Looking for confirmation that the XPS 9570 cannot output DVI signals over HDMI

Question

I have an XPS 9570, and I need to connect a monitor that connects via DVI-D. I purchased a HDMI to DVI adapter cable, but I have had no luck getting my display recognized by the laptop. It doesn't show up in the Windows Display Setting, nor in the Device Manager. I found three separate threads where people complained about encountering the same problem. In every case, it was stated that this laptop does not support DVI over HDMI:

https://www.dell.com/community/XPS/XPS-15-9570-two-monitors-HDMI-to-DVI-Issue/td-p/7276655

https://www.dell.com/community/XPS/XPS-15-9570-not-working-with-2008-E228WFP/td-p/7266677

https://www.dell.com/community/XPS/XPS15-9570-HDMI-To-DVI-Problems/td-p/7329104

However, if this is the case, that means that the XPS 9570 does not implement the HDMI standard, since that standard is fully compatible with DVI. Here's a link to the standards document:

https://web.archive.org/web/20160305072940/http://www.microprocessor.org/HDMISpecification13a.pdf

So, can anyone tell me one way or another?

jphughan · Answer

I haven't seen an underlying cause identified, but given the number of users reporting this based on actual experience, I would treat that as being told one way about this issue -- at least for the time being.  I suppose it's possible that a future BIOS update might be able to fix this, and prior to this system I'd never heard of an HDMI output that didn't work with a DVI input because HDMI and single-link DVI are supposed to be electrically identical, but here we are.  And actually since those reports, there was another thread about (I think) a Latitude 5500 that seems to have the same issue, so maybe something Dell implemented on this system is being implemented on other systems with the same result.  My only guess as to a possible culprit is the LSPCON chip, which I mentioned in one of the threads you already found and linked.

DellAliasPaul · Answer

@jphughanThank you very much for the thoughtful response! An appropriately motivated user could probably fair well in here, since the laptop is being advertised as having an HDMI port, and a reasonable user would expect that to mean it fully conforms to the HDMI standard.

So, as an alternative, can anyone suggest an appropriate USB-C to DVI adapter that would work with the 9570? Will any Amazon cable work?

*Dell filters this phrase LOL

jphughan · Answer

@DellAliasPaul  I would recommend buying an adapter/cable from an established brand rather than literally anything you can find on Amazon.  I've had good luck with vendors like Cable Matters, StarTech, and Plugable for video cables (and other products), and from a quick search it looks like Plugable makes a USB-C to DVI adapter and Cable Matters makes a USB-C to DVI cable.  I suspect their relatively high cost is due to the fact that these cables and adapters have to incorporate a converter chip to switch the native DisplayPort signal coming over USB-C to DVI (which is also true of USB-C to HDMI cables and adapters) and also that DVI is obsolete at this point, whereas USB-C is the current standard, so there isn't as much demand for this type of cable.

Foreal00 · Answer

thanks was helpful to me lollll

DellAliasPaul · Answer

@jphughanThanks again!

XPS

Looking for confirmation that the XPS 9570 cannot output DVI signals over HDMI

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