typical for the U3219Q (or for modern monitors in general)?
Anonymous
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April 29th, 2019 00:00
Well, the HP Z32 (31.5" 4K UHD) does natively support 2560x1600.
https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-z32-31.5-inch-4k-uhd-display/18269280/model/18269281/document/c05856291#AbT3
I am considering ordering one of those, and running Windows at 125% resolution. That would approximate 25" 2K QHD dot pitch, which is ideal for my purpose. (a 30" UHD would be exact match, 117 dpi at 125%, if such a monitor existed). After testing several other brands, including Dell's, I am just unable to find a 25" QHD with suitable quality. So I might have to go this HP 4K route.
One thing I especially like about HP monitors is, we can disable those obtrusive Standby (Power Save mode) popups which are relentless with Dells.