XPS 8700, connect 2nd Dell monitor

@amurr47 What operating system are you using? Have you loaded the driver for the U2415? Did you go to NVIDIA Control Panel and try setting up multiple displays? Did you try disconnecting the U2412 and connecting the U2415 with the same cable?

I am not sure what a VGI cable is unless you mean VGA cable. HDMI to VGA is problematic because HDMI is digital and VGA is analog and the conversion usually requires an active converter.

U2415: hdmi, DP, mini DP

Dell gt720 9YJWT: dvi, vga, hdmi

8700 back panel (integrated video): hdmi, DP

you can go inside 8700 bios and set up Intel display.  Use hdmi or DP from 8700 back label for one monitor, and hdmi from gt720 for the other monitor.

Thanks for the questions, and sorry for the VGI typo. Yes, VGA.

1. What OS? Windows 7 Pro.

2. Did I try to downloading driver? Yes, but can't. The Dell site says, in effect, sorry, we can't see the monitor so we won't let you complete the download.

3. Did I go to NVIDIA's and set up multiple displays? Again, like Dell, NVIDIA's control panel can't see the U2415, and so no multiple screens are possible. It only sees the old U2412M.

4. Did I unplug the U2412M? Yep. And I tried all the cables in turn. No go. Even with resetting the monitor to the DP, mDP, and the two HDMIs.

I will say the U2415 is the least plug and play device I've seen since about 2005.

Again, thanks for the questions, and I hope these answers are of some use.

Andy

@amurr47 I don't know why you can't download the driver but I had no problems downloading it and I don't have a Dell U2415 monitor. I have never had an issue downloading drivers from Dell and as far as I am aware Dell does not require that you actually have to have the hardware attached to download a driver.

Here is what you should try:

1. In the BIOS, make sure that Intel Mult-Display is enabled.

2. If #1 does not work, try connecting both monitors to the graphics card. Connect the U2412 to the DVI port (according to the manual that monitor comes with a DVI cable) and connect the U2415 to the HDMI port. 

Sorry, I stated that inaccurately. I can download the driver, but can't install it. I get a message saying no monitor of that sort is detected, so the driver refuses to install.

@amurr47 OK, try the other two things I suggested. If Intel Multi-Display is not enabled and you have the U2415 connected to the integrated graphics that could be the problem why it is not detected.. 

Will do. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again.

I have a Dell U2414H and a Dell U2419H connected to my XPS 8940.  I've daisy-chained them from the DisplayPort on the graphics card, with the older screen at the end.  Your U2415 has both DisplayPort In and DisplayPort Out to allow this.  If you're using a DisplayPort cable, make sure you connect your U2415 to your PC using the DisplayPort In and not the DisplayPort Out.

Re: Thanks, but I don't think I can daisy chain given that my desktop has only HDMI, VGA and Dual-link DVI-D connections. The graphics card, a NVIDIA Ge Force 720, doesn't have DisplayPort.

you have option to uninstall gt720 and use Display port of integrated video on back panel of 8700.  8700 has Intel 4th gen cpu which has hd graphics 4600. It supports DP1.2 which meets minimum requirement for DP daisy chain.

another option is to uninstall gt720 and use HDMI as well as Display port of integrated video for your two monitors respectively.

#18 HDMI

#19 Display port

Thanks, but I don't think I can daisy chain given that my desktop has only HDMI, VGA and Dual-link DVI-D connections. The graphics card, a NVIDIA Ge Force 720, doesn't have DisplayPort.

Thanks.

Not much progress on your two suggestions.

1. BIOS. In Advanced, there is no multi-display in Windows 7 Pro that I can find. It's in Windows 8, I guess. But the advanced setup in Intel covered SpeedStep, virtualization and other items.

2. I've connected both monitors to the NVIDIA card. The 2412 through the DVI plug and the 2415 through both the VGA plug and the HDMI plug. No luck. The HDMI plug connects with the monitor through the DP In port.

I wonder what would happen with a HDMI to HDMI connection. I don't have a cable with that configuration, but they are common enough.

Have you used Windows Logo Key + P to access the screen options menu in Windows 7?

I agree with @Vic384 .  The cables with a HDMI at one end and VGA at the other work great when it's the HDMI connector on the PC and the VGA on the screen.  The other way around is a no-go. 

Thanks. No go is certainly what I've got so far.