XPS 8700, onboard graphics

Question

Hey guys, I'm sort of a noob when it comes to the inside of a PC, and I need some help setting up a new monitor. I recently bought a new monitor that has HDMI and DP ports on it. I'd like to use the DP port because it supports 144Hz and the HDMI caps at 120Hz. The problem is, my desktop does not have graphics port for DP. Here is a link to a newer version of my PC. <ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell> .The only difference is the port labeled 13 - which is DP - is VGA on my tower. I've tried enabling onboard graphics but it didn't seem to work. Do I buy a new graphics card? If possible I'd like to use the VGA on graphics card, and the onboard displayport connection for a double monitor setup. Please respond, I can provide further specs if needed.

Thanks!

Vic384 · Answer

So you tried enabling the onboard graphics, did you do that by setting Intel Multi-Display to Enable in the BIOS? Did you check Device Manager / Display adapters to see if the driver for Intel HD Graphics is installed? You did not indicate what CPU you have, I am not sure the integrated graphics can do 144 Hz. if your CPU is a 4th Generation processor (i.e. i7-4770) it has Intel HD 4600 Graphics which does not support 144 Hz. You will have to upgrade your graphics card.

Tyler Corrington · Answer

Thanks for responding! The processor is an Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz, and the graphics card that came stock is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 745. I did not see Intel HD drivers in my display adapters, and I enabled Intel Multi-Display in the BIOS.

Vic384 · Answer

When you connected the monitor to the onboard graphics did you go to All settings / Display and set up Multiple displays, assuming you are running Windows 10? Also, if your monitor comes with a display driver, did you install it (it would show up in Device Manager / Monitors)?

Tyler Corrington · Answer

I am running Windows 10, and multiple displays is currently setup but using the graphics card ports - HDMI and VGA. In device manager/ monitors I see my monitor but I'm not sure if that's a driver.

Vic384 · Answer

What is the make and model number of the monitor that you can't get to work on the DisplayPort?

Mary G · Answer

You have a discrete video card.You cannot use the integrated display port #9 or the hdmi port #8 since you have a video card. Those are disabled when you have a card. Your vga port is not built in. That is on your video card. You can replace the card with a new one. See the manual-- https://downloads.dell.com/manuals/all-products/esuprt_desktop/esuprt_xps_desktop/xps-8700_owner%27s%20manual_en-us.pdf

All those horizontal slots are for PCI cards.

Vic384 · Answer

@Mary G What is the purpose of the Intel Multi-Display BIOS setting if it is not used to enable the onboard graphics if a discrete graphics card is installed?

Tyler Corrington · Answer

Here is my current port set up. I'd like to change the HDMI to the DP port on the black portion. The only solution is a new graphics card? Am I replacing the one in it currently or putting it in another spot? Do you have any suggestions for a good graphics card for gaming I could get without having to upgrade other parts? What are discrete and integrated graphics?

Thanks!

RoHe · Answer

@Tyler Corrington  - The first monitor has to be connected to the add-in video card, even with Multi-Display enabled in BIOS. The second monitor can then be connected to one of the onboard Intel HD Graphics ports.

Tyler Corrington · Answer

I double checked to make sure Intel Multi-Display was enabled, and still no luck with the monitor connecting on the onboard DP. Am I missing something?

Tyler Corrington · Answer

I bought a new monitor so I could get a higher refresh rate. The DP can support 144Hz, and the HDMI caps at 120. Are there cables I can buy that go from DVI to a DP on the monitor that supports 144Hz? Is there a way to upgrade the integrated graphics?

Vic384 · Answer

You cannot upgrade the integrated graphics, it is integrated into the CPU and the CPU mostly likely cannot be upgraded because of the motherboard.

As far as cables go, I think you need a dual-link DVI to DisplayPort adapter in order to support 144 Hz. I could not find any, there seems to be DisplayPort to dual-lin DVI but not the other way around. Your best bet is a graphics card upgrade.

RoHe · Answer

Does at least one monitor have DP?

As long as at least one monitor is connected to the add-in video card, you should be able to use the onboard (black) DP port, assuming Multi-Display is enabled in BIOS setup.

I don't understand why you would want to use the onboard DP.

Discrete graphics = a separate add-in video card from AMD or NVidia
Integrated graphics = on the Intel CPU chip

Integrated graphics generally don't perform as well as a discrete video card. Integrated graphics use the system's RAM, leaving less available for Windows and apps to use. System RAM is typically slower than RAM used on discrete video cards.

EDIT: And yes, you have to replace the existing add-in video card if you want to upgrade.

Vic384 · Answer

I don't have any recommendations for a graphics card but your choices may be limited by your power supply and whether or not the graphics card will work with your older PC. This discussion may help: https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-Desktops/XPS-8700-current-GPU-upgrades/m-p/7531222

The new graphics card would be a replacement for the existing graphics card.

Discrete graphics refers to a dedicated graphics card whereas integrated graphics or onboard graphics refer to the graphics capabilities integrated into the processor chip.

Tyler Corrington · Answer

Ok, I've gone through the monitors settings and connected it to DP and it didn't work. The monitor is a Pixio PX247.

XPS Desktops

XPS 8700, onboard graphics

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