Start a Conversation

Solved!

Go to Solution

8587

September 17th, 2019 10:00

XPS 15 7590, WD19DC, second monitor lag

I have just received a new XPS 15 7590 at work and a WD19DC dock to go with it. Of course, the XPS 15 only has one TB port so this means I'm only using one of the TB connectors from the DC dock (the other one just hangs out). I'm having cursor lag issues on my second, smaller monitor so I wanted to see the cause might be. The main monitor is a U2717D and the second (with the lag) is a U2417H. Both are connected via DisplayPorts to the dock (mini end in the monitor, main end in the dock).

Is this because I'm not getting enough power from the dock over just the single TB connection? Meaning, the WD19DC dock doesn't transfer at least 130W (which is recommended for the XPS 15) unless you have -both- TB connectors connected to the laptop? If so, this would be frustrating since I have this dock due to my IT person ordering the incorrect dock (WD19TB would have been better) and it would be difficult to resolve this issue at this stage.

4 Operator

 • 

14K Posts

September 18th, 2019 09:00

@margokw15  the issue isn't power.  It's that when you use a WD19DC with only a single connection to the system, it operates just like a WD19, the regular USB-C dock.  The WD19 when used with HBR2/DisplayPort 1.2 systems like the XPS 15 7590 can only run dual displays up to 1920x1200 or a single display at 2560x1600, in both cases assuming the standard 60 Hz refresh rate.  Given that you're trying to run a 2560x1440 display and a 1920x1080 display, one or both of those displays will be running at a sub-60 Hz refresh rate, which is why things appear laggy.

If you had a system that could use both connections to the dock, you could run that display setup with that dock because the system would be able to send video bandwidth out of both ports.  But with a single port Thunderbolt system like yours, if you want to run that display setup through a dock, you'll need a WD19TB, which can provide enough power over a single connection and uses Thunderbolt rather than regular USB-C, which means the dock will have access to 4x more display bandwidth than your current setup -- enough to run dual 4K displays at 60 Hz, and therefore more than enough for your QHD+FHD setup.  The alternative would be to connect one of those displays directly to the XPS 15's built-in HDMI output, which will also work because in that setup, you're not trying to send display data for both displays through the dock connection.  But of course that's less convenient.

Unfortunately Dell created a big of a quagmire with their new dock lineup.  The WD19DC is designed for systems that require up to 210W of power, which is more than can be sent over a single cable.  But it's essentially a "dual USB-C" dock, not a Thunderbolt dock, which means that when you're using it with a single-port system that supports Thunderbolt, it's not as capable as a Thunderbolt dock would be.  There's no dock in Dell's new lineup that supports both Thunderbolt to maximize utility for single-port Thunderbolt systems and dual connections to provide extra power to systems that need it.  Ironically the WD19DC's predecessor the TB18DC actually WAS that way, but its dual connector plug couldn't be separated to allow the dock to be used with single-connector systems -- it could ONLY be used with dual-connector systems.  And it's a Thunderbolt dock that isn't backward compatible with regular USB-C, non-Thunderbolt systems, since no Thunderbolt chipset at that time supported that.  The WD19TB is backward compatible with non-Thunderbolt systems (with functionality equivalent to the regular WD19).

4 Operator

 • 

14K Posts

September 18th, 2019 10:00

@margokw15  the difference between the WD19DC and TB isn't just the connector.  The former does not use Thunderbolt, whereas the latter does.  However, the end result from a usage standpoint is that dual connector systems can achieve nearly the same display setups with a "dual USB-C" dock like the WD19DC as single connector systems can achieve with a "single Thunderbolt" dock like the WD19TB.

In terms of fixing the issue, if the dock is brand new it will probably be easier to just return it and get the right thing.  However, I too have noticed that the WD19 models are designed to be modular, so yes in theory you should be able to just buy the WD19TB connector module and end up with a WD19TB, although I haven't actually looked into how to go about purchasing just that part, or even whether Dell has started selling those as separate pieces yet.  But even if you could do that, you'd end up having bought a WD19DC and a WD19TB module, and a dock power supply that's much larger than the 180W you'd need for running the XPS 15.  That last part won't cause any problems, but it's a bit of a waste of money.  The AC adapter itself will also be larger and heavier, but I'm guessing that's not a real issue.

Community Manager

 • 

54.3K Posts

September 18th, 2019 07:00

Correct. The XPS 15-7590 is not on the WD19DC "System Requirements" list.

"The Dell Performance Docking Station WD19DC is designed for PCs with Dual USB-C port that support DisplayPort over USB-C protocol."


I am not sure if it would make a difference but try testing with the both of the supplied AC power adapters connecting to both the XPS 15-7590 and the WD19DC dock.

11 Posts

September 18th, 2019 10:00

jphughan, Thanks for the detailed reply!

So it sounds like I can resolve the issue if I get the WD19TB. From what I can see on the dock product page, it looks like the main difference between the WD19TB and WD19DC is just the output cables (dual versus single), correct? And the docks are touted as being "modular" so, in theory, I could just purchase the single connector module and swap that out on the WD19DC? Or would that only make it equivalent to the weaker WD19? I need to be very specific with my IT person, so any information helps.

Thanks again!

11 Posts

September 18th, 2019 12:00

@jphughan , thanks again! Oddly enough, the AC adaptor the WD19DC came with is the same as my dock for the previous model of XPS 15, the TB16. I checked the input and output amounts on them and they seem to be the same adaptor (I checked because I didn't want to swap them out if I didn't need to, since my cable management system is intense).

But alas, it looks like I'll have to convince my IT person to handle the exchange of the docks. Thanks again and I'll update when/if this is resolved!

4 Operator

 • 

14K Posts

September 18th, 2019 12:00

@margokw15  happy to help!  The TB16 required a 240W AC adapter if you wanted it to be able to provide 130W to the attached system.  The WD19TB only needs a 180W AC adapter to achieve that.  It's possible that the internal electronics are a bit more efficient and/or I believe that on the TB16, the "upstream" Thunderbolt port that allowed you to attach peripherals was able to supply up to 60W, whereas on the WD19TB it's limited to 15W.  It's also possible (likely) that the TB16 and WD19TB don't actually require an additional 110W and 50W, respectively, over the 130W they're passing through to the system just to run themselves and provide power to any peripherals you might attach.  However, Dell has been making 130W, 180W, and 240W power supplies for laptops since long before any of these docks existed, so I suspect that when they needed more power, they just stepped up to the next power supply wattage level they were already manufacturing anyway rather than creating a brand new power adapter for the dock's precise needs.

But if you have a TB16 with a 240W adapter, you should actually be able to use your new XPS 15 with that dock.  I realize that system isn't on the TB16's compatibility list, but that just means it wasn't tested and wouldn't be officially supported.  It does not at all mean that it definitely won't work.  There are many cases of Dell accessories having compatibility lists that don't include systems older than a certain period of time and/or systems that launched after the accessory, and in many cases the accessory in question works just fine with such systems.  And even if you'll be getting a WD19TB anyway, as long as the TB16 works it would at least give you a proper experience with your displays in the meantime.

No Events found!

Top