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June 2nd, 2021 16:00
Question on XPS 17 with WD19 Dock and Multiple Displays
Hello:
I am looking at purchasing a Dell XPS 17, specifically the one listed here:
It seems the WD19 dock is the best and most compatible however I need to make sure it can push 3840x2160 on two monitors I have. I’ve found the following resource helpful:
but I cannot make out whether this specific laptop will be able to support this resolution on two displays using the WD19 dock. Thank you for your help!!
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jphughan
9 Legend
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14K Posts
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June 3rd, 2021 06:00
@Jason5151 The XPS 17 9700 by default uses DisplayPort 1.2/HBR2, due to limitations of the Intel GPU built into the CPUs used in that system and the fact that all outputs by default are wired to the Intel GPU. Systems equipped with an NVIDIA RTX GPU -- not the GTX GPU -- have a BIOS option that when enabled allows the NVIDIA GPU to take direct control of the display outputs, in which case the system supports DisplayPort 1.4/HBR3. But the GTX systems don't have that option. Instead, NVIDIA GPU is used only when needed, and then only indirectly as a render-only device through a technology called NVIDIA Optimus. This is the most common design for dual GPU systems. If you really want the gory details on the various dual GPU system designs and why they all exist, I wrote that up here. The XPS 17 with a GTX GPU works just like the XPS 15 I described in that post, and the XPS 17 with an RTX GPU works like the Precision 7000 Series systems I described in that post.
In terms of your other questions, yes the downsteram TB3 port is the port off at the edge of the dock on its own. As for your displays, they appear to have USB-C inputs that only support DP 1.2. That's fine because that's all your system will support anyway, but the only way to run 4K 60 Hz over USB-C when you only support DP 1.2 is to limit USB data speeds on that connection to USB 2.0. So if you plan to use the USB ports built into those displays and want USB 3.x speeds out of them based on whatever you plan to plug in, you'll want to run separate USB 3.x cables from the displays to the dock to create that USB 3.x data path. If you don't plan to use the USB ports on the displays or will only be connecting devices where USB 2.0 is sufficient, then no worries. If you don't already HAVE suitable USB-C cables for those displays though, and you decide that's what you want to use, then make sure you get USB-C cables that specifically support video. Some USB-C cables only support USB 2.0 and power since they're meant primarily for charging, and those will not work for displays. Or you can just get USB-C to DisplayPort cables as I mentioned earlier.
jphughan
9 Legend
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14K Posts
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June 2nd, 2021 19:00
@Jason5151 The guide you're looking at is for the "WD19 Thunderbolt", which is the WD19TB or TBS models. The regular WD19 and WD19S are only USB-C docks, and when paired with an XPS 17 9700 with only a GTX GPU will only run dual displays up to 1920x1200 each because that system only supports DisplayPort 1.2/HBR2. Here is the equivalent page from that dock's documentation.
But if you get the TB or the TBS, then yes you will be able to run dual 4K 60 Hz from the system you're looking at, even though it only supports DisplayPort HBR2. Just make sure you use one of the supported display output combinations for that setup.
The only difference between the dock models that have an S and the ones that don't are that the newer S models dropped the 3.5 mm headset jack. The current global semiconductor shortage somehow affected that part or the audio chipset that runs it, which was preventing Dell from building docks, so they created the S variants that don't have them in order to keep production running.
Jason5151
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June 3rd, 2021 05:00
Excellent @jphughan , thank you very much for your response. Just to make sure I am tracking 100%, I would be able to go with either one of the two following options for 4k based on the documentation for the "WD19TB" correct?
jphughan
9 Legend
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14K Posts
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June 3rd, 2021 05:00
@Jason5151 Happy to help! Although after reading your reply I realized that I had made an error in my own. In terms of the port combinations and the downstream TB3 port, I said something correct for an HBR3 system, not an HBR2 system. In terms of your proposed setup, those both SHOULD work, but a user here I’ve worked with who supports a large quantity of these docks at a business that also uses dual 4K 60 Hz displays has found that the most reliable way to achieve that with HBR3 systems is to use the downstream TB3 port and the USB-C port near the HDMI output. If your displays don’t have native USB-C inputs, then use USB-C to DisplayPort adapters as that other user does. Those themselves are more reliable than USB-C to HDMI because USB-C sends DisplayPort natively, which means USB-C to HDMI adapters/cables need to incorporate an active signal converter chip, and those seem to create interoperability problems here and there.
If you really want to try your proposed port setups, go ahead and do so because they should work, but not everything that SHOULD work in the tech world always does, and that other user I mentioned had some issues with other port combinations, at least with the system models he experimented with. Good luck!
Jason5151
4 Posts
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June 3rd, 2021 06:00
Okay thanks @jphughan , that leads me to another question actually... Is the XPS17 HBR2 or HBR3 - I assumed it was HBR2 based on your earlier response? I tried reviewing the specs but can't seem to find it anywhere?
Also when the documentation refers to USB Type-C TB, is that the downstream TB port (marked 11 on the following Amazon.com: Dell WD19TB Thunderbolt Docking Station with 180W AC Power Adapter (130W Power Delivery): Computers & Accessories)? If so, are there any special considerations for my monitors when using that option? I am using two Lenovo ThinkVision P32p-20s, both supporting USB-C, DisplayPort, and HDMI input signals.
Jason5151
4 Posts
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June 3rd, 2021 07:00
Sounds good @jphughan . Thanks again for sharing your knowledge I learned a lot. I will probably be going with one of the two options I listed earlier for setup, but at this point I have the peace of mind to proceed with the purchase!